disguise xR supports darmah as they push boundaries for Latin American artists

We spoke to darmah co-founder Bianca Moncada to find out how the team uses disguise technology to create one-of-a-kind events.

Creating unity across all production design elements

As a 360˚ service, darmah’s brand promise is to create a seamless experience for performers, presenters and audiences. “Our goal is to unify all the on-stage elements to create a balanced composition and great picture,” Bianca says. For darmah, this means both the technical elements (screen visuals, props, scenic) and the organic ones (talent, choreography, wardrobe).

From set design, creative direction, and video content to developing and delivering the final product, darmah is a one-stop-shop. “We provide all the video gear we use because we insist on owning the latest high-end technology, which allows us to meet and exceed the high standards of our artists and clients,” Bianca adds.

Working both flexibly and at scale with disguise

According to Bianca, disguise helps darmah design, develop and deliver their events in three critical ways:

• Power to render at scale - “We use disguise’s visualisation feature to show our clients a clear idea in a way they can easily grasp. The rendering then allows us to be true in our delivery, and the reality of what we create matches the initial plan.”
• Make changes on the spot - “Whatever comes up during a rehearsal, we can adjust aspects quickly and easily. Producers especially love this!”
• Studio programming and producing - “We can pre-produce and pre-program a show or event in our studio before we even load in. This saves time and makes for a better result.”

Using disguise to attract premier clients

disguise is a fundamental tool for most of darmah’s products, whether for broadcast awards ceremonies, artist tours and performances, or major sporting events. Their dXR Stage (an extended reality stage built in partnership with disguise) allows darmah to offer clients the option to develop virtual sets using xR technology for award show performances that artists, producers, and audiences love. This includes three FIFA World Cups (South Africa, Brazil, and Russia); the Latin Grammys; Premios Juventud; the Latin Billboards; and iHeart Radio Music Awards.

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darmah has used disguise to work with artists like Elton John, Usher, Ricky Martin, John Legend, BTS, Daddy Yankee, and Ozuna, among many others. disguise was implemented for Daddy Yankee's 2K20 Live show to such success that the producers took footage of the concert, cut it into three parts, and now it’s a YouTube sensation garnering millions of views. For a week in December 2020, it was the most viewed video on YouTube.

Corporate clients and brands include Google, Twitter, Target, MTV, Nickelodeon, Univision, and NBC Universal.

Providing a service that producers and artists love

darmah’s clients keep coming back because of their high-quality service, best-practice hardware and software, and creativity.

“darmah’s dXR stage gave me innovative production choices,” said Ulises Chang, Univision’s Executive Producer, who produced the Premios Juventud (awards show for Spanish-speaking celebrities in film, music, sports, fashion, and pop culture). “It was something different and new, all produced in a safe and controlled environment. The dXR stage took worries off my shoulders, and I was satisfied, the artists were happy with the results, and we were all pleased to be the first to feature xR technology on TV for the first awards show in the COVID era.”

Talking about his experience working with darmah, the singer Ozuna, who has sold over 15 million records, said: “I’ve worked with darmah before, so coming to their studio was comfortable for my crew and me. They always find a way to innovate and bring something different to our performances. Being able to see myself on the monitor inside the virtual world while I performed was very cool – I do see myself coming back for more.”

Delivering outstanding results when the stakes are high

darmah has a strong relationship with disguise as our first studio partner and one of the first to adopt xR. “When we’re on the set of a big event and suddenly need assistance the online private support groups are super helpful,” Bianca says.

Additionally, one of darmah’ specialities is their workflows. “disguise are wonderful to work with because they have so many channels of information to improve our workflow further,” she adds. “All the partners are continually updating and making improvements on it, and all the webinars showing new ways of adapting to the technology helps everyone’s workflow.”

xR and the future

darmah was built on acquiring and mastering cutting-edge technology to expand creative options for their artists and clients. Having robust quality control and delivering their product on time is also key to its success.

“We’re wary of technology that quickly becomes a fad, but we recognised immediately that disguise was a complete design tool that would change the video industry forever,” continues Bianca. “We believed that in our hands, paired with the right additional technology, it would allow us to deliver epic results.”

It’s clear from their work so far that darmah believes in xR technology. It’s not a fad. darmah and our other partners enjoy stretching their imaginations and taking advantage of the possibilities of xR. That will only continue as more and more applications for xR surface from talented partners like darmah.

Inspire your audiences with our ‘Now is the time for xR’ guide