NDP 2024: Fancy a giant bowl of fishball noodles?
Larger-than-life dishes of thosai, nasi lemak and fishball noodles are among the big props that audiences can look forward to in celebration of Singapore’s 59th birthday.
Standing up to 3m tall, props of these local dishes aim to evoke a sense of familiarity and nostalgia among Singaporeans as part of Chapter Four of the National Day Parade 2024.
This year’s show comprises a carnival-like pre-parade segment, and four chapters – each focused on different themes such as celebrating early pioneers and appreciating those who care for others.
Chapter Four celebrates Singapore’s rich and diverse food culture, and will also feature four food carts to set the scene of a bustling pasar malam (night market).
Performers will dance around Malay food stall Makanan Mak Minah offering satay on a grill, and Ah Seng’s Cooked Food with its steamed chickens on display. Raja’s Curry has prawn vadai and old-school snack kacang puteh, while Hot & Cold Drinks showcases glass-bottled drinks and tins of evaporated creamer.
The show’s large-props designer, Mr Deric Shen, told the media on July 26 that audiences can identify and relate to these food items, no matter if they are old or young.
He said: “It really shows how food has become a unifying element in our Singaporean identity.”
NDP 2024, which will be held at the Padang on Aug 9, will also feature new multimedia elements.
For the first time, four mobile LED cubes will be part of the show to better display graphics and content to the audience.
The cubes, each operated by a person within it, will drive along fixed routes near the audience. This complements the three ultrawide screens on each side of the stage and LED banners that are part of their main screen – all of which aim to make the show a 360-degree experience.
The show’s multimedia director, Mr Davier Yoon, said the banners allow the team to play around with the possible graphics they can include in the show, like in a vertical format.
He said: “When all of this is placed together, it forms a very nice, immersive view that will really engulf everyone’s peripheral vision.”
This year’s show will also move away from floor projections, used in previous years, and will instead use laser beams.
Mr Yoon said that while floor projections provide a large surface area for content, these can sometimes be affected by lighting for the performers on the ground.
He added: “These lasers have much brighter luminosity than regular projection mapping – it’s extremely clear. Everyone around the Padang can definitely see it.”
Chapter Six of the show features original song Horizon by local artist Chew Wei Shan, who is known as weish.
Mr Yoon said the song inspired him to develop graphics that feel dreamlike but futuristic for the segment.
His team created visuals out of familiar landmarks in Singapore, like Gardens by the Bay’s Supertrees and the iconic dragon playground, to be displayed on the ultrawide screens. This process involves taking hundreds of photos of the sites to be converted into a 3D graphic using computer algorithms – also known as photogrammetry.
“We decided to represent the future but still tie it with our present and the past. It is almost dreamlike and feels like a representation of our fond memories of nostalgic places around Singapore,” said Mr Yoon.
Singaporeans can catch the show on Aug 9 at the Padang or on live broadcasts.
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