Project Title
The Art of Avatar 2: The Way of Water | Immersive Experience
Client
20th Century Studios/The Walt Disney Company (Partner: Lightstorm Entertainment)
Role
Creative Director & Executive Producer (Hired by Mob Scene)
Duration
Under 4 weeks (Concept to Opening) | 3-day activation (Earth Day)
Awards
Silver Clio Award Winner
Challenge
20th Century Studios/Disney sought to generate significant buzz and interest for the video release of Avatar 2: The Way of Water. The objective was to create a high-impact, temporary immersive experience that would captivate audiences, reinforce the film's artistic depth, and encourage re-engagement with the franchise, all under an incredibly compressed timeline and promotional event budget.
Approach & Creative Vision
As Creative Director and Executive Producer, I was brought in by Mob Scene to swiftly develop and lead the execution of this unique experience. My core vision was to:
Avatar Producer Jon Landau personally collaborated and approved the experience.
A hyperspace tunnel transported attendees...
to the underwater realms of Pandora.
• Transport Audiences to Pandora: The central concept was to take attendees on an emotional journey through the stunning concept art that defined the Avatar universe. This began with a "hyperspace portal" entry hallway, transitioning guests from the real world into Pandora, leading to a gallery showcasing iconic film maquettes, costumes, and a photo opportunity with Na'vi-sized boots.
• Craft an Emotional Narrative: Leveraging the film's iconic score, I meticulously crafted a narrative for two distinct 16-minute immersive 360-degree projection shows. One focused on the breathtaking concept art, while the other presented a dynamic narrative arc designed to build to a powerful, tear-inducing crescendo, maximizing emotional impact and fostering a lasting impression—a core tenet of my design philosophy. I also strategically integrated looping audience photo opportunities within the concept art show to maximize shareable moments.
• Ensure Franchise Fidelity (with Strategic Adaptation): Working directly with Avatar Producer Jon Landau and Mob Scene CEO Tom Grane, my primary challenge was to ensure the experience felt independent and not merely a "Reader's Digest" version of the film, while strictly adhering to the creative vision of the franchise. After an initial week of production, Mr. Landau wisely guided us to remove early "human attack" narrative elements perceived as too intense for children, leading to a more magical and accessible show. This required agile re-concepting of the edit, showcasing flexibility and commitment to the client's evolving vision.
Executive Producer & Production Oversight
Delivering a high-caliber immersive experience in less than four weeks from concept to opening was a monumental undertaking, demanding exceptional strategic planning, leadership, and hands-on problem-solving. My responsibilities included:
• Hyper-Accelerated Pipeline Redesign: Collaborated with Mob Scene's technical and production teams to rapidly redesign and optimize the internal creative and technical pipeline.
• Rapid Iteration & Stakeholder Management: Quickly generated and iterated on creative and narrative concepts with major stakeholders, ensuring prompt approvals from The Walt Disney Company and Lightstorm Entertainment.
• Resource Optimization: Leveraged existing visual and audio assets from the Avatar franchise to construct entirely new narrative experiences, effectively maximizing the promotional event's limited budget. Directly managed the creative team while providing essential consultation and oversight on the overall operations and installation.
• Collaborative Design Integration: Partnered closely with the Lightstorm and Disney teams to seamlessly integrate user experience around pre-existing physical objects (costumes, statues, large-scale prints).
• Led a 15 Person Production Team: including in-house and out-of-house animators/graphics artists, a graphics producer, editor, assistant editors, finishing team, production coordinator, projection tech, location audio designer, and lighting designer
• Personal Commitment: Employed a high level of personal effort and hands-on engagement with the editing and immersive layout design to drive the project forward under extreme pressure.
Key Features & Technology
The experience comprised a multi-zone journey:
• Dual 360-Degree Immersive Presentations: Two distinct galleries featuring projection mapping, spatial sound design, and advanced graphics workflows (including AI and game engines) to present captivating 16-minute shows.
• Art & Artifact Gallery: Showcasing original concept art, behind-the-scenes videos, screen-used costumes, and life-sized statues.
• Hyperspace Entry: An immersive entry hallway utilizing budget-friendly lighting effects to create the sensation of hyperspace travel.
Results & Impact
The Art of Avatar 2 immersive experience was a resounding success, achieving significant promotional goals and garnering industry recognition:
• Sold-Out Attendance: Attracted over 10,000 attendees in just 3 days, demonstrating immense public demand and successful event execution.
• Massive Social Media Reach: Generated millions of social media impressions (data confirmed via Disney and Mob Scene for Clio Award nomination), driving widespread buzz for the video release.
• Exceptional Audience Response: Prompted overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees and observed emotional responses, including a Disney PR executive who was moved to tears and wanted to re-watch the movie despite previously disliking Avatar.
• Industry Acclaim: Recognized with a prestigious Silver Clio Award, validating the project's creative excellence and effectiveness.
• Client Confidence & Future Prospects: The project's success led to discussions with Disney executives regarding future promotional experiences, affirming strong client satisfaction.
