Art event illuminating the plight of endangered animals with a projection on the Empire State Building by filmmaker and photographer Louie Psihoyos and collaborator Travis Threlkel, August 1, 2015.

Using 40 stacked, 20,000-lumen projectors on a roof of a building on West 31st Street, the two men illuminated the building with a looping reel showing what Mr. Psihoyos calls a "Noah's ark" of animals.

Cecil the lion is projected on the Empire State Building, August 1, 2015.

The projection came on the heels of a week of news about the death of Cecil, who was killed in July by an American dentist on a hunt in Zimbabwe. Cecil was one of the many animals honored during the evening projection.

A view of "Projecting Change: The Empire State Building" on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

The event was organized by Louis Psihoyos, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker ("The Cove") and founder of Oceanic Preservation Society; Travis Threlkel, co-founder of Obscura Digital; and actor-producer Fisher Stevens.

A view of a projection of endangered species onto the Empire State Building on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

The projection took place on the southern face of the Empire State Building beginning at 9pm, August 1, 2015.

More than 30 stories of the Empire State Building's southern face (an area measuring 375 feet tall and 186 feet wide) were covered by the imagery.

People watch and photograph an image of an eye projected onto the Empire State Building in New York City, August 1, 2015.

Louie Psihoyos, filmmaker ("The Cove") and founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society, attends "Projecting Change: The Empire State Building" on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

Psihoyos hired Threlkel's Obscura Digital for the planned light show to draw attention to the plight of endangered species.

People stop to watch the projection on the Empire State Building from Fifth Avenue in New York City, August 1, 2015.

The show is meant to draw attention to what filmmaker and photographer Louie Psihoyos characterizes as the Earth's sixth mass extinction.

Psihoyos and Threlkel chose the Empire State Building because it was a landmark and because its refurbishment in 2009 made it one of the most sustainable buildings in New York.

An image of the earth is projected onto the Empire State Building in New York City, August 1, 2015.

An image of an endangered species is projected onto the Empire State Building on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

It took three years to get permission for the projection and finally greelighted when television producer Norman Lear helped in reaching out to Mayor Bill de Blasio's office.

An elephant is projected on the souther facade of the Empire State Building in New York City, August 1, 2015.

New Yorkers observe "Projecting Change" from the streets below the Empire State Building on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

A whale is projected onto the Empire State Building, in "Projecting Change."

New Yorkers capture the sight of giant projections of endangered species on Empire State Building on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

The projection - featuring still images, movies and kaleidoscopic effects - was designed by Travis Threlkel, who recently created the lighting effects for The Grateful Dead's farewell concerts.

An image of an endangered species is projected onto the Empire State Building on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

A view of "Projecting Change: The Empire State Building" on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

An image of an endangered species is projected onto the Empire State Building on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

An image of an endangered species is projected onto the Empire State Building on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

An image of an endangered species is projected onto the Empire State Building on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

"Projecting Change," an art event illuminating the plight of endangered animals, projects images onto the Empire State Building, August 1, 2015.

An image of an endangered species is projected onto the Empire State Building on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

A dog passes by as people watch images of endangered species being projected onto the Empire State Building in New York City, August 1, 2015.

An image of an endangered species is projected onto the Empire State Building on August 1, 2015 in New York City.

For more info:

"Projecting Change: The Empire State Building" (Aug. 1, 2015)

Oceanic Preservation Society

"Racing Extinction," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, will be broadcast on Discovery Channel in December

joelsartore.com

obscuradigital.com