It’s nearing summertime, and with the winter thaw, the warm air, and the summer sunshine comes the events season. Music festivals, corporate retreats, conventions, expositions, weddings, and parties parties parties. Logistically, it’s a cutthroat industry, with 32% increase in competition among event planners in 2017 (Eventbrite 3rd Annual Pulse Report). Invariably, organizers of these events are always looking for ways to stand out, seeking with dedicated hunger the latest and greatest entertainment that the world has to offer.
One medium for entertainment that is globally on the rise is that of the Digital Dome – an immersive domed environment that is projection mapped to display 360° visual content, usually accompanied with equally immersive audio systems. Akin to the ever-evolving Virtual Reality technology, where participants can slip into an altered reality of light and sound, the Digital Dome unlocks new potential for event organizers to captivate attendees with the all-encompassing content of their heart’s desire.
Want your 200 person audience (actually, domes can hold many more people than that – we’ll get to this later) to experience summiting the peaks of Mt. Everest, diving into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, or dancing on the surface of the moon? All of the above? Digital Domes make that possible.
Geodesic Dome Projection, Obscura Digital
May this blog post serve to evangelize this unique medium and educate those thirsting for the bleeding edge of events entertainment.
Evolving from the early days of your favorite neighborhood planetarium, Digital Domes have come to cater to many different types of uses beyond the realm of science and astronomy; from brand, launches to live concerts to video gaming and training simulations. With the rise of technology, possibilities are becoming limitless for the types of environments that Digital Domes can create.
Sizes of Digital Domes can vary from a few feet, perfect for a single person, to two hundred feet, capable of holding thousands of people. They can be permanent fixtures embedded into architectural designs, or temporary pop-ups perfect for trade shows and ephemeral events.
L’Hemisfèric, The City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia, Spain. 110 meters long, and 55 meters tall.
With this new medium on the rise, artists and producers from many backgrounds and industries are experimenting with dome activations. Recently, major festivals in the music and entertainment industries have found major success with domes, including;
With massive gatherings like these thrusting Digital Domes into the forefront of entertainment, it is an exciting time to be in the know about this evolving medium.
But that is not the end of it. At the beginning of 2018, the Madison Square Garden Group announced their plans to build a MASSIVE permanent events dome in the heart of Las Vegas, Nevada. This dome is reportedly going to be an 18,000-seat arena, built specifically for music and entertainment performances, and also could host esports competitions and possibly boxing and mixed martial arts.
Artist rendering of the “MSG Sphere”
It’s clear: the Digital Dome is on the rise. The question now is how to get in the know with this new medium and start using it to your benefit. As an artist, a fan, or an event producer, there are more ways than ever to get up to speed on Digital Domes.
The following resources are recommendations for all those who are interested.
A website dedicated to fulldome shows, domes around the world, organizations, and events.
If you are an artist or fan in the Colorado Metro region, please join us at MORPHOS Digital Dome Programs including workshops, an artist in residency, and art show. For more information, please visit our sister nonprofit organization Denver Arts and Technology Advancement (DATA).
If you are an event producer who is interested in bringing a pop-up Digital Dome to your next event, you are interested in purchasing a dome, or would like some content development, don’t hesitate to contact us at Alt Ethos! We will be happy to assist you with any and all of your fulldome needs.
Join us as Alt Ethos and other immersive creators teach 360° workshops for the digital dome and VR. Our sister organization, Denver Arts + Technology Advancement presents the MORPHOS 360° Workshops. This is your opportunity to learn 360 techniques for the digital dome and VR from some of the top creators in the industry. We deliver a comprehensive hands-on learning experience in spherical design from live capture and virtual integration to live performance and sensor integration. This five-day hands-on intensive training in Colorado runs April 9 – April 13, 2018.
