Sony Xperia launch

To demonstrate the 960 frames per second filming capability of a new smart phone, we created a number of scenarios involving some interesting rigs and some super-talented dancers. A group of around 30 journalists were invited to film the action, which was set up on the Tróia peninsula in sunny Portugal.

There were 14 powder cannons, 49 water-filled balloons burst in time to music, 7 frames with fake glass for a dancer to smash, 7 polystyrene walls for an acrobat to crash through, 3 controllable water jets, a pond to splash about in, a dance routine with smoke grenades on the beach, and a 7m high machine that could fire over 1000 multi-coloured ping pong balls in about 5 seconds.

The ping pong cannons used 7 leaf blowers to fire the balls. MIDI controlled actuators released waves of balls on demand. More details about how it was made can be found on the build page here.

Amazing people:

Chris Cairns - Master of Ceremonies

Tim Warren - Explorer of Stone Circles

Maz Staruch - Popper of 49 water filled balloons (far more difficult than anyone reading this will imagine)

Jamie Durand - Tallest of the 5am scaffold team

Dan Lowe - Data Manipulator / Extremely kind lender of a Nikon lens after the wind blew my tripod over

Karbula Lorand - UK test b-boy wizard

Stefan "Mostef" Mihalache - Portugal event b-boy wizard

Kirstie Skivington - Glass Puncher / Pond Dancer / Balloon Gymnast

Kate Tabor - Amazing costume designer

Jojo Copeman - Hair and makeup expert

Build page

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