Created by: Charlie Todd & Tyler Walker
All music by: Tyler Walker
Video produced by: Matt Adams and Andrew Flynn Soltys
Shot by: Brian Gutierrez Aramay, Nick Candreva, Gabe Chai, Keith Haskel, Kris Knight, Eric Laplante, Adam Nawrot, Ryan Nethery, David Quinones, Corey Richardson, Shane Sheehy, Ilya Smelansky, Andrew Flynn Soltys, Cameron Sun, Spencer Thielmann, Kenny Wu, Ron Yoshida
Photography: Brian Fountain, Arin Sang-urai, Ari Scott
Production Assistants: Alex Adan, Alan Aisenberg, Andy Bond, Denis Cardineau, Stephanie Motta
Production equipment & assistance generously donated by Hello World
For our latest mission, over 4,000 people participated in an epic water gun battle as part of our ninth annual Mp3 Experiment event. Participants downloaded an MP3 file and pressed play simultaneously on Governors Island in New York City. The MP3 file contained a series of ridiculous Olympic-themed instructions from narrator “Steve The Omnipotent Voice from Above” that culminated in a massive water gun fight.
Enjoy the video above first, and then go behind the scenes with our photos and additional videos below. We’d like to thank the River to River Festival for hosting the event and SkyCamUsa for helping us get aerial footage with their hexacopter drone.

pre-mission documentation team meeting


Lying down on the ferry

The Battery Park group

The Brooklyn group

In the photo below you’ll notice that the very same mom and son who gave high fives in the photo above decided to join the group. Here they are participating in the stretching activity despite not wearing headphones. I guess if you’re surrounded by hundreds of people doing the same thing, you might as well join ’em.


Athletes competing in the Synchronized Dance qualifying game



These people found themselves in the middle of the mob

A Park Ranger tries to explain what is going on






People watching the from the sidelines


Monochrome Nation marches into place

The Nation of Color marches into place

The massive crowd, just before the battle

Drone’s view



When the battle ended, Steve let everyone in on the joke, informing them that they were all traitors and that no one was special. To show unity, everyone was asked to mix together and wave their sheets in the air for the Closing Ceremonies.

Mission Accomplished.
OTHER RESOURCES:
Watch the videos of our previous 8 Mp3 Experiment projects.
PHOTOS
– Ari Scott’s photos
– Arin Sang-urai’s photos
– Brian Fountain’s photos
AUDIO
You can download some of the songs from The Mp3 Experiment on Tyler Walker’s site.
HIRE US
We regularly tour The Mp3 Experiment around the world to places like Berlin, Germany and Adelaide, Australia and to college campuses in the US like UNC and Texas Tech. If you’re part of an organization (festival, university student activities board, arts group) that is interested in commissioning an Mp3 Experiment, get in touch via our contact form.
AGENT REPORTS
Check out first hand reports from participants in the comments section on this page.