Phoenix Zoo Lights

Phoenix Zoo Lights has been a beloved local holiday tradition for over 20 years. RWS Global was hired in 2022 to update its centerpiece: a light show on the lake at the center of the zoo centered on a brand new, 50’ tall pixel-mapped LED tree. 

Monica led an RWS Global team as creative director for three seasons of Zoo Lights, with a mission to create a light show that reflected the Zoo’s Southwestern setting and its beloved animal residents.

Monica’s team quickly learned that the Phoenix Zoo has a large stakeholder team that’s very engaged. Processes and communication were refined every season to make sure that the input of all zoo stakeholders was taken into consideration. Transparency and frank discussion were critical in helping the entire team stay aligned.

While RWS’ music team developed soundtracks, Monica partnered with a Lighting Designer, Brandon Baruch, and the team at S4 Lights to develop new content for S4’s proprietary Pixel Pine technology. Working in time-coded outline format kept all of the creators on the same page and on-site creative oversight ensured that the content translated from screen to tree.