Use code: ALTETHOS360 For a TWO for ONE discount. Register Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ4g6rsXfAM
List of Courses:
Basic Fisheye Capture
360° Stitching
Dome 101 – Do’s and Don’t
360° Images and Texturing on a Virtual Dome
Blender Basics
Unity Basics
Live Content Demos – Unity3D
Live VJ Real-Time Visualization
3D Audio
Production Pipeline for Fulldome Pre-Visualization
Massive Format Multiplayer Interaction
Rendering Best Practices for 360°
Production Resources
The views, information, and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policy of Alt Ethos and its employee.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
“An entrepreneur with an eye on the future’s future, Ethan Bach and his crew specialize in experimentation with digital media and virtual reality — projected in domes, across walls and on interactive screens — in his search for the next big thing in visual technology. And as the guiding light at two startups — the media studio Alt Ethos Ltd. and Denver Arts + Technology Advancement, a nonprofit that provides residencies for new-media artists — Bach is interested in connecting with audiences through mind-blowing imagery and technological tricks of light. Catch him if you can, as he answers the 100CC questionnaire.”
We are honored that our CEO, Ethan Bach is recognized as Westword’s 100 Colorado Creatives 4.0. Bach moved to Denver three years ago to start our two organizations – Alt Ethos and Denver Arts + Technology Advancement (DATA). He built our teams through a collaborative structure and a vision for how humans can find a greater connection with each other through creative technology. Bach’s hope is to become more involved with urban planning design, public and private organizations, and leave his mark on Colorado by invigorating the creative economy through the DATA and Alt Ethos.
Our favorite highlights: Westword: What (or who) is your creative muse? Ethan Bach: My current creative muse is the vision of a humanity with a bright future. I am driven by the idea that humans are in a state of evolution. I participate in the exploration of human communication through using creative technology in ways that expand connection and consciousness.
Westword: What’s your best or favorite accomplishment as a creative? Ethan Bach: My current work — building two creative organizations, Alt Ethos and Denver Arts + Technology Advancement (DATA) — is my favorite accomplishment as a creative to date. These sister organizations were created on the same day, and both continue to grow and expand.
Kudos to our CEO who is responsible for holding the vision of the company, providing strategic leadership by working with the Members and other management to establish long-range goals, strategies, plans, and policies. He models our company’s culture, builds and leads the executive team, and drives the company to success. Read more here.
The views, information, and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policy of Alt Ethos and its employee.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
Alt Ethos is honored to be recognized by 303 Magazine as Denver Artists to Watch 2018. We started this company to band together and create art infused with creative technology that is bigger and better than we could have achieved on our own. Together we create engaging environments by transforming physical spaces into shared interactive experiences that meld various forms of light and sound into creative technology. Our goal is to create moments that disrupt, engage, and inspire that help to elevate museums, public places, events, and others. Please see our write-up below.
You can read the entire article here
Light displays are no longer exclusive to live concerts—they are being used to create ambiance, mood and improve engagement to many other facets of social interaction.Alt Ethos is a talented group of artists and computer programmers who spend their time “cultivating memorable experiences that disrupt and inspire.” Ranging in age from early 20s to mid-40s, Ethan Bach, Zac Layman, Eric Davis, Paul Elsberg and Amy Lynn Herman each bring their own set of unique skills to the group. “We are trying to create things that are memorable,” Elsberg explained. “Why create things that are memorable? So they can help people find meaning, they can sneak back up on them. I think of really good conversations months or years later and it resonates with me in a new way. And I think that the desire to create art or technology, but really an experience, is the same. It’s about creating a disruptive moment that gets you out of yourself and comes back to you over and over.”
These experiences Alt Ethos designs and curates come in the form of virtual reality programs, projection mapping, digital dome projection and temporary light displays. Each one is particular to the experience Alt Ethos wants to amplify or draw attention to, which makes their style hard to pin down. Much of their energy this coming year will be focused on digital dome projection, where they are casting images or videos onto a half-sphere ceiling [through] the nonprofit that founding member Bach started called Denver Arts and Technology Advancement, or DATA.
