People of the Attractions: Dominic Audet

In 2001, Dominic Audet was amid a successful career providing audiovisual services for major corporate events and other projects. A lifelong technology tinkerer, he enjoyed the work, but discovered his true passion through an after-hours gig where he organized rave parties. Perched next to the DJ, Audet complemented the music by creating visuals that set the mood and transfixed the crowd. The experience proved so inspiring that Audet walked away from his job and joined forces with Sakchin Bessette, whom he met through Montreal’s rave scene, to co-found Moment Factory.

“It was a leap of faith,” says Audet. “I decided that I would work with my friends that share the same passion. I was going to quit everything and be part of an art collective.”

A funny thing happened, however. The art collective struck a chord, and Moment Factory found an eager audience for its trippy multimedia experiences at parks, malls, museums, cultural heritage sites, and other attractions.

I first encountered Moment Factory’s work ambling through a forest high in the Smoky Mountains that was bathed in otherworldly montages of light and effects. The surreal Astra Lumina at Anakeesta in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, one of a series of Lumina-branded night walks from the company, is transportive. To me, the display represents a new form of storytelling and entertainment.

Founded just as digital technology began replacing the analog standard, Audet says that Moment Factory has leveraged its artistic potential to incorporate innovations, such as projection mapping and LED lighting into its presentations. While the work is created using computers, it is meant to be experienced live, not virtually, and in the company of others.

“Wonder through art” is how Audet describes Moment Factory’s new-age installations. “Our focus always has been and always will be collective human connection. It’s a sort of communion, almost spiritual moments that we share together,” Audet adds.

He may no longer be creating video content for local raves, but Audet and his team are still creating moods and casting spells on crowds by conjuring alluring lighting, media, and soundscapes. They recently worked on Les Abysses de Lumière at Aquascope in France and the Kaleidoscope Kavern Lazy River at Wilderness at the Smokies in Tennessee. Both projects immerse guests in fanciful, wildly colorful environments that are unlike anything found at other indoor water parks.

Calling back to Audet’s origins, Moment Factory also develops media and lighting production for touring artists such as Billie Eilish, Kiss, and The Killers. Capping a longstanding collaboration with Phish, the company produced the eye-popping visuals for the jam band’s residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Creating on-the-fly media for the world’s largest and highest resolution LED display to complement Phish’s rambling, improvisational songs before an audience of 17,600 fans was like supporting the ultimate rave—and creating a massive, communal moment of wonder for Audet.