#academyoflivetechnology — Public Fediverse posts

Never Mind The Molochs

https://heathenstorm.com/2026/06/08/never-mind-the-molochs/

Never Mind The Molochs

https://heathenstorm.com/2026/06/08/never-mind-the-molochs/

Never Mind The Molochs

https://heathenstorm.com/2026/06/08/never-mind-the-molochs/

The Day the (SFX) Circus Came

Lancashire-based live effects wizards BPM SFX recently brought the heat to campus. With an incendiary portfolio including work with Sleep Token, Sum 41, and Oasis, they filled Studio 001 with stage-tech toys of varying lethality.

The session gave (sensibly supervised) students a chance to play with professional kit that ran the gamut from innocuous confetti and bubble machines through to lasers, flamers, pyrotechnics, and sparklers – although it was the hand-held flamethrower that demanded the most interaction.

Loving the smell of accelerants in the afternoon, I rolled up to try my hand at conflagration and take some photos and video in the process. With only my phone camera to hand, I noted a lot of shots with the default app were over-exposed, supersaturated and unusable. Switching to the Blackmagic Camera app for greater control, I was able to adjust ISO and increase shutter speed to better capture the experience – and thankfully record in landscape despite holding the phone vertically. The end result being a short little video to commemorate the day, even if YouTube’s compression fails to preserve the HDR intricacy of the original laser spread.

The soundtrack forms an early work-in-progress teaser of future Trismegistus Hex material. A cheeky, if not outright blatant homage to horror movie maestro John Carpenter, but likely to change substantially in the final cut.

We don’t normally get access to such gear during the course of our studies, so it was great to get hands-on and, for some students, spark new career possibilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib6JsZ28_c8

Spoilt for Opportunity

https://heathenstorm.com/2026/04/19/spoilt-for-opportunity/

Now the rush of term-end is behind me, I can afford time to document some of the projects I’ve been up to between my Academy studies.

FLUIDITY is an experimental short film improvised one weekend in February 2026 with the Academy of Live Technology’s Postgraduate cohort, at the behest of visiting Multimedia Artist-Engineer Diana Scarborough. A Cambridge-based creative whose work blends science, art, and ecology, her Sounds of Space project is an inspirational extension of concepts I’ve used in my own work.

The film presents a meditation on water, flowing around a spoken word performance by student Dami Olagbegi. Soundscape and Foley were recorded by contact mics and hydrophone, capturing the sound of underwater instruments, percussion, and melting ice. Suitably swirly visuals were then evoked by filming a tray of water through an old-style desk projector while adding different colour pigments with a pipette.

My part was to blend these elements together, along with separately supplied stock footage and a little alchemical flavour. Layering down a simple synth soundtrack to mix the recordings into form, and editing the video against an unyielding deadline.

Using GarageBand and DaVinci Resolve on iPad to record and edit, and shooting the projections with a SmallRig-ged iPhone, the tools to hand ensured swift turnaround from idea to image. Although I could have used some extra time to polish things properly on home hardware, I’m happy with the raw honesty of the result.

It was a great pleasure to be invited to work alongside the Postgrad students, to get a feel of what awaits my own Masters journey, and to play without expectation for the joy of creating art.

https://youtu.be/UeOFbDiJMMc

Diana Scarborough: dianascarborough.co.uk
Sounds of Space: soundsofspaceproject.bandcamp.com

This is probably the first, last, and only time I’ll ever mention the former “Bad Boy” of “Pop”.

A common motif scattered around the Academy campus is the visage of Robbie Williams. Site-based stage innovators TAIT have built scenery for his prior productions, with the larger than life result donated afterwards to make an effective fire assembly point. In wintry weather I observe it’s not the first time he’s had snow on his nose.

On a smaller scale, a 3D-fabricated sculpture of his face provided a challenging projection mapped surface as my Visuals module heads toward end-of-term assessment. Indulging a desire to integrate facial projection into future projects, this was the ideal static subject to try things out over a few hours of experimental studio time.

Despite any knowledge of his career purely culled by cultural osmosis (really!), I was able to piece together a collage of clips to represent the journey. With a simian base layer invoking the Better Man biopic, I swiftly incorporated his more recent cartoon appearance on a certain cat food commercial. Going back to the KISS-inspired makeup from “Let Me Entertain You”, the montage was topped off with the skin-stripping coda to the “Rock DJ” video. Looping that segment through the projector’s tinny speaker was sufficient to get everyone’s toes tapping – whether they wanted to or not.

Sourcing the elements in short notice was a challenge within itself, necessitating some quick thinking across many resources and creating new ones on the fly. But for a dabble it did the job nicely – despite a few imperfect keystone masks and off-centre aspects.

Although my studies and assessment focus on mastering Green Hippo media servers, I took the opportunity to try something different. Cracking open the case for the first time on our prized Troikatronix Isadora server, I soon found myself a quick learner.

Green Hippo has a warm, organic user interface that sometimes seems counter-intuitive despite its obvious power. Isadora presents a more familiar building-block style of boxes and properties, allowing links to be dragged between outputs and inputs to visualise how everything is hooked up.

My familiarity with node-based workflows such as DaVinci Resolve Fusion, combined with my coding background, made getting to grips with Isadora a cinch. Although I can understand how the blank starting screen can seem intimidating to non-techies.

Although there are likely far more efficient ways to structure my little throw-together, I was able to coax the effect I wanted by combining smaller known sub-processes. This combination of nodes and lines offered mathematical means to make it work where I may have floundered with an artier interface…

… so I guess I’m loving angles instead.

