Before a single note plays, whether in a packed arena or a quick television slot, and before a performer takes the spotlight, the stage is already at work. It might be subtle: a shift in lighting, a heady silhouette or an element that hints at something more. But for Los Angeles-based See You Later, the goal isn’t to decorate a performance but to shape it. Having established a reputation for creating performance environments that are immersive, flexible and emotionally tuned in, the studio is renowned for creating work that focuses on not just visual scale but also on narrative clarity. From full-scale arena tours to five-minute live TV setups, See You Later designs spaces that respond to sound and expand the expectations of what audiences expect from an experience on stage. In a conversation with STIR, the studio’s founders, Darrius Medina and TJ Hoover, reflect on the ideas and instincts behind their design practice.

Medina and Hoover have designed live performances for a wide range of high-profile artists, including Eminem, Travis Scott, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Missy Elliot, John Legend, Diplo and A$AP Rocky. Each of their projects come with its own tone, rhythm and goals. Designing for someone like Eminem calls for precision and edge, while a person like Carpenter necessitates softness and style. “For us, in creating a show, it’s not so much about design but about creating a narrative, an overall story that ties to the music, the album, the show, altogether as one,” Medina tells STIR in a video interview.

Medina and Hoover worked separately in the same creative circles before they met and realised that by combining their strengths, they could take on bigger, more meaningful projects. Medina, who built his early career designing for artists in the electronic and R&B worlds, focuses on technical design, lighting and execution. Hoover, rooted in hip-hop and indie music production, thinks in terms of story, emotion and atmosphere. Together, they’ve built a studio where collaboration is central and the artist’s vision leads the way.

For us, in creating a show, it’s not so much about design but about creating a narrative, an overall story that ties to the music, the album, the show, altogether as one. – Darrius Medina

From the inception, their goal was simple: to create design shows that feel as alive as the performances they hold. “Everything at See You Later is extremely collaborative,” Hoover tells STIR in an email interview. “Our best work comes from the blends of everyone’s strengths and unique outlooks. That said, we do have our areas we tend to naturally gravitate toward. Darrius is a wizard with execution, technical integration and also tends to lead visual content projects. I tend to focus on emotion, narrative and immersive impact, thinking about how to guide the audience through a feeling or moment. We both meet in the middle when it comes to stage, scenic or lighting, taking the lead in different departments and projects.”

That balance allows the studio to work across a range of aesthetics and formats. One of their recent standout designs was for Carpenter’s Short ‘n’ Sweet tour, where they helped realise a New York penthouse-inspired set that felt nostalgic and polished without being overly literal. Designed in collaboration with architect Ric Lipson of  Stufish, a renowned entertainment architecture studio known for its large-scale touring shows and theatrical productions, the scenic structure included clean lines and vintage textures, giving the show an upscale, intimate feel. See You Later’s lighting design added a warm, atmospheric layer, shifting subtly across moods and choreography to help each song land visually.

For Scott’s Utopia tour, the concept took a different shape. Originally planned as a standard end-stage setup, the artist requested more connection with the audience. In response, the duo completely reworked the layout, designing a runway-style platform that ran down the middle of the arena, slicing the venue in half and allowing the artist to move through the audience like a live wire. This not only brought Scott physically closer to his fans, but also turned the performance into an interaction, changing how people experienced the show from every angle in the room.

Their work for rapper Doechii’s Grammy set design came with different challenges. With only minutes to load in and out, the designers focused on maximising visual impact in a limited time. The set was fierce and athletic, mirroring the energy of the performance. The design utilised mirrored surfaces, tight choreography and extended digital visuals to make the space feel much larger and more intense than it was. The result hit hard and landed cleanly; quick to build but rich in presence.

Hoover explains to STIR how performance design can shift unexpectedly during development. “Oftentimes, we go into the creative process with a clear idea of what we want to build and the kind of world the performance will inhabit. But as design and direction develop, you sometimes discover something new and gain inspiration along the way. This can take the form of a new gag, a visual element, a scenic idea or a shift in tone. I wouldn’t say that design always drives performance, but when it does, it is usually a happy surprise that tends to be a staple for performance.”

Not every element needs to define the show, but the ones that do often arrive organically. The team gives themselves room to explore and adjust, which helps keep the work fresh and grounded. They also understand that ambitious ideas have to work in practice. Touring teaches them what fits in a truck, what loads into a venue and what slows down production. There’s no rulebook for when a set becomes too much, but years of hands-on experience give them a strong sense of balance between vision and reality.

Television design, on the other hand, is a race against the clock. With tight load-in windows and limited physical space, See You Later often leans on visual effects, lighting and choreography to amplify what’s onstage. The designers have become adept at extending physical sets using projection, mirrors and digital visuals to make even small stages feel bold and distinct.

Some of the studio’s most creative solutions have come under time constraints. In one case, Medina and Hoover used real-time visuals to reflect and multiply a physical set piece, making the stage feel like an immersive experience despite its actual footprint. That ability to stretch space emotionally, beyond its physical dimensions, has become a signature of their approach.

Despite their growing list of major clients, the studio doesn’t treat work as a formula. Every show brings a new set of questions, risks and opportunities. From designing massive in-the-round arena to staging performances with live stunts and bold movements, the risks keep them engaged.

The fierceness and depth of the vision that the studio brings forth defines a new generation of stage designers who defy being typecasted. Medina and Hoover aren’t just lighting designers or set builders; they’re multilingual creatives fluent in the language of visuals, tech, choreography and narrative. They’ve grown up with software such as Cinema 4D and Notch and understand how AI can assist modelling workflows.

Beyond the tools and tricks, the creative oeuvre of See You Later is about emotion. It’s about knowing when to step forward with an idea and when to hold back. Many still assume stage designers are simply in charge of lights and props, but Medina and Hoover prove that the role goes far deeper. It’s about setting the emotional tone, guiding audience attention, and supporting the performance from behind the scenes.

See You Later has built more than a collection of cool sets. They’ve built a way of working that centres story, sound and emotion. The result is a design language that artists trust and audiences remember. The stages aren’t there to be seen. They stay with you long after the final note fades.

Tap on the cover video to watch our interview with Darrius Medina.