Position, control and tracking software company Stage Precision (SP) and technical business development specialist Neutral Human have announced their strategic partnership, and the launch of Stage Precision to the wider market.
SP is an independent data and control platform that enables users to build complex control-systems and pre-visualise or pre-programme technological workflows for the global live events market. ‘The industry’s creative technologists have adopted SP as part of their trusted workflows,’ says Neutral Human founder, Sarah Cox. ‘It has enabled the high-end projects to develop with pioneering complexity, so now it’s time for the wider industry to discover such this ground-breaking tool.’
‘What drew me to working with SP is the fact that the product is community-led. Its development comes from working alongside its user-base on real world challenges and finding solutions to those problems.’
SP keeps track of all position and control data around live events, broadcast, XR, VP and installation projects, connecting devices between the digital and physical world through a unified 3D space. ‘Essentially, it’s a user interface or a software that solves problems within interactive media installations and broadcast virtual production,’ says SP MD, Michael Giegerich, who also co-owns bright! Studios, where the need for a specific 3D data management product was identified.
‘In 2017, we were still working on the side of creative studios and workflow integrators and transitioning our pipelines from rendered content to real-time content. Also, with the evolution of positional data, we knew there was an untouched market with a lot of potential,’ he explains. ‘The pandemic allowed us to not only further refine SP, it also allowed us to focus on the features necessary for virtual production. We now have the right workflows and plug-ins in place for this very specific market.’
A number of high-profile installations and events have already made use of SP’s toolkit, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the Expo 2020 in Dubai, various XR and VP stages around the globe like the XR Stage at Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore, as well as last year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
‘I see us as an enabler for this burgeoning side of the industry,’ Giegerich says. ‘In today’s world, data is everywhere. It’s the foundation of everything we interact with. With our background in creating live shows, we have experienced first-hand the complex challenges with the many places data can be produced. With SP we are focused on simplifying the user experience.
‘When I heard that Sarah was starting out with her new company, I called her two minutes later. There is no one as well connected with such a deep technical understanding of the industry. I knew she was the perfect person to help SP move into this next phase.’
‘I was super excited when Michael called,’ Cox recalls. ‘I’ve worked with him and his team, even before SP, and have watched the company develop over the years. The world of live events is interconnected with other markets like corporate, education or immersive media, and so far the big missing part has been the data and how to handle it between the digital and physical world.
‘We hope that people will soon become aware that SP is a very practical tool that can make all these new technologies easier to apply in real world productions, leaving creatives and technicians with the time and space to focus on what they do best; creating spectacular experiences.’