This is probably the first, last, and only time I’ll ever mention the former “Bad Boy” of “Pop”.

A common motif scattered around the Academy campus is the visage of Robbie Williams. Site-based stage innovators TAIT have built scenery for his prior productions, with the larger than life result donated afterwards to make an effective fire assembly point. In wintry weather I observe it’s not the first time he’s had snow on his nose.

On a smaller scale, a 3D-fabricated sculpture of his face provided a challenging projection mapped surface as my Visuals module heads toward end-of-term assessment. Indulging a desire to integrate facial projection into future projects, this was the ideal static subject to try things out over a few hours of experimental studio time.

Despite any knowledge of his career purely culled by cultural osmosis (really!), I was able to piece together a collage of clips to represent the journey. With a simian base layer invoking the Better Man biopic, I swiftly incorporated his more recent cartoon appearance on a certain cat food commercial. Going back to the KISS-inspired makeup from “Let Me Entertain You”, the montage was topped off with the skin-stripping coda to the “Rock DJ” video. Looping that segment through the projector’s tinny speaker was sufficient to get everyone’s toes tapping – whether they wanted to or not.

Sourcing the elements in short notice was a challenge within itself, necessitating some quick thinking across many resources and creating new ones on the fly. But for a dabble it did the job nicely – despite a few imperfect keystone masks and off-centre aspects.

Although my studies and assessment focus on mastering Green Hippo media servers, I took the opportunity to try something different. Cracking open the case for the first time on our prized Troikatronix Isadora server, I soon found myself a quick learner.

Green Hippo has a warm, organic user interface that sometimes seems counter-intuitive despite its obvious power. Isadora presents a more familiar building-block style of boxes and properties, allowing links to be dragged between outputs and inputs to visualise how everything is hooked up.

My familiarity with node-based workflows such as DaVinci Resolve Fusion, combined with my coding background, made getting to grips with Isadora a cinch. Although I can understand how the blank starting screen can seem intimidating to non-techies.

Although there are likely far more efficient ways to structure my little throw-together, I was able to coax the effect I wanted by combining smaller known sub-processes. This combination of nodes and lines offered mathematical means to make it work where I may have floundered with an artier interface…

… so I guess I’m loving angles instead.

This is probably the first, last, and only time I’ll ever mention the former “Bad Boy” of “Pop”.

A common motif scattered around the Academy campus is the visage of Robbie Williams. Site-based stage innovators TAIT have built scenery for his prior productions, with the larger than life result donated afterwards to make an effective fire assembly point. In wintry weather I observe it’s not the first time he’s had snow on his nose.

On a smaller scale, a 3D-fabricated sculpture of his face provided a challenging projection mapped surface as my Visuals module heads toward end-of-term assessment. Indulging a desire to integrate facial projection into future projects, this was the ideal static subject to try things out over a few hours of experimental studio time.

Despite any knowledge of his career purely culled by cultural osmosis (really!), I was able to piece together a collage of clips to represent the journey. With a simian base layer invoking the Better Man biopic, I swiftly incorporated his more recent cartoon appearance on a certain cat food commercial. Going back to the KISS-inspired makeup from “Let Me Entertain You”, the montage was topped off with the skin-stripping coda to the “Rock DJ” video. Looping that segment through the projector’s tinny speaker was sufficient to get everyone’s toes tapping – whether they wanted to or not.

Sourcing the elements in short notice was a challenge within itself, necessitating some quick thinking across many resources and creating new ones on the fly. But for a dabble it did the job nicely – despite a few imperfect keystone masks and off-centre aspects.

Although my studies and assessment focus on mastering Green Hippo media servers, I took the opportunity to try something different. Cracking open the case for the first time on our prized Troikatronix Isadora server, I soon found myself a quick learner.

Green Hippo has a warm, organic user interface that sometimes seems counter-intuitive despite its obvious power. Isadora presents a more familiar building-block style of boxes and properties, allowing links to be dragged between outputs and inputs to visualise how everything is hooked up.

My familiarity with node-based workflows such as DaVinci Resolve Fusion, combined with my coding background, made getting to grips with Isadora a cinch. Although I can understand how the blank starting screen can seem intimidating to non-techies.

Although there are likely far more efficient ways to structure my little throw-together, I was able to coax the effect I wanted by combining smaller known sub-processes. This combination of nodes and lines offered mathematical means to make it work where I may have floundered with an artier interface…

… so I guess I’m loving angles instead.

This is probably the first, last, and only time I’ll ever mention the former “Bad Boy” of “Pop”.

A common motif scattered around the Academy campus is the visage of Robbie Williams. Site-based stage innovators TAIT have built scenery for his prior productions, with the larger than life result donated afterwards to make an effective fire assembly point. In wintry weather I observe it’s not the first time he’s had snow on his nose.

On a smaller scale, a 3D-fabricated sculpture of his face provided a challenging projection mapped surface as my Visuals module heads toward end-of-term assessment. Indulging a desire to integrate facial projection into future projects, this was the ideal static subject to try things out over a few hours of experimental studio time.

Despite any knowledge of his career purely culled by cultural osmosis (really!), I was able to piece together a collage of clips to represent the journey. With a simian base layer invoking the Better Man biopic, I swiftly incorporated his more recent cartoon appearance on a certain cat food commercial. Going back to the KISS-inspired makeup from “Let Me Entertain You”, the montage was topped off with the skin-stripping coda to the “Rock DJ” video. Looping that segment through the projector’s tinny speaker was sufficient to get everyone’s toes tapping – whether they wanted to or not.

