Cory FitzGerald, production designer for Demi Lovato’s Neon Lights tour, notes that the set, which is based on a “neon-like concept full of Video Blades in smoke colored covers…essentially tubes of single pixel video elements diffused by the plastic covers,” is complemented by a phone app developed by Wham City Lights “to let the audience participate.” The app turns smartphones into handheld lighting effects by flashing color, text and imagery to the music. Songs for the interactive experience are selected in advance, and the resulting effect can be created by the App’s developers or using the App’s online lightshow editor program. When the inaudible ultrasonic Wham Waves signal is made active through the sound system, the Wham Waves can be embedded into the song, click track or played on its own to sync the phones in the audience. Once the Wham Waves are played, every app-enabled phone bursts into color and syncopated flashing with the music.
— From “Designer Watch” by Debi Moen, PLSN, April 2014, page 50
