UAE: National Day 2017

Celebrations for the 46th United Arab Emirates National Day were held in Abu Dhabi in December 2017. Titled ‘A Brilliant Future’, the stadium-scale celebration was attended by members of the royal family and showcased Emirati progress in science, technology, health, humanitarianism and education.

Artists in Motion produced the show, designing a set which featured a custom built 40 metre wide LED screen, framed by vertical hanging theatrical LED screen legs on both sides of the stage. This created an expansive 3D canvas to generate perspective and draw the audience in.

We worked with AIM’s artistic directors on the ‘Conservation’ section, using 3D animation to showcase some of the region’s iconic animal and bird life.

This involved creating rich 3D desert environments and using particle systems to populate them with herds of oryx, gazelles and other wildlife, all rendered at 5k resolution, as well as working with video footage to create a compelling montage of the UAE’s unique fauna. The deadline was tight, with final shots being delivered just days before the show went live, which made for a challenging but rewarding experience!