Kira O’Brien is the Creative Technologist at FRAY Studio.

Her work can be seen on many large- and small-scale productions, including live music, theatre and installations. In her role at FRAY Studio, she works in both animation and real-time, with a specialisation in camera effects and grading. Combining her knowledge of technical workflows and video design, she finds new and interesting ways to integrate cameras as content onstage. She also works closely alongside creative directors, camera directors, production and lighting designers to bring camera and video into shows, which can be seen in shows such as Glass Animals — Tour of Earth 2024, Pierce The Veil — I Can’t Hear You 2025, Olivia Dean — The Art Of Loving You 2026 and Joji — Solaris Tour 2026.

We sat down with Kira to discuss her journey into live entertainment technology and her specialisation in real-time workflows using Notch. In our conversation, she highlights the importance of hands-on experience, community knowledge-sharing, and collaboration on high-profile tours, while reflecting on the presence of women in technical roles and offering advice for industry newcomers.

Tell us about your background in motion graphics, and how you ended up starting with Notch.

I fell into this industry by accident. My intention was to do a degree in curatorship, but one conversation with a lecturer from Backstage Academy (now the Academy of Live Technology) and a tour around the campus opened my eyes to an industry that was previously invisible to me; and I have never looked back.

By my second year, I’d noticed that women often seemed to gravitate towards production roles, but I knew that wasn’t the direction I wanted to take. I wanted to be hands-on, learning the technical and creative side rather than managing it. So I got stuck into whatever we were using — Notch, Disguise, all of it and that’s what pulled me into this world. My dissertation in my third year was a practical installation: I built content in Notch, handled the Disguise side, built an LED wall, and set up the projectors.

My first connection to FRAY was an email to Finn Ross, Creative Director at FRAY Studio. He brought me on as a Video Assistant on Back to the Future in Manchester while I was still a student. After uni, I went freelance before joining FRAY full-time, and it was during that freelance time that I realised “Creative Technologist” was the title and role I actually wanted. Not just because I love the design work, which I do, but because I love making sure it actually works on the other end, too. A lot of my job is the optimisation between Notch and Disguise, making sure the way I build something is easy for the programmers to actually use.

Since working at FRAY, my specialism has really become camera grading, and Notch has been integral to the journey so far. This is an area which I feel is constantly developing with technology, kit and understanding, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

It sounds like your path to using Notch professionally was a fairly smooth, gradual one.

Yes, I think it happened gradually. Graham Thorne, head of LVDP at Academy of Live Technology, made a real effort to bring in industry professionals to teach and demonstrate different software, and along with skill shares between different years and practical uses in projects, I started to develop my love for Notch. That said, a huge amount of it is trial and error and trying to push the software to its limits. You’ve really got to break it to figure out how it works.

I am still learning while working. Learning new things is what keeps this industry so interesting.

What do you think about knowledge-sharing in the Notch community?

I don’t like gatekeeping, and I think it is essential to share your work to encourage new people coming into the industry. To give them access and build upon the knowledge that other people already have.

If we don’t share it, the knowledge just disappears. It has to be a living, breathing industry, passed on through word of mouth and through projects, because it’s not like accountancy. It’s not something you can just learn from a book.

Is there anyone, in motion graphics or otherwise, who has been a major creative influence for you?

Honestly, I don’t think I can name one specific person. My background is much more in fine art, and I studied photography before realising I didn’t want to make a career of it. At uni, I paid a lot of attention to UVA and Es Devlin’s installation work; she incorporates video into so much of what she does. Outside of work, Mark Rothko is a favourite of mine, and in college I was obsessed with Francesca Woodman’s self-portraiture. I think that fine-art instinct is why I push to give things a sense of identity beyond just the brief.

More recently, I’ve been going to a life-drawing class every Tuesday, and it’s genuinely helped in how I read light hitting a person’s skin.

How did you find working in an industry where, as you mentioned, roles can end up siloed by gender?

I don’t think it necessarily has to be that way, but it’s something you become increasingly aware of as you progress through the industry, particularly when you look at more senior positions. There’s still a noticeable gender imbalance in certain areas, especially within technical and leadership roles.

When I started, there were very few female Notch users. You really had to look for them. After being a part of FRAY for a few years, we began some internal training, and I introduced Grace Arnott-Hayes, Designer and later Hanna Schrage, Senior Designer, to Notch, and I still feel very proud that, as a studio, we have more than one. I don’t think it’s as much of a minority now, but it still means something to not be the only one in the room.

Do you put stock into trends and where the industry is heading?

We do pay attention to current trends, pop culture and themes that are appearing in the creative landscape; there’s a lot of crossover between art, fashion, music and visual culture.

That said, our approach is largely informed by the artist and where they are creatively at that moment. Understanding their visual identity and the direction of their current work is far more valuable than simply following broader trends. Looking at their recent campaigns, music videos, styling and the visual language they are developing.

This crossover of the band’s current visual identity and what we produce can be seen clearly in our work for Glass Animals and Pierce The Veil. At the time we were working with Glass Animals, their most recent campaign had a very space-inspired, visually textured aesthetic. We incorporated the space theme into the show in both abstract and literal ways.

In our work with Pierce The Veil, the brief was very strict in maintaining their visual language; to achieve this, we used halftone, textural effects and the band’s specific colour palette.

Is there a moment in a project when you know you’re going to reach for Notch?

If a client wants cameras involved, it is likely that we’re using Notch, and then it’s about stylising it to fit the content. Beyond cameras, it’s often abstract or textural content, but it really comes down to the job, who’s on it and what the right tool is.

We did a project for Joji recently where we were working across TouchDesigner and Notch, and this was a great example of the right tool for the job. In the song A Dying Breed, we had a grid of eyeballs which tracked Joji through the song. This was something that I knew how to set up and get working in Notch. Using ‘Target Node, ’ I was able to link each eyeball to a single tracking object; this would then be controlled via tracking data from a Follow Me beacon on the artist.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on Pierce the Veil’s one-off homecoming show at Petco Park in San Diego this September, a continuation of the show we built with them last year… but bigger. It’s almost entirely built in Notch. We also just wrapped Jorja Smith headlining All Points East, another Notch-heavy show.

What’s your best advice for someone starting out in this industry with little to no Notch experience?

