NOW Art hosted a livestream with various Canadian creative companies, including Float4, Bakuza, Luz Studio, Cirque du Soleil, Lighthouse Immersive, Tangle, Secret Location, Holo-Labs, Normal Studio, Moment Factory, and more!
Below is a transcript of the video:
[Carmen Zella, NOW Art]
My name is Carmen Zella, and I am the executive director and founder of NOW Art in Los Angeles. We’re thrilled to be hosting so many incredible events that will be making their way to the international stage. Los Angeles has an international stage, but not like this.
This is going to be something very special. As the leader of a creative organization, I really feel the need to start forging bridges with other creative organizations on the international stage. I should also disclose that I am Canadian.
Now, let me introduce Matthew Oppenheimer from the Consulate of Canada. He’s here because he works with the tech and creative industries, as well as international trade. Welcome!
[Matthew Oppenheimer’s Remarks]
Thank you. I’ll keep this brief. We’re thrilled to be here. I support Canadians and Americans working across borders, especially in business. That’s what tonight is about: bringing people together. We’re looking forward to the incredible years ahead here in Los Angeles, with so many exciting sporting, cultural, and entertainment events.
We’re here to celebrate with you—and to make it all pop, both visually and sonically. Shortly, I’ll introduce the teams behind the integration and screen work that turn these ideas into reality. I’d like to introduce Melissa Eisen from the Delegation of Quebec in Los Angeles.
[Melissa Eisen]
I’m really happy to welcome this work here to Los Angeles. I’ve been working in the creative industry for about six years, trying to help our companies grow and become more business-oriented in this area. When Matthew and his colleagues came and said, “We can do this great program related to sports and innovation in LA, from the World Cup and beyond,” I thought, that’s fantastic.
Then I asked, “What about creative companies with really innovative design doing all these amazing applications?” And they said, “Well, it doesn’t really fit in with what we’re doing.” That conversation inspired Matthew to say, “Okay, why don’t we do something with those companies, working together?”
We reached out in a very short period, and I’m really happy to see it come together. We have a very eventful week ahead, and I’m hoping it brings many great things. I am based here locally, so if anyone has questions or needs follow-up, I’m available.
Now, let me introduce HUB Montreal.
Hello everyone. Normal Studio is a commercial, multidisciplinary creative studio, a collective of producers, artists, creators, and technologists. It’s also a community of people learning about technology and art, and, most importantly, project management: learning how to bring their dreams to life.
It’s not just about having a dream; it’s about having a dream that can actually come to life. Since 2009, we’ve delivered projects in more than a dozen countries, and we’re known for our passionate engagement in celebrating immersive shows and experiences across the world.
We focus on artistic inspiration, screenwriting, and storytelling that define the essence of an experience, through visuals, sound, effects, and music. We design these elements for maximum impact, supported by production and technical management, to make sure these ideas become reality.
Every project is an opportunity for wonder, but it’s also an opportunity for connection, connection with the audience, and connection among those of us who dream, imagine, and create these amazing projects. We always collaborate closely to create moments that are remembered long after they happen. This is what we call making life legendary.
We are a global multimedia production company, working across events and permanent multimedia installations. A guiding principle we live by is the importance of connecting people, sharing stories, collective experiences, and the feeling of being together. This is what drives our mission: to connect humans through meaningful, immersive experiences.
We don’t focus on projects for art’s sake; our work is about personal connection and emotional engagement. We achieve this through two main formats: Moment Factory Originals, our signature productions that have sold over 8 million tickets worldwide, and Custom Experiences, tailor-made, scalable projects that form the core of our work. These two formats allow us to serve clients with varying ambitions, business models, and budgets.
We’ve been building our expertise for over 24 years. Our commitment to R&D keeps us at the forefront of the industry. This dedication has led to over 550 productions and more than 200 awards, all made possible by our incredible team of 450 professionals.
Though we operate across five offices worldwide, our structure remains boutique and project-based. Every client works closely with a dedicated team, ensuring a personalized, creative, and strategic experience. Our in-house talent is diverse, giving us a comprehensive, 360-degree approach, from scenography and analog design to digital technologies.
