You’ve seen his visuals at the Megastructure stage at Ultra Music Festival for the past seven years. You’ve also seen his custom live content at EDC, Resistance, Beyond, Nocturnal, Electric Forrest, Bassrush, and Factory93. Live visual artist Frankie "G-NETIC" Granicz has been in the live entertainment industry for 15 years as well as designing 3D and VFX for film and TV and creating live content for festivals, clubs, and DJs.
Granicz attributes his big break to his collaboration with Carl Cox and his team. “The man is a living legend in the scene so you work your hardest to live up to his expectations and to create something truly inspiring for the viewers at each show,” he says. “Working with him has allowed me to grow as a visual artist and pushed me creatively in amazing ways.” Through his connection with Cox and management, Granicz has since worked with many major DJs: John Digweed, Adam Beyer, Loco Dice, Nicole Moudaber, Jamie Jones, Green Velvet, Hot Since 82, Dubfire, and more.
He is always using the latest technology to make visual shows run at peak performance and fidelity. “The advancement of technology has been amazing within the last decade, mainly in the amount of time it used to take to create something compared to now have progressed leaps and bounds,” Granicz explains. “What used to take me days to render and animate in 3D now only takes me hours. It has also been tremendously beneficial to have massive amounts of portable CPU and GPU processing power at my disposal for live performances that in the past might not have been possible without the help of extremely overpriced media servers.”
Granicz believes the future looks bright for visual performers and artists in general. “With huge developments in A.I and machine learning, it’s become easier and more accessible than ever to create and bring your imagination to life. But without the knowledge and fundamental understanding on how to bring your ideas to life, these tools are only as good as the artist using them.
Inspiration comes to him in many forms, from sci-fi films like Blade Runner and Dune to other artists such as H.R Giger, Syd Mead, and Akira Toriyama. However, he knows that what might be a great idea conceptually may not translate well for a live show. “Over many years of trial and error, you learn and understand what will and won’t work for each show,” Granicz states. “It can be tempting to create something super technical in 3D, and there are plenty of times this will work, but there are also many times where less is more and learning to control your layers and building up elements is key. It’s all about balance and knowing the music you’re creating visuals for.”
Granicz particularly enjoys Ultra and EDC where he can push the creative potential. “They are always willing to go big and understand what is needed to create larger than life productions and something truly special for the audience,” he enthuses. “This is also greatly to the creative genius of amazing stage designers such as Richard Milstein and Steve Lieberman. I am always honored to have such an amazing platform and canvas to perform my visuals on.”
Two years ago at Beyond Wonderland, his main live performance machine crashed and wiped his entire system, taking all of the show’s content, the day before the event. “I don't think I’ve ever had a panic attack before but it was as close as I have ever got to it. I calmed down and stayed up for 24 hours straight rebuilding everything,” he says. “Luckily, I had all my content backed up. I worked feverishly, and it literally came down to five minutes before the show when I finally got everything dialed in again. I was proud that I didn't give up and that the show went on to be absolutely fantastic.”
The visual artist considers festivals an endurance challenge, while film and TV are a mental challenge. “I believe that when you start to get comfortable doing anything you are no longer growing as an artist. Constantly look for new ways to challenge yourself in anything you do,” he advises. “If it scares you, then you’re on the right path.”
Check out his visuals at EDC Las Vegas, Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19.