Rock band Boston turns to Seattle to get 3D animation for its 40th anniversary tour
The classic rock band Boston turned to Seattle when it needed a company to create stunning visuals for its 40th anniversary tour, and the work created by Straightface Studios will be on display when the group plays at the WaMu Theater on July 1.
Straightface was founded in 2000 and specializes in 3D animation, motion graphics and visual effects. Boston, which rose to fame in the 1970s and 80s with songs such as ‘More Than a Feeling” and “Peace of Mind,” has sold 75 million albums worldwide.
Celebrating 40 years since the release of its first album, the band, known for unusual video presentations during concerts, reached out to Straightface last year to discuss possible projects. The studio returned with video animation featuring the iconic Boston spaceship on a massive screen behind the band as a show opener. A longer animation takes the audience on an intergalactic adventure through stars, planets and asteroids to the song “Cool the Engines.”
Straightface artist Mike Hanson said the design for the opening video is based on Boston’s first album cover with the guitar spaceship. The visuals required nearly two months of work, including “hours of research about subjects like wormhole theory and the architectural skyline of the city of Boston,” according to a Straightface news release.
The team of artists produced 97,849 frames of 1080p HD animation for the “Cool the Engines” video and there are 31,901 asteroids in the asteroid belt.
“I remember when the Boston debut album first came out, I played it a million times,” said Straightface owner Don Lange. “My teenage self would be pretty impressed to be working with them.”
According to Straightface, the studio also won raves for its recent production of an overture video for the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s new “Nutcracker” that “wowed audience members” with a 3D flyover into a winter wonderland.