We’ve built strong support pillars into our structure, including a procurement team with a network of partners to ensure optimal value and product fit, and an internal professional development team that ensures our staff stays at the cutting edge of design and technology.
I am the founder and Creative Director of Luz Studio, based in Montreal. We’re a team of 14 designers and producers focused on light and production design. Our studio is called Luz, a name that reflects our foundation in lighting and scenography.
We specialize in creating set extensions, primarily for the concert and live event industries. Our practice involves transforming bare screens into immersive environments by merging visual design with light to create optical illusions and lasting visual impressions.
Instead of changing visuals for every song, we design consistent environments that remain with the performance, complemented by full control over lighting. It’s a highly specific, niche practice, but one that is deeply impactful. Our goal is to make the screen disappear and let the content speak.
For example, when working with Rebecca Dyer, she wanted something simple yet powerful. We designed a sign that felt real because every detail, including the lighting, was fully controlled. This approach ensures that what you see on screen appears tangible and grounded in reality.
We’ve also collaborated with artists like Billy Strings, as well as on large-scale projects such as The Sphere. For The Sphere, we were tasked with creating visuals for television that needed to be photorealistic, so convincing that viewers would forget they were looking at a screen. Our method allows for great flexibility; since it’s all light-driven, colors and environments can be adapted seamlessly.
Beyond concerts, we’ve extended this approach into the corporate world. The goal remains the same: to understand the story being told and to use light as the medium to bring that story to life.
Thank you all for coming tonight! We are the original producers of the Van Gogh Experience in North America. To date, we’ve sold over 7 million tickets worldwide, and we’re just getting started. With a single phone call, we’ve made things happen you’d never expect, including becoming the exclusive global rights-holder for Disney Immersive.
As for venue openings, we’re currently at 29, including a presence in Las Vegas. Surprisingly, even to us, we’ve also launched in Branson, Missouri, often called the “Las Vegas of the Bible Belt,” thanks in part to our collaboration with local institutions there.
Our content library speaks for itself, featured in our sizzle reels and high-profile productions like Dancing With the Stars, The Bachelor, Game 7, and more, showcasing both our creative range and our commercial impact.
So, where are we now?
We’ve just introduced a new product to the market called Lighthouse Bespoke, and I’m absolutely delighted to share that we’ve finalized a deal to build an immersive experience in Moreno Valley. We can’t wait to bring you into it.
[Hololabs]
I’m the Creative Director at Hololabs, a creative technology studio that builds immersive experiences.
We’ve collaborated on some of the most impressive theme park attractions, including the Viking Horse Ride at the Mario Arts Pavilion in Universal Studios, and another recent installation at Epic Universe in Orlando.
I started the company about 15 years ago, with a focus on merging technology and storytelling to transform physical spaces into interactive environments.
We’re proud nerds, and we embrace it. We want our technology to be fun. Our work spans augmented reality, virtual reality, theme park rides, and immersive street-level installations. These are high-tech experiences, but what ties them all together is human connection. That’s why we center our work around gameplay—it’s our core expertise.
We constantly iterate on the science of fun. But fun alone isn’t enough. These experiences must also be reliable. It’s not fun to wait two hours in line only for an attraction to break down. So we developed Holla Command, a system that helps operators recover quickly from failures and keep the experience running smoothly.
Our team includes not just world-class engineers (we think they’re the best), but also storytellers, designers, and artists. Together, we’ve created Holla Wall—a framework for building interactive experiences like some you may have seen tonight. These installations allow users to control the experience using their phone, body, emotions, or even thoughts.
This platform lets us continually refine the user experience and build scalable, engaging shows—turning cutting-edge technology into unforgettable, human-centered entertainment.
[GRFT+]
When we repeat actions, when we feel, when we create—we use our hands to make art. That’s why we combine multiple disciplines and celebrate culture to design meaningful experiences around the world.
We deeply respect personal expression. It’s incredibly motivating and reminds us how important it is to understand that every experience starts with a story. Whether it’s a festival, an installation, or a large-scale digital event, our goal is to create moments where people can connect.
These aren’t just performances; they’re immersive expressions of identity, culture, and creativity. We’ve participated in many large-scale productions that bring digital capabilities and human experiences together. Every decision we make is guided by that vision.
