La La Land
-Los Angeles City Hall Aerial Stunt
-Seb’s SXSW Takeover
La La Land: Los Angeles City Hall Aerial Stunt
Ultra had the great fortune to be asked by Lionsgate to brainstorm on something magical for the home entertainment release of La La Land. The film’s planetarium sequence, featuring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone floating and dancing in mid-air, immediately leapt to mind for Maximillian – That was it! Aerial building dancers were the answer to bring the film to life in a way that has never been seen before in the real world!
The incredible Bandaloop dancers have been in the Ultra arsenal for years, just waiting for the perfect project! Lionsgate’s relationship with Mayor Garcetti’s office paved the way to have this creative vision executed on the face of City Hall itself! The press has been off the charts for the stunt and we are very proud to have been a part of such a cool moment in our industry!
This stunt was dream come true for Ultra, who’s labor of love consisted of:
- Dreaming of the perfect spectacle for this Oscar-winning film
- Slaying the negotiations and planning with City Hall, Film LA, and LAPD
- Jamming on the La La Land medley performance music
- Hunting down film inspired dance costumes
- Never skipping a beat on the La La Land dance moves being worked into the choreography
- Perfecting the press conference design and logistics for Mayor Garcetti and Filmmakers
- Tracking down the film’s featured Jazz Band for Mayor Garcetti to jam with
- Producing and directing the entire show from concept to completion
- This gained both national and international coverage!
Our deepest gratitude to Lionsgate for their faith and trust in allowing Ultra to suspend dancers 200 feet in the air from City Hall with the eyes of the world watching – It was an absolute privilege.
La La Land: Seb’s SXSW Takeover
For SXSW 2017, the City of Stars was brought to Austin, Texas!
Ultra had the great honor of being invited into the Lionsgate Lounge to transform the venue into Seb’s Jazz Club from La La Land!
This exclusive fireside chat at Cedar Street Courtyard was crafted around La La Land’s Academy Award winning composer, Justin Hurwitz, who gave guests a peek inside his process for creating the dynamic songs from the film.
To truly make this a special evening to remember, the vibe had to be just right. Fans were immediately transported into the world of La La Land with a Seb’s neon sign and a replica of the now iconic lamppost as a great entrance photo opportunity. As guests entered the courtyard, additional lampposts lined the walls, leading to the main stage draped with red velvet curtains and an additional Seb’s neon sign poised over the stage to set the tone for a magical night.
The guest queue wrapped around the corner, filling the venue to capacity! Fans hung on Justin’s every word as he sat at the piano and walked everyone through the musical journey of La La Land. The evening was brought to a close with a stellar jazz set from local Austin musicians. It was a hot ticket event at SXSW and Ultra was grateful to have been invited to bring our vision to this amazing experience!