The marriage of technology and art comes more easily to the members of Alt Ethos than it does to most. That’s their biggest obstacle at the moment— convincing people that technological art can be just as reliable as the computers we keep in our pockets every day. What puts them on the path to success is their desire to provide education to those who are skeptical or wary, as well as their eye-catching and engaging installations. Just in the first month of this year, Alt Ethos provided unique experiences at two separate parties— the Meow Wolf artist mixer and Moxie’s Dark Fairytale event. Next month they will represent Colorado at a small business showcase in Washington D.C. and as soon as they return they’ll be working (through DATA) on their annual international artist-in-residency program for digital dome projection.
Their largest project so far this year will culminate in November in old town Fort Collins,, where they will continually project images and light onto an exterior mural. The mural artist will work with Alt Ethos to envision a collaborative design in the hopes that Alt Ethos’ projections may illuminate the mural in an enriching manner as well as light it up at night when mural art is not appreciated as much. “We want this to be a one-of-a-kind experience for people,” Layman commented, “and the challenge of making it permanent is part of the joy of doing it.”
The views, information, and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policy of Alt Ethos and its employee.
We reserve the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner we see fit blog entries or comments that we, in our sole discretion, deem to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, of an express commercial nature, or otherwise unacceptable.
BETA emerging technology arts and Fort Collins Museum of Discovery invites you to MORPHOS, an immersive audio-visual experience featuring the world premiere of new experimental immersive video art in the Otterbox Digital Dome and Gates Planetarium. MORPHOS will take the audience on a unique digital journey from generative graphics, a hypnotic experience, and live digital mash up as art becomes life in the immersive world. This unique 360° experience will have two shows Friday, October 16, 2015 at the Fort Collins’ OtterBox Digital Dome Theater and Sunday, October 18, 2015 at Denver’s Gates Planetarium. Doors open 6:30pm, show starts at 7pm and runs until 9:30pm.
MORPHOS will highlight six international artists in residence’s new work and a reel of international artwork curated by Ethan Bach and Ben Gondrez. MORPHOS is a collaboration between BETA emerging technology arts and Fort Collins Museum of Discovery as a way to expand visual arts into the immersive dome. The OtterBox Digital Dome and Gates Planetarium are two of the first domes in the world to house software which allow artists to expand on the immersive experience through easy playback, interactivity, and audience generative art allowing artists to display generative art, use gaming engines, and VJ – a must see emerging immersive platform for digital artwork.
[metaslider id=7006] The International Artists in Residence include Daniel Wiklund (Sweden), Solongo Su Tserenkhand (Denver / Mongolia), Omolara Abode (Los Angeles / Nigeria), Dan Bruce Arnold with Rich Clements (England), and Oscar Sol (Spain). Each artist arrived in Denver and began their digital dome artist in residence on September 21. Artists receive training, access to equipment, and individual support in transforming their concepts and artwork into an amazing 360° immersive experience. We are excited to introduce this year’s MORPHOS Dome Artists in Residence projects:
Daniel Wiklund (http://www.hypnorama3D.com). Allergen by Hypnorama3D is a hypnotic journey through a transformational audio-visual color space, where the audience will explore the strange molecular world of allergic reactions.
Solongo Su Tserenkhand (http://tssolongo.com/). Solongo’s work represents the fusion of Western and Eastern visual arts. Eastern art is represented by the symbol of Yin Yang and Western art is represented by mathematically computerized visual art. These two ideas are blended into each other to depict the merging of these two diverse cultures.
Omolara Abode (https://instagram.com/yungvjomo/). #Omorado is a mash up of digital images performed as a live visuals as an abstract audio-visual exploration of blackness in the growing world of digital immersive art.
Dan Bruce Arnold with Rich Clements (http://cargocollective.com/thiscountryside). A Murmuration of Light is an immersive piece of digital nature created as a site specific installation for the dome, a sculpture made with light.
