06 NEWSUBSTANCE
Where Design Meets Drama .
NEWSUBSTANCE is an award-winning creative studio . They have more than 20 years ’ experience designing and delivering brave and ambitious projects that blur the lines of art , engineering , and technology .
They occupy the space where design meets drama . From creative direction to fabrication , NEWSUBSTANCE build from a strong design aesthetic and engineering perspective , propelled by the principle that every aspect of their work has to perform .
For the Opening Ceremony of the long-awaited Expo 2020 Dubai NEWSUBSTANCE worked closely with ceremony producers , FiveCurrents . As part of the original creative and development team they collaborated to advance the vision for the project and facilitated multiple R + D phases to ensure the creative ambition matched what could be delivered on site .
They then worked to imagine , design , build and perform two of the lead moments in the show .
Their delicate kinetic planet formed a centrepiece to the ceremony . The pendulous globe dominated the space ; it emerged vividly as a glowing ball of lava , with video content running through each distinct LED ring , later transforming into a mass of coloured continents and moving landforms in seamless , ever-revolving animation . Made up from a series of concentric rings it was set under the stage floor before rising up high into the centre of Al Wasl Plaza to a live audience of 3000 people and millions online globally .
Building to the show finale , seven of their colossal clouds flew centre stage ; dancing effervescently above Ellie Goulding ’ s performance , they beamed with bright and undulating colours bringing the Expo 2020 Dubai Opening Ceremony to a close .
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