Sourcing the elements in short notice was a challenge within itself, necessitating some quick thinking across many resources and creating new ones on the fly. But for a dabble it did the job nicely – despite a few imperfect keystone masks and off-centre aspects.

Although my studies and assessment focus on mastering Green Hippo media servers, I took the opportunity to try something different. Cracking open the case for the first time on our prized Troikatronix Isadora server, I soon found myself a quick learner.

Green Hippo has a warm, organic user interface that sometimes seems counter-intuitive despite its obvious power. Isadora presents a more familiar building-block style of boxes and properties, allowing links to be dragged between outputs and inputs to visualise how everything is hooked up.

My familiarity with node-based workflows such as DaVinci Resolve Fusion, combined with my coding background, made getting to grips with Isadora a cinch. Although I can understand how the blank starting screen can seem intimidating to non-techies.

Although there are likely far more efficient ways to structure my little throw-together, I was able to coax the effect I wanted by combining smaller known sub-processes. This combination of nodes and lines offered mathematical means to make it work where I may have floundered with an artier interface…

… so I guess I’m loving angles instead.

This is probably the first, last, and only time I’ll ever mention the former “Bad Boy” of “Pop”.

A common motif scattered around the Academy campus is the visage of Robbie Williams. Site-based stage innovators TAIT have built scenery for his prior productions, with the larger than life result donated afterwards to make an effective fire assembly point. In wintry weather I observe it’s not the first time he’s had snow on his nose.

On a smaller scale, a 3D-fabricated sculpture of his face provided a challenging projection surface as my Visuals module heads toward end-of-term assessment. Indulging a desire to integrate facial projection into future projects, this was the ideal static subject to try things out over a few hours of experimental studio time.

Despite any knowledge of his career purely culled by cultural osmosis (really!), I was able to piece together a collage of clips to represent the journey. With a simian base layer invoking the Better Man biopic, I swiftly incorporated his more recent cartoon appearance on a certain cat food commercial. Going back to the KISS-inspired makeup from “Let Me Entertain You”, the montage was topped off with the skin-stripping coda to the “Rock DJ” video. Looping that segment through the projector’s tinny speaker was sufficient to get everyone’s toes tapping – whether they wanted to or not.

Sourcing the elements in short notice was a challenge within itself, necessitating some quick thinking across many resources and creating new ones on the fly. But for a dabble it did the job nicely – despite a few imperfect keystone masks and off-centre aspects.

Although my studies and assessment focus on mastering Green Hippo media servers, I took the opportunity to try something different. Cracking open the case for the first time on our prized Troikatronix Isadora server, I soon found myself a quick learner.

Green Hippo has a warm, organic user interface that sometimes seems counter-intuitive despite its obvious power. Isadora presents a more familiar building-block style of boxes and properties, allowing links to be dragged between outputs and inputs to visualise how everything is hooked up.

My familiarity with node-based workflows such as DaVinci Resolve Fusion, combined with my coding background, made getting to grips with Isadora a cinch. Although I can understand how the blank starting screen can seem intimidating to non-techies.

Although there are likely far more efficient ways to structure my little throw-together, I was able to coax the effect I wanted by combining smaller known sub-processes. This combination of nodes and lines offered mathematical means to make it work where I may have floundered with an artier interface…

… so I guess I’m loving angles instead.

On the surface, the back end of 2025 appears a curiously quiet coda to an explosive summer, with nary any evidence nor scandal to show for it. Yet the last few months have become some of the most fulfilling of my life.

Returning to the Academy for the second year of my Foundation degree, I realise how much I have changed since I first started my studies. Doubtful uncertainty has been supplanted by self-assured belonging, and I have become a familiar, welcome presence on campus. Often dropping by on the off days to see how the new cohort is settling in.

This year’s Freshers have been eager to learn and especially keen to socialise, already embracing opportunities brought by the many international crews passing through our studios. Through my twin roles as Mentor and Wellbeing Executive, I offer what support and guidance I may to help keep their heads above the craziness – sharing advice, wisdom and empathy in every act. Although Daryl’s Daily Affirmations are delivered with tongue wedged firmly in cheek, they are no less sincere in their intent to embolden the best.

For my studies, I can honestly state I have never felt as supported, encouraged, and especially challenged before. All with a will to push my academic potential further, towards deeper understanding and ability to express my intent. A credible credit to the wonderful lecturers I have engaged with so far.

Things will knuckle down to more practical endeavours as January continues, when I return to the studios to hone my skills in Live Audio mixing and Visual Production design. Subjects I’m already exploring in the time between terms, a routine I find ever-easier to sustain as I indulge my ongoing will to learn.

My course comes to an end in June, but mechanisms are in motion towards Postgraduate progression. Having already submitted a draft Masters proposal, I seek to embrace the potency of Creative Technology to explore the narrative of who we have become. How society has evolved through mass interconnection, and how best we can tell immersive stories reflective of the age.

This is an opportunity to combine my many disparate interests into an area of formal research. Looking back to my tech career, combining it with what I currently study in the live space, and sprinkling more than a little mojo from my esoteric escapades. All of which demands advance reading across multiple disciplines, if not planning how to finance it all!

This focus has taken necessary toll on my travels and external interests. Save a handful of shows, I have barely socialised off-campus this year, increasingly distant from the music and culture that sustains me. Time and money are both at a premium and I must ration my excesses carefully, with the money stashed by prior to this already funding my future. Saying that, I’ll still ring in the New Year with a sneaky trip to Hamburg and The Ruins of Beverast before term resumes.

