METALLICA’S M72 WORLD TOUR

In developing Metallica’s M72 World Tour, Production Designer and Show Director Dan Braun brought on Nocte Studio to work closely with him and Video Director Gene McAuliffe to spearhead content production.

The team faced the primary challenge of producing two unique experiences for Metallica’s back-to-back shows in each city, which featured totally different setlists from the band’s full catalogue spanning eleven studio albums over forty years—including deep cuts the band might decide to play at the last minute—with no repeats whatsoever.

Nocte Studio streamlined their process to handle perennially increasing screen resolutions, using Cinema 4D for some initial 3D work before producing the bulk of their pre-rendered content in Notch. They also brought select assets into Notch for composition, animation, sequencing, and video effects.

In Notch, the Nocte team used a 3D previsualisation model with UV texturing matching the final pixel map, ensuring precise output and allowing for the integration of virtual lighting, content projection, and spatial effects. They also used NDI to bring content from After Effects into Notch, allowing them to see a 3D preview of their edits in real time.

For certain songs, they used moving spotlights to project a pre-sequenced video layer and an additional layer with audio-reactive details. As Content Director Andrea Cuius noted, “We were endlessly impressed with Notch 1.0, from its ray tracing to its field system. Even certain specific effects, like the lens flare, proved to be indispensable additions.”

Additional press coverage:

Kerrang!, Ghost Cult Magazine, MetalTalk.