LED screens 101
The following is a re-print from the good folks at LiveDesign. It’s a great article on LED screen technology originally done by Fabio Aversa of Eurodisplay.com. Looks like it’s only up for a month then it’ll have to go into digital oblivion, so read it while you can! While you’re at it, have a look at Eurodisplay’s website- it’s chock full of great info about LED’s, LED technology, and outdoor displays.
Avolites AI
Avolites has formed a strategic partnership with Immersive LTD and they now manufacturing a suite of products under the name AI- meaning their high end media servers. AVOLITES MEDIA Ltd. will release Ai media servers through the existing AVOLITES international distribution network. Meanwhile Immersive Ltd. will continue in their successful business of event production, experiential design and content creation for an expanding and diverse, high profile market.
AVOLITES MEDIA Ltd. will design, develop, manufacture and distribute the Ai media server range. Immersive Ltd. and AVOLITES MEDIA Ltd have unique businesses, which
complement each other.
They have formed a strategic alliance and are committed to working together. This relationship of co-operation, communication, feedback and support will be channelled into product design and development. In an alliance that is defining the future.
Here’s a product sheet
It looks like the rack mount version is the AIS-T4, with Avolites Media Ai software, Ais-T performs smooth playback of multilayer 4k resolution content with up to six full 1080p HD outputs arranged in a timeline timecode sequencer. Users can build and create their show in a 3D Stage Visualizer and use the powerful mapping capabilities to allow rapid, precise mapping and warping onto any 3D surface. Tightly integrated support for 3D displays, LEDs, moving lights and other visual elements allow designers to merge video and lighting with unprecedented control.
They’re also releasing the Sapphire Media console, the AI-SM, in August, as well as a dedicated server console- the MSC-1. Exciting stuff from Avo and I can’t wait to get some more info. Be sure to check back for an update!
Electrosonic at the European Parliament Visitor’s Center
London (May 1, 2012) – The Parlamentarium, the new visitors’ centre at the European Parliament in Brussels, uses a variety of interactive multimedia exhibits to take visitors on a unique and personal journey into the heart of European Politics. Electrosonic engineered and installed the main exhibition audio-visual hardware for Stuttgart-based designer ATELIER BRÜCKNER. The Parlamentarium is the first visitors’ centre fully accessible in 23 languages, and to-date has attracted over 120,000 visitors from across the globe.
Guided through state-of-the-art exhibitions by a personal electronic multimedia guide, visitors see how policy decisions are made and how they influence Europeans’ daily lives. All signage and media is presented in 23 languages, which had an enormous influence on how AV techniques were used throughout the centre.
Electrosonic won the bid for the project in an open Europe-wide competitive tender; the
scope of work consisted of the detailed design, supply, installation, set up and commissioning of the media hardware for different themed exhibition areas. These areas include a pair of 360º theatres, nearly 100 LCD panels, (more…)
MeshWarpServer- My New Favorite Toy….
My Dad was an architect. Well, first he was a draftsman, then an architect. When I was a kid, I used to hang out in my Dad’s office on the weekends (he pretty much worked ALL the time)….but I remember very clearly playing with all the models that were there. They had every imaginable scale of every kind of building- little cars, little people, tiny shrubs, fake grass, miniature trees. Combine this with all kinds of architectural drawing gadgets, erasers, and pens of every hue, and you had a little kid’s dream world…or a parent’s nightmare….
So it was with great pleasure that I came across this video of Martin Fröhlich’s MeshWarpServer that shows projectionmapping in a whole new way. Well, you should watch the video first then read on….
So for all of you that want to absorb the technical details, the following video really goes into depth. MeshWarpServer is powerful stuff. There are many features beyond just mapping, as you’ll soon see:
I plan on overdosing on MWS and doing a full write-up…(just as soon as I get time), but I seem to have inherited my Dad’s work addiction. Make sure to check it out and give it a test drive!
