Resources — Neves Creative

Software & Tools

Official docs, training platforms, and YouTube channels for the tools we use on real projects.

CAD & Visualization

Vectorworks

CAD

Industry-standard CAD for entertainment — floor plans, rigging plots, lighting layouts, and scenic documentation.

VW University Tangably Community Forum YouTube Spotlight Blog

Cinema 4D

Render

3D modeling and photorealistic rendering for stage environments, branded activations, and pre-production visualization.

Maxon Learn Cineversity Greyscalegorilla YouTube

Rhino

CAD / Render

NURBS-based 3D modeling for complex geometry — scenic structures, custom fabrication, and freeform surfaces.

Official Docs Rhino Learn YouTube

Twinmotion

Real-Time Render

Real-time architectural and event visualization — fast, high-quality renders from CAD and 3D files.

Twinmotion Learn Epic Dev Docs YouTube

Real-Time & XR

Unreal Engine

Real-Time

Real-time 3D engine for virtual production, XR stages, LED volumes, and immersive experience environments.

Unreal Learning Documentation Dev Community YouTube

Depence

Pre-Vis

Real-time pre-visualization for lighting, laser, and media — used for show design, programming, and client approvals.

Syncronorm Support YouTube

Show Control & Lighting

grandMA2 / grandMA3

Lighting Control

Industry-standard lighting console platform for live events, touring, and permanent installations.

Downloads & Manuals MA Lighting Forum YouTube

MADRIX

LED Control

Software and hardware for pixel-mapped LED control — architectural, stage, and installation environments.

MADRIX Help YouTube

Pharos

Lighting Control

Architectural and entertainment lighting control for permanent installations, themed environments, and live events.

Pharos Resources YouTube

TouchDesigner

Creative Coding

Node-based visual programming for real-time interactive media, generative content, and show control.

Derivative Learn Forum YouTube

Disguise

Media Server

Media server and real-time production platform for large-scale LED, projection mapping, and XR workflows.

Disguise Help Disguise Academy YouTube

Pixera

Media Server

AV Stumpfl's media server platform for pixel mapping, multi-screen playback, and real-time show control.

Pixera Support YouTube

Millumin

Media Server

Mac-native media server for projection mapping, multi-output video, and live performance environments.

Millumin Manual YouTube

Notch

Real-Time VFX

GPU-accelerated real-time visual effects engine for live events, broadcast, and immersive installations.

Notch Learn Documentation YouTube

Design & Motion

Adobe Illustrator

Vector Design

Industry-standard vector design — logos, graphics, technical illustrations, and print-ready artwork.

Adobe Learn YouTube

Adobe Photoshop

Image Editing

Photo editing, compositing, and texture work — essential for asset prep, retouching, and visual development.

Adobe Learn YouTube

Adobe After Effects

Motion Graphics

Motion graphics and visual effects — used for content creation, show graphics, and pre-production animation.

Adobe Learn YouTube

Adobe Premiere Pro

Video Editing

Professional video editing for show recaps, case study reels, and client deliverables.

Adobe Learn YouTube

Figma

UI / UX Design

Collaborative interface and experience design — used for web, app, and interactive experience prototyping.

Figma Learn Community YouTube

Blender

3D / Motion

Free open-source 3D modeling, animation, and rendering — increasingly used for motion graphics, event visualization, and content creation.

Tutorials YouTube

DaVinci Resolve

Color / Edit

Professional color grading and video editing from Blackmagic Design — production-grade even at the free tier.

Training YouTube

Manufacturers

The hardware brands behind the gear — lighting, audio, LED, projection, control, and structure. Know the names, know the specs.

Instagram accounts worth following if you work with these tools — practical tips, not just aesthetics.

@vwx.4.nerds

Vectorworks tips, workflows, and shortcuts for entertainment professionals.

@depence.4.nerds

Depence pre-vis techniques, lighting design, and show programming.

@ma3.4.nerds

grandMA3 programming, macros, and console workflows.

Trade Publications

Industry publications covering live events, lighting, staging, and themed entertainment.

PLSN

Projection, Lights & Staging News — fixtures, rigging, and staging from the live event industry.

Live Design Online

Lighting, staging, and experiential design coverage.

TPi Magazine

Tour production, live events, and behind-the-scenes technical coverage.

BizBash

Event industry news, trends, and inspiration covering brand activations, corporate events, and experiential.

Blooloop

Theme parks, museums, and immersive attractions — trends and case studies.

InPark Magazine

Themed entertainment, AV, and exhibit stories from the systems side.

PLASA Resources

Industry association resources, standards, and technical guidance.

Trade Associations & Certifications

Industry organizations, standards bodies, and certification programs for live events, AV, and entertainment technology professionals.

PLASA

Association

UK-based trade association for the live events industry — standards, safety guidance, and professional development.

ESTA / TSSA

Association

Entertainment Services and Technology Association — technical standards and safety for the North American entertainment industry.

USITT

Association

United States Institute for Theatre Technology — standards, education, and community for theatre and live entertainment professionals.

EDPA

Association

Experiential Designers and Producers Association — trade association for the exhibit, event, and experiential design industry.

InfoComm / AVIXA

Certification

Global trade association for the AV industry — CTS certification, standards, and professional development for AV and systems integration.

