Holotronica’s Hologauze® fabric was used to create in-camera visual effects during the BBC’s live broadcast of the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, which were viewed by millions worldwide.
To achieve the desired forced perspective illusion, Hologauze® was positioned a short distance in front of the camera to cover the full frame. Custom video content was projected onto the fabric, which was mapped to the London Eye for this particular shot. The camera captured both the projected imagery on the Hologauze® and the environment behind it, while the fabric itself remained virtually invisible. This technique allowed for the effect to be rendered live on-air, something not possible with traditional post-production video overlays in a live broadcast setting.
Hologauze® is a patented, fully silvered bobbinet fabric designed specifically for projection-based effects. Its construction allows for high brightness, clear transparency, and minimal moiré patterns. Additionally, being fully silvered, it supports 3D stereoscopic polarized video, distinguishing it from other fabrics in the market.
The visual effects and content for the broadcast were created by Pixel Artworks, while Holotronica supplied the Hologauze® fabric. Blackout managed the installation and supporting structure, and Identity handled the overall lighting, fireworks, sound, and event production.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said, “It’s fantastic to welcome 2025 with our biggest and best-ever New Year’s Eve celebrations. Around 100,000 Londoners and visitors joined us along the Thames for a night of fireworks, lighting, and music, while millions watching from home saw the world-first use of hologram animations to mark the occasion.”
