Collider takes over New York’s Times Square with Nelson Mandela short ‘The Power of Words’
Sydney-based film and design collective, Collider, is behind a thought-provoking short film compilation of Nelson Mandela’s powerful words of wisdom currently blanketing New York City’s iconic Times Square electronic billboards each night throughout April.
Collider was invited to create the three-minute piece of animated typography titled The Power of Words, by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Film Institute to commemorate the 95th birthday of Nelson Mandela.
The short film will screen nightly at 11.57pm until midnight as part of the prestigious ‘Midnight Moment: A Digital Gallery’ event. The event is the largest co-ordinated effort in history by the sign operators in Times Square to display synchronised, cutting-edge creative content on electronic billboards and newspaper kiosks at 
the same time every day, across this iconic public space.
The Times Square Advertising Coalition (TSAC) and Times Square Arts, the public art program for the Times Square Arts Alliance, present Midnight Moment. A new selection is screened each month in a nightly countdown to midnight. Works are commissioned from 
the world’s leading artists and creative practitioners with recent contributors including Yoko Ono, renowned British artist Tracey Emin, and Bjork.
The Power of Words was developed as a collaboration between Nabil Elderkin, Andrew van der Westhuyzen and Gregory Stern with post production by Collider and Method Studios Australia. Edited from the numerous writings of Nelson Mandela, it aims to share the wisdoms of Mandela with his words realised in pared-back, black and white typography and brought to life through organic, fluid animation
Andrew van der Westhuyzen says the team thought carefully about the best use of the unique opportunity to utilise the vast number of electronic billboards in harmonious synchronicity; “Rather than compete with the frenzy of visual noise in Times Square, we wanted to use typography to tone down the volume and create an engaging moment of breath and meaning. We felt it was very important here to be spare and focussed, to create a quieting effect on one of the most bustling environments on Earth.”
Nabil Elderkin described the work’s intent: “We strived to create a concept that honours Nelson Mandela’s legacy, staying true to the man and his message while reaching out in a unique and visual format.”
As well as screening during Midnight Moment all throughout April, the work will also feature at a special event to honour Nelson Mandela at the Tribeca Film Festival later this month.
Mandela’s grandson, Kweku Mandela said: “The aim was to commission exceptional practitioners to interpret the words of my grandfather through original creative work as a way to commemorate his 95th Birthday and create public awareness for the collaboration between the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Tribeca titled The Power of Words”
Tamir Muhammad from the Tribeca Film Institute described it as “rather than a biographical tribute, this work offers a modern depiction of the wisdom from Mandela’s words”.
Collider was established 10 years ago and has created design, film and animation work for many local and international clients. Recent projects have included the new identity for Sydney’s UNESCO World Heritage Listed Cockatoo Island, branding for Australia’s art pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale as well as for Kaldor Public Art Projects’ 13 Rooms exhibition, a TVC for the airline Virgin Australia via Clemenger and another for subscription television carrier, Foxtel.
The Power of Words will screen during Midnight Moment at Times Square, 42nd-47th Streets, between Broadway and 7th Avenue, New York City, 11:57pm-midnight, nightly during April.
Client: Nelson Mandela Foundation / Tribeca Film Institute / Times Square
Alliance
Agency: Collider
Co-Directors: Nabil Elderkin / Andrew van der Westhuyzen
Writer/Producer: Greg Stern
Post production: Collider / Method Studios Australia
2 Comments
Wow, animated text. What will they think of next? And the outer space environment with letters as stars, or maybe it’s just something flakey floating around out there, hard to tell.
By the way, a ‘teaser’ is by definition intended to entice a viewer into wanting to see more, not use more than half of a :48 spot to list the creators and their sponsors.
What a self-congratulatory wank. Mandela and his words deserve far better than this for his birthday. If this twelve paragraph press release is someone’s idea of The Power of Words, they should look for another line of work.
I want to see the short to be able to make a judgement about it.