Fiat has partnered with the world-renowned magician, Dynamo, who stars in the 500X pre-launch phase. The artist and the new crossover are set to feature in an extraordinary experience, made accessible through special virtual reality headsets to guests at the 676 European events set to take place prior to the 500X showroom debut, scheduled for next February. The 120″ film was put together by Framestore, a double-Oscar winning creative studio who specialises in special effects. More information on the “The Power of X” initiative is available at the dedicated site: 500x.fiat500.com
To mark the Fiat 500X pre-launch phase, the Fiat brand has announced its collaboration with world famous magician, Dynamo, who has been dominating the international magic scene since 2011 with his TV show “Magician Impossible”. Now that “Magician Impossible” has come to an end this partnership with Fiat is Dynamo’s first step in the next phase of his increasingly thrilling journey.
Dynamo’s TV shows have been seen by over 250 million viewers across 180 countries and his incredible feats include walking on the River Thames, predicting the outcome of the World Cup and levitating above Europe’s tallest building and he is the worlds most followed magician on social media with over 4.9 million Facebook fans and 2.3 million followers on Twitter.
The new Fiat Crossover and Dynamo have come together for the exciting European experience, “The Power of X”. From late November, the #thepowerofX experience will take the 500X to the main squares of 74 European cities and to 602 exclusive premières hosted at Fiat dealerships all over Europe. Throughout the activity, members of the public will be able to get up close to the 500X ahead of its showroom debut scheduled for next February.
Guests will be able to take part in an extraordinary experience made accessible through special Virtual Reality headsets. Using the VR headsets, guests on the “The Power of X” tour will be able to view a performance by Dynamo, who will appear, alongside the Fiat 500X, in an extraordinary interactive journey put together by Framestore, a double-Oscar winning creative studio who specialises in special effects. Fiat, Dynamo, and Framestore have created the first ever virtual reality magic experience.
All in the name of “X”, an ancient, magical symbol which brings together Dynamo’s art and the new model from the Fiat brand. “X” represents change and transformation, but at the same time also a balance or a crossroads between opposing entities, as is the case in the new Fiat crossover, where the symbol expresses the “transversality” of a product which is ideally placed at the intersection between several different automotive segments.
The “X” concept is also reflected in the installation which will be assembled at each stage of the tour, as well as the backdrop set up inside participating showrooms for #thepowerofX. In both settings, participants will go on a double journey – real and virtual – to discover the new model. Not only will they be able to touch the vehicle with their bare hands, appreciating its seductive lines and high-quality materials, as well as heading out on the road with a professional driver, they’ll also take part in an immersive experience that uses a Virtual Reality headset positioned over the eyes to reproduce 360º, 3D environments.
This is the first time that a video of such high quality – according to Framestore, the best virtual reality product ever made – has been produced to relay in 2 minutes an encompassing story with high visual impact. Simply consider the fact that the project required 184 years’ worth of computer render hours (it was completed on time thanks to the might of the Framestore render farm). As it had to be an exceptional 360 degree experience, the video boasts 4x HD resolution (4096×2048 pixels) and 60 frames per second, meaning rendering 2.4x more frames than standard 3D videos. Then there’s the stereo, which doubles things again.
Guests will then be able to recreate this incredible virtual experience at home using the special “Cardboard” toolkits they’ll receive for free at the dealership and city centre events. This original gadget comprises a piece of carefully folded cardboard containing a pair of lenses which, via a designated smartphone app, becomes a kind of virtual reality headset.
Turin, 28 November 2014