The companies will unite to demonstrate the capabilities of the software to peers and industry professionals as part of the Education and Learning Programme at the forthcoming PLASA exhibition at Earls Court, London, from 11-14 September.
Backstage Academy specialises in training for the live events production industry and will be offering courses on Isadora, an award-winning graphic programming environment that facilitates interactive control of digital media and real time manipulation of digital video.
Isadora expands on the traditional media-server concept by offering interactive control over video and audio. Notable users include the Royal Shakespeare Company and America's experimental theatre company The Wooster Group. Most recently, director Francis Ford Coppola announced that Isadora would serve as the media engine for a live, interactive version of his new film Twixt that will tour America late this year.
These users are drawn to Isadora's smooth learning curve, reliability and the ease with which one can improvise and sculpt the media during rehearsals or performance.
The software offers more than 100 building blocks that can be linked "in countless different ways, allowing the user to tailor how the media is presented to best suit their specific needs". It has the ability to output on up to six different video projectors simultaneously and it has input and output protocols that facilitate sensory input or control over external devices, including MIDI, Serial [RS-232], TCP/IP and Open Sound Control [OSC]).
The Academy will begin rolling out Isadora courses to be delivered at its training facility in Wakefield from September. The range of courses available is set to include introductory training as well as more advanced training for experienced operators.
Robin Watkinson, chief operating officer at the Backstage Academy, said, "We're looking forward to working with TroikaTronix to deliver the seminar at PLASA and create the best possible Isadora courses to run at the Academy.
"Isadora is a fantastic piece of software. It gives video designers the tools they need to create wonderfully creative projections with the peace of mind that it will run reliably."
Mark Coniglio, founder of TroikaTronix and Isadora's creator comments, "Isadora is the product of more than 20 years' experience of real time interaction. Because every performance and installation is unique, it was designed to offer building blocks that can be combined in a limitless variety of ways, rather than as a restrictive 'plug and play' programme. We're very excited that the Backstage Academy will be offering courses to show users how to get the most out of Isadora."
TroikaTronix and the Backstage Academy will present an Isadora demonstration at PLASA on Tuesday 13 September, from 5.15pm to 6pm in The Whitehall Room, Level 1 of Earls Court 2 in the South Hall.
Backstage Academy will be exhibiting on stand 2-N38 at the show in the colleges section, in association with Jigsaw Systems, the UK's largest distributor of Apple Mac and Adobe products. Backstage Academy and Jigsaw will be running a daily prize draw for visitors to the show, where prizes will include course vouchers and iPods.
(Jim Evans)
