Behind The Scenes - #NXontrack - Lexus and will.i.am (2015)

Now, I'm not a huge fan of behind the scenes clips, but since I didn't quite grok how the Laser Street Stave Driving worked, I had to watch this. On a disused runway lined with more than 350 projected mapped motion and audio sensitive lasers and lights, the front-man will.i.am and stunt driver Niki Faulkner battle against speed and rhythm to conduct and navigate a trio of striking Lexus NXs’, with the goal of hitting the laser ‘targets’ at the correct tempo to synchronise with the music. It pleases me immensely to see that a team of sixty-five technicians worked for over seven days to build the rigging for the lights and motion sensitive lasers, designed by Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF), instead of using CGI only. It looks like they had fun!

Speaking about the video, will.i.am said: ”Working with the stunt guys to hit the laser targets in time with the music wasn’t easy to get right but the result was awesome. The combination of technology, design and music in this project was out of this world.”

MLF Creative Director, Barnaby Steel said: “Together with Lexus, we’ve created a huge musical game with three stunt drivers as the players and will.i.am as the conductor. Music is brought to life when the cars hit beams of light that are motion sensitive at the correct time and rhythm. It’s basically like a giant laser harp with cars instead of fingers. The challenge for will.i.am and the drivers was to navigate the light points on tempo. When they fell off beat and triggered notes off tempo, the system would have to restart.”

Alain Uyttenhoven, Head of Lexus Europe, said: “We’re projecting that the NX will represent one third of all Lexus sales across Europe this year, so it feels only right that we’ve created something as bold as this event with will.i.am – something that truly embodies our brand philosophy of Amazing in Motion!”

Client: Lexus
Celebrity talent: will.i.am
Lasers: Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF)
Stunt driver: Niki Faulkner