Despite this paucity of travel, I have been no less prone to injury. From fracturing my toe in September to undergoing unrelated surgery in November, my body has sustained its fair share of scrapes and slashes amid the stress of study. Recovery continues, and although further attention may be needed in the weeks ahead, I’m at least back on my feet again – attending to an inadvertently burgeoned waistline with every step forward.

As I look ahead to 2026, I know it will be a profoundly cumulative year of great achievement and higher ambition, as lifelong plans finally fall into place. Yet I cannot help but frame the months to come within the greater concerns of the moment.

Despite a necessary detachment from most online distractions, the shrill, escalating calls to war and treachery resound, echoing in the uncertainty of my peers and the futures they strive to forge for themselves.

Lies, betrayal, and abject mockery cast down from elected officials through controlled media present little more than provocation – the final recourse of those without principle. Further amplified by pundits, embodied and programmed, in the cultivation of despair. In this Age of Illusion, perception is truth and gaslighting blatant, with no solution offered beyond futile, simmering strife.

There is no counter but to sustain authentic, human connections, and continue my work on campus and beyond. Helping others grow into themselves through compassion and integrity, building bridges between the like-minded, and nurturing alternative means of communication beyond such divisive, manufactured polemic.

And that is my challenge for the year(s) to come.

On the surface, the back end of 2025 appears a curiously quiet coda to an explosive summer, with nary any evidence nor scandal to show for it. Yet the last few months have become some of the most fulfilling of my life.

Returning to the Academy for the second year of my Foundation degree, I realise how much I have changed since I first started my studies. Doubtful uncertainty has been supplanted by self-assured belonging, and I have become a familiar, welcome presence on campus. Often dropping by on the off days to see how the new cohort is settling in.

This year’s Freshers have been eager to learn and especially keen to socialise, already embracing opportunities brought by the many international crews passing through our studios. Through my twin roles as Mentor and Wellbeing Executive, I offer what support and guidance I may to help keep their heads above the craziness – sharing advice, wisdom and empathy in every act. Although Daryl’s Daily Affirmations are delivered with tongue wedged firmly in cheek, they are no less sincere in their intent to embolden the best.

For my studies, I can honestly state I have never felt as supported, encouraged, and especially challenged before. All with a will to push my academic potential further, towards deeper understanding and ability to express my intent. A credible credit to the wonderful lecturers I have engaged with so far.

Things will knuckle down to more practical endeavours as January continues, when I return to the studios to hone my skills in Live Audio mixing and Visual Production design. Subjects I’m already exploring in the time between terms, a routine I find ever-easier to sustain as I indulge my ongoing will to learn.

My course comes to an end in June, but mechanisms are in motion towards Postgraduate progression. Having already submitted a draft Masters proposal, I seek to embrace the potency of Creative Technology to explore the narrative of who we have become. How society has evolved through mass interconnection, and how best we can tell immersive stories reflective of the age.

This is an opportunity to combine my many disparate interests into an area of formal research. Looking back to my tech career, combining it with what I currently study in the live space, and sprinkling more than a little mojo from my esoteric escapades. All of which demands advance reading across multiple disciplines, if not planning how to finance it all!

This focus has taken necessary toll on my travels and external interests. Save a handful of shows, I have barely socialised off-campus this year, increasingly distant from the music and culture that sustains me. Time and money are both at a premium and I must ration my excesses carefully, with the money stashed by prior to this already funding my future. Saying that, I’ll still ring in the New Year with a sneaky trip to Hamburg and The Ruins of Beverast before term resumes.

Despite this paucity of travel, I have been no less prone to injury. From fracturing my toe in September to undergoing unrelated surgery in November, my body has sustained its fair share of scrapes and slashes amid the stress of study. Recovery continues, and although further attention may be needed in the weeks ahead, I’m at least back on my feet again – attending to an inadvertently burgeoned waistline with every step forward.

As I look ahead to 2026, I know it will be a profoundly cumulative year of great achievement and higher ambition, as lifelong plans finally fall into place. Yet I cannot help but frame the months to come within the greater concerns of the moment.

Despite a necessary detachment from most online distractions, the shrill, escalating calls to war and treachery resound, echoing in the uncertainty of my peers and the futures they strive to forge for themselves.

Lies, betrayal, and abject mockery cast down from elected officials through controlled media present little more than provocation – the final recourse of those without principle. Further amplified by pundits, embodied and programmed, in the cultivation of despair. In this Age of Illusion, perception is truth and gaslighting blatant, with no solution offered beyond futile, simmering strife.

There is no counter but to sustain authentic, human connections, and continue my work on campus and beyond. Helping others grow into themselves through compassion and integrity, building bridges between the like-minded, and nurturing alternative means of communication beyond such divisive, manufactured polemic.

And that is my challenge for the year(s) to come.

Project Caligari

As the days tolled ever onward to All Hallow’s Eve, an opportunity arose to make use of a new creative space on campus – just by our CentR Stage bar and just in time for the Academy’s Halloween party. Despite only receiving full access and equipment on the morning of festivities, a hastily scribbled tribute to the legacy of cinematic horror was set in motion.

Knowing partygoers were there to chill, chat, and indulge appropriately themed cocktails, there was no expectation they would sit down to watch a full film. Instead we planned a minimalist immersive area to relax in, with low-slung sofas encircled by rear-projected screens showing multiple silent movies. A central plinth would hold an object of focus and contrasting colour from the cold scenes on display.