You can overthink whether you’re good enough for a job, but you won’t actually know until you’ve tried it. Have enough confidence to take it on, but don’t oversell yourself either. If you don’t know how to do something, ask. There’s no shame in not knowing the answer to a question. Don’t suffer in silence.

FRAY Studio offer an online mentorship programme called FRAY DEV_. If you are interested in being considered for the next cohort of applications, you can register your interest here: https://fraystudio.com/posts/fray-dev_

A Conversation with Creative Technologist Kira O’Brien was originally published in NotchBlog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Now that Notch 2026.2 has been out for a bit, here’s a rundown of a few new upgrades that didn’t make the headlines.

These complement our new headline capabilities: using AI image-processing models directly in Notch, and working more effectively with AI-centric workflows. If you haven’t checked out our four major features of 2026.2, take a peek here.

Here’s what you might have missed:

Physics

When it comes to physics, Notch 2026.2 takes a serious step forward in capability and predictability. With the new geometry chunks, you can now simulate each topologically connected chunk within a single geometry as its own rigid body.

We’ve also generally improved stability, memory usage, determinism, and performance, especially with regard to fast-moving collider geometry. Procedural falloffs are now supported with the Force and Turbulence Affectors, and the new Transform Affector lets you drive a physics object’s position and rotation using the transform of a target object or set of clones.

The Physics Root gained a Frame Rate Mode property with “Free” and “Fixed” options, as well as a Reset input pin.

Deformers

2026.2 greatly deepens the set of controls you have over cloth and rope physics deformers.

The Cloth and Rope Deformers gain new anchor controls (Anchor Mode, Anchor Strength, and Anchor Dampening), so you can better hone how the cloth or rope behaves at its anchor points. You’ll also find Stretch Mode and Max Stretch for more precise control in low-stiffness or high-pressure setups; a Stretch To Weightmap Scale property that outputs a weightmap representing stretch, which you’ll find useful for shading, masking, or secondary effects driven by tension; and a Simulation Speed and a Reset input pin that make iterating faster and easier than ever.

On top of these new controls, the Cloth Deformer’s self-collision modes have also been heavily optimised for performance.

Particles

We’ve given particles a vast range of new controls that give a more cohesive feel to working with particle affectors in 2026.2.

To begin with, the “Falloff” property is now consistent across all affector nodes. The Force Affector now has a “Node Motion” option within its “Mode” property, matching the Velocity Affector; the Image Affector features new controls, such as Dampening, Force Mode, Direction, and Wrap Mode; the Mesh Attractor now contains Node Velocity options, shoring up particles’ ability to follow a mesh’s movement consistently and convincingly; the Points Affector now includes random-shape and velocity behaviours like Vortex/Attract modes; the Primitive Affector has a new Node Velocity Amount with a soft “Radius” falloff based on distance to the primitive surface; and the Shockwave Affector now has a Velocity Scale for direct control over the affector’s impact.

Particles are also getting smarter about what they represent — the Image Emitter now has an “ID” option in its Colour Selection Mode, letting you tag particles with the ID from the new YOLO object tracker.

All in all, you have far more control out of the gate.

Colour & Post-FX

Based on user requests, we’ve added the Colour Gradient node, letting you build gradients from any number of colour control points.

We’ve also added a few quiet workhorses: Normalise Colour and Change Image Format, both useful for keeping renders consistent across different systems and setups. There’s also a new Custom Object Mask AOV, for building custom object masks from a set of objects and outputting them as an AOV from the Render panel. On top of that, several existing nodes got meaningful upgrades: Tone Map now has auto-exposure controls, Chroma Glitch now affects the alpha channel, and Texture Sampler now handles colour-space conversion automatically.

Motion Capture

Motion capture also gets a new tool: the MOVIN Point Cloud node takes a live data stream from the MOVIN motion-capture system and renders it as a highly accurate, world-scale point cloud, real 3D points with real-world coordinates. It complements the MOVIN Mocap Skeleton support added in the last release, and works equally well for debugging a capture setup or building it directly into a creative output.

We put both nodes to work in two demo scenes built with MOVIN for the 2026 NAB Show. See what we built for them here.

Read more about these features and more here.

Few New Notch Upgrades You Might Have Missed was originally published in NotchBlog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Çiğdem Ecevit is a Notch Designer based in Istanbul. With a background in Architecture and Urban Planning, she moved from designing physical spaces to transforming them through digital content and interaction.

Today, she creates real-time, Notch-based visuals for live performances, immersive experiences, and large-scale productions at Illusionist Digital Art Studio. She is also involved in the creative development of projects, helping turn ideas into visual, technological, and interactive experiences.

Work rarely stays at work: with a Senior FX Technical Director for a husband, Houdini-versus-Notch/render-versus-real-time debates often continue at home, usually supervised by their two cats.

Tell us about your journey with motion graphics and Notch. When, where, and how did you begin?

My path into motion graphics actually began with architecture. While studying at university, I used 3ds Max to model my projects. But the real turning point was realising I didn’t just want to show the spaces I designed: I wanted people to experience them. My urban planning background fed into it, too. I got curious about connecting data with design. That search led me to TouchDesigner, and then, quite unexpectedly, to Notch in early 2020.

I was exploring the TouchDesigner world when an XR studio contacted me. When I went in to meet them, they told me they were actually looking for someone who knew Notch. At that point, I had never even heard of it.

I spent around two weeks learning the software on my own. Then, Chema Menéndez came to Turkey to help the team with their Disguise setup and provide training, and I had the chance to ask him all the Notch questions I had collected. But just around that time, the projects were put on hold because of the pandemic. Suddenly, I was left with a new piece of software and only three weeks of experience.

But I was stubborn about finding a place for Notch in every project. Whatever it could handle at the time, even if it was only one small part, I made sure it had a chance. Little by little, it became a permanent part of my workflow.

Why did you initially choose to implement Notch? How did that benefit that first project?

My first major project with Notch was a gala Illusionist put together for Türk Telekom at the AKM Opera House, one of the first events in Turkey to bring a symphony orchestra and digital art together. We had ten days to create visuals across forty projectors, turning the venue’s architecture into the canvas.

No one else at the studio used it, but I showed them how fast we could create and render content, and they agreed to try it.

