Overview
Nurture (2021) is Porter Robinson's sophomore album about hope, overcoming despair, faithfully pursuing a sense of purpose, and trying to prove that it's worthwhile to try.
Surrounding the album's release, music videos and marketing teasers were carefully revealed. After the LP's release, a full live concert experience was created, touring over 70 venues including Coachella Music Festival. Porter Robinson debuted this performance at his own Second Sky Festival, which in 2021 featured scenic and thematic elements indicative of the album's story world.
Surrounding the album's release, music videos and marketing teasers were carefully revealed. After the LP's release, a full live concert experience was created, touring over 70 venues including Coachella Music Festival. Porter Robinson debuted this performance at his own Second Sky Festival, which in 2021 featured scenic and thematic elements indicative of the album's story world.
Concert Visuals
Art Direction
Motion Graphics
Multi-cam Recording of Nurture Live performed at Second Sky Festival 2021 in Oakland, CA
My Role
What began as a few concert visual concepts, turned into years serving as a key creative member responsible for Nurture's album release and the Nurture Live concert experience. I worked directly with Porter Robinson pitching creative ideas, managing feedback, and developing concepts from sketch to stage. My work spans across marketing teasers, merchandise, livestream graphics, concert visuals, and fabricated scenic props.
I traveled on-site to North Carolina for two weeks to design the concert visuals with the team, and on-site to California during Second Sky Festival 2021 to assist with the install & delivery of the live concert experience.
I traveled on-site to North Carolina for two weeks to design the concert visuals with the team, and on-site to California during Second Sky Festival 2021 to assist with the install & delivery of the live concert experience.
Mini-documentary featuring Nurture Live's rehearsals and interviews
Two Giant Screens
Nurture Live's concert visuals are displayed with two large LED surfaces. These two large digital surfaces, with their massive coverage of the stage, allowed us to craft optical illusions and delightful visual effects. We were able to create environments that enveloped the full stage, immersing Porter Robinson in simulated nature and tasteful graphics.
We used VR headsets and video game engines to audition video content onto a life-scale virtual stage that Porter and his team could critique in real-time.
We used VR headsets and video game engines to audition video content onto a life-scale virtual stage that Porter and his team could critique in real-time.
Photos: Nancy D. Huynh
Photo: Jasmine Safaeian
Captured from Porter Robinson Secret Sky 2021
Finding the Meaning
We used visual imagery and themes to convey vulnerability in Nurture Live. For the song "Mother", we modeled a 3D representation of Porter's childhood home, projecting childhood memories on the exterior. This scene was made possible by reaching out to Porter's family during the production process and ingesting hundreds of memories preserved by family members. This scene is special because it is real, emotionally raw, and pays true homage to Porter's mother and family.
At Second Sky Festival 2021, when the live show debuted, Porter's family witnessed the dedication in-person.
At Second Sky Festival 2021, when the live show debuted, Porter's family witnessed the dedication in-person.
Custom built 3D projected environment for "Mother", Nurture Live
Simulated Nature
Nurture Live explores a contrast between live-action nature and digitally simulated nature. For the show, hundreds of plants, trees, rock formations, and nature simulations were created. The tools used ranged from standard 3D programs to obscure Houdini growth plug-ins.
Tree growth simulation using Houdini and the GrowInfinite plug-in
Rotating ouroboros tree created in Cinema 4D with the Forester plug-in
Nurture Around the World
Across the span of two years, Nurture Live toured multiple continents, graced over seventy venues, and even performed on the mainstage of Coachella Music Festival in 2023, attended by 250,000 guests.
Various Nurture Live Tour posters 2021-2023
Porter Robinson live at Coachella 2023
Look at the Sky
Nurture's third single release, Look at the Sky, debuted at the Secret Sky online festival in 2021. The visuals gracefully fly through an idyllic meadow as cut-and-paste lyrics flash onscreen. I was involved in the official lyric video (over 7 million views on YouTube), social media campaigns, and Nurture Live concert visuals.
Official Lyric video, edited and animated by Luke Hall
3D Wireframe of flower field used in Look At The Sky's lyric video
"Look at the Sky" debut at Secret Sky Festival 2021
Augmented Reality
Porter's team wanted to create media beyond the screen for Nurture's release. Some examples are the Instagram augmented reality filters released in conjunction with album singles.
The music video for "Mirror" features hand-drawn composited sketches on live footage, so I extended that concept to an augmented reality filter on Instagram. As the user points their forward-facing camera towards the ground, the animated character from the music video sings along to the track. Using this filter, fans created elevated social media content while sharing Porter's new music.
The music video for "Mirror" features hand-drawn composited sketches on live footage, so I extended that concept to an augmented reality filter on Instagram. As the user points their forward-facing camera towards the ground, the animated character from the music video sings along to the track. Using this filter, fans created elevated social media content while sharing Porter's new music.
Video showcasing the features of the Mirror AR filter on Instagram
Thoughtful Packaging
Porter's team announced the Nurture vinyl box set, featuring bespoke packaging, two vinyls, an art book, and five vinyl singles. To advertise this offering, I modeled and rendered a 3D unboxing video to accurately display the contents of the box set before release.
Complete 3D reconstruction and animation of Nurture Double LP Box Set
Result
The Nurture Live concert experience solidifies Porter Robinson as one of electronic music's top artists. Through the success of his album release and tour, Porter reached new audiences and expanded his influence beyond the electronic music genre. His devoted fanbase still creates Nurture-related fan art, recreates the visuals in the show, and reminisces online about this defining era of Porter Robinson, both sonically and visually.
