For weeks, preparations have been in full swing in Oisterwijk as Intents Festival gets ready to welcome thousands of visitors. While the final touches are being made to the stages on-site, PLAFONDDIENST settles down this week on the partner deck next to the mainstage. There, anthem creator Vertile, Dynamite host Satirized, and Intents organizer Remko look ahead to Rise Of Titans.
ALSO READ: Intents awakens: Rise of Titans reaches mythical proportions
For festivalgoers, Intents Festival only begins when the gates open. Behind the scenes, however, preparations have already been underway for more than a year. Remko, who is responsible for themes and shows within the organization, explains that work on a new edition starts long before the current one has even taken place.
“For example, I already started working on 2027 back in March,” he says. “So you’re busy with it for roughly fifteen months.” The development of the massive mainstage is particularly time-consuming. “There are so many steps involved before everything is fully produced and you know exactly what goes where.”
From the partner deck, Vertile looks out over the gigantic structure that serves as the centerpiece of Rise Of Titans. The anthem maker is visibly impressed. “Yeah, it definitely looks the part. What an absolute beast.”
Searching for a unique story
Every year, the theme serves as the common thread running through Intents Festival. Not only the mainstage, but also the shows, entertainment, promotional campaigns, and ultimately even the anthem are built around that central story. According to Remko, coming up with something fresh becomes more challenging every year.
“We’ve already had a lot of editions, which means we’ve already had a lot of themes,” he explains. “There are also other festivals working with themes, or sometimes you’re developing an idea and someone else comes up with something similar. You always want to do something unique, but it still has to be cool and easy to understand.” The creative process differs from year to year. “Sometimes you have an idea and everything immediately falls into place. Other times you struggle with it for a long time. But in the end, it always works out.”
From first sketch to festival universe
Once the theme is decided, the real creative process begins. Remko first creates an extensive moodboard in which all ideas for the stages, shows, and other festival elements are brought together. “I use it to describe the creative direction for the stages, the shows, entertainment, and possibly promotional videos,” he explains. “After that, the artwork designer gets to work, and often the mainstage designer as well.”
Only when a clear vision of the world behind the theme has been established are the anthem creators brought into the process. For Rise Of Titans, that role fell to Vertile and The Saints. “That’s when we get in touch with the anthem makers and discuss the ideas with them. Sometimes we can already show them certain visuals, and then they start working from there.”
In this way, an Intents theme evolves into far more than just a stage design. From the very first sketches and moodboards to the mainstage and the anthem, every element ultimately needs to come together as one cohesive story. And that story is exactly what takes center stage during Rise Of Titans.
Curious to hear the full conversation with Vertile, Satirized, and Remko? In the latest episode of PLAFONDDIENST, they discuss the extensive preparations behind Rise Of Titans in detail. Intents Festival takes place this weekend in Oisterwijk. More information about the festival and ticket sales can be found on the official website.
Footage via: Intents Festival
