Willie Williams: Design Tangents Episode Fourteen
The visual experience director on shape-shifting breakthroughs at The Sphere and designing quirks into his spectacular work
Though Willie Williams, or Treatment Studio, the London-based experiential design firm he co-founded, might not be household names, the creative alchemist has helmed visual projects for some of the biggest names in music history—from David Bowie and George Michael to Lady Gaga. Working behind the scenes, Williams has translated his famous clients’ desires into indelible, inspirational memories for their fans. Not only has the visual director worked with U2 for 40 years, he masterminded the shape-shifting breakthroughs behind their residency at The Sphere. It was in Las Vegas that we sat down with Williams for the latest episode of Design Tangents, to discuss the future of live entertainment, his lifetime of journaling and the value of only working with people that you like.
Over his decades in the industry, Williams has been behind a series of technological firsts in live entertainment, from the use of 360-degree screens to augmented reality—all on a quest to match spectacle and simplicity. “My goal really is always to show people something they haven’t seen before or help them imagine something they haven’t imagined,” he tells us. It begins as a visual process. “There are moments. There are scenes. We ask, ‘What if we can create something that looks like this? ‘You get milestones and the task of the show then becomes how you move between these extraordinary moments.”
My goal really is always to show people something they haven’t seen before or help them imagine something they haven’t imagined.
Willie Williams
“We are not the main attraction here,” he adds. “It’s what we do for these performers.” Williams and his team turn their visions into realities by figuring out the technologies that can make them real. “You never start with the equipment,” he says, “but at the same time I instinctively know if something should be possible in a year’s time or not.”
One of our favorite attributes to work by Treatment Studios is the inclusion of Easter eggs, which were abundant in The Sphere’s U2 residency. “It’s partly a need for self-entertainment,” Williams says. “It’s also to do with morale because keeping a team buoyant is really important when they’re working long hours and away from their family. It gives people an opportunity to play.” Williams equips concertgoers and event attendees with the opportunity to play. To learn more about why he believes community will be at the core of the future of live entertainment experiences, and why fun will always be a necessity, tune in to Design Tangents now.
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Design Tangents is presented by Genesis and produced and edited by SANDOW Design Group. Special thanks to the podcast production team: Rob Schulte and Rachel Senatore and to Amber Lin for creating our show art. Discover more design podcasts from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
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