Hansi3D: “It was great to have that level of freedom to create a show”
- Werner Petricek
- Jun 4
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 1
In an exclusive interview, lighting designer Hansi3D shares insights from his recent event RAD x SPINNING:BODIES, where innovative technology met artistic expression.
On May 17, 2025, the community event RAD x SPINNING:BODIES, organised by Conny Zenk, took place. A highlight of the night was a live laser performance by Jerobeam Fenderson and Hansi3D. The duo used the zactrack mini system to automatically follow the two performers in wheelchairs.
zactrack: What led you to use the zactrack system for RAD x SPINNING:BODIES?
Hansi3D: The idea to use a tracking system came about naturally, based on experiences from a project about a year and a half ago. The initial goal was to bring lighting elements into a live performance setting. I hadn’t really worked with automated tracking systems before, but after doing some research, we came across zactrack and got in touch with their team at the headquarters in Vienna.
zactrack: How did you approach designing the lighting for this event? What was especially important to you in that process?
Hansi3D: We’ve been experimenting more and more with departing from traditional projection screens over the past couple of years. From the very beginning, it was clear to us that we wanted to use lasers on the floor, but the details came together later on. What was really important was making sure the performers could be active, creative participants—both visually and acoustically. We wanted to give them the freedom to shape the experience and have real creative leeway.
zactrack: Was there a particular moment in the show when you thought “It's amazing that we're doing this! How would we have done that if we weren’t using zactrack mini?”
Hansi3D: To be honest, I think we would’ve done something completely different. Maybe we would’ve ended up flipping the whole setup—attaching lasers directly to the wheelchairs or coming up with some kind of manual tracking solution. But that would’ve been tricky, and the results just wouldn’t have been the same.
That said, this question doesn’t really come up for us in that way, because of how we work. We usually start by locking down the technical setup first, and only then do we explore what we can actually do with it. It’s kind of a creative game with the technical possibilities.
zactrack: What specific advantages did the zactrack system offer you?
Hansi3D: It was great to have that level of freedom to create a show and to work together in an artistic way! In this particular case, I think we could have done even more. We set up the system the first time and realised that it’s perfect for us, and easier to use than we expected. So, we came with completely new materials to the final rehearsal. For the first rehearsal we did more of what we did in the past. Compared to other tracking systems I found, I'm happy to have been using zactrack as it works in real time whereas other, comparable systems I looked into have much lower refreshing rates which can be a disadvantage.
zactrack: What was one of your favourite features of the system?
Hansi3D: The system was pretty much plug-and-play. By the third time setting it up, it honestly became second nature. We never had any issues with the tracker batteries—even that one time we forgot to put them in the charging station overnight.
One of my absolute favorite features is that you can connect the master to several computers and work on all of them simultaneously. That was super helpful, especially in the beginning when my colleague Jerobeam and I were both programming and testing things in parallel.
zactrack: Were there any particular challenges in setting up or integrating the system into the show workflow?
Hansi3D: It always takes a bit of time to warm up to a new system. You come in with certain expectations—not necessarily about the system itself, but more about the current state of tracking technology in general. I’ll admit, I had a bit of a confirmation bias going into the world of tracking. I assumed that tracking accuracy would be within the low centimeter or even millimeter range. But the more I researched, the more I realized that an accuracy of around 10 to 20 centimeters is about as good as it gets—and that’s just the reality we’re working with at the moment.
zactrack: What would you advise a colleague who is considering working with zactrack for the first time?
Hansi3D: For me, it’s really about trying out new technologies and getting a feel for them—so you start to understand how they work and what they can offer. The real value is being able to carry that knowledge forward, so when you're planning future projects, you can actively include them into the creative process from the very beginning.
