From creative concept to concert stage: Eye Garden’s flexible approach to live design

Brooklyn-based creative studio Eye Garden combines production, lighting and video design with Disguise programming to turn artists’ ideas into memorable live experiences.

The studio specialises in concerts and live events, offering support from the earliest creative conversations through to rehearsals and final onsite execution.

“Our involvement can vary a lot from project to project,” says Designer Austion Woolfolk. “On some shows, we are in full control of the production design, video, lighting and lasers. On others, we come in specifically for Disguise programming and onsite integration.”

When leading the full design, Eye Garden works closely with the artist from the beginning. On programming projects, the team often joins later, helping turn an established concept into a reliable production during rehearsals.

Finding a home in live events

The Eye Garden team has collectively worked in live events since 2015, with members entering from different directions.

Woolfolk and co-founder Taylor began their careers working EDM club nights at Webster Hall in New York, while co-founder Jeremy Thompson started at a media architecture firm. Their shared interest in the unpredictable quality of live performance eventually brought them together.

“We all found live events and their ephemeral nature to be something really special,” Woolfolk says. “We decided to team up and hone in on the live concert experience.”

For Woolfolk, that fascination began much earlier. Growing up in Colorado, he regularly attended concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and loved discovering what each artist’s production would bring.

“I always loved the surprise of what an artist’s show might hold,” he says. “Ten years later, we have done many Red Rocks shows, and they still each feel special.”

Most of Eye Garden’s clients are artists who bring the studio into the process early. The team helps establish what a show could look and feel like before developing the production, lighting and video systems needed to deliver it. Eye Garden also collaborates with other studios when specialist programming or integration support is required.

Creating two worlds for Bright Eyes

One recent project that reflects Eye Garden’s full-service approach was Bright Eyes’ 21st-anniversary celebration of the albums I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, using Disguise’s latest X2 license. 

The studio worked alongside the band to design the complete show, including production, lighting and video design. Because the albums have very different identities, the team created two contrasting environments within the same performance.

“The first part was very acoustic and theatrical,” Woolfolk explains. “Then we revealed a much more lighting- and video-heavy second half for Digital Ash in a Digital Urn.”

Eye Garden allowed the first half to feel intimate and restrained before unveiling a more technologically driven second act.

“I think fans expected the band to perform with a very minimal production,” Woolfolk says. “That made the second-half reveal a really fun surprise.”

The project captures a recurring principle in Eye Garden’s work: technology is most effective when it supports the artist’s story rather than drawing attention away from it.

Building a flexible Disguise workflow

Eye Garden had long been familiar with Disguise. Before moving further into the ecosystem, however, the team spent years building custom tools and workflows in platforms such as TouchDesigner.

“We had always known about Disguise, but after many years of building our own tools, it filled a useful gap and helped us take our shows a step further,” says Woolfolk.

The release of the EX 3+ proved to be a turning point. “What finally pushed us firmly into the Disguise ecosystem was the EX 3+,” he explains. “Its extensive feature set and more approachable point of entry meant we could use Disguise on projects that previously might not have been able to afford it.”

That accessibility enabled Eye Garden to bring a consistent Disguise workflow to more productions. The team has since provided programming and EX 3+ rental support for tours including Robyn’s Sexistential Tour.

Designer’s timeline has also changed the way the studio works, as the team valued being able to adjust media and sequencing without returning to the edit suite for every change.

“The timeline has been a game changer in our workflow,” Woolfolk says. “It allows us to make changes on the fly without having to go back into the edit and re-render.”

Notch integration adds another layer of responsiveness. “With Notch integration, we are able to respond to feedback in rehearsals quickly and efficiently,” Woolfolk adds.

Supporting every part of the show

That flexibility has enabled Eye Garden to take on a wide range of recent work. The studio provided Disguise and Notch programming for Tame Impala’s 2025–26 touring production. Its work on the New Edition, Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton tour included video design alongside Disguise and Notch programming.

For The Midnight’s Time Machines Tour, Eye Garden took on lighting design, production design and direction, and video design. Across each project, the studio adapts its role to the needs of the artist and wider creative team.

The calendar ahead is equally busy. Eye Garden is leading lighting design, production design and direction, video design and Notch programming for Polyphia’s upcoming tour, launching on November 18. The studio will also reunite with Brand New for the band’s 2026 tour, providing video design, Notch programming, Disguise programming and media servers.

Whether shaping a show from its first sketch or joining during rehearsals to refine its delivery, Eye Garden follows the same principle: understand the artist’s vision, build the right system around it and leave enough room for the live moment to surprise.