Using the latest CGI technology the team behind the massive Hollywood blockbuster, i-Robot, created one of the world's largest LED displays. Nokia took control of nine of the square's famous electronic screens to ensure the crowd were immersed in light and music from every direction. The light show was introduced by international superstar Nicki Minaj, who sang a medley of tracks from her new album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.
A team of visual artist worked for more than 5,000 hours, day and night for more than three weeks, to create the hundreds of effects that were used on the large screens. All of the electronic screens were controlled from a mobile server that was fed by eight miles of cable spread over four square blocks of the city.
Combining real dancers with 200ft high computer generated graphics, a building in the square was turned into a living, breathing entity. The building was made to appear as though it was filling with water and then 'melting' in front of the crowd.
The ground-breaking visual event, to launch the Nokia Lumia 900 in North America, was choreographed to an exclusive Nokia Lumia remix of Nicki Minaj's hit Starships, performed live by DJ and producer Doorly.
She performed on a stage that had been erected in the middle of the square in the early hours of Friday morning. A massive countdown clock displayed across the square drew the crowds who were anticipating a big event without knowing what exactly was going to happen.
The spectacle came five months after Nokia wowed the world by turning a 360ft (120m) building into the backdrop for an exclusive 4D show on the banks of the River Thames. Sixteen projectors were used to make it seem like huge butterflies were flying across the London skyline and that the tower was spinning around - the first time this had been done outside of Las Vegas.
(Jim Evans)