Since everything was pre-rendered, the visuals had to follow the music precisely. The Sound Modifier made that so much easier, with no manual keyframing needed. Notch rendered so fast that the two tracks I was originally given turned into four. That’s when it clicked, for me and the team, just how much Notch could handle at this scale.

Has it facilitated any breakthroughs for you?

One of the biggest challenges Notch has helped me with is the short revision time that comes with large-scale projects. Working in real time and rendering quickly means I can make a change and deliver a new version almost immediately.

I was on one job, and around 11pm, a totally different team working on the Renault Duster E-Tech asked, just hours before the event, “What if we project onto the trees, too?” I rushed over to their venue, designed the visuals live on-site, rendered them as soon as we found the right look, and then went straight back to pull an all-nighter, finishing the other setup. Without Notch, I don’t think we could have pulled off a solution that fast, on top of everything else that night.

For live projects, reliability matters just as much as visual quality. I’ve used Notch for years and have had very few crashes; it’s never let me down in those critical moments.

At what stage of the process do you start to see clearly how you’ll be able to use Notch on a given project?

I usually see how Notch fits into a project at the concept stage. As soon as we start discussing the space, screen format, content, or interaction, I’m already building the system in my head. Sometimes I’ll even open Notch during the meeting, make a rough version, and we’ll discuss it together on the spot.

For me, Notch isn’t just a production tool. I use it from concept and previs through to final content and, sometimes, even for a quick video edit. Its role changes from project to project, but it’s usually there from the very beginning.

Have you ever had a creative breakthrough in implementing this process? What did that entail technically?

Sema Ceremony was a real creative breakthrough for me. We had a short schedule and no fixed storyboard; just a moodboard and a few ideas.

I built the whole field system in Notch. With the Path Tracer, I could see results in real time, adjust parameters, even test the scene at the venue. The Field Cache took under five minutes, and the final render took just a few hours, which meant I could keep experimenting right up until the scene found its shape.

The result went way beyond what we expected. But the reaction that really stuck with me came from our own team, some assumed the scene was made in Houdini and asked how we’d finished it so quickly. Telling them it was all Notch was a great moment.

How have the latest releases changed the game for you? Do you have any favourite new features?

Definitely the Custom Shader Affector. It’s hands-down the feature that’s got me most excited in the latest releases. Now, I just write my own rules for movement, colour, scale, and whatever else I need.

I don’t have a strong coding background, but with a bit of help from AI tools, I can write shaders and test them right there in Notch. I’m no longer limited to the tools already available; I can build exactly what I need.

What are you currently working on?

Alongside my studio work, I’m always experimenting with personal R&D, and lately I’ve been sharing more of it. When I was learning Notch, I learned a lot through social media and by asking other artists questions. Now I try to share what I’m learning and creating whenever I can, so it feels good to give some of that knowledge back.

My main R&D project at the moment revisits an older experiment. Now, I’m rebuilding the same project with Gaussian Splats and Custom Shaders. Returning to the same idea with each new set of tools is also a great way to see how far both Notch and my own practise have come.

What’s your best advice for someone just starting out in this space?

I wouldn’t limit myself to Notch tutorials. Watching tutorials for other node-based tools, such as Houdini, and asking myself, “How could I build this in Notch?” taught me a lot. At some point, I realised that learning the logic behind a system matters more than memorising a piece of software. Once you understand that logic, you can find a solution in almost any tool.

Notch also provides some great educational DFX project files. Studying how they’re built and then using that knowledge to create your own project is an incredibly valuable way to learn.

Thanks for chatting, Çiğdem! It’s been great to see your growth as an artist over the past few years. We’re so ready to see what you create in the near future.

You can follow Çiğdem on Instagram.

Learn the Logic: A Conversation with Notch Designer Çiğdem Ecevit was originally published in NotchBlog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Over the past few years, Notch has been working closely with the folks at MOVIN to explore the possibilities of combining high-fidelity motion capture with real-time graphics.

For the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, we worked with the MOVIN team to integrate Notch with the latest generation of MOVIN hardware via the new MOVIN Point Cloud Node, introduced in 2026.2, which captures both point cloud and full-body motion for multiple users. Alongside this, we showcased the MOVIN Mocap Skeleton node, released as part of 2026.1, tracking a single performer.

These two nodes are now available in Notch:

1. MOVIN Mocap Skeleton
2. MOVIN Point Cloud

Here’s how we did it.

To demonstrate how Notch can take data from MOVIN’s motion-tracking system and turn it into interactive, real-time visuals, we built two scenes, each centred around a different data stream.

The Avatar Scene

The first scene focused on a single performer, for which our art team built a robotic character in an industrial setting. To set up the scene, we imported 3D meshes for the floor and background. We then modelled a custom avatar externally, exported it as FBX, and auto-rigged it in Mixamo. After bringing it into Notch, we refined it with extensive material work.

Deformers were used to create the rope simulation that clings to the tracked body, while particles generate a “paint” movement that follows the hands. A Sound FFT Modifier captures live audio and drives interactive elements across the nodegraph, with Post-FX applied on top to fine-tune colour and add a finishing glow.

MOVIN streamed the live mocap data into Notch, where the MOVIN Mocap Skeleton node interpreted the incoming skeleton. The node reads bone data from the MOVIN system over OSC and applies it directly to the rigged character, provided that rig’s bones are named, oriented, and arranged the way MOVIN expects. With that connection established, the live skeleton drove animation, Particle Emitters, Deformers, and scene logic, 100% in real time.

The scene used the new NURA (Notch Unified Rendering Architecture) Standard Renderer, which allowed for fast, high-quality light and shading. Finally, we added movement-driven effects to the mocap, accentuating gestures and rhythms.

At NAB itself, a live DJ kept the energy going all day as attendees took turns stepping on stage and becoming the character; their every move tracked and translated into the scene, letting them bend the ropes and send particles flying with their own hands.

Main Nodes Used

• MOVIN Mocap Skeleton
• NURA: Standard Renderer
• Particles: Flip Fluid Simulation
• Cloners
• Deformers: Connect With Lines + Rope Deformer
• Modifiers: Sound FFT Modifier

The Point Cloud Scene

The second scene turned MOVIN’s point cloud stream into an interactive 3D world for up to four people at once.

