The first big solo show by ANNA ASTI, titled "Phoenix", took place at the Moscow MTS Live Hall, attracting over 45,000 fans over three days. The show featured large-scale decorations with deep meanings, acrobatic performances, content on hanging platform screens, and spectacular pyrotechnic techniques that illuminated a 5-meter LED Phoenix decoration. This left no spectator indifferent, and the show itself was as entertaining as world-class concerts. It was a complete sell-out and received a nomination for the best show at the Muz TV Award. Here, we tell you how the large-scale performance was created on Russia's largest multimedia platform.
Where it all started
The Phoenix is a mythological bird that can burn itself to ashes and be reborn. This symbolic metaphor resonates deeply with the artist, as her solo career began with the single "Phoenix", which went platinum seven times. The artist’s team aimed to present fans with fresh creative material and a new stage image. After meeting with the artist, the MTS Live team and director Dmitry Yakovlevsky had a clear task: to create a global-format show that would surprise the audience and depict the artist's creative rebirth, akin to the Phoenix bird.
Concept of the show
The concept of "ANNA ASTI: Phoenix" was to visually convey the artist’s life journey through her mascot, the Phoenix bird. The goal was to pair very personal musical material with appropriate stage design, highlighting the difficulties the artist faced on her path to success. The development of the show took about a year, involving the creation and approval of the creative concept, the design of technical elements and scenery, the production of 2D and 3D elements, and the integration of the scenery into the script plan. Dmitry Yakovlevsky's design studio, specializing in original multimedia ideas and innovative stage technologies, was chosen as the contractor.
The MTS Live Hall in Moscow was selected as the venue due to its high ceilings and numerous multimedia surfaces, which allowed for expansive scenography, multimedia screens, and additional lighting and pyrotechnic effects. A special technical setup was developed for the concert, embedding visual content on both the main screen and the platform screen, which moved during the dance performance.
Preparatory stage
A team of over 500 people participated in the preparation for the show, including specialists in technical maintenance, suspended screen platforms, dance routines on winches, and pyrotechnic effects. The program structure and creative concept remained consistent with the initial ideas and layouts proposed by the artist’s team. The script consisted of three large thematic blocks:
- Introduction to the Phoenix bird: This block used musical compositions to create a visual and semantic path for the audience, showcasing what the artist had to overcome to achieve success.
- Rebirth of the Phoenix: This block featured a special pyrotechnic technique to light up the 5-meter Phoenix LED decoration, symbolizing the beginning of a new creative life and the start of a concert tour in Russia.
- Dedication to fans: This block expressed gratitude to the fans for their support. It featured inflatable mirror hands that conveyed different messages through their configurations, such as support and gratitude.
The development of these elements took over 14 weeks.
Dmitry Yakovlevsky, founder of Yakovlevsky Design and director of the project, stated:
"In preparation for the show, there was a very large amount of work, so our team had to work literally every day. At the first stage, I manually drew the entire concept, including the main technical elements and decor. Our studio's ideology is to create only new stage ideas, concepts, and special effects that no one has used before. Because of this, we bear huge risks, and the project with ANNA ASTI was no exception. It added new technical difficulties and nuances that we managed to cope with."
Techniques and safety
Special attention was paid to the safety of the artist and everyone on site. The show used spectacular but dangerous technical techniques. For example, the flying multimedia platform raised the singer to a height of over 15 meters. Each step had to be carefully planned to ensure the safe use of numerous pyrotechnic techniques and heavy suspended decorations. Rehearsals and testing of all designs lasted more than two months.
Significant visual details of the show:
- Giant LED Phoenix with pyrotechnic effects
- Inflatable mirror arms
- Fiery phoenix bird decoration flying above the audience
- Suspended multimedia platform with original video
These decorations, designed specifically for the ANNA ASTI show, have no analogues in the Russian or foreign markets.
Artificial intelligence
For the song "Anechka", a special video was developed using AI, based on 500 personal photographs of the singer. The visual part of this number was generated using the latest technology, showing a non-verbal dialogue between the adult ANNA ASTI and her inner child. The AI-generated prototype of adult Anna was a radiant robot girl inspired by Japanese illustrator Hajime Sorayama. This allowed the audience to see the artist's growth from childhood to adulthood.
Yanina Tataritskaya, head of promotion and production at MTS Live, said:
"Despite the labor-intensive and difficult preparation, both organizationally and technically, my partners and I managed to implement our plans by 99%. We created a world-class show, surprised fans, and left them with an unforgettable experience."
As part of the advertising campaign for the MTS Live show, the artist’s team and the KION online cinema produced the documentary "ANNA ASTI: The Path of the Phoenix." Following the show, a concert film was released in Moscow, filmed at the MTS Live Hall.
Read more at: Event.ru