Implementation demanded a different design – not least a lack of haze, incense, and human remains – with a trio of floor-sat units forward-projecting onto a curve of black drapes. The plinth then sat behind the sofas, adorned with a plastic pumpkin pilfered from the bar – ideally replacing it with the winner of the party’s carving competition.

Vintage horror sourced from archive.org provided the (cunningly Public Domain) vibe, with many films planned for each screen through the night. Technical difficulties, however, meant we had to lock each projector down to a single looping movie – controlled by a laptop behind the curtain running Resolume Media Server going into an HDMI splitter.

The chosen films presented a journey through the early years of macabre movies. An era where the steadfast rules of cinema had yet to be written, inspiring a vibrant visual imagination lost in a later generation of sedate talkies.

The vivid expressionism of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) was an essential choice. The first feature-length horror committed to celluloid, and one which many have not been aware. Director Robert Wiene’s eye delivers a pioneering dream-like ambience to a tale of grisly murder, with hand painted backdrops accentuating this unreality.

Next, F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) – another German Expressionist classic. Despite drawing the ire of the Stoker estate for obvious plagiarism, this film offers its own interpretation. Max Shreck‘s Count Orlak presents an iconic image of vampyric horror as a monstrous being, a presence revisited in subsequent remakes.

Completing the triptych with another tale retold through the generations, James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) was filmed with spoken dialogue. However, the rich gothic design still offers strong visual storytelling, with Boris Karloff‘s taciturn performance as the monster just as captivating in silence. A cornerstone of Universal Studios’ shared monster cinematic universe.

All crew work is collective, and we could not have done this without the aid of veterans Nick and Max, who helped to set up and put the final pieces together while I was embroiled in all-day lectures. Their efforts ensured the project was finished to schedule.

Freshers had their chance to contribute too, with new student Ruby curating a masterful multi-genre playlist to accompany proceedings. Although I was obliged to throw in a few extra tracks at the end, we all agreed to remove ‘Monster Mash’ after the shuffle spookily reprised it over and over.

Nothing can ever happen without some form of improvisation, and the taming of wild ideas into practical necessity manifests many happy accidents. The surreal imagery of early experimental cinema, especially in Caligari’s twisted set design, was thrown further off-kilter by the warp of the drapes. An abstract unease accentuated by the imperfect focus and inconsistent framing. It is important, at times, to let go of perfection so things can simply find their own form.

Overall, it went down very well. Partygoers drifted in and out to watch and take photos, enjoying my eager explanations. The client and crew working in the main studio also popped in to take a look around in appreciation. The only complaint from some was the installation wasn’t ‘scary’ enough…

… but the True Terror was throwing it together on time!

https://heathenstorm.com/2025/11/01/project-caligari/

#academyoflivetechnology #caligari #cinema #expressionism #frankenstein #halloween #horror #immersive #nosferatu #projections #resolume #samhain #vintage

Project Caligari

As the days tolled ever onward to All Hallow’s Eve, an opportunity arose to make use of a new creative space on campus – just by our CentR Stage bar and just in time for the Academy’s Halloween party. Despite only receiving full access and equipment on the morning of festivities, a hastily scribbled tribute to the legacy of cinematic horror was set in motion.

Knowing partygoers were there to chill, chat, and indulge appropriately themed cocktails, there was no expectation they would sit down to watch a full film. Instead we planned a minimalist immersive area to relax in, with low-slung sofas encircled by rear-projected screens showing multiple silent movies. A central plinth would hold an object of focus and contrasting colour from the cold scenes on display.

Implementation demanded a different design – not least a lack of haze, incense, and human remains – with a trio of floor-sat units forward-projecting onto a curve of black drapes. The plinth then sat behind the sofas, adorned with a plastic pumpkin pilfered from the bar – ideally replacing it with the winner of the party’s carving competition.

Vintage horror sourced from archive.org provided the (cunningly Public Domain) vibe, with many films planned for each screen through the night. Technical difficulties, however, meant we had to lock each projector down to a single looping movie – controlled by a laptop behind the curtain running Resolume Media Server going into an HDMI splitter.

The chosen films presented a journey through the early years of macabre movies. An era where the steadfast rules of cinema had yet to be written, inspiring a vibrant visual imagination lost in a later generation of sedate talkies.

The vivid expressionism of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) was an essential choice. The first feature-length horror committed to celluloid, and one which many have not been aware. Director Robert Wiene’s eye delivers a pioneering dream-like ambience to a tale of grisly murder, with hand painted backdrops accentuating this unreality.

Next, F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) – another German Expressionist classic. Despite drawing the ire of the Stoker estate for obvious plagiarism, this film offers its own interpretation. Max Shreck‘s Count Orlak presents an iconic image of vampyric horror as a monstrous being, a presence revisited in subsequent remakes.

Completing the triptych with another tale retold through the generations, James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) was filmed with spoken dialogue. However, the rich gothic design still offers strong visual storytelling, with Boris Karloff‘s taciturn performance as the monster just as captivating in silence. A cornerstone of Universal Studios’ shared monster cinematic universe.

All crew work is collective, and we could not have done this without the aid of veterans Nick and Max, who helped to set up and put the final pieces together while I was embroiled in all-day lectures. Their efforts ensured the project was finished to schedule.