For this scene, our team imported 3D meshes for the background environment, with a separate 3D character brought in purely for particle emission and body tracking — invisible in the final output but essential to how everything moves.

We used the MOVIN Point Cloud node as the source for two Mesh Cloner systems, one handling the characters and colour, the other the floor, keeping the two separate so colour and turbulence from one didn’t spill into the other. Each cloner runs a Turbulence Effector and Image Effector to add extra movement and reactivity on top of the tracked positions. MOVIN’s point data also drives colour changes on the clones directly and generates lighting and particles from those same points, layered on top of colour pulled from rendered character passes via Render To Texture.

Particles ran through a Fluid MPM Affector and Mesh Emitter for an extra organic, fluid-like motion reactive to the participants. We also built line-based connective elements between the tracked characters and a set of randomly moving imported meshes.

A handful of modifiers handled the underlying logic, including a Skeleton Valid check to enable and disable characters as they entered or left the tracked space, and a Sound FFT Modifier to capture live audio and feed it into interactive elements across the graph. We topped it off with Post-FX to refine the colour and add a final glow.

At NAB, the installation invited up to four attendees to the stage at a time, with pre-baked camera angles cycling through different perspectives to keep the visuals feeling alive and ever-changing.

Main Nodes Used

• MOVIN Mocap Skeleton
• MOVIN Point Cloud
• NURA: Standard Renderer
• Cloners: Mesh Cloner, Image Effector, Killbox Effector, Turbulence Effector
• Particles: Fluid MPM Affector + Mesh Emitter
• Render to Texture
• Modifiers: Sound FFT Modifier

Previsualisation

While working with the MOVIN team, we created a full previs of the booth to fully visualise what the final booth setup with content would look like.

Inside Notch, we rendered the live artwork directly onto a pixel-accurate 3D mockup of the LED surface within a 3D model of the booth layout, using a Composition Precomp node to present the real-time Notch content in context and at its true scale.

This allowed us to make iterations on the spot and provide an accurate preview of what the booth would actually look like on day 1 of the show.

Go ahead and give the new nodes a spin, and let us know if you have any questions. To learn more about MOVIN, click here.

New in Notch 2026.2: MOVIN Point Cloud Node was originally published in NotchBlog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

London, 30 June 2026 — Notch today announced the release of version 2026.2. The release expands what’s possible in Notch with ONNX AI model support for AI-based image processing, opens up new territory for bespoke effects with custom shaders, adds full Gaussian Splat support, and introduces a Manual MCP for the Notch knowledge base — adding more control and more ways to work for artists and studios across the board.

Here is what’s new:

AI-based image processing support for real-time visual production

Notch has supported AI-based image processing tools for tasks like background removal, upscaling, and tracking for many years — they were revolutionary in live production, yet limited to a small set of models from NVIDIA. 2026.2 introduces the ability to run a large range of state-of-the-art AI-based image processing models directly inside Notch, bringing a new level of creative possibility to real-time workflows.

ONNX AI model support allows artists to import existing models or train their own, with no additional latency and no external pipeline required. Background removal, segmentation, depth and motion estimation, object, hand and face tracking, and upscaling can often run at real-time speeds.

Working in both Notch Blocks and renders and running as post-processing nodes, these ONNX AI models can interact fully with everything else in Notch, opening up new ways to work with live camera feeds, respond to performers in real time, and push visual complexity without adding technical overhead.

A new level of creative control with custom shader code

For moments where a specific creative behaviour is easier to achieve in code, 2026.2 now makes that possible natively inside Notch: with custom shaders.

A new set of nodes lets artists load their own HLSL shader code to create custom Post Effects, Particle Effectors, Clone Effectors, and Geometry Deformers, drawing on existing shader libraries or writing from scratch. Shader code runs straight on the GPU like everything else in the engine, so it’s fast.

Artists can build effects that are entirely and uniquely their own. Everything works natively inside Notch, with no external tools or additional pipeline required, across both Notch and Notch Blocks.

Real-world scenes and objects, imported as fully interactive Gaussian Splats

Notch 2026.2 introduces full Gaussian Splat support, bringing a powerful new way to incorporate captured or modelled real-world scenes and 3D objects into any production.

Gaussian Splats have become one of the most exciting new ways to represent 3D objects and scenes, and new AI models can even generate a 3D splat from a single image. In Notch 2026.2, they are integrated directly into the scene as a new kind of object, renderable across any of Notch’s available renderers, ray-traced, and deformed using Notch’s Deformer nodes.

What makes Notch’s implementation unique is how fully Gaussian Splats interact with the rest of the scene. Imported objects and environments can be lit, reflected, and cast shadows, sitting naturally alongside any other element in the production.

The full Notch knowledge base, now accessible in Claude, ChatGPT, and beyond

Notch 2026.2 introduces the Notch Manual MCP, giving artists direct access to the full Notch knowledge base from within any AI assistant of their choice.

The Notch User Manual is a comprehensive resource, documenting every node and every feature in depth. Using MCP, the open-source standard for connecting LLM applications to external systems, artists can plug the manual directly into Claude, ChatGPT, or any other compatible assistant in a few simple steps.

Artists get answers in the moment they need them, without hunting through documentation.

“Notch has always been built for artists, by artists,” said Nick Rivero, CCO at Notch. “Our goal is to give artists access to the best available tools on the market and make it easier to bring those into their Notch workflow, and that includes some genuinely useful new AI capabilities. The artist stays in control of how and whether they use them.”

The release also includes a range of additional features and improvements across the platform.

Notch 2026.2 is available now. Learn more and download here.

Notch 2026.2 Brings More Creative Control and More Ways to Work was originally published in NotchBlog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Graham Thorne is a lecturer at The Academy of Live Technology’s Production Park, where he trains students on industry-standard tools and platforms for cutting-edge live visual design, covering everything from projection mapping and custom content creation to real-time visual effects, motion tracking, generative art, and interactive design workflows.

By night (and weekends), he steps into the world as Skulpture — crafting immersive experiences through interactive media, video mapping, custom visuals, and advanced motion-tracking systems. Whether it’s live performance visuals or experimental interactive installations, he thrives on pushing creative boundaries.