Oscar Sol (http://electronicperformers.in/index_en.html). Quadrivium is a generative realtime performance with high levels of synchronicity with sound and experimenting with realtime manipulation of 3D models that flow within the complex geometries of the 360º immersive dome.
MORPHOS will transport the audience from through a 360° immersive with live generative graphics, a hypnotic tunnel, to live video art mash up. The digital planetarium will never be the same. MORPHOS will take place in two shows; Friday, October 16, 2015 at the Fort Collins’ OtterBox Digital Dome and Sunday, October 18, 2015 at Denver’s Gates Planetarium. Doors open 6:30pm with a reception, show starts at 7pm and runs until 9:30pm.
Ethan Bach, Producer of MORPHOS, CEO of BETA emerging technology arts LLC, digital artist, curator, and producer. Bach is a founding member of IFAA (International Fulldome Arts Alliance). He served as Principal Investigator for a DoD grant developing interactivity for fulldome (which resulted in the open source dome art server software, vDome) and as research associate for an NSF grant developing tools and content for fulldome environments at IAIA. He writes and maintains the Art & EmergingTechnologyblog. Bach is also internationally known for his digital art which is primarily in immersive and interactive media. Bach’sartistic expertise in experimental media won him awards from the Santa Fe Arts Commission, New Mexico Film Visions, and New Mexico Art in Public Spaces. www.ethanbach.com
The OtterBox Digital Dome Theater is located at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. The Digital Dome Theater displays breathtaking presentations on its immersive 35-foot diameter dome screen with surround sound. They offer daily planetarium shows during museum hours, DomeClub featuring evening shows of dome art and alternative content bimonthly, and biweekly DomeLab meetings where artists can learn production skills in the dome and develop their own dome art. http://www.fcmod.org/the-museum-2/digital-dome/
Gates Planetarium presents a view of the universe, using technology to tell science stories and help visitors experience the universe. The 125-seat planetarium features unidirectional, semi-reclining stadium seating, 16.4 surround-sound system featuring Ambisonic—a 3-D spatial sound system, and a perforated metal dome, 56 feet in diameter and tilted 25 degrees. The current Gates Planetarium replaces the older, dome-style planetarium. The planetarium will be fixed with a dome art server for this event.
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For more information, please contact
Ethan Bach, Producer, BETA emerging technology arts
If you are an artist or fan in the Colorado Metro region, please join us at MORPHOS Digital Dome Programs including workshops, an artist in residency, and art show. For more information, please visit our sister nonprofit organization Denver Arts and Technology Advancement (DATA).
Our favorite highlights:
to many other facets of social interaction. 
The marriage of technology and art comes more easily to the members of Alt Ethos than it does to most. That’s their biggest obstacle at the moment— convincing people that technological art can be just as reliable as the computers we keep in our pockets every day. What puts them on the path to success is their desire to provide education to those who are skeptical or wary, as well as their eye-catching and engaging installations. Just in the first month of this year, Alt Ethos provided unique experiences at two separate parties— the Meow Wolf artist mixer and Moxie’s Dark Fairytale event. Next month they will represent Colorado at a small business showcase in Washington D.C. and as soon as they return they’ll be working (through DATA) on their annual international artist-in-residency program for digital dome projection.
images and light onto an exterior mural. The mural artist will work with Alt Ethos to envision a collaborative design in the hopes that Alt Ethos’ projections may illuminate the mural in an enriching manner as well as light it up at night when mural art is not appreciated as much. “We want this to be a one-of-a-kind experience for people,” Layman commented, “and the challenge of making it permanent is part of the joy of doing it.”
Oscar Sol (
The OtterBox Digital Dome Theater is located at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. The Digital Dome Theater displays breathtaking presentations on its immersive 35-foot diameter dome screen with surround sound. They offer daily planetarium shows during museum hours, DomeClub featuring evening shows of dome art and alternative content bimonthly, and biweekly DomeLab meetings where artists can learn production skills in the dome and develop their own dome art. 
Gates