Freshers had their chance to contribute too, with new student Ruby curating a masterful multi-genre playlist to accompany proceedings. Although I was obliged to throw in a few extra tracks at the end, we all agreed to remove ‘Monster Mash’ after the shuffle spookily reprised it over and over.

Nothing can ever happen without some form of improvisation, and the taming of wild ideas into practical necessity manifests many happy accidents. The surreal imagery of early experimental cinema, especially in Caligari’s twisted set design, was thrown further off-kilter by the warp of the drapes. An abstract unease accentuated by the imperfect focus and inconsistent framing. It is important, at times, to let go of perfection so things can simply find their own form.

Overall, it went down very well. Partygoers drifted in and out to watch and take photos, enjoying my eager explanations. The client and crew working in the main studio also popped in to take a look around in appreciation. The only complaint from some was the installation wasn’t ‘scary’ enough…

… but the True Terror was throwing it together on time!

https://heathenstorm.com/2025/11/01/project-caligari/

#academyoflivetechnology #caligari #cinema #expressionism #frankenstein #halloween #horror #immersive #nosferatu #projections #resolume #samhain #vintage

Project Caligari

As the days tolled ever onward to All Hallow’s Eve, an opportunity arose to make use of a new creative space on campus – just by our CentR Stage bar and just in time for the Academy’s Halloween party. Despite only receiving full access and equipment on the morning of festivities, a hastily scribbled tribute to the legacy of cinematic horror was set in motion.

Knowing partygoers were there to chill, chat, and indulge appropriately themed cocktails, there was no expectation they would sit down to watch a full film. Instead we planned a minimalist immersive area to relax in, with low-slung sofas encircled by rear-projected screens showing multiple silent movies. A central plinth would hold an object of focus and contrasting colour from the cold scenes on display.

Implementation demanded a different design – not least a lack of haze, incense, and human remains – with a trio of floor-sat units forward-projecting onto a curve of black drapes. The plinth then sat behind the sofas, adorned with a plastic pumpkin pilfered from the bar – ideally replacing it with the winner of the party’s carving competition.

Vintage horror sourced from archive.org provided the (cunningly Public Domain) vibe, with many films planned for each screen through the night. Technical difficulties, however, meant we had to lock each projector down to a single looping movie – controlled by a laptop behind the curtain running Resolume Media Server going into an HDMI splitter.

The chosen films presented a journey through the early years of macabre movies. An era where the steadfast rules of cinema had yet to be written, inspiring a vibrant visual imagination lost in a later generation of sedate talkies.

The vivid expressionism of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) was an essential choice. The first feature-length horror committed to celluloid, and one which many have not been aware. Director Robert Wiene’s eye delivers a pioneering dream-like ambience to a tale of grisly murder, with hand painted backdrops accentuating this unreality.

Next, F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) – another German Expressionist classic. Despite drawing the ire of the Stoker estate for obvious plagiarism, this film offers its own interpretation. Max Shreck‘s Count Orlak presents an iconic image of vampyric horror as a monstrous being, a presence revisited in subsequent remakes.

Completing the triptych with another tale retold through the generations, James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) was filmed with spoken dialogue. However, the rich gothic design still offers strong visual storytelling, with Boris Karloff‘s taciturn performance as the monster just as captivating in silence. A cornerstone of Universal Studios’ shared monster cinematic universe.

All crew work is collective, and we could not have done this without the aid of veterans Nick and Max, who helped to set up and put the final pieces together while I was embroiled in all-day lectures. Their efforts ensured the project was finished to schedule.

Freshers had their chance to contribute too, with new student Ruby curating a masterful multi-genre playlist to accompany proceedings. Although I was obliged to throw in a few extra tracks at the end, we all agreed to remove ‘Monster Mash’ after the shuffle spookily reprised it over and over.

Nothing can ever happen without some form of improvisation, and the taming of wild ideas into practical necessity manifests many happy accidents. The surreal imagery of early experimental cinema, especially in Caligari’s twisted set design, was thrown further off-kilter by the warp of the drapes. An abstract unease accentuated by the imperfect focus and inconsistent framing. It is important, at times, to let go of perfection so things can simply find their own form.

Overall, it went down very well. Partygoers drifted in and out to watch and take photos, enjoying my eager explanations. The client and crew working in the main studio also popped in to take a look around in appreciation. The only complaint from some was the installation wasn’t ‘scary’ enough…

… but the True Terror was throwing it together on time!

https://heathenstorm.com/2025/11/01/project-caligari/

#academyoflivetechnology #caligari #cinema #expressionism #frankenstein #halloween #horror #immersive #nosferatu #projections #resolume #samhain #vintage

Project Caligari

As the days tolled ever onward to All Hallow’s Eve, an opportunity arose to make use of a new creative space on campus – just by our CentR Stage bar and just in time for the Academy’s Halloween party. Despite only receiving full access and equipment on the morning of festivities, a hastily scribbled tribute to the legacy of cinematic horror was set in motion.

Knowing partygoers were there to chill, chat, and indulge appropriately themed cocktails, there was no expectation they would sit down to watch a full film. Instead we planned a minimalist immersive area to relax in, with low-slung sofas encircled by rear-projected screens showing multiple silent movies. A central plinth would hold an object of focus and contrasting colour from the cold scenes on display.

Implementation demanded a different design – not least a lack of haze, incense, and human remains – with a trio of floor-sat units forward-projecting onto a curve of black drapes. The plinth then sat behind the sofas, adorned with a plastic pumpkin pilfered from the bar – ideally replacing it with the winner of the party’s carving competition.

