DeKalb is home to one of the largest live video production companies in the world.

Nocturne Productions works with artists such as Paul McCartney, Van Halen, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer and Guns N’ Roses on their national and international tours, providing state-of-the-art LED lighting and live video production.

“We were the first ones to use giant screens at a stadium show,” said co-CEO Bob Brigham. “From there, our company has grown into Nocturne Productions.”

The giant screens made their debut in 1982 at a Journey show in Oakland, Calif. From there, artists such as The Who, Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson jumped on the live video bandwagon in order to improve the live experience for their fans.

Now, live video and light shows are standard with the biggest musical acts.

Nocturne also provides the live lighting and video production for the popular television shows “American Idol” and “Dancing with the Stars.”

The company has more than 200 employees, very few of whom live in the northern Illinois area, who travel on tour with the acts, setting up the $4-15 million equipment at stadiums, arenas and other venues.

“Because we work on an international scale, we have employees spread all over the globe,” Brigham said.

In addition to planning and putting on multimillion-dollar international tours, Nocturne likes to do work in and around DeKalb.

“I’m from DeKalb, so I like to try to be active in the community,” Brigham said. “We work with the Stage Coach Players, sponsoring their local shows.”

The Stage Coach Players, a DeKalb live theater group, are putting on a version of “High School Musical” at the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb Nov. 15, 16 and 18, and also plan to put on a live version of “A Christmas Carol” Dec. 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16.

They put on their shows either at the Stage Coach Theatre, 126 S. Fifth St., or at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St.

Nocturne also lends a $10,000 projector to the Egyptian Theatre, which uses the projector to show movies. The Egyptian is playing “Beetlejuice” Nov. 8, “The Polar Express” Nov. 23 and “White Christmas” Dec. 16.

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