Super Bowl LIX delivered an unprecedented spectacle, transforming the stadium crowd at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome into a ‘low-resolution, high-impact visual canvas’ of immersive effects, enveloping football and music fans in the action. At the heart of this unique experience was PixMob – a Montreal-based company that has revolutionised the way audiences interact with live events.
Having previously worked exclusively on seven Halftime Shows in recent years, this year PixMob’s mandate was extended to the full game. The show kicked off with a pregame performance dedicated to New Orleans’ resilience, featuring a marching band illuminated with PixMob’s synchronised LED wearable tech courtesy of 75,000 fans.
“We are always honoured when we are called upon to be involved in spectacles like this. We began planning back in September 2024, and because it’s a closed stadium, the NFL wanted to use our technology to its advantage when it came to the production,” Jean-Olivier Dalphond, Partner and Chief Commercial Officer at PixMob, recalled.
“It was exciting to be able to bring MVT Technology to creates what we call a ‘human video screen’ – a low-resolution, high-impact motion graphic space,” he added.
Throughout the game, PixMob’s lighting effects reacted in real-time to touchdowns, kick-offs, and fan-driven moments, reaching its high point in an awe-inspiring halftime show by Kendrick Lamar. “MVT technology is evolving constantly. At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, we created symbols like a flying bird. For Super Bowl LIX, it was used to create words to support the narrative of the story that the artist wants to tell. Before PixMob solutions would enhance emotions and the human connection with each other, but now with this new technology, the crowd can tell the story that the artist wants to put into words to emphasise certain moments.”
The enclosed environment of Caesars Superdome amplified PixMob’s immersive effects, offering a pitch-black canvas for visuals that mesmerised both live attendees and over 100 million viewers around the world.
The final month of pre-production process is more intense with the PixMob team on site for three weeks. The team included: Executive Producer, Sophie Blondeau; Technical Director, Jacques Vanier; Lead Video Integrator, Nikolas J. Sigouin; Pixel Manager, Samantha L. Torres; Video Designer, Joshua Koffman; Video Technician, Gianni Santangelo; Motion Designer, Nicolas Turmel; Lighting Programmer, Jeremy Carrier-Lévesque; and Climber and Rigger, Martel Timothée.
“There was a lot of snow this year, so there were delays, but we had an amazing production team who united to overcome any challenges,” Dalphond remarked.
Wristbands were placed on empty seats throughout the stadium during the testing phase, so the creative teams were able to pilot concepts and visualise the product. “Bruce Rogers, Aaron Cook, Tim Tubito and Jesse Collins at the NFL share this level of trust and understanding about how the production team on site operate and will do anything it takes to deliver the show. We don’t mind working for a month to make those 12 minutes as impactful as possible.”
For the Halftime Show, it was important to tell the story, so the visuals were only in white colour with a minimalistic approach. Whereas during the game, big and bold colours reflected the energy of key moments of the game, serving both parties’ creative visions.
“I really liked when we lit up the crowd in the colour of the team during a touchdown. Equally, the game-inspired visuals like the loading bar dreamt up by Kendrick Lamar’s creative team for the halftime show was clever. It always amazes me how people take our technology and come up with increasingly creative solutions,” Dalphond enthused, explaining his desire for MVT technology to pave the way for “a new era” of storytelling.
“What makes MVT so exciting is that it controls the audience’s LED wearables like pixels on a TV screen. Each fan becomes an active pixel in a canvas of animated effects that transforms the typically dark stadium space.”
Vincent Leclerc, PixMob Co-Founder and Partner, added: “MVT is transformative in that each show is entirely customised to the event or artist’s creative visions and designs. While our previous tech would cast waves of moving colours, now it’s casting motion graphics and content. It changes the game.”
PixMob’s MVT was piloted at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games closing ceremony and Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour [see TPi #276]. Dalphond concluded: “We do these projects with technology that is still being invented, but that is our DNA – we are a company that advance, and we have enough brain power within the team to ensure we meet the creative vision of clients. We take creative and innovative risks that we can learn from to set the standard for future projects. I’m excited to see where the rest of the year takes us. I am beyond proud of our ability to create experiences, amplify emotions and tell stories across the world.”
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: PixMob
