The international More To Show team produced an ambitious event at the iconic Sixth Street Bridge in Los Angeles to present the new 4-door Mercedes-AMG GT Coupé, in collaboration with OSK agency.
Working with OSK, London-based creative specialist CONSUL and Mercedes' creative departments, More To Show, led by technical design director and founder Jordi Vandekerkhof, brought together the talent and expertise of professionals from its Belgian headquarters and Los Angeles operations to develop innovative audio, lighting, video, pyrotechnics, staging and rigging solutions that brought OSK's and Mercedes' visions to life.
The result transformed the industrial and urban beauty of this famous landmark into an adrenaline-fuelled “Autobahn experience”, creating a dynamic space that perfectly showcased the vehicles' power, precision, safety and sustainability.
Autobahn experience
The basic design concept had already been developed by OSK, CONSUL and Mercedes, so More To Show's mission was to transform the Sixth Street Bridge into a vibrant environment for the launch – an event designed to burn some rubber!
The bridge, also known as the 6th Street Viaduct, was originally built in 1932 and replaced by a new structure that opened in 2022. It is a well-known local landmark that has become legendary through its numerous appearances in films, television shows, music videos and video games.
The event site was divided into five main zones: a large grandstand positioned over the road, creating a tunnel through which the cars drove at high speed during demonstrations, passing beneath a huge LED “Autobahn” sign as they emerged; the road or track itself; a presentation area highlighting Mercedes' style and technical refinement; and a festival-style food truck and refreshment area for socialising and networking.
As a final surprise for guests, the production also required a temporary stage for California rockers Blink-182, who closed the launch event with a powerful concert for 600 VVIP guests and celebrities on May 19.
The huge Autobahn sign became the event's most distinctive and memorable visual signature, defining its aesthetic by appearing to float magically in the air.
Planning
The More To Show team also designed and established the site's supporting infrastructure, which received around 230 trucks of production equipment and included multiple operational and backstage areas, as well as power generators, trailer parking, evacuation routes, etc.
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Everything, including the event itself, had to be set up within a 48-hour window, following months of intensive logistical planning to secure all the necessary permits, check weight loads and required certifications, hire all contractors and plan a perfectly coordinated event that was as fast-paced as the cars themselves and ingenious in every respect.
During the intense build and technical preparation phases, up to 350 technicians worked simultaneously, requiring precise management, a transparent organisational structure and constant, clear communication between departments.
Complexity
Jordi is passionate about taking on complex technical challenges and achieving what seems impossible. As he explained:
Eighteen months ago, we opened an office in Los Angeles to facilitate our international work and, thanks to this great synergy and the exchange of knowledge and imagination, as well as our geographical locations, we took advantage of the time differences so that our European and US teams could work together in a coordinated and efficient way.
Another recent development for More To Show was the creation of its sister company Ombre, specialising in all areas of lighting. Its team, led by lighting designer Luc De Climmer, also played a key role in bringing the production to life.
Jordi added that working with OSK, CONSUL and Mercedes was excellent. "Their plans were extremely ambitious, they knew what they wanted to achieve and we all worked together to make it happen to the highest standards of excellence”.
Jordi also highlighted the work of his entire team, whose core included More To Show USA CEO Othello Van Veerdegem; Sophie Raes, key client project manager in Europe; technical directors Benjamin Van Brande and Alex Van Brande, based in Los Angeles; European technical directors Kilian Delcorte and Michel Plusquin; and Joost Rombaut, technical designer in Europe.
Lighting
The lighting had to meet a wide range of requirements, for which Luc adopted a creative and multidimensional approach.
Ombre was created specifically to handle multidimensional lighting projects like this one, where light can generate visceral emotions, enhance the impact of a live show, perfect its appearance on camera and heighten the adrenaline of the action.
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More than 1,500 professional lighting fixtures were used throughout the venue, including equipment from brands such as ARRI, Astera, Ayrton, Chauvet, Claypaky, Elation, GLP and Robe, among others.
