The Brief

The Breakthrough Prize is the “Oscars of Science” — a globally televised celebration of innovation across life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics. The goal: craft sophisticated LED visuals that match the event’s tone of intellectual prestige and cinematic polish.

The Challenge

Create immersive, science-forward visuals that could support a live broadcast production and on-stage LED display. These visuals would highlight honorees with elegance while enhancing the show’s narrative and technical flow.

The Solution

From 2015 through 2020, I led the design and animation of the LED visual system for the Breakthrough Prize ceremonies at NASA Ames Research Center. Using Maxon Cinema 4D, Redshift, and Octane Render, I developed custom 2D/3D animated sequences for each award category — pairing motion graphics with lighting and spatial design for an elevated, immersive effect.

Each year’s content was tailored for LED mapping across the stage environment, with animation cycles designed to support live cues, presenter pacing, and camera framing. The visuals balanced precision and poetry — celebrating scientific discovery with thematic elegance.

The Impact

These visuals helped define the Breakthrough Prize’s aesthetic identity for six consecutive years. The 2020 event, broadcast live on National Geographic, reached a global audience and cemented the show’s reputation for pairing world-changing science with cinematic storytelling. My work was central to bridging visual artistry and high-profile intellectual celebration.