Jay-Z's Carnegie Hall Concerts to Feature Canadian Multimedia

TORONTO – Eric Fournier is going to Carnegie Hall.

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And the partner and executive producer of Montreal’s Moment Factory is showing the usual premiere jitters.

But that’s more because Fournier and his team at the Canadian interactive set maker are about to mount a cascading color and light show in the legendary New York City music hall for Jay-Z’s hip-hop fund-raising concert series on February 6 and 7.

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Moment Factory has produced giant visual universes for the Cirque du Soleil, Arcade Fire, Celine Dion’s Las Vegas show and Madonna’s Super Bowl gig.

But making the rapping mogul the focal point in an elegant auditorium with classical architectural lines is throwing up hurdles.

“For us, that’s the beauty of the challenge. Yes, it’s Carnegie Hall, but it’s also Jay-Z. That’s why we’re doing this project, because we have this great artist to magnify on stage, and not replace,” Fournier said of merging the scenic elements with Jay-Z’s two-night stand.

Another challenge is Carnegie Hall, which is bending the rules to allow Jay-Z to perform and raise money for New York City schools, hosts around 300 shows annually.

So there’s little time for the Moment Factory team to get into the music hall, set up visual imagery with synchronized light and sound on LED panels and Carnegie Hall surfaces, and work out all the kinks before show time.

“It’s part of our DNA. That’s how we have always worked. It’s about preparing and knowing what the creative team in Montreal needs to look for in advance,” Fournier said.