Doctor Who and Audi partner with Spinifex Group to launch Vivid Festival Sydney installations
Public excitement was at fever pitch surrounding the entry of cult British TV brand Dr. Who to Vivid 2013, coinciding with the show’s 50th Anniversary.
The Spinifex Group’s projection for Dr. Who on Customs House was commissioned by BBC Worldwide, with the support of Destination NSW, and saw some of the biggest crowds to date cramming into Circular Quay to secure a prime view of the projection.
The installation begins with an image of the eternity clock, calling fans to Customs House and preparing them for an onslaught of Dr. Who action. The projection shows the famous Doctor travelling through time and space – as usual he rubs shoulders with various creatures, including the Cybermen, Silurians, the Vampires of Venice and the Weeping Angels. The fortuitous Doctor survives, before escaping at the last possible moment in his trusty TARDIS.
Jamie Tufrey, Spinifex’s lead designer and co-creator, really wanted to leverage the fantastic characters of Dr. Who within the installation, and capture the epic cinematic grander of Series 7 of the popular programme. The entertaining six minute long projection includes several different worlds drawn from the rich creative territory of the TV series.
Says Tufrey: “We set out to create the ultimate experience for Dr. Who fans of all ages. The designs are built around a detailed 3D model of Customs House, so we can project onto every nook and cranny of the building. In the scene with the Vampires of Venice, audiences will feel like they are standing in St. Marks Square, as they watch CustomsHouse transform into an opulent Venetian Palace.”
To bring the projection to life, Spinifex use the latest cutting edge techniques including complex particle simulations, hyper realistic 3D Matte paintings – as well as old school, hand drawn animations.
The Spinifex Group also partnered up with luxury German automotive brand Audi to produce a special digital art installation that celebrates the launch of a new car; the Audi A3 Sportback.
The artwork will be projected onto the Sugar Store building at Circular Quay as part of the VIVID Festival, and notably, this is the first time that an automotive brand has joined the Festival as a partner. Spinifex has been involved in several VIVID festivals, but 2013 sees the first year that the Australian company has projected their work onto the ‘sails’ of the Sydney Opera House – the jewel in the crown of the Vivid festival.
The bespoke Audi installation is set to the hugely popular sound of French duo Daft Punk’s iconic hit ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’ and seeks to convey the essence of the Audi brand, while demonstrating that despite its compact dimensions, the new model is not a compromise. Audi has a strong tradition of cultural and modern art sponsorship, and participating in Vivid represents further strengthening of the brand’s culture and art credentials.
Says Anna Burgdorf, general manager Corporate Communications at Audi: “The Vivid partnership is in keeping with our strong interest in supporting contemporary art in Australia In recent years we have undertaken many projects that seek to explore the dialogue between art and design. By partnering with Spinifex Group, we had confidence that we were working with leading world-renowned creative and technology experts. The company is extremely pleased with the result – a sensitive andvibrant campaign, strong on imagery and graphic elements that is in keepingwith the editorial nature of the Festival, yet successfully conveying the brand essence and attributes of the A3 Sportback.”