DUBAI: An iconic architectural landmark in Dubai was transformed into a fully immersive live arena as innovative video designers Impact Production reimagined the towering Dubai Frame for the globally broadcast Red Bull Tetris World Final. Staged for approximately 500 invited guests and streamed internationally, the one-night event crowned the world champion of the legendary puzzle game while delivering a visually ambitious fusion of architecture, scenography and live broadcast production — all powered by Green Hippo Hippotizer media server technology.

The production’s central creative challenge lay in translating the instantly recognisable digital language of Tetris into a dynamic physical environment. Impact Production achieved this by combining LED surfaces, architectural lighting and custom scenic elements, effectively turning the monumental venue into a living visual canvas. At the heart of the system was a Hippotizer Karst+ Media Server, responsible for video playback, live camera integration, LED surface mapping and real-time visual processing across the show environment.

Working alongside an Avolites D9 control console and an NDI-based workflow for live feed integration, the Hippotizer Karst+ enabled Impact Production’s team to merge pre-rendered content with live broadcast feeds into a single unified visual architecture capable of adapting instantly to the pace of the competition.

“We utilized layer blending nodes and real-time effects extensively to manipulate visual layers dynamically during key show moments,” says Eriny Aziz, Media Server Programmer at Impact Production. “The production demanded rapid transitions between competition graphics, live gameplay feeds, stage content, and broadcast outputs, while maintaining absolute stability in an outdoor environment with limited rehearsal time. The flexibility of Hippotizer allowed us to integrate pre-rendered media and live broadcast feeds seamlessly. Its real-time processing power and reliability were critical in managing live inputs, timecoded sequences, and adaptive visual layers under tight technical constraints.”

Contracted directly by Red Bull UAE, Impact Production oversaw the full creative and technical direction for the event, delivering lighting design, LED screen integration, media playback systems and architectural illumination throughout the venue. The team handled lighting design and installation, LED system design and integration, façade and entrance lighting for the Dubai Frame, full broadcast lighting, performer lighting for a live orchestra and DJ El Wailly, timecoded lighting sequences across the competition, and control of custom Tetromino lighting panels embedded within the stage environment.

“The Tetromino lighting panels were integrated into the stage design and programmed into timecoded sequences, interacting directly with gameplay and performance cues,” adds Aziz. “As the competition progressed, the lighting narrative evolved in sync, dissolving the boundary between digital interface and physical scenography.”

To refine both the technical design and creative vision ahead of load-in, the production team developed previsualisation and lighting simulations using SketchUp and L8. This preparation proved critical given the architectural complexities presented by the venue.

“Delivering a broadcast-grade outdoor production inside the Dubai Frame presented significant challenges,” Aziz explains. “The stage required lighting fixtures to be installed on a layered structure reaching approximately nine meters high, adding complexity to rigging, focus, and maintenance. Additionally, the Frame’s architecture restricted conventional lighting positions, demanding precise planning and inventive fixture placement.”

Despite these constraints, the team delivered consistent broadcast-grade lighting and video performance while maintaining the architectural integrity of the landmark structure.

“Hippotizer’s robust processing engine and dependable output architecture were instrumental in maintaining system stability across live camera inputs, timecoded sequences, and mapped LED surfaces — all within an outdoor environment” Aziz affirms.

The production reached its defining moment during the competition’s climax, when timecoded lighting and video sequences surged across the stage and structure before transitioning seamlessly into a drone recreation of Tetris above the Dubai Frame. The moment connected stage content, architectural illumination and aerial choreography into a single cohesive visual narrative for both the live audience and global broadcast viewers.

Creative direction for the production was led by Impact Production’s Giulia Marocchino and Luca Taschini, with Jean William serving as Technical Director and Lighting Designer.