 He concentrated on improving the technical aspects of the production using enamelling and lighting to create extremely delicate effects of light and colour.The "Ombres" evolved into numerous theatrical productions and had a major influence on phantasmagoria.According to historians Phillip Cate and Mary Shaw, Rivière's work involved both aesthetic and technical innovations,

Essentially, Rivière created a system in which he placed silhouettes of figures, animals, elements of landscapes, and so forth, within a wooden framework at three distances from the screen