Name: Aaron Hayes

Title: Content Designer

Company: Lumen & Forge

LAVNCH [CODE]: We know your title, but what do you actually do at Lumen & Forge?

AARON HAYES: My role at Lumen and Forge is anything related to video editing, 2D animation, and compositing images. We leverage multiple software such as After Effects, Davinci Resolve, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator. Our company is centered around immersive technology, so I create content for our various services and channels, including projection mapping shows, events, big dome installations, and video edits for our website and social media. Also, any digital graphics that may be needed.

LAVNCH [CODE]: In your opinion, what is the most exciting thing about content creation?

AH: The most exciting thing about creating content is taking an idea and bringing it to life, whether it be editing a video, animating a scene or character, or creating a logo. I am passionate about exchanging ideas from a client’s head to mine and turning it into a digital or physical product. It’s exciting creating something in an office and then getting to deliver a final product that even impresses me!

LAVNCH [CODE]: As a designer, what do you want to communicate to the ProAV and technology industries about content creation?

AH: I believe that sometimes in the midst of working, living life, and trying to make money for a company or industry, it is important to appreciate everyone that is involved. I feel that as content creators and artists, we tend to get less recognition on projects. The countless hours and overtime we spend making the content look and sound astonishing is often overlooked once the activation (an event or final product delivery) is complete. I think that the end result, being the event or the product itself, is what gets praise, and the content creators and artists who used their own gifts and skills to create it or even set it up aren’t included.

LAVNCH [CODE]: Can you share an example of your work at Lumen & Forge?

AH: Projection mapping is an ever-growing field that is constantly pushing the envelope of what’s possible. Be amazed at what the future holds for this incredible art form and event space!

Watch the video below to learn more about Lumen & Forge’s projection mapping capabilities.

LAVNCH [CODE]: What content trends have you been following that you see impacting the way you advise clients?

AH: Artificial intelligence (AI) programs such as Midjourney and Dall-E 2 are great tools to inspire artists and content creators. These programs are extremely efficient at rendering images that can provoke emotion; however, if the industry and the companies within it feel like they instead use AI more than using human touch and human minds, then it is possible that the art of content creation may become a lost art. As time passes by and if AI is doing everything that a company is asking for, then we will have diluted and devalued artists. Artists won’t know how to create anything any longer because AI is doing it all.

If we are not careful, the use of AI can take over, which can be detrimental to us as artists and as a society. But, as with any disruptive technology comes acceptance and adaptation. Artists are creative, and we can use that creativity to leverage AI technology.

LAVNCH [CODE]: What content services do you see emerging for Lumen & Forge?

AH: I think our company will continue to create immersive activations for events, conferences, and the like. What I think is most exciting is some of the new projects we are working on that branch into the fields of science and medicine. There is so much potential for immersive tech that these fields are just starting to explore, and I think it could really lead to some revolutionary changes in the industry.

LAVNCH [CODE]: Anything else you’d like to add?

AH:Working at Lumen and Forge has allowed me to use my current skills and knowledge but also broaden my capabilities as a content creator and artist. It has been inspiring to work with other creatives and learn from them. To learn more about our company, click here.