Lisbon Under Stars: A Journey Through History

OCUBO's Immersive Light Show Illuminates Portuguese Heritage

OCUBO's unique approach to this project lies in its multidisciplinary nature. The church walls, transformed into screens, host dancers, singers, painters, and multimedia artists, all filmed in a studio and then integrated into a coherent multimedia work. The audience is allowed to move freely around the location, experiencing the show from various perspectives, making each visitor's experience unique.

The realization of this project involved scripting, filming, editing, and producing by the OCUBO team, employing several techniques used in the movie industry. The show required the use of 13 projectors, making it one of the largest shows OCUBO has produced in Portugal. The placement of these projectors was carefully analyzed to minimize distortion on the church's intricately carved surfaces.

The technical specifications of the project were meticulously planned. All filming was done in a chroma studio, with the camera positioned on the ground and pointed upwards to accommodate the audience's perspective. The public was placed at the center of the main nave of Carmo’s Church, allowing them to enjoy the spectacle from a 360º viewpoint.

The project, which took about two and a half months to produce, involved more than 100 people in the creative animation and production team. 'Lisbon Under Stars' was presented to the public from May to June 2018, with two night sessions from Monday to Saturday at Carmo’s Church in Lisbon, Portugal. The show will also be on display in 2019.

OCUBO faced several challenges in creating 'Lisbon Under Stars'. They had to create a storyline that would encapsulate 600 years of history in an accessible way for a wide range of audiences. The show had to be bilingual without being too heavy, and the narration had to be poetic while still conveying historical facts. Despite these challenges, OCUBO succeeded in creating a unique, immersive show that illuminated Portuguese history and culture in a novel way.

The project was awarded the Golden A' Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design Award in 2019, a testament to its outstanding creativity and innovation. 'Lisbon Under Stars' is a shining example of how art, design, and technology can come together to create a unique and engaging experience that brings history to life.