Spatial Design with Innovative Visual Experiences: "UN-SCALABLE VISION" Dentsu Live Inc. × IMAGICA GROUP
Katsufumi Maezawa
Dentsu Live Inc.
Haruyuki Moroiishi
IMAGICA EEX Co., Ltd.
A motor show stage spanning 70 meters, transforming the entire wall into a wide screen. A groundbreaking visual experience using projection mapping that turns a station building into a screen. Visual technology is evolving rapidly. Combined with new needs born during the pandemic, what was once thought to take a decade to achieve is now possible in just a few years.
This May, Dentsu Live Inc.and IMAGICA GROUP jointly launched " UN-SCALABLE VISION," a solution creating new experiences through visual expression. What is its aim? What is the envisioned future of visual experiences? We asked Katsufumi Maezawa of Dentsu Live Inc. and Haruyuki Moroiishi of IMAGICA EEX.
※This article is based on content originally published in Transformation SHOWCASE, with additional interviews and re-editing.
Achieving Free Visual Expression Optimized for Any Environment
──First, what kind of solution is "UN-SCALABLE VISION," and how did it come about?
Maezawa: "UN-SCALABLE VISION" is a cutting-edge solution in the visual field, born from the collaboration between Dentsu Live Inc. and IMAGICA GROUP. It aims to realize free visual expression optimized for any environment, unconstrained by location, space, size, or aspect ratio. We provide a one-stop service, covering everything from video production and experience development to equipment procurement/installation and transmission system development.
Moroiishi: The name "UN-SCALABLE VISION" embodies our team's mission to pursue diversity in visual expression. It's not just about creating content for conventional 16:9 monitors or projection mapping; it's about the originality born from freely combining these elements to create unique visual expressions. That is precisely what "UN-SCALABLE VISION" strives for.
Maezawa: The shift in client requests led us to develop these solutions. Previously, we mainly received requests like "Please produce video content for large-scale displays on building facades." However, in recent years, inquiries like "We want to transform our headquarters entrance into a space that becomes the 'face' of our company, utilizing cutting-edge video technology" have been pouring in. Just as we began considering that a new solution combining "space × production × video" might be needed, we met Mr. Moroi. That encounter can be seen as the origin of "UN-SCALABLE VISION."
We had previously worked with IMAGICA GROUP(※), and I was well aware of their top-tier video editing and distribution technology. Furthermore, IMAGICA EEX was striving to evolve entertainment through even more challenging initiatives following the pandemic. That's why I reached out, eager to collaborate.
※ IMAGICA GROUP: Founded in 1935 as a film processing business. Later diversified its operations alongside advances in video technology. Today, it has expanded into anime, CG, advertising, promotions, digital content, and spatial experience production, operating across a broad spectrum of video-related businesses that fuse creativity and technology.
──Could you tell us a bit more about IMAGICA EEX, where you serve as President and CEO?
Moroiishi: We launched IMAGICA EEX as a group company of IMAGICA GROUP in July 2020. At that time, the COVID-19 pandemic had made it impossible to hold events or gather people, and the situation was becoming increasingly severe. Precisely because of this situation, we felt strongly that by merging creativity and technology, we could create a new future for entertainment. While there were few precedents for launching a new company within the group, we had a strong will to create a glimmer of light through our own challenge, even as society as a whole was under a leaden cloud.
We started with the goal of tackling social issues through entertainment that combines the power of video and communication, initially focusing on live streaming as our main business. There, we utilized technologies like XR and volumetric capture (a technique that constructs 3D data from captured images) to pioneer new live entertainment experiences only possible through video. Our world-first VISIONS SUPER LIVE VIEWING, featuring 12K video synchronized with lighting and electroluminescent displays, provided viewers with a truly novel live experience. Recently, we've been advancing the delivery of new experiential value by incorporating concepts like the metaverse and digital twins (the digital recreation of physical spaces).
──The collaboration came about through the meeting between Mr. Maezawa and Mr. Moroi. How did IMAGICA GROUP view this partnership with Dentsu Live Inc.?
Moroiishi: IMAGICA GROUP possessed extensive expertise in various imaging technologies and expressive techniques for content production over many years. However, we faced challenges in creating the physical spaces and infrastructure for outputting these visuals, such as construction and venue setup. Dentsu Live Inc. has strong collaborative and communication relationships with numerous client companies and possesses many outlets for project execution. We were confident that combining our strengths would enable us to create something exceptional.
A New Form of Creative Ecosystem
──So the strengths and needs of both parties aligned perfectly, leading to the formation of this solution team. Next, could you tell us about the strengths of "UN-SCALABLE VISION"?
Maezawa: Producing large-scale video that stages the space itself requires a different approach than standard video production, making multiple perspectives essential. Dentsu Live Inc. is a company that handles everything end-to-end, from creating spaces requiring construction to event production and video production. For example, they handled the content production for the main stage at the Toyota booth at the TOKYO MOTOR SHOW 2019, which gained attention for its 70-meter stage space production. Consequently, they have numerous producers with extensive experience in the three fields of "space," "events," and "video." Combining this with IMAGICA GROUP's entertainment capabilities—including technology and creativity—should enable even more expansive forms of expression.
