Samsung Electronics Australia unveiled its Sky Portal film above Sydney Harbour, using a suspended screen to show a five-minute work shot entirely on Galaxy S26 devices.
The display took place at golden hour over the harbour. An 8-metre by 2.5-metre screen, weighing more than a tonne, was lifted from a barge at Farm Cove by a Huey helicopter. It reached 150 metres above the water during the screening.
Created with Sydney residents and Team Galaxy photographers Benjamin Lee and Tim Northey, the film draws on thousands of public submissions to present a 24-hour view of the city through footage captured by local contributors.
It features beaches, suburban settings and city landscapes, and forms part of Samsung's wider Sky Portal campaign in Sydney for the Galaxy S26 series.
The harbour screening was followed by a choreographed display of pyrotechnics, visuals and sound, as crowds gathered along the foreshore to watch the installation move above the water.
Public footage
The project relied on user-generated material alongside footage from the two photographers involved in the production. The approach placed everyday scenes at the centre of a launch designed to connect the handset range with image-making and local participation.
Eric Chou, Vice President of Mobile eXperience at Samsung Australia, described the event as a landmark moment for the company and the Sydney contributors whose footage appeared in the film.
"Last night's Sky Portal flight above Sydney Harbour was a defining moment, not just for Samsung, but for everyone who looked up and saw a piece of themselves reflected in the film. We really wanted to show Sydney's story through the eyes of its people, and seeing those moments, captured with Galaxy, flying above one of the world's most iconic harbours, was truly breathtaking," Chou said.
Lee said the project showed how mobile imaging tools have evolved and how photographers can work with smaller devices.
"We've come a long way with technology where an S26 Ultra in my pocket is powerful enough to capture high-quality cinematic moments on a whim. Gone are the days of having to carry huge, overbearing camera equipment," Lee said.
Northey also commented on using the handset during the shoot.
"Capturing the best of Sydney with the Galaxy S26 Ultra was such a seamless experience thanks to the quality and versatility of the camera. For a shoot like this, having that level of capability in a device that fits in your pocket gives you the freedom to leave heavier gear behind and just focus on capturing the moment," Northey said.
Wider activation
The harbour premiere formed part of a broader public installation in Sydney. Samsung also set up the Sky Portal Studio at First Fleet Park in The Rocks, where visitors could move through a series of themed spaces and take their own images using the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Samsung developed the activation with INVNT, which also worked on the aerial presentation. The campaign combines a public art-style installation with a product marketing effort focused on mobile photography.
Large outdoor spectacles have become increasingly common in consumer technology marketing, particularly for smartphone launches, where camera performance is a key point of competition. By placing a screen in the air, one of the country's best-known landmarks, Samsung sought to turn a device launch into a public visual event.
The film centres on ordinary moments across Sydney, using material submitted by residents alongside footage from professional photographers to build a portrait of the city from morning to night.