When I wished for an end to traffic and congestion, I certainly didn’t mean this pandemic that has forced many of us to stay at home. When I said more people should be allowed to work from home because of traffic and other logistics, this certainly isn’t what I had in mind. When I said over and over again that Christmas shopping should be outlawed because it was so stressful, I truthfully did not mean it in the literal sense. It’s been nearly nine months since we’ve been quarantined and now comes what was once the most awaited holiday in the Philippines: Christmas.
Through the years, Ayala Land has brought joy to Filipinos via its lights-and-sound show at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati. But the pandemic happened and things have changed.
“The year 2020 has been about finding new ways to bring people and the community together. We still want Filipinos to celebrate Christmas without risking the health and well-being of our community so we thought: ‘Why don’t we find a way to bring the show to them?’,” said Mel Ignacio, Head of Makati Estate, Ayala Land.
But as they say, the show must go on.
Ayala Land and Make It Makati talked to Globe Studios in June about doing the lights-and-sound show online.
On November 24, they finally unveiled the country’s first online lights-and-sound show: the Festival of Lights 2020, Lights and Sound Show Virtual Edition.
“The show features our favorite elements from the original show plus more. The 360-degree interactive animated video shows laser lights, string lights, meteor lights, holograms and helix lights,” said Misha Quimpo, Project Development Manager of Makati Ayala Land Estates Group.
The four songs accompanying the show, including “O Holy Night” and “Jingle Bells,” were arranged by singer and composer Reese Lansangan.
“Christmas is a time of togetherness. We make a lot of lasting memories during the holidays. I’m honored to provide the sound to the light-and-sounds show. I am happy that despite what happened this year, more Filipinos can view it, replay it and relive the magic all over,” said Lansangan.
This year’s virtual digital lights-and-sound show was conceptualized in collaboration with Globe Studios. The production was led by filmmaker Quark Henares.
“Ayala Land approached us in June and it took two months for us to complete the 360-degree location shot alone. We wanted to make it look like exactly like the Ayala Triangle lights-and-sounds. We knew there would be tweaks and we couldn’t replicate the way you actually see it in person so we put in holograms, animations and even unlimited fireworks. We even have a ‘making-of’ video,” said Henares.
For the Festival of Lights 2020, Lights and Sound Show Virtual Edition, Ayala Land and Make It Makati collaborated with Coca Cola and Globe, along with event partners Grab and Shopee.
Aside from the 360-degree video, various light show-themed Instagram filters will also be available. People are also encouraged to join the Finders Keepers contest that will happen every week in December. They can win a prize by simply spotting a hidden element in the virtual light show.
Quimpo said there will be hundreds of prizes at stake for those who will look for the signages with QR codes.
Watch the Festival of Lights 2020, Lights and Sound Show Virtual Edition on Facebook at tinyurl.com/FestivalOfLightsVirtualEdition.
For more information about the city that makes it happen, visit www.makeitmakati.com and follow MakeItMakati on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.