Disguise Designer Essentials Workshop in LA

If you've ever stood in front of a wall of LED panels at a concert and wondered who makes the visuals line up with the stage, this class is a look behind that curtain. Disguise, the company whose media servers run a lot of tour video, broadcast sets and immersive rooms, is teaching its Designer Essentials course at its Los Angeles office on December 15 and 16. It's a niche pick among the usual things to do in Los Angeles, and that's the appeal.

What the course covers

This is a two-day classroom course, 10 AM to 5 PM both days, and Disguise pitches it as the first step for anyone learning its Designer software. The syllabus is long and practical. You'll start with the Disguise hardware and software ecosystem, then get into the interface, file structure and setting up a stage in 3D space.

From there it moves into the parts people actually hire for: timeline sequencing, working with LED screens and projection surfaces, and lining up virtual projectors. There's a section on content mapping (Direct Map, Feed Map and Parallel Map), plus routing media with Content Arrows and Piping.

Later sessions touch MIDI device setup, d3Net and server roles on a network, and animating 3D objects. You'll also export video and stills from a project. By the end, the goal is that you can take a show from setup to delivery.

Who it's for

Motion designers, projection artists, video engineers and theater tech folks will get the most out of it. You don't need prior Disguise experience, but you do need your own gear.

What to bring and what it costs

The listing asks for a Windows laptop that meets Disguise's published minimum system requirements, Designer Starter already downloaded, and a three-button mouse. Show up without the software installed and you'll lose the first hour.

Tickets are $60 on Eventbrite, but Disguise describes the training itself as free. The $60 is a holding deposit that gets refunded once you attend, which is a smart way to keep no-shows from wasting a seat. The organizer lists training@disguise.one for questions.

Getting there

The office is at 421 Colyton Street in the Arts District, a few blocks from the river. Street parking around Colyton and Traction gets tight on weekdays, so plan a few extra minutes, or take Metro to Little Tokyo/Arts District station and walk about fifteen minutes east.

Browse more Downtown LA listings or the arts and culture calendar for other upcoming events Los Angeles has on the books this December. Grab lunch at one of the Arts District spots on Traction Avenue between sessions; you'll have seven hours of timelines to recover from.