In this conversation, he discusses his journey from being an “average lad from Liverpool” to a lecturer in creative music technology, teaching Notch in a hands-on way as a core part of a curriculum that prepares students for the industry, and the ALT’s recent expansion to the US.

What’s your background as an artist and instructor?

Graham Thorne: I’ll try and keep it short, but it’s quite a long story really. I started off my life as an average lad from Liverpool, really interested in music and the nightclub scene. When I turned a certain age, my dad said to me, “You either get a career or you go to university.” And I had a moment where I thought, “What do I want to do with my life?” I was an average guy into music. I remember staring at my turntables at the end of my room and just thought, “Yeah, I want to know more about music and, like, this club culture scene.” But I couldn’t play music; I didn’t play an instrument.

I managed to get onto a degree course called Creative Music Technology in Doncaster, in Yorkshire. It’s not there anymore, unfortunately, but I learned about music composition, effects, and a little bit of live sound. There was one media module where I learned Max/MSP, Pure Data, and Isadora. I just latched on to that and I could really see the relationship between audio and visual, especially coming from the clubbing scene.

I finished my degree and ended up staying on as a lecturer because apparently I had the personality to help other people learn. I realised I quite liked helping people. I taught a lot of audiovisual stuff, but at the same time, I started freelancing and helping people with Isadora.

I left education to work as a digital creator at York Museums Trust because I’d been in Doncaster for about 12 years as a student and then as a member of staff, and I needed to move on. I heard about Production Park, where I am now — this “golden nugget” of the industry that was just up the road. I left the Yorkshire Museum and Art Gallery to get a job here as a lecturer. It was definitely a bit of imposter syndrome because people here were using high-end technology and I’d not encountered LED walls before. But I knew a lot about content creation and interactive workflows.

How did you learn about Notch initially?

After working a few years and learning other systems like Green Hippo and Avolites Ai, Shannon (the former course leader) and I heard about Notch. We just knew it was something. I’d heard [Notch Founder] Matt [Swoboda]’s name, and we felt this was software made for us, by people like us from existing companies who do what we do. As educators and lecturers, we wanted to be on board. I think we were one of the first universities to get Notch.

It has always seemed that ALT is one of the few institutions that really teaches Notch as a core part of the curriculum rather than just an additional resource. It’s interesting that you brought Notch on so early — it wasn’t a guarantee that it would become such a central part of the live tech industry. Is that something you see reflected back in the way the industry evolves?

Graham Thorne: I’m not going to waste students’ time with software they won’t be employed to use. We show them additional tools, but the main bulk of the curriculum is hardware, software, and workflows that they are likely going to be using out in the world. And to carve time out of a degree course is a commitment. I often joke about it being like predicting the future: “Should I teach students this? If I do, how many hours or days? Do I make an assessment about it?”

We gambled that Notch was going to be a thing. It’s clearly paid off. Notch has developed so much. Many of my students now have a career because they learned Notch. More importantly, we are pushing students out into the industry who are programming, sequencing, and installing the biggest shows in the world using Notch.

The bond between the Academy of Live Technology and Notch is very strong. You’ve been good to us as a company.

What are the daily ins and outs of teaching Notch?

Graham Thorne: Teaching Notch at ALT is always a highlight. It’s one of those pieces of software I genuinely look forward to introducing, because it consistently gets that “wow” reaction from students. What makes it even more special is that it’s been built by people from our industry, for our industry.

Our classes are all very hands-on: traditional lectures, seminars, tutorials, visits from guest speakers, masterclass seminars from industry experts, international case studies, workshops, and work opportunities across sectors. Students learn at Production Park, which has everything from pre-visualisation studios and computer labs to lecture theatres and breakout spaces. We cover theory first, then move as seamlessly as possible to practical learning in studios that are all industry standard.

I often say, “basic isn’t boring.” I focus on giving students a strong foundation in Notch, and from there, they take it far beyond anything I could prescribe. It’s an incredible tool, and now a major part of the curriculum here.

Even in the first year, students just get it and they immediately recognise its relevance and potential. I’ve introduced Notch to students and then watched them graduate three years later, going on to build careers with it, whether that’s securing jobs that use Notch or making it a core part of their own freelance work.

Do you have any favourite Notch-related teaching success stories?

Graham Thorne: We once had Hugh Jackman and The Greatest Showman in Studio One. Harrison [Mead, of Visual Impact Productions] was in year two at ALT and working at Notch at the same time. He was in the lunch line of the canteen and heard two guys talking about a support ticket they’d submitted to Notch. One guy asked, “Do you know anyone in the UK who knows Notch?” and the other said no. Harrison lifted his head and said, “Excuse me, I know Notch.” They were like, “Whoa, what?” Harrison said, “We get taught it here at uni. Plus, I work there. I see the support ticket right here. I can come and help you now.” And so, he helped with some of the Notch files for The Greatest Showman.

That’s what Production Park and ALT stand for: feeding and serving the industry and our own community.

What’s the latest news around ALT? You seem to be expanding every time I check in.

Graham Thorne: We’ve recently been able to share the exciting news that The Office for Students has officially granted Academy of Live Technology degree awarding powers. This means our degrees will come directly from us instead of being validated by the University of Greater Manchester.

This is a massive milestone for everyone at ALT and means that we’re in a stronger position than ever to be reactive to the needs of the industry in the courses and curriculum we can deliver.

We also now have a US campus! It’s in Lititz, Pennsylvania as part of the Rock Lititz campus and in partnership with Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. It had its first intake of students in 2024. They’re hooked up with Disguise and Pixera, and they’re learning the same curriculum as our UK students.

We don’t feel like just another higher education provider; we feel like one born out of the industry.

We might even be opening more campuses in America soon.

Thanks very much, Graham. We can’t wait to see what ALT’s next generation does with Notch. Keep us updated!

“Basic Isn’t Boring”: A Conversation with the Academy of Live Technology’s Graham Thorne was originally published in NotchBlog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

With a distinguished track record in growth in the content & production industries, Nick brings a wealth of experience in leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver innovative solutions across motion graphics, live events, and interactive experiences. As co-founder of Meptik — a creative studio specialising in real-time content, in-camera visual effects (ICVFX), and immersive audience experiences — Nick led teams in designing and executing high-profile projects for music, film, corporate, and live event clients. Under his leadership, Meptik became known for bridging the gap between creative vision and technical execution.