Most of the main production elements, including the lighting, had to be ground-supported. This led to the construction of six technical towers, 16 metres high and 3.5 metres in diameter, strategically positioned on both sides of the road alongside the grandstand and track.
Around 20 Ayrton lighting fixtures were installed on each tower.
Elation and GLP spot and wash moving lights were used at ground level along the Autobahn track and beneath the grandstand, while Chauvet PXL Curves outlined the arches of the track, working alongside ARRI SkyPanels installed in the ceiling.
Eight Vari-Lite VL3600s were used to manually follow the cars as they travelled at high speed, using a PRG GroundControl remote follow system.
Astera Titan Tubes and LunaBulbs were distributed throughout different areas to create ambience around the food stalls, while Astera QuikPunches illuminated the vehicle presentation areas.
Pyrotechnics were supplied by Pyrotecnico FX and included 12 Mega Mod liquid flame units, five Showven uFlamer II projectors installed on the bridge and another six uFlamer IIs on the Autobahn sign. Eight Le Maitre Salamander Quad Pro units with 96 flame canisters were also incorporated to increase the visual impact.
For Blink-182's performance, three trusses equipped with an automated system descended from behind the Autobahn sign, suspended on a support system designed by PRG. These trusses contained moving lights and strobes that had remained completely hidden until that moment to preserve the surprise.
Floor lighting fixtures were also quickly moved onto the stage, while some of the lighting from the two nearest towers was repurposed to cover the performance.
Ambient lighting throughout the different areas included multilayered patterns and gobo textures, with projections inspired by tunnel wall designs.
As the vehicles emerged from the grandstand and travelled along the Autobahn, multiple beams of light swept forward across the track while others rose to form a spectacular “spire of light” in the sky. At the same time, the GLP JDC1s illuminated the cars from the sides with powerful continuous sheets of white light, all perfectly synchronised.
In addition to creating spectacular images both live and on camera, this design heightened the excitement as the cars travelled along the track, demonstrating their speed and agility.
Event lighting was controlled using two grandMA3 full-size consoles, with another full-size console used in the pre-visualisation studio and a grandMA3 light employed as a mobile technical desk during the build and focus. Blink-182 had their own operator.
Pre-visualisation was carried out in two different locations. Ombre pre-programmed the lighting using Depence in Belgium, after which Luc moved to a pre-visualisation suite installed at the venue itself.
All lighting equipment was supplied by PRG's Los Angeles facility.
The technical towers, Autobahn sign structure and grandstand were designed and supplied by structural engineering specialists Accurate Staging. PRG subsequently integrated its technical systems into these structures.
Video
The centrepiece and main visual signature of the entire production was the 15-metre-wide by 5-metre-high Autobahn screen, built using ROE Visual Vanish V4ST panels and driven by Brompton Tessera processors.
It was installed approximately 8 metres above ground level on a specially designed support system, allowing the cars to drive underneath it as they exited the tunnel and entered the track.
The displayed content was created by the client and reinforced key messages related to the performance of the 4-door Mercedes-AMG GT Coupé, while also recreating the distinctive visual atmosphere of Germany's famous motorways.
During the launch presentation, the screen was fully utilised to display bespoke motion graphics, cinematic brand content and visual elements synchronised with the show.
Following the official presentation and vehicle demonstrations, the screen became an eye-catching backdrop for Blink-182's content. The three trusses that had remained hidden behind it until that point descended to complete the upstage area. This configuration was subsequently maintained for the DJ/VJ session.
Jo Pauly of Visual Solutions worked as More To Show's head of video for the project, coordinating all aspects of audiovisual production and ensuring seamless integration between media playback, live cameras and show cues, in collaboration with the Mercedes creative team.
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The LED system design, engineering, rigging and on-site infrastructure were also handled by PRG Los Angeles.
The playback system used disguise VX4 media servers supplied by By-Lex GmbH and programmed for native pixel-to-pixel playback of all content in a full 10-bit workflow.
A Barco E2 image processor managed all live camera feeds, providing ultra-low-latency processing and unified switching between live images (IMAG) and pre-recorded content.
