Projection mapping for US festivals: how a Brazilian studio works in the United States
VITAartBR is a Brazilian projection mapping studio, based in Florianópolis and São Paulo, that has been working on US festivals since 2022: Electric Forest in Michigan every year from 2022 to 2026 (remotely in 2022, on site from 2023 to 2026), and Hulaween in Live Oak, Florida, in 2024 (remote content) and 2025 (on site). In 2026 the studio was one of the 18 finalists of the 1minute Projection Mapping Competition at TOKYO LIGHTS, Japan. This article explains how a Brazilian team works on a US festival: what travels with us, what is sourced locally, how we integrate with the festival's art and production teams, and what you need to send us to get a quote.
Written in English for festival producers, art directors and production companies in the United States. Updated September 2026.
What we have done in the US so far
Electric Forest, Rothbury, Michigan (2022 to 2026). Five consecutive editions: content produced remotely for the 2022 edition, then on site every year from 2023 to 2026. In 2023 the studio worked with New Vision Productions on three mapped installations, the North Portal, the Owl Portal and the Pagoda; from 2024 with artist Jasper Mosher, on several sculptural pieces across the forest, each mapped individually with content created for its shape and running through the night.
Hulaween, Live Oak, Florida (2024 and 2025). After producing content remotely for the 2024 edition, VITAartBR joined the Electric Dream Machine team on site in 2025 and mapped a 5-meter witch, a giant tentacle sculpture, a gothic mausoleum, a spider egg cluster, the four houses of the BirdHouse village, the Spirit Lake Stage and a water curtain in the middle of the lake, under the theme The Radiant Veil: The Dance of Light and Shadow.
TOKYO LIGHTS 2026, Tokyo, Japan. One of 18 finalist works, from 14 countries, selected from 412 entries from 65 countries and regions in the 13th 1minute Projection Mapping Competition, with After the Noise, projected on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in May 2026 before roughly 80,000 festival visitors. Not an award; a selection. Verifiable on the
Villa Navideña de Itaipu, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay (2025). Christmas projection mapping across multiple surfaces over twelve days, with a holographic screen, for the Itaipu Christmas village.
How a Brazilian studio works on a US festival
The short version: we bring the part of the work that is hard to source on site, and we integrate with what the festival already has.
What travels with us. A team of three: creative direction, mapping and playback, and a technician for rigging and cabling. The content, produced in Brazil on a 3D model or photogrammetry of each surface before we fly. Our media servers and mapping software, so playback and warping are handled by the people who made the content. Laser and lighting integration files when the show calls for them.
What is defined per project. Projectors, lenses, rigging and power. Depending on the festival, the installation and the timeline, these come with us, are rented in the US, or are provided by the festival's production. We decide this together with the producer at the quote stage, because it changes the budget and the customs paperwork.
Who we work with. Festival art teams, not around them. At Electric Forest the work was done with the artist who built the installations; at Hulaween, as part of the Electric Dream Machine crew. Our role is to make the sculpture, the stage or the structure do something it could not do on its own, in the art director's language, not ours.
How the show runs. Content is mapped on the real surface on site, at night, and adjusted over one or two evenings before the gates open. During the festival a VITAartBR operator is on site every night. Shows can run as loops, be triggered by an operator, or be locked to timecode with the stage's audio and lighting; at Texneo Novum 2026 in Brazil, for instance, projection, holography, laser and Art-Net lighting ran in sync with the music.
What a festival gets from a Brazilian team
Content built for the object. Not a video loop stretched on a sculpture, but animation that follows the shape, so the witch's robes move and the mausoleum's walls appear to open.
One team from concept to strike. The people who animate are the people who map and operate. Fewer handoffs, fewer surprises at 2 a.m.
Large-scale outdoor experience. Our home market is facades, churches and city Christmas shows in southern Brazil: rain plans, wind, ambient light and long runs are the normal condition, not the exception.
Cost structure. Brazilian production costs for content and a compact crew. Travel and local rentals are itemized in the quote so the producer sees exactly where the money goes.
Timeline: what needs to happen before the gates open
Brief and surfaces. What will be mapped, where it stands, its dimensions, materials and colors. Photos, renders or the 3D model of each piece. Ideally eight to twelve weeks before the show for a multi-installation festival.
Site conditions. Throw distances available, where the audience stands, power at each location, ambient light from stages and paths, sunset time and weather window.
Equipment plan. Which projectors and rigging travel, which are rented locally, which the festival provides. This is where customs and shipping lead times are decided.
Content production. In Brazil, on the model of each surface, with review rounds with the art director on Vimeo or Frame.io.
Travel and setup. Team arrives two to three days before opening. Rigging by day, mapping and alignment by night.
Show and strike. Operator on site every night; strike on the last night or the following day, according to the festival's schedule.
What to send us for a quote
Festival name, dates, location and gate hours
List of surfaces or installations to be mapped, with photos, dimensions and materials
3D models or renders if they exist; photogrammetry can be done on site if not
Whether the festival provides projectors, rigging and power, or expects us to
Who we will be working with: art team, production, lighting and audio
Show format: loop, operator-triggered, or timecode with audio and lighting
Budget range, if you have one, so we size the proposal correctly
We reply within one business day with a first assessment: what we would bring, what we would source, team size, and a quote broken down by line.
About VITAartBR
Founded in 1999 as VITA Eventos, working in projection mapping since 2010 and renamed VITAartBR in 2011, when it became a projection-mapping-only studio, the company is led by founder Bruno Pintucci and partner and art director Simone Grando, and works from Florianópolis and São Paulo, Brazil. Projects include permanent 360 immersive rooms, Christmas shows for cities, church and heritage facades, corporate launches, and a projection-mapped cake broadcast on Brazilian network television. More on the about page and the international projects page.
Frequently asked questions
Do you bring your own projectors to the US?
It depends on the project. We always bring the content, the media servers and the mapping team. Projectors, lenses and rigging travel with us, are rented locally or are provided by the festival, decided with the producer at the quote stage because it affects budget, customs and lead time.
How many people travel?
Usually three: creative direction, mapping and playback, and a rigging and cabling technician. Larger shows add operators.
How far ahead do we need to book?
For a festival with several installations, eight to twelve weeks before opening is comfortable. Shorter is possible if the content scope is smaller or the surfaces already have 3D models.
Can the show sync with our stage audio and lighting?
Yes. Content can be locked to SMPTE timecode with the stage's audio and lighting, or run as loops and operator-triggered cues. We integrate with the festival's lighting and audio teams during setup.
What do you need from the festival on site?
Power at each projection location, throw distance without audience or vehicles crossing, night access for alignment before opening, and a contact in the production and art teams.
Have you worked with US festival art teams before?
Yes: with New Vision Productions at Electric Forest in 2023, with artist Jasper Mosher there from 2024 to 2026, and as part of the Electric Dream Machine crew at Hulaween in 2025, after producing content remotely for the 2024 edition.
Is VITAartBR a US company?
No. VITAartBR is a Brazilian company with bases in Florianópolis and São Paulo. We work in the US as a visiting team, with local partners for rentals and logistics when needed.
Next step
If you have a festival, a date and a list of surfaces, send them with photos. We reply within one business day.
See also the international projects page, the TOKYO LIGHTS 2026 case and the official list of finalists.