Nick’s background aligns perfectly with Notch’s vision to empower creators in high-cadence environments — from live music and entertainment to fixed installations and branded content.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Nick to the Notch leadership team,” said Matt Swoboda. “His proven ability to drive growth & innovation at the intersection of technology and creativity will be invaluable as we continue to bring the power of new non-destructive & real-time workflows into new markets.”

“I’ve always believed in the power of innovative technology to transform how we create content and tell our stories,” said Nick Rivero. “Notch is uniquely positioned to lead this evolution, and I’m excited to help shape the next chapter for both our users and the industry at large.”

With the recent release of Notch 1.0, the company is focused on enabling rapid ideation and execution for motion designers, brands, and content creators through a non-destructive, GPU-native workflow. Nick’s appointment underscores Notch’s commitment to meaningful innovation for artists, designers & the wider industries.

For more information about Notch and its leadership team, visit notch.one

About Notch:

Notch is a real-time motion graphics tool used worldwide for live events, installations, and content creation. Headquartered in London, Notch empowers creators to deliver stunning visuals at the speed of imagination.

Media Contact:
Bent Stamnes — bent.stamnes@notch.one

Notch Appoints Nick Rivero as Chief Commercial Officer was originally published in NotchBlog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As a follow-up to our interview with Moment Factory Paris, we sat down with Moment Factory Notch Designer Gustavo Rangel to get a closer look at the company’s real-time processes as well as Rangel’s personal journey as an artist.

You’re based in Montreal, right?

Gustavo: Yes, that’s right. I’ve been living here for a while now.

How did you start working for Moment Factory?

Gustavo: I’m originally from Mexico. I started in advertising, but I got really interested in projection mapping and that kind of work. That led me to CocoLab in Mexico, where I first encountered Notch. From there, I joined Moment Factory about three years ago. It’s been a pretty exciting ride.

It’s been great to watch how Notch has developed at Moment Factory. I know Notch is a fairly new tool for the company, though. How have you helped integrate it into the workflow?

Gustavo: Yeah, it’s pretty new for us. They’d tried to use it before, but you know, introducing new software in big companies can be tough. My boss had been pushing it, and I came in because I had experience with Notch from my time in Mexico. We started doing some small tests, and then our first major project with Notch was Soissons en Lumières in Soissons, France.

That was a success, and after that, more people started paying attention to it. I’ve been pushing it more and more since then, and now it’s becoming central to our workflow. It’s really fun to use and teach my coworkers about.

That’s great. I’ve heard a lot about the R&D lab at Moment Factory. I know Jean Baptiste mentioned it, too. Does that play a role in showcasing what Notch can do?

Gustavo: Absolutely. Moment Factory is always open to experimenting with new things, which is one of the things I love about it. I started doing tests and developing new possibilities with Notch, and the lab really helps with that. It’s a space where we can try new tools and ideas. We’ve always been on the forefront of animation, and the lab is a big part of that.

Yeah, it seems like Moment Factory is one of those rare companies that plays to a wide audience but still prioritises innovation. How do you balance the bigger picture with your specific role as a Notch designer?

Gustavo: That’s definitely one of the key things I focus on. Notch is very flexible, but it has to fit into the overall workflow of the company. Moment Factory has a lot of experience working a certain way, so I’ve had to adjust the workflow to fit with Notch. At first, it was more of an afterthought in projects, but it’s becoming part of the initial planning. It’s great because I can help shape that process.

What other software do you use alongside Notch? I know it varies, but what have you been combining it with recently?

Gustavo: My background is in traditional 3D tools like Cinema 4D, After Effects, and Photoshop. But since joining Moment Factory, I’ve been using a lot of interactive tools like TouchDesigner alongside Notch. It’s all about combining these traditional tools with newer, real-time tools to create more dynamic projects.

In learning Notch and real-time in general, have you had any “aha” moments?

Gustavo: Definitely. One of the most useful things about Notch is the real-time capability. For example, on the AURA Invalids project, we needed to do color matching with the ceiling and walls. Normally, that’s a long process because you have to see it, go back, and iterate. But with Notch, we could do it in real time, which saved so much time. Being able to see the animation running while doing colour correction was a game-changer.

Can you talk about your process on the Aura project?

Gustavo: AURA was a massive project with a lot of people involved. We started with a creative concept, but as with any new tool, we had to show the team and clients what Notch could do. Once they saw the potential — through real-time tests, for example — they got really excited. That’s one of my favourite things: showing people what’s possible and seeing that moment when their minds click and they realize, “Oh, we can do this!” After that, we could push the project forward and use Notch’s real-time capabilities to refine everything.

Have you ever run into clients who are skeptical about using new technology?

Gustavo: Oh, absolutely. It happens in every project. Not everyone knows about the tool, so I’m constantly showing them what it can do. But once they see it in action, it’s usually pretty easy to get them on board. It’s all about showing the possibilities, really.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into motion graphics or 3D art?

Gustavo: I’d say to keep learning always.

Keep learning, keep searching. Once you stop learning, it’s very difficult to get anywhere. And you know, nowadays everything is moving so fast that you need to keep yourself updated constantly. It’s very important to do that.

But it’s also about balance. You can’t try to reinvent yourself every day, but you also can’t stay stuck in the past. It’s about having a solid foundation and then knowing when to break the rules.

One of the things I love about Moment Factory is that even though it’s a big company, they really encourage everyone to push the boundaries. There are always new projects, and there’s always a push to try new things. Right now, for example, the company is encouraging everyone to explore AI. Even though we still do a lot of traditional work, we’re constantly exploring new technologies. It’s an exciting place to be.

From your perspective, how does Moment Factory, a massive company making massive, very public art, continue to push while dealing with the need to make money and play to as wide an audience as possible?

Again, balance. Moment Factory’s perspective is that what’s cutting-edge always becomes commonplace very quickly. So we try to be at the forefront of the conversation. We build a solid foundation with all the traditional tools and techniques (which were once considered cutting-edge).

Then, we experiment. Then, we go back again, more or less “ironing out” what we’ve done. If we ever use AI, for instance, it’s always complementary, it’s never the main event. Every tool plays its own part, and the main event is the idea, the experience.

