Illuminations: Protecting Our Planet
Massive projections of endangered species onto the United Nations and Empire State Building, turning Manhattan's skyline into a canvas for conservation.
On August 1, 2015, the Empire State Building hosted its first-ever projection: a $1M+ spectacle featuring 160+ endangered species projected across 33 floors of the iconic building's south façade, choreographed to original songs by Sia and Anohni. The event generated 1 billion+ media impressions worldwide and the footage became the uplifting ending of the Racing Extinction film. Hunter shot all of the smooth MōVi work featured in the film and cutdowns.
- Year
- 2015
- Hunter's role
- Cinematographer
- Director
- Louie Psihoyos (Curator/Conceived) / Travis Threlkel (Obscura Digital, Realized)
- Type
- Short Film
- Countries
- USA (New York City — Empire State Building south façade + adjacent rooftop; UN Headquarters)
Collaborators
- Louie Psihoyos — Executive Director, Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS)
- Olivia Ahnemann
- Fisher Stevens — Co-founder, Insurgent Media
- Gina Papabeis
Awards
N/A
Festivals
N/A
Real-world impact
First-ever projection on the Empire State Building — an event so massive it stopped New Yorkers in their tracks. Generated 1 billion+ worldwide media impressions. Cecil the Lion's last-minute inclusion (killed weeks earlier) amplified global outrage over wildlife poaching. The footage became the climactic ending of Racing Extinction (35M viewers globally on premiere). The Sia 'One Candle' music video drove additional awareness. 'Manta Ray' by J. Ralph & Anohni received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. Directly preceded the Vatican Fiat Lux projection (Dec 2015) and Racing Extinction's Discovery Channel global premiere.