Telepresence for artists and creators.

Tools: React, Node.js, C++

Get the code on Gitlab:
Scenic / Scenic Core / Switcher

Scenic is an open-source stage teleconference system that allows for real-time transmission of audiovisual and arbitrary data over any IP network. Telepresence systems can be used in various artistic contexts, so that two (or more) different creative spaces can communicate with each other and  present a combined performance. Scenic is currently developed by the Société des Arts Technologiques (SAT), a non-profit artistic entity based in Montreal, CA.

Screenshot of the Scenic interface

As Lead back-end developer and as part of the Valorisation de la recherche department, I actively develop and maintain Scenic since 2018. I have been a key part in the reengineering of Scenic’s internal architecture, as well as the integration of the Newtek NDI protocol and the recent rewriting of the app’s UI in React. I am also actively involved in the maintenance of the associate project Switcher. The team and I strive to make Scenic an essential tool for artists wishing to explore the possibilities opened by low-latency streaming and immersive bidirectional communications.

Scenic has already been used in multiple artistic projects across Quebec since 2017. The Scenic station, a telepresence stage equipment tailored for the usage of Scenic, is currently deployed in 23 venues across the province, forming what is known as the Scènes Ouvertes network.

Features of Scenic include:

  • Low-latency streaming with multiple streams of audiovisual data
  • Hardware video encoding
  • Live streaming on Facebook, Youtube and Twitch using RTMP
  • OSC and MIDI compatible
  • Newtek NDI protocol integration
  • JACK Audio Connection Kit compatibility for multichannel audio
  • Fully bilingual interface
Excerpt from Bluff by Mireille Camier
Scene from Bluff by Mireille Camier, a play between St-Camille, Rouyn-Noranda and Montreal created using Scenic. // Photo: Sylvain Laroche