Go2 Productions is an animation studio based in Vancouver. We work with unique technologies to bring brands, spaces, and public art installations to life. Our team is a collective of animators, producers, product managers, and technical directors who specialize in creating distinctive and immersive visual experiences.
The majority of our work—over 90%—takes place in urban environments. Over time, we’ve become a turnkey solution for many of our clients, offering both creative and technical services. On the creative side, we focus on concept development, 3D animation, and interactive programming. On the technical side, we partner with teams across North America to handle everything from installation and equipment setup to on-site operation.
We’ve been in business for around 20 years, and our clients often come to us when they need a complete solution, something that not only delivers a compelling concept but also pairs it with the right technology. We work extensively with projection mapping, for both interior and exterior spaces, helping ideas move from vision to reality in striking, immersive ways.
[FLO4T]
Hello everyone, and thank you so much for joining us tonight. We truly appreciate being surrounded by such a creative community.
Our studio primarily focuses on permanent and functional installations, ranging from post offices and lobbies to operations desks and more. We approach each project with simplicity, aiming to unlock and express the story of a space.
When we begin work with a client, one of the first questions we ask is: What do you want your guests to remember? That question shapes everything we do.
In addition to our functional installations, we also take pride in working on iconic, large-scale media architecture projects that transform destinations into immersive, human-scale experiences.
We’ll take you through a few examples of our recent work.
We specialize in live-action capture, particularly for projects requiring underwater footage. Our content creation team combines creativity with emerging technologies, including AI and experiential interfaces, to make the impossible possible.
We transform corporate spaces into universal experiences that engage guests, customers, and employees alike.
Our interactive software teams are true wizards—leveraging user-signed data to create exponential opportunities for creative engagement. We’ve also developed operational observatories that curate and guide users to explore cities through personalized, data-driven journeys.
We don’t just build experiences, we dream them into reality.
You may know that Cirque du Soleil has been presenting shows around the world for many years. We’ve toured internationally, bringing performances that go far beyond flashy lights and dramatic effects. These shows resonate deeply, and as audiences ask for more, we continue to grow and evolve.
Cirque du Soleil Advanced Experiences is a bit different. We handle everything from concept to execution.
What does that mean? It means we work with a select group of clients and collaborators around the world—ranging from permanent cultural institutions to private property owners—to create and produce custom, one-of-a-kind shows and immersive experiences.
We offer a wide range of productions, from highly exclusive private events to large-scale public experiences that leave a lasting impression. These aren’t just performances—they’re crafted, immersive journeys unlike anything you’ve seen.
We also take on highly specialized commissions, often rooted in sensitive or deeply meaningful subject matter. For example, a recent request came in: “Can you create something that embodies the essence of Solemn Solace and present it for others to experience and reflect upon?”
That’s what we’ve been doing for the past 20 years—bringing emotional depth, artistic excellence, and immersive storytelling to audiences around the world.
[Pixmob]
There’s something special about being with other people, especially with 60,000 people in a stadium or arena. That’s what we try to amplify: collective joy. You can’t watch a show at home and get as excited as you do with thousands of fans screaming at the top of their lungs, cheering for their favorite artist. That energy is unmatched.
We were honored to work at the 2014 and 2024 Olympics. At last year’s closing ceremony, you saw a dove spread across the entire audience; a stunning force effect created with technology invented in Montreal, used by Canada and around the world.
We design and manufacture all this technology ourselves and have worked with artists like Taylor Swift and Shawn Mendes. With very little notice, we shipped all our equipment to Los Angeles. In just 16 hours, we emptied our warehouse, loaded three semi-trucks, and drove to Los Angeles. They were expecting 20,000 fans for the playoffs, but over 2 million showed up.
Currently, we employ about 30 people in California through Fix Mob to refurbish and maintain this equipment. For example, at the Beyoncé show at SoFi Stadium, we collected used devices, changed batteries for sustainability, and returned them to the world. Everyone was happy.
It’s all about collective joy, sustainability, and creating overwhelming, shared experiences.
Thank you.
[Closing Remarks]
Alright, everyone—that was just a glimpse of what we can do. None of it would be possible without coming together, no matter where in the world we are.
Let’s unite in this moment through arts and creativity. Enjoy the drinks and food, and thank you all for being here!