Vintage horror sourced from archive.org provided the (cunningly Public Domain) vibe, with many films planned for each screen through the night. Technical difficulties, however, meant we had to lock each projector down to a single looping movie – controlled by a laptop behind the curtain running Resolume Media Server going into an HDMI splitter.

The chosen films presented a journey through the early years of macabre movies. An era where the steadfast rules of cinema had yet to be written, inspiring a vibrant visual imagination lost in a later generation of sedate talkies.

The vivid expressionism of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) was an essential choice. The first feature-length horror committed to celluloid, and one which many have not been aware. Director Robert Wiene’s eye delivers a pioneering dream-like ambience to a tale of grisly murder, with hand painted backdrops accentuating this unreality.

Next, F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) – another German Expressionist classic. Despite drawing the ire of the Stoker estate for obvious plagiarism, this film offers its own interpretation. Max Shreck‘s Count Orlak presents an iconic image of vampyric horror as a monstrous being, a presence revisited in subsequent remakes.

Completing the triptych with another tale retold through the generations, James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) was filmed with spoken dialogue. However, the rich gothic design still offers strong visual storytelling, with Boris Karloff‘s taciturn performance as the monster just as captivating in silence. A cornerstone of Universal Studios’ shared monster cinematic universe.

All crew work is collective, and we could not have done this without the aid of veterans Nick and Max, who helped to set up and put the final pieces together while I was embroiled in all-day lectures. Their efforts ensured the project was finished to schedule.

Freshers had their chance to contribute too, with new student Ruby curating a masterful multi-genre playlist to accompany proceedings. Although I was obliged to throw in a few extra tracks at the end, we all agreed to remove ‘Monster Mash’ after the shuffle spookily reprised it over and over.

Nothing can ever happen without some form of improvisation, and the taming of wild ideas into practical necessity manifests many happy accidents. The surreal imagery of early experimental cinema, especially in Caligari’s twisted set design, was thrown further off-kilter by the warp of the drapes. An abstract unease accentuated by the imperfect focus and inconsistent framing. It is important, at times, to let go of perfection so things can simply find their own form.

Overall, it went down very well. Partygoers drifted in and out to watch and take photos, enjoying my eager explanations. The client and crew working in the main studio also popped in to take a look around in appreciation. The only complaint from some was the installation wasn’t ‘scary’ enough…

… but the True Terror was throwing it together on time!

https://heathenstorm.com/2025/11/01/project-caligari/

#academyoflivetechnology #caligari #cinema #expressionism #frankenstein #halloween #horror #immersive #nosferatu #projections #resolume #samhain #vintage

Green Fields and Reckoning

After the triumphant experience of managing the main stage at Metal Magic, I lingered around Denmark for another fortnight. Working on a gruelling festival tour that took me around the country and to the limits of endurance.

Celebrating it’s 43rd summer, Grøn Koncert is a mainstay of Danish Pop Music, raising money for Muskelsvindfonden – a support charity for Muscular Dystrophy. Uniquely, the festival shifts to a new city every day, with four consecutive shows each weekend and a few days respite in between. A schedule that demands a two-stage site build and take down at every location, starting way before the crack of dawn and finishing well past the Witching Hour – before the convoy rolls along to the next destination.

A challenge of such intense insanity needs an extensive extreme crew, of which willing volunteers were recruited from the Academy back in blighty. A hand-picked cadre of adventurous souls offered free flights, board, and beer in exchange for honest labour across long hours. Earning experience and bragging rights along the way.

Each volunteer was asked to pick their preferred crew schedule. Up Crew for the morning shift, building the site then additionally working bars and entrance. Down Crew got the evening shift, with some bar work up until the headliners stepped off the stage for the take down. Not one to ever test myself lightly, I chose both.

As part of the renowned Multi Crew, our days became a blur of Rock and Roll excess and accumulated fleshwounds. While other crews slept off site at schools, we lived from our bunks on a cramped yet cosy “Hotel” bus. Rolling onto site at about 3am to launch straight into a build that wrapped by midday, then relaxing with a few hours hard drinking before crawling back onto the bus for some bass-pounding sleep behind the main stage. Re-emerging in the evening to tear it all back down, then hitting the road around 1am to drive to the next stop.

Assigned to the main stage, I found the challenge overwhelming at first. Twice as old and sometimes half as strong as most of my peers, I felt myself a liability. Clambering comically over truss to get out of the way and working at tiptoe heights that others took in their Danish stride. My concerns were not that the work was too harsh, but rather that I could not contribute effectively to the team’s expectations.

In time I got over myself. Learning the process with rote familiarity so I knew where I needed to be in advance. Proactively grabbing tools and getting to work before being told what to do, and generally applying myself to the best of my ability. By the end of the first block of four dates, I was giving my all with pride and determination.

Admittedly, the music was not to my taste. Although I found Benjamin Hav’s occasional foray into sax-heavy Ska a jolly throwback to my youth. Hip-hop headliners Suspekt were definitely not my thing, but I absolutely admire their enthusiasm and decency towards the crew – even inviting a few of my ‘fellow kids’ up on stage to join them. It is no surprise some members had also worked Grøn themselves in the past, and their respect shined through in deed.

Relying as ever upon the international ‘Daryl Support Network’ to keep me sane under pressure, I took solace with occasional off-site escapades. The opportunity to meet up with friends old and new across the country was eagerly taken, and I am grateful for the grounding conversations which grew from such connection.

