Nokia X Deadmau5: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
For the launch of Nokia’s first Windows 8-based phone, I was asked to develop a concept for a public launch event that highlighted the phone’s minimal user interface and low light camera performance.
The event was staged for an audience of around 500 people on a cold December night and was covered by UK and international press. The resulting Youtube film had over 4 million views.

The project grew out of finding Flatiron Square, near London Bridge. We developed a concept based on a ‘stealth performance’ by Deadmau5, where different parts of the square would unexpectedly come to life with light, responding to the various parts of his music. We took an exhaustive inventory of the square to work out which objects could come to life. Every part of the square was used as a potential ‘light-up object’ including bowls of fruit outside a mini-market, motorcycle headlights, wheelie bins, bits of graffiti and window frames.

The project involved a huge amount of co-ordination, liaising with the local council, police and residents. A team of technicians and prop designers converted all sorts of objects into their ‘light-up ‘ version.

Deadmau5 started his show on a rooftop stage, orchestrating the event from his perch. A stunt double gave a news-worthy moment as Deadmau5 appeared to risk his life on the rooftop, before BMX-ing through the square and re-appearing on a scissorlift-baed ‘mobile disco’ rig for an encore.

To create the performance, we developed custom visualisation software and an animation technique that allowed a team of artists to light up different parts of the square using midi cues. We also developed a custom phone app that allowed Deadmau5 to control every light in the square from a Lumia phone, live. Sadly, we had no time to rehearse it’s use, due to police concerns.

Credits:
Commissioned by Mission for Nokia
Produced by Keri Elmsley for ML Studio

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