The ease with which recorded properties can be copied is greatly enhancing the value of live, not just from a commercial point of view but also from a consumer perspective. The inherent value of recorded content seems to diminish as its ubiquity increases. Some how a scheduled episode of the Sopranos doesn’t seem quite as exciting when you know that you can watch any episode you like, when you like, through an on-demand channel. These changes mean that consumers are increasingly turning to live to get their kicks.
A magical book called Spectacle explores live happenings, experiences, events, festivals, parades, displays from around the world. When you work in this area it is easy to forget the wonder of live. Spectacle covers everything from Burning Man to Spain’s Tomatina festival via the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, the Kumbh Mela in India and Olympic opening ceremonies. One of the author’s is architect David Rockwell who is fascinated by the creative risk taking that the brevity of a spectacle demands; other contributors include Muhammad Ali, Quincy Jones and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. The book contains great insights for anyone charged with creating experiences, but beyond this Spectacle is a photography book and is worth picking up just for the pictures.





