Crystal CG transforms London Olympic Stadium into the world's largest digital screen

London's Olympic Stadium turned into a giant screen during the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games 2012. This screen, formed by 70.799 pixel tablets, It extended throughout the entire bleacher area and each one had 9 pixeles LED, nearly 640.000 in total, controlled by a central computer.

The opening ceremony of the London Games 2012 witnessed the largest animated digital display in the world, created by the company Crystal CG, that extended throughout all the stands of the London Olympic stadium, from the playing field itself to the outer edge of the sports venue. Translating the vision of film director Danny Boyle to the audience, spectators became part of the action.

The giant video screen was made up of small, paddle-shaped pixel tablets designed by Tait Technologies, each connected to a seat in the stadium and composed of 9 full color LED pixels -634.500 in total-, arranged in a square like a panel. On the whole, las 70.799 pixel tablets created a screen, moved by the public and controlled by a central computer, of unprecedented size, which showcased spectacular Crystal CG digital animations. At a certain moment, The public was asked to take the pixels with which complex images and beautiful effects were formed in the stadium thanks to the 317 kilometers of cable connected to central control.

Designed to support and extend the live action of ceremonies, This is the first time Pixel tablets have been used to create a large, immersive display at a live event.. Will Case, creative director of Crystal CG, has commented: “The public, literally, became part of the action. We are no longer limited by large flat screens. We were presented with the challenge of creating animations to unite the stage and the spectators.. The audience watching it live and the people watching at home were drawn into the action. We are witnessing the death of the traditional video screen; This will transform the way event content is presented in the future., becoming a more immersive experience”.

The project was developed in only 14 weeks with a team of 50 Cristal CG designers and 3 people passed 40 hours aligning the images with the irregular shape of the stadium seating area.