Resting midway at a sports hall near Aalborg, the wind down was appreciated – along with slightly better food options. A chance to connect more with the various crews, sharing drinks and dance away from work and expressing my ultimately unwarranted concerns.

An Academy crew meal at a nearby pizza restaurant offered chance for the students to decompress and take stock of how things were going. For some, it was their first trip overseas for any length of time, and although others were veterans there was still a hint of homesickness in the air. The Danish way of doing things a culture shock for many, not least in recalling their accommodation’s communal showers.

Showers of a different ilk came later that evening. With the news of Ozzy Osbourne’s passing a shock to all in the restaurant, the heavens opened up in response. Splashing our way back to the hall in sombre reflection, a few of us recalled our favourite songs in tribute.

That night had a maudlin pang to it, with a troubled air mostly unexpressed beyond unhealthy coping mechanisms. Although not everyone present held the man in as much reverence as others, there is no denying his influence on music and culture as a whole. For my part, it was important to remind the younger generation that Rock and Roll would be far less potent without a hellraising legacy of such renown; and the man most knew from MTV had first inspired countless multitudes through song and stagecraft. Tears were quietly shed and respect given as folk flitted through the corridors and quietly went their way around.

The breakneck pace offered little time for reflection, and a return to better weather in the morning took us straight to the fifth location, Esbjerg. Where all crews had an extra night to set everything back up after the break, with the reward being an evening of partying on the main stage itself. More fun to be had with a cover band led by one of Multi Crew themselves.

However, the clear skies were not to last, and the next day saw dark clouds ominously encroach as main stage popsters Alphabeat launched into “10,000 Nights of Thunder”. The rain fell incessantly within minutes, flooding the festival site and city itself, forcing an unprecedented show stop and site evacuation.

Surveying the damage a few hours later, it’s fortunate that everything mostly survived. With relay towers moated by newly formed lakes, it was obvious cleanup would take far longer than expected. But we still managed to get everything packed down and loaded onto the trucks at a reasonable hour – even if driving them off the site required the aid of heavy duty tractors.

It is often said that stage rigging has its roots in seafaring tradition, with the ropes, chains, and pulleys required of the trade hearkening back to the age of sail. This was made blatantly clear during moments of less-than-perfect weather such as this, as manually sewn-and-strapped side skins billowed in the slightest breeze – demanding steady hands on the rope to lash them down.

The shock of the flood took a fair toll on my immune system, not least by a barrage of mosquito bites, and I had to sleep out the next day’s build in recuperation. Thankfully the minor gripes weren’t anything too serious, and with a boost of electrolytes and a few extra cups of coffee I was able to get back to work that night. There was no time to be poorly!

The last few days went by smoothly, with any residual uncertainties quashed by will, graft, and camaraderie. As the last sing-a-long site check in Valby ensured the grass was mostly how we left it, the tour was over. The final formality being a get together with the organisers to debrief and congratulate ourselves on a job well done.

Would I do it again? The first few nights were a slog, but as I got used to the process things got easier. Had I been offered opportunity to go home on the first few days I would have considered it.

But even in the struggles of self-doubt there was a determination that kept me going. Not so much shallow pride, but unflinching authenticity. We don’t know our limitations until we push beyond them, and there was nothing I couldn’t do without a bit of effort. An investment in introspection and a reckoning of my capabilities, with every cut and bruise betraying a deeper truth.

With hindsight I would prepare better. Not just in matters of strength and stamina, but packing more appropriately for crew bus life. Any discomfort was fleeting, and the personal rewards absolute.

Would I recommend it to others? Free beer, although alluring, is seldom free. I would not downplay how difficult it was at times. The lack of sleep, the physical intensity, the long hours, the sometimes curious catering. It was not for the faint of heart nor those unwilling to endure. But perseverance brings subtle reward – the quiet triumph of accomplishment in the chaos of the unknown, and the realisation of oneself beyond the comfort of convenience.

Some didn’t make it through. Dietary concerns, injuries, or the sheer weight of the experience compelled early flights back. This is no failing of those who departed. Everyone follows their own path towards the person they need to be, and there is purpose in every choice.

But ultimately, tempered by storms weathered within and without, we each found our way home.

https://heathenstorm.com/2025/08/15/green-fields-and-reckoning/

#academyoflivetechnology #crew #darylsupportnetwork #denmark #flooding #gronkoncert #livemusic #multicrew #music #muskelsvindfonden #ozzyosbourne #tour

The ORPHAN shoot continues with a trip to the Academy of Live Technology in Yorkshire. There we hosted an ‘Introduction to Film Making’ Workshop for the students’ Enrichment Week.

The session opened with an introduction to the project and sneak preview of the storyboard, then covered inspirations and techniques to balance big ideas with a low budget.

With a reasonable ramble through my own experiences before explaining the expectations of film extra work, the group relocated to a campus backlot to put theory into practice. Together we tackled a scene where the title character emerges from a crowded mass of people.

Although only a handful of students could attend, we were able to make it work through multiple takes and creative composition. Swapping hats and hoodies between shots and overlaying the end result.

The raw footage has been roughly graded, keyed, and incorporated into the assembly cut with a simple background, to be refined once other elements are complete. Most importantly, Aida’s performance captures the intent and determination required of the scene. An essential humanity shining through all the technical trickery to get it there.

Tremendous gratitude to faculty for allowing this to happen, and especially to everyone who turned up.

We will be calling again…

https://heathenstorm.com/2025/02/15/crowd-control/

#academyoflivetechnology #cyberpunk #enrichment #filmmaking #orphan #sciencefiction #workshop