Moroi: Japanese manufacturing has, in a sense, standardized the production process. It's characterized by a multi-step workflow: receiving a commission, dividing tasks among sections or roles, then having directors or creators join for final direction. By building teams where creators with a clear output vision from the start participate, everyone can collectively expand the goal idea. "UN-SCALABLE VISION" is a new form of creative ecosystem. I believe a major advantage is the ability to continuously accumulate knowledge within the team.
──The launch of "UN-SCALABLE VISION" was announced externally this past May. How has the response been since then?
Maezawa: It's still early since the announcement, but plans to engage in several large-scale events are already moving forward. We at Dentsu Live Inc. are often involved in projects looking five or ten years ahead, and opportunities to integrate "UN-SCALABLE VISION" into these seem likely to increase.
Moroiishi: Within IMAGICA GROUP, the internal reaction is one of very high expectations. We've collaborated on many projects with the Dentsu Group before, but "UN-SCALABLE VISION" differs in that it's not just a limited relationship focused solely on video production. It allows us to participate in creation and production as one team within an overall framework.
Technology underwent significant changes during the pandemic. Particularly in the video industry, it feels like changes we thought would take a decade happened in just three years. We want to look toward the big future of video and work towards it. That's why "UN-SCALABLE VISION" holds such an important position for us.
Maezawa: As a comprehensive creative team, we want to collaborate with even more partners. While "UN-SCALABLE VISION" is a team effort between IMAGICA GROUP and Dentsu Live Inc., we have a strong desire to work with the entire industry to transform Japanese entertainment. To achieve quality on par with overseas live entertainment teams, we aim to effectively utilize our international network, collaborate with cutting-edge creators, and produce even more compelling content.
From large-scale exhibition symbols to urban development and arena projects
──What specific use cases do you envision for "UN-SCALABLE VISION"?
Maezawa: One application is creating video experiences on ultra-large screens at major exhibitions and events. By combining technologies like acting, lighting, sound, and holograms, we can create new entertainment experiences. As outdoor vision, it enables spatial design by turning any location—building facades, station pillars, train interiors, storefronts—into a video platform. I believe it can also be used to create spatial symbols.
Furthermore, we anticipate growing demand in urban development and arena construction. We believe it can contribute to regional revitalization and sustainable growth, such as in multifunctional mixed-use cities and next-generation smart arenas incorporating IoT.
Moroishi: I believe the strength of "UN-SCALABLE VISION" lies in its ability to transform any space into a medium, unconstrained by traditional frameworks. It's not just about having monitors displaying content within a space; the space itself, including the visuals, becomes the medium. This creates unprecedented experiential value.
Today, technological advances allow us to handle vast amounts of information, demanding highly original outputs tailored perfectly to each space. From this perspective, "UN-SCALABLE VISION" transcends format boundaries. It embodies the concept of creating a canvas through liberated, free thinking—unshackled from frames—and painting freely with diverse technological "paints." It could be said to run parallel with the dramatic evolution of media technologies like high-definition and low-latency.
Maezawa: If we were to apply "UN-SCALABLE VISION" technology to a 20-meter wall surface, we would first consider the meaning of the space from the perspective of its users—people passing by, those working in nearby offices, and others who utilize that location. We want those using the space to feel "comfortable." Overseas offices increasingly utilize wall projections as interior design elements, driven by advancements in video quality. You might perceive it as a wood-grain wall one moment, then as a leather wall the next—it can be seen as a changing interior element.
We want to create a future standard that no one has ever seen before.
──Finally, could you share your outlook for the future?
Maezawa: We'd like to make proposals that appeal not only to those involved in events, but also to business professionals who feel far removed from video production, making them want to incorporate "UN-SCALABLE VISION." If it has the potential as interior design, as mentioned earlier, it could be used in office planning.
Traditional video experiences have often been passive for viewers—think TV shows or commercials. "UN-SCALABLE VISION" allows us to create visuals that naturally coexist with people, not just consume pre-made content. We want to explore that direction further.
Moroiishi: "UN-SCALABLE VISION" holds the potential to become a new form of communication and experience. We aim to collaborate with various partners—in large-scale events, urban development, and other fields—to create a future standard that no one has ever seen before.
Furthermore, we want to provide new experiences that transcend physical space alone, blending the real and cyber worlds while incorporating concepts like AI and digital twins. We're driven by the ambition to create new value and culture, realizing a more enriched society. We'll continue pursuing this vision.
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Author
Katsufumi Maezawa
Dentsu Live Inc.
We engage in social media initiatives, digital content strategies, and practical AI initiatives. As a solution provider in advanced digital fields, we develop next-generation content. We also serve as a director for the Drone Show Association.
Haruyuki Moroiishi
IMAGICA EEX Co., Ltd.
We produce and create projects that fuse cutting-edge technology with creativity. We design experiences and communications that integrate creative and technological elements, including spatial design and experiential planning combining video and physical space, projection mapping, 8K and 12K high-definition media, XR, and digital twins.