This allowed the live video, directed by Mark Achterberg, to be seamlessly integrated with the presentation and vehicle reveals.
The camera package came from ComSat Media GmbH (Germany) and included seven Sony UHD cameras, installed in fixed and mobile positions around different parts of the venue, as well as two drones and three POV cameras.
Cameras were also installed in the vehicles to transmit real-time footage as they travelled through the tunnel and across the bridge, together with an EVS system that provided instant replays during the show and presentation segments.
Audio
Achieving perfect audio was another demanding aspect of the event and required technical precision, creativity and great attention to detail within an extremely flexible production design.
The sound department had to manage speech during the presentations, sound effects and Blink-182's musical performance. Although the vehicle is electric, it features special audio functions designed to evoke the sensation of engine power.
Peter Philips of MONO was the event's sound designer and worked with Douglas Plander, technical product manager for audio at PRG, who designed a substantial Meyer Sound PA system.
Anthony Narciso handled spatial rendering and programming of the TiMax system.
The speaker arrays, consisting of a combination of Meyer Sound LEO, LYON, LEOPARD and 1100-LFC subwoofers, together with X40 and UPJ systems for reinforcement, were installed on the six technical towers and positioned to provide maximum sound quality across the different zones.
The main PA system consisted of left and right LEO arrays suspended on either side of the Autobahn sign, together with two LEOPARD delay systems positioned on the sloping section of the grandstand.
Numerous ground-stacked PA systems were also installed, including LFE subwoofer arrays beneath the grandstand, designed to deliver fully immersive cinematic sound during the main presentation.
To create immersive sound linked to the movement of the vehicles along the track, four additional LEOPARD arrays were installed facing the rear of the grandstand structure, along with another ground-stacked array positioned around 50 metres further along the bridge.
This allowed guests to experience an authentic aural and kinetic impression as the cars roared out of the tunnel and accelerated along the track.
A TiMax SoundHub was used to route audio to the appropriate speaker arrays at the right moments. This was a highly precise process using sounds recorded during driving rehearsals.
These recordings were fed into TiMax, which calculated the correct positioning and movement of the sound across the different arrays in real time during the show.
TiMax's integrated audio playback engine and extensive snapshot control system were essential for fine-tuning the system, together with Anthony's creative work.
Another major audio challenge was the fact that the car is electric, although it uses simulated sounds – including gear shifts – that reproduce the characteristics of a genuine V8 engine, seeking a balance between power, torque and aggression.
These sounds are reproduced both inside and outside the vehicle through dedicated speakers, with the aim of recreating the sensation of a traditional high-performance vehicle.
This audio generated by the car itself had to be mixed into the event's PA system and spatialised for the audience in the grandstand as the vehicles travelled at high speed beneath them. Achieving this required several meetings between More To Show's audio team and Mercedes-AMG engineers.
The client wanted the drivers to be able to rev the cars and perform spontaneous burnouts, so using pre-recorded sounds was not an option.
The audio team tapped into the vehicles' own sound systems to access the sounds generated in real time. These were transmitted via radio frequency to several antennas connected through the extensive fibre-optic network installed throughout the venue and along the entire track.
From there, the sounds were integrated and mixed into the PA system outputs. As these brand-new vehicles had to remain hidden for as long as possible, they did not arrive at the venue until the day of the event. As a result, this complex audio integration was achieved with just a single test run.
All sound was mixed using a DiGiCo SD12 console. Blink-182 arrived with their own touring control and monitoring system, which was connected to the event's audio infrastructure.
Teamwork
For Jordi, one of the most satisfying aspects of this successful event was accepting the initial challenge and then working with a talented and passionate team of professionals and companies who collaborated to ensure everything ran smoothly and seamlessly.
It was something special and a great privilege to be trusted to present an international event of this importance for one of the world's most recognised and innovative automotive brands. This project reflects how the spirit, creativity and values of international collaboration, together with increasingly global cooperation, are transforming the industry and its future.
Photos by Lauren Kim, with additional images courtesy of Mercedes-Benz AG.
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