CASE STUDY

Disguise powers
stage design for
Ed Sheeran’s“Mathematics
World Tour 2022”
In this case study, you will see how
Disguise’s GX 2C media server helps deliver
dynamic Notch video content across theshow’s innovative visual canvas.

www.disguise.one

Summary
Sheeran’s “Mathematics World Tour” is playing
74 stadium dates from March 2022 in London
through to March 2023 in Perth, Australia in
support of his latest studio album, “=” (Equals).
After encouraging Sheeran to perform in the round since 2015,
Production Designer Mark Cunniﬀe was able to deliver aninnovative stage design featuring an extensive array of Notch
video content allowing everyone in-the-round to get close toSheeran’s solo performance.
Cunniﬀe created a cable net system to support thein-the-round show, a costly and complex engineering approach
seldom used in the touring world. After making sure thelogistics and the business model worked, Cunniﬀe used VR toshow the promoters how the show would look. Much topromoters’ and audiences' delight, the innovative stage design
had no sightline issues and no seat kills.
Cunniﬀe’s goal was to make Sheeran, a solo performer with aguitar, accessible to a stadium audience. Performing in theround achieved that, but fans can still be quite a distance fromthe stage. To combat this, Cunniﬀe relies on extensive use of
IMAG content to help bridge that gap with Notch content
driven by a Disguise GX 2C media server. With experience
using both Notch and Disguise media servers on past Sheeran
tours, Cunniﬀe was conﬁdent that they could help him deliver
his vision.
Image credits: Ralph Larmann

The challenge
Cunniﬀe designed the show around a massive
360º halo video display board that moves up
and down above a revolving central stage.
Six double-sided IMAG screens, shaped like guitar picks, aresuspended from masts encircling the stage to give everyone in
the audience a chance to see Sheeran close up. Twotrucks
Productions and Evoke Studios designed the bold graphicalcontent, which includes Notch eﬀects that inﬂuence the IMAG
itself.
Cunniﬀe’s biggest challenge was networking and distributing
the show’s large amount of video on the processors. Latency isalways a critical issue, but Cunniﬀe’s use of the Disguise GX
2C on both Sheeran’s “Divide” tour and the current“Mathematics” tour resolves this.

Image credits: Ralph Larmann

ED SHEERAN MATHEMATICS WORLD TOUR 2022

“I have been using Disguise media
servers for over 10 years and have astrong relationship with Disguise.
For me, the most important thing isthe support. If a tour is going to play
30 countries and 200 shows, youneed it to work and you need thesupport. That’s why we opted forthe premium support package fromDisguise, which has been a huge
help and made me support Disguiseproducts as much as I have over thepast decade.”Mark Cunniﬀe
Production Designer

The solution
Prior experience with Disguise media servers
led Cunniﬀe to select the GX 2C for the tour.
The GX 2C’s seven 4K outputs with backups
are required to reliably push a massive amountof pixels.
Thanks to Disguise’s r21 software update, Cunniﬀe has also
seen a marked appreciation in processing and frame drop. The
background removal tool also works very well for certain
tracks, and the AR performance of the RTX graphics cards getthe job done.
Cunniﬀe also made use of Disguise’s premium support
solution, with beneﬁts including warranties and worldwide
server cover, which ensured that whatever the circumstance,
the team had the necessary equipment to deliver their projecton time and with conﬁdence, anywhere in the world.

Image credits: Ralph Larmann

Results
After initially being unsure how Sheeran would
cope with the staging requirements for anin-the-round show, Cunniﬀe reports that theartist nailed his performance in rehearsals.

74

30200

1stadium dates

concerts

shows

record broken
for largest concertin Wales

The ﬁrst live show proved that the staging worked for theaudience too with fans able to see the dynamic content fromevery seat in the house. For Cunniﬀe, it felt as if the weight of
the world was lifted from his shoulders. With this, a global
must-see show was born.
Supporting an innovative production design in-the-round withguitar picks and IMAG screens, Disguise GX 2C delivered anarray of bold visuals created by Evoke Studios in Notch –highlighting Sheeran’s setlist and connecting to every fan in thestadium.

Image credits: Ralph Larmann

Disguise equipment usedDESIGNER

GX 2C

Designer is the ultimate software
to visualise, design, andsequence projects at every stage,
from concept all the way throughto showtime.

The GX 2C media server
delivered dynamic Notch video
content across the show’s
innovative visual canvas.

Find out more

Find out more

In Partnership with
Contet: Twotrucks Productions, Evoke Studios, SHOP
Production Designer: Mark Cunniﬀe
Production Director and FOH Engineer: Chris Marsh
Production Manager: Helen Himmons
Assistant Designer: Matt CromwellVideo Director: Phil Mead
Lighting Operator: Matt JonesVideo Operator: Ben Lapworth
Stage Operators: Matt Caley and Josh Schmitz

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