New Year’s Eve 2024 Hologauze Projections
For The Mayor of London’s 2024 New Year’s Eve Celebrations, we partnered with Identity and the Greater London Authority to create a moment of pure magic for viewers who couldn’t be there in person.
The annual spectacle captivates millions of viewers worldwide – so no pressure! While the night sky sparkled, we worked behind the scenes to bring an exclusive, live element of London’s dazzling display right into living rooms across the globe. And the best part? Watching everyone wonder how we did it as the theories began to swirl!
The magic
So how did we do it? The effect was achieved by projecting onto Hologauze, a specialised projection screen designed to create holographic effects. It’s a patented gauze by Holotronica that is coated with a highly reflective silver metallic layer. The unique design allows the gauze to effectively reflect projected images or animations while simultaneously allowing the visibility of objects located behind it. To achieve maximum transparency, the Hologauze must be free from any other lighting effects and set in a dark environment.
A common misconception was that the Hologauze was hung directly on the London Eye. This wasn’t possible as it would essentially create a sail out of the structure which could be extremely dangerous in high winds. Instead, a Hologauze screen was setup in front of a broadcast camera at a specific angle to create a perspective-based illusion.
The projected content was created by our studio in close collaboration with Lighting Designer Tim Routledge, Titanium Fireworks and Musical Directors ON THE SLY to ensure the colors and timings matched all visual and audio aspects and showcased 2024’s most unforgettable moments, from viral sensations to historic milestones.
The measurement
The numbers don’t lie – the New Year’s celebration was a smash hit! Beyond the jaw-dropping 10 million+ global viewers, we set social media ablaze. The iconic Paddington Bear and our cheeky nod to Charli XCX’s ‘brat summer’ had everyone talking, with major UK outlets like Metro UK and Sky News featuring our creation in their coverage.