It’s about seeing the idea and the experience rather than the technology. Notch is great for that.

Thanks for chatting with us, Gustavo.

Thank you very much! I wouldn’t be here without Notch, right? So thank you very much.

A special thanks to Gustavo Rangel for speaking with us about his journey as an artist. You can follow him on his website, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

“Keep Learning, Keep Searching”: An Interview with Notch Designer Gustavo Rangel was originally published in NotchBlog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

At Moment Factory’s Paris office, we sat down with Creative Director Jean-Baptiste Hardoin to discuss the company’s history, process, and overall ethos, highlighting their recent AURA Invalides project at Les Invalides in Paris.

Tell us a bit about Moment Factory’s origins.

Moment Factory is a creative studio that creates immersive environments. We’ve been around for 24 years, beginning in Montreal, and we now have offices in Paris, Tokyo, New York, and Singapore as well as permanent employees in Riyadh, Sydney, and Madrid. We have about 450 talents worldwide working in creative, production, and technical fields. This last point is very important: We like to think of ourselves as a “one-stop shop” studio with all disciplines under one roof.

Each Moment Factory studio is able to develop and produce projects in their respective regions. Our global presence really allows us to stay close to our clients. That said, everything’s integrated. We’re constantly collaborating with Montreal and all other studios worldwide.

And there are plenty of studios with remote offices, but the idea that we try to truly root ourselves in local talent everywhere we go is part of what sets us apart.

Our recent project, AURA Invalides produced with Cultival in partnership with the Musée de l’Armée, France’s national military museum at Les Invalides in Paris, is a great example of what I’m talking about. We’re, like, two kilometres from Les Invalides, so it’s an extremely fluid process. We went there, took measurements and felt out the vibe of the place day after day. And we could easily communicate any of our needs to the main office in Montreal, with whom we maintain constant close contact.

How did that project begin?

The AURA concept started in 2017 at the Basilique Notre-Dame in Montreal. Wanting to build on the idea of immersive heritage sites, we connected with QT Valais, a French tourism agency that introduced us to the team at the Museum of the Army at Les Invalides in Paris, where you’ll find Napoleon’s tomb.

They were very interested in that format for the Dome, which is one of the main heritage sites in Paris, and excited to give the public a new and innovative way of discovering the site.

How do you manage the kinds of large-scale projects Moment Factory is known for? I’d imagine it’s quite complicated.

Indeed. We have hundreds of people across the world working on many projects at a time. But everything starts with the idea, and the idea is usually pretty simple. We ask ourselves, before anything, what story we want to tell the audience.

Our motto is, “We do it in public,” so the objective is always to reach the audience we’re creating for as directly as possible.

The real challenge is maintaining consistency from the initial spark all the way through to the final delivery. We start with a small team and allow things to grow pretty organically from design to production, aggregating different talents around each project as necessary but only when the time is right.

Sometimes, we collaborate with external freelancers, but those are always close friends who we consider already part of the Moment Factory ecosystem. For example, the music for AURA Invalides was created by Troublemakers, with whom we collaborated on the original AURA show at the Montreal Basilique Notre-Dame.

As a creative director, are you able to add your own ideas to projects, or do projects change uncontrollably due to the sheer scale?

AURA Invalides is part of a collection of immersive experiences, which means it’s an IP and a brand owned by us that we extend and share with different heritage sites.

Even with the most ambitious projects, we make sure each one has our personal and signature touch.

That said, every AURA project is tailored to its unique site. When we arrive onsite, our first duty is to get to know the place, understand how it works, its physicality, its history, the people who keep it alive and moving.

It’s always the best feeling to spark a strong idea from the start, as soon as you begin to understand and become inspired by a place. When you have a strong idea, it’s so much easier to share with the creative team, who can translate that into images, into music. Ideas travel through teams and, if they’re strong, arrive at the audience in one piece. That’s a great reward.

What’s Moment Factory’s relationship with new technology like real-time graphics?

We’re always innovating, pushing boundaries, exploring new ideas and tools, and leveraging all the tech we can.

Of course, we want to know we’ll be able to deliver the project on time. We’re adamant about keeping things tight and secure in production. But we also try to bring a bit of exploration on every project. We’re serious about that. So serious in fact, that we have R&D teams and spaces reserved just for experimentation.

We started by doing VJ parties in the early-2000s, so artistic freedom and experimentation are the nucleus of our company.

Real-time tools like Notch give us the opportunity to change and refine content on-site. Once we know the light, color, and overall vibe of a location, we can very easily make subtle adjustments to ensure what we have in mind works well for the audience.

With AURA Invalides, for example, we had a big altar that was sculpted and decorated by Visconti. We initially struggled to create interesting visuals for it; it seemed too complex, like there was too much to it already. So we had Notch Designer Gustavo Perez Rangel work on-site for four nights, and with his abilities and the speed of the software, we brought it to life. It was spectacular to see.

Sometimes, we have to do a lot of pre-production and create a story, but sometimes, it’s more about feeling out a place instinctively and discovering its opportunities and limits, both of which might come unexpectedly. That’s when we improvise and modulate.

With space-oriented work out in public like this, I would imagine you’re able to get some good audience reactions you might not get in other contexts.

It’s always striking. The simple joy in people’s eyes after discovering a site we’ve worked on is what makes us come to work every morning.

AURA Invalides was a full revival for locals. For most people, myself included, it’s the kind of place you see on a field trip or when you’re very young and never again because it’s right there, you know? It’s always available, so you rarely go.

What do you expect in the future of immersive experiences?

In this industry, so much changes in ten years that I can’t make any predictions. But I have some ideas for the next five years.

I think immersive experiences are becoming more mature. Everyone’s eager to experience them because they’re rejuvenating. You come out of immersive experiences a bit better, a bit more intelligent, a bit more in touch with your emotions. People are craving that, and we should try to provide it as creators.

We can also offer people moments of disconnect, which can be very positive.

People these days are eager to escape their phones, screens, and daily routines. We have the opportunity to offer them the present moment — something real and immediate. A collective experience that’s both meaningful and enjoyable simply because it’s fun.

After COVID, people don’t want to go places where there’s not a “real thing” to see. All those Instagram museums we saw in the 2010s — I think that’s done. People need more now. They need to discover or rediscover a painter, an artist, a place. Discovery is key.

