INTERVIEW
PIXMOB CAPTIVATES SUPER BOWL LV AUDIENCE Montreal-based firm captivates the Super Bowl LV audience and adapts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic with a brand-new Safeteams initiative. TPi’s Jacob Waite sits down with PixMob President, Jean-Olivier Dalphond to reflect on the feat.
PixMob provided an unforgettable spectacle for Super Bowl LV, despite a challenging year for North America’s biggest annual sporting event. Taking place on 7 February at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, Super Bowl LV played host to an estimated 25,000 socially distanced fans – a third of the stadium’s capacity – as well as thousands of cardboard cutouts and a career-spanning performance by The Weeknd during the Halftime Show. Employing around 30,000 LED wristbands for live audience members and cardboard cutouts, 500 ultra-powerful LED “flares” for the performers on the field and 75 LED face masks, PixMob demonstrated its ability to turn audiences into part of the show while creating an “entrancing” canvas of light for viewers at home. Gaps in the empty seats were filled with lights and cardboard cutouts. In the daylight, the cardboard cutouts represented 2D audience members, while at night, with PixMob pixels, during the show the entire stadium came alive with light. “We’re very happy and honoured to be doing the Super Bowl Halftime Show for a second year in a row, especially during these exceptional pandemic conditions,” PixMob President, Jean-Olivier Dalphond
commented. “We approached it as both a challenge and an opportunity, and we are very pleased to have been able to offer such an uplifting experience for everyone watching this extraordinary event during these unprecedented times.” Having played a key part in the 2014 and 2020 event, Dalphond underlined the unique nature of Super Bowl LV. “The biggest difference this year was the COVID-19 protocols, which were implemented by organisers and which the team adhered to on site,” he explained, walking TPi through the frequent testing, PPE and social distancing requirements. “The NFL applied the most comprehensive COVID-19 secure health and safety restrictions possible to ensure the safety of the crew, performing artists and sports teams. Above all, our crew felt safe on site.” PixMob Executive Producer, Sophie Blondeau; Technical Directors, Jacques Vanier and Christophe Lessard-Drolet; Pixel Manager, Samantha Lynn and Programmer, Rafael Linares – who supported remotely from Sweden, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions – worked closely with Eric Marchwinski of Early Bird Visuals on programming and integration. “Equipment was installed into the upper tiers of the rig. If you factor in the 42
