We looked at this technological marvel that is redefining entertainment and is at the forefront of innovation. But what are screens without content that create unforgettable experiences? We sat down with Kevin O’Neill, VP of Creative and Strategy and Kyle Pilot, CTO of iGotcha Media, to discuss how we would approach such a large canvas with engaging content.
“I love it,” says Kevin O’Neill. “I think it’s a clever play that the exterior of the Vegas Sphere has become a canvas for many content types, often more ambient, artistic, and playful vs exclusively for marketing and promotions, which are injected at a steady rate and are fun and engaging.”
Unleashing our core strength as a digital technology and experience integrator, we’d love to create spherical LED displays on a larger-than-life scale. Here’s an exploration of what our journey would be like, where creativity is only limited by our imaginations:
Ideate
- We would have fun with the feel-like-a-kid-again approach that a sphere experience invite. The Vegas installation is something we have never seen before that immediately captivates – it makes you look up, pause, and take it all in – like a child seeing a film in the theatre for the first time. My starter thought to challenge our team would be what content can emphasize and add to the scale of these experiences, making them even more unforgettable.
- On the sphere exterior, you have the unique opportunity to engage with audiences from every angle as a dynamic canvas for marketing. It is almost perma-viral months after launch; social feeds are dominated with daily shares of the latest promotional piece or the cheeky grin of the motion-reactive smiley face winking at a passing red-eye flight before falling asleep for a few seconds – brilliant, funny, and so simple, but technically involved behind the scenes no doubt. This is something that iGotcha Media thrives on creating as we are perfectly primed to solve with the best team of creators, developers, engineers, and integrators fine-tuned in collaboration to provide the best experience.
- The early ideation phase is similar for every project we execute – we cast a wide net of exploration through sketches, inspirational reference hunting, mood board preparation and collaborative brainstorming sessions led by the creative team but involving members from all facets of iGotcha Media to maximize our individual experience and collective expertise.
Create
- We always start very open-minded, inviting input from the whole team, no matter how wacky or simple. As we meet daily through the project progression, we critique and challenge each other’s ideas, witling down to those we feel are the strongest concepts for committing our effort to build a proposal deck around pitching the best-suited experiences to our clients.
- The approach for a Sphere would start to vary depending on the scale and as concepts progress between promotion on the exterior 360* sphere or content for an interior immersive display experience.
- Our team of specialists collaborates closely, applying expertise in various tools and steps in the creative process, flexing their strengths in designing, animating, and developing through iterative phases to our polished concepts.
- Layers of interactive engagement are a close collaboration between Kyle’s Development team and my Creative team with routine consultations to ensure we apply best practices for the experience, testing early and often to ensure a deliverable that has been through our rigorous due diligence process.
- At iGotcha Media, we have proposed LED sphere experiences for major sports venues and events in collaboration with Branded Stadium Experience agency partners. There is a natural assist between spherical displays and the heart of many sports – the game ball! We have leaned into this parallel and have had a lot of fun conceiving various scales of sphere installations, their supporting structures and content explorations to maximize the appeal of this new form of Digital Signage
Integrate
- The Art of Math and Mock-ups: Behind-the-scenes magic by our procurement team of Account Directors, Hardware Project Managers and Engineers involves intricate calculations and concept mock-ups in parallel evolution during plan reviews and approval meetings.
- Development-Creative Fusion: Witness the dynamic collaboration between our Development and Creative Studio teams, blending tech prowess with creative genius.
- Partnering with vendors to bring concepts to life, from Flex LED panels to supporting structures, solving the shipping and reinstallation puzzle.
- Test Build Excitement: The pinnacle moment arrives with the first test build, setting the stage for content and experience testing.
The journey unfolds over several months, weaving together ideas, plans, and approvals to create an unforgettable experience. It is a rollercoaster of innovation, where each step brings us closer to the exhilarating moment of unveiling a groundbreaking, integrated vision. This is not just technology; it’s the art of limitless storytelling and immersive experiences! The Las Vegas Sphere emerges as a revolutionary hub, challenging entertainment norms. By pushing creative boundaries, content creators can offer audiences unparalleled and unforgettable experiences, solidifying the Sphere’s status as the future of live entertainment.
Read part 1: A Technological Marvel Redefining Entertainment. This first part with Kyle Pilot, our CTO, gives us a technological vision of the MSG sphere.