CTS — Certified Technology Specialist

Certification

AVIXA's foundational AV certification — widely recognized across live events, corporate AV, and systems integration.

ETCP — Entertainment Technician Certification

Certification

ESTA's certification for riggers and electricians in the entertainment industry — the standard for touring and venue work.

IATSE

Union

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — union representing technicians, artisans, and craftspeople in live entertainment.

AI for Designers

Tools for people who already know what they're doing. AI accelerates the craft — it doesn't replace the judgment. Use them to move faster, communicate clearer, and explore more directions before committing to one.

Midjourney

Concept

Concept and mood board generation — fast visual ideation for pitches and client decks.

Kling AI

Video

High-quality AI video generation — useful for motion references, content direction, and client previz.

Rodin (Hyper3D)

Previz

AI image-to-3D model generation — convert concept images into usable 3D geometry for event and set design workflows.

RunwayML

Video

Video and motion reference generation — useful for content direction and pre-production.

Higgsfield

Video

AI video generation with cinematic motion control — useful for pre-production concepts and client presentations.

Adobe Firefly

Integrated

AI image generation integrated into Photoshop and Illustrator — stays inside your existing workflow.

Claude

Coding

Documentation, technical writing, briefs, and structured thinking. Best for long-form and nuanced work.

Cursor

Coding

AI-powered code editor — builds and edits codebases through natural language. Best for developers and technical designers building custom tools.

Lovable

Coding

AI full-stack app builder — generate and deploy web apps from prompts without writing code. Good for rapid prototyping and internal tools.

ChatGPT

Project Mgmt

Quick research, drafting, and ideation. Useful for scope documents, RFPs, and client communications.

Perplexity

Research

AI-powered search with cited sources — faster than Google for technical research and spec lookups.

Google Gemini

Analysis

Multimodal AI for research, writing, and analysis — strong with long documents, spreadsheets, and technical content.

Weavy AI

Concept

Node-based AI design platform with multiple generative models, inpainting, compositing, and workflow automation — built for creative pros.

ComfyUI

Concept

Open-source node-based visual engine for Stable Diffusion workflows — highly modular and extensible for advanced generative pipelines.

Flora AI

Concept

Unified creative AI environment with 50+ text, image, and video models — node-based workflows for cross-modal content generation.

Neves Creative Lab

Interactive experiments & production tools

Beam sweeps, pixel grids, reaction diffusion, optical illusions, power calculators, rigging tools, and more — all running live in the browser.

Open Lab

Studio Journal

Deep dives on technology, workflow, design, and the tools we use to build live experiences.

All Articles

Design3 min

Every Light Has a Place

On almost every plot there are fixtures with no fully envisioned look — just a label that says trees, scenic, front facade. The position exists. The plan doesn't. And sometimes those are the ones that become the star of the show.

Industry3 min

Heavy Equipment: The Workhorse We Depend On

Before the first fixture gets hung, before the first truss goes in the air, before any of the production elements that end up on camera are in position — heavy equipment is already on site. It's the part of the production nobody photographs.

Design3 min

Why I Beg for Backlight

Every production has a front light conversation. Almost none of them start with a backlight conversation. That's the problem. Backlight is the single highest-return lighting investment on any stage — and it's the first thing that gets cut when the budget gets tight.

Workflow3 min

Why We Gotta Have a Comm Tech

Nobody notices the comms tech when the show is going well. The stage manager calls a cue, the LD hears it, the follow spot op hits the mark, the TD knows the power drop is coming. That seamless flow of information doesn't happen by accident. Someone built it.

Workflow3 min

It Takes a Village

From the outside, a live event looks like a single thing. From the inside, it's a coordinated assembly of a dozen or more specialized teams. The TD coordinates the village. The village builds the show.

Work With Us

Know these tools? We're always looking.

If you work in live events, lighting, visualization, or production technology — we want to hear from you.

View Openings Internship Inquiry

The tools we love, learn,and admire.

Official docs, training platforms, and YouTube channels for the tools we use on real projects.

CAD & Visualization

Vectorworks

Cinema 4D

Rhino

Twinmotion

Real-Time & XR

Unreal Engine

Depence

Show Control & Lighting

grandMA2 / grandMA3

MADRIX

Pharos

TouchDesigner

Disguise

Pixera

Millumin

Notch

Design & Motion

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe After Effects

Adobe Premiere Pro

Figma

Blender

DaVinci Resolve

The hardware brands behind the gear — lighting, audio, LED, projection, control, and structure. Know the names, know the specs.

Instagram accounts worth following if you work with these tools — practical tips, not just aesthetics.

Industry publications covering live events, lighting, staging, and themed entertainment.

Industry organizations, standards bodies, and certification programs for live events, AV, and entertainment technology professionals.

Tools for people who already know what they're doing. AI accelerates the craft — it doesn't replace the judgment. Use them to move faster, communicate clearer, and explore more directions before committing to one.

Deep dives on technology, workflow, design, and the tools we use to build live experiences.

Every Light Has a Place

Heavy Equipment: The Workhorse We Depend On

Why I Beg for Backlight

Why We Gotta Have a Comm Tech

It Takes a Village

The tools we love, learn,
and admire.