What would you say to any visionaries out there who want to create their own immersive experiences?

First, come work with us! We’ll have fun.

Second, make sure your idea is strong. That’s what people will follow, finance, and give you the fuel to realise.

The idea is the backbone of an immersive experience. If you have strong images and key moments, you have something. As directors say, you need to start good and finish good. People remember strong moments that stand out from the rest.

What’s next for Moment Factory?

2024 has been a remarkable year for us, highlighted by collaborations at Sphere in Las Vegas and the expansion of our original experiences, including the launch of Light Cycles and Astra Lumina in Italy, England, Japan, Australia, and the United States. We are excited to continue this growth in 2025 with new projects planned for South America and Turkey. Looking ahead, we have several key projects in the pipeline, including an exciting partnership with Real Madrid at the revamped Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, a collaboration with Mandai Curiosity Cove in Singapore, and a major project with Sky City near Hong Kong International Airport.

A special thanks to Moment Factory Paris for speaking with us about their history as a studio. You can follow them on their website, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, and LinkedIn.

“Discovery is Key”: An Interview with Moment Factory Paris was originally published in NotchBlog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Be Seen: Be Heard is a collective of creative industry professionals working toward a more inclusive industry through community engagement, education, and networking.

The Be Seen: Be Heard Mission Statement:

To build a community of professionals, working in the entertainment technology and backstage industries, committed to understanding how the gatekeeping operates in our industry and making the adjustments necessary to give fair and equal access to all, dismantling systemic barriers while celebrating and promoting diversity. To carve out spaces where everyone feels they can contribute and succeed, regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, or socio-economic status.

Read their manifesto here.

Be Seen: Be Heard’s first event was held in October 2024 at Bluman Associates in London. It featured guest speakers such as Bluman Associates’ Pod Bluman, Neutral Human and Frame:work’s Sarah Cox, Disguise’s Emily Malone and Ash Nehru, Petok Productions’ Pembe Tokluhan, The Fifth Estate’s Sarah Rushton-Read, Production Futures’ Hannah Eakins, and FRAY Studio’s Kira O’Brien.

Since then, the initial Be Seen: Be Heard event has been featured in the November 2024 issue of Light & Sound International (page 18), which summarises Pod Bluman’s goal for the initiative plainly: “Just because [we] might not always understand the issues and challenges some people face, it doesn’t mean those challenges and issues don’t exist. People in our industry need to change. They need to listen more and accommodate better.”

The Be Seen: Be Heard team has also spoken at LDI in Las Vegas, where speakers communicated their personal struggles and successes in the entertainment industry, spanning a wide range of careers in live events, theatre, film production, broadcast, and more. With their stories, they’ve aimed to give audiences striving to find a place in said industries a sense of familiarity, clarity, and the beginning of a path forward.

A more diverse industry will be one with more complete representation, resulting in more honest narratives and perspectives. Be Seen: Be Heard have found a way to begin building the foundations of such an industry through the industry’s own bedrock: storytelling.

We sat down with Be Seen: Be Heard’s Kira O’Brien (Creative Technologist at FRAY Studio) and Lucy Ockenden (Owner of This World Productions) to talk about their experiences with the collective over the past few months.

How did you get involved with Be Seen: Be Heard?

Kira: I was asked to be on a panel at the first Be Seen: Be Heard event to discuss diversity in the industry. I was honoured to be asked for my input and to be able to discuss such an important topic.

Lucy: I heard about the London Be Seen: Be Heard event through Frame:work, who were a co-organiser. When I couldn’t make it to the event, I reached out to the Be Seen: Be Heard team and offered my support and practical help to move the initiative beyond the first event. We’ve just finished an event at LDI in Las Vegas, and we have various other meetups in the works.

What are you looking forward to achieving through the initiative?

Kira: I would love for us to be able to reach everyone and anyone who is at all interested in a career in live events. I believe that the only way we can improve diversity in this industry is by actively speaking up and sharing our work, workflows, and skills. I think the saying, “you can’t be what you can’t see” absolutely applies here in many ways.

Lucy: When I started in the technical backstage industries twenty years ago, there were two other women I knew of. It’s been a pleasure to watch more and more young women enter and find their place in the industry. Although it’s since become very clear to me that the diversity, equity, and inclusion issues within the backstage industries are not limited to gender, that remains an issue close to my heart.

I’m looking forward to meeting with friends old and new to pool our ideas and resources and figure out how best to move forward and toward our goal.

What are your goals for Be Seen: Be Heard?

Kira: I would love to try and help improve pathways into jobs, whether that is for the younger generation or for those looking to make a career change. Support and real-world experience are hard to come by, and if I am able to play a part in improving these, I would be very grateful.

Lucy: While DEI challenges in the industry appear focused on race and gender, the fundamental issue is the existence of any prejudice or discrimination to begin with. Yes, these are core issues, but the bigger issue is that there is any form of judgement or prejudice at all. What is it that restricts entry? It is my goal to work toward understanding this and, from there, being part of the way forward.

What would you consider your greatest success in achieving representation in the industry?

Kira: I have been in the industry for less than 5 years, and I am only here by chance after one conversation made me research my university course. Before this, I was unaware that this was even an available career opportunity. I think this is a big issue for our industry; if you don’t have an interest in theatre or performing arts as a child, the pathways into the industry are incredibly limited.

Lucy: As a woman in a male-dominated field, I have always been a keen supporter of young women in the technical fields, especially those who have struggled to find their place. I have female friends who have successfully raised children whilst also being full-time lighting designers, video technicians, or riggers. We have come a long way in terms of gender bias in twenty years, but there is a long way to go to facilitate a truly diverse industry.

Be Seen: Be Heard really is all about the voices of the people in the industry. We want to start a conversation that doesn’t discriminate. We want to hear of the struggles, we want to hear of the solutions, and we want to promote a safe space in which to converse. By hosting meetups, panels, and online discussions, we want to be seen as a leader in the future of a more diverse and welcoming industry for all.

A special thanks to Be Seen: Be Heard for speaking with us about their mission to build a more inclusive industry. You can follow them on their website.

“You Can’t Be What You Can’t See”: An Interview with Be Seen: Be Heard was originally published in NotchBlog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.