Plus it’s just fun to say “Meshwarpserver….Meshwarpserver…“
Doug Aitken SONG 1 at the Hirshhorn
rendering courtesy of Doug Aitken Workshop
For nearly eight weeks this spring, internationally renowned artist Doug Aitken (American, b. Redondo Beach, Calif., 1968; lives and works in Los Angeles and New York) illuminated the façade of the Hirshhorn’s iconic cylindrical building by completely covering it with moving images, accompanying them with an original soundscape. Using 11 high-definition video projectors and media servers (Christies, provided by WorldStage- natch…), Aitken seamlessly blended imagery to envelop the museum’s exterior, creating a work that redefines cinematic space. A bold commission that will enter the Hirshhorn’s permanent collection, “SONG 1” (2012) will enhance the museum’s ever-expanding holdings of cutting-edge moving-image art. Between sunset and midnight from March 22 to May 13, visitors to the National Mall witnessed the first-ever work of 360-degree cinema to be presented in a continuous cylindrical format, unfolded on a monumental scale across the concrete façade. (more…)
In a Thousand Drops….Refracted Glances
I recently came across the work of Aleksandra Dulic and was blown away! Aleks has been designing and creating animation/video artwork for over 15 years, with various artists. This piece, from 2008, is a fascinating blend of spatial audio along with motion-tracked video output. With Kenneth Newby and Martin Gotfrit, they created a vast, fragmented projection space that reacts when participants walk nearby… showing various body parts of over 100 different people from all walks of life.
From their website: “in a thousand drops… refracted glances is an audiovisual environment that constructs and deconstructs bodies through processes of stitching, repetition, collage, animation, stretching, contraction, multiplication and reduction. As a result of these processes (more…)
Electrosonic at NHM Los Angeles
When I was a kid, my elementary school used to take “field trips” to the NHM in Los Angeles, and I looooved the dinosaur and prehistoric section…..so it was nice to see that they’ve revamped the whole thing with the help of Electrosonic:
Los Angeles 18 April, 2012) – Visitors to the Dinosaur Hall in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County experience the wonder of the prehistoric creatures in a totally new way with innovative exhibits featuring audio-visual systems provided by Electrosonic.
Twice the size of the old galleries, the recently-opened 14,000 square-foot Dinosaur Hall displays specimens – including the world’s only T. rex growth series of baby, juvenile and adult skeletons – mounted on unique platforms and preserved and articulated using modern methods. The skylit L-shaped Hall is flooded with natural light; a glass-sided mezzanine runs along the short side of the L where additional wall-mounted exhibits reveal more about the amazing creatures and show what it’s like (more…)
Electrosonic at this year’s Counter Terror Expo
Don't $&^% with this man's AV install....
London (April 2, 2012) – Electrosonic’s Control Rooms team has partnered with Detection Technologies and Integrated Security Manufacturing Ltd (ISM) for this year’s Counter Terror Expo to exhibit a full range of command and control, security and protection services.
Electrosonic’s dedicated Control Rooms team specialises in providing complete audio-visual solutions, which include systems integration, technical design, project management and service and maintainance.
Electrosonic works with a wide range of suppliers in the AV industry. The Counter Terror Expo will see Electrosonic demonstrating the NEC ultra-thin bezel 46″ LCD screen. Powered by an Extron Quantum Elite video wall processor, Electrosonic will display (more…)
The Projection Lab Uses Modul8 and a Little Chemistry
UK based Projection Lab has been hard at work on some corporate gigs recently and dropped me a line. They have been successfully using Modul8 to present some pretty impressive projection. This job was for Neal’s Yard Remedies Conference and featured a 3-screen blend using Panasonic projectors. Using Modul8, (more…)
Mojo Video Tech in a 10 Hour VJ Meltdown
Projection Conniseur Dr. Mojo is co-producing the 10 Hour VJ Meltdown at the Flat Iron Hotel tonight. Looks like it will be a serious bash so get there if you’re in the NYC area!
Multo & Mojo Video Tech Inc
in association with Frère Independent
present a 10 HOUR VJ MELTDOWN
on Friday March 9th from 3pm – 1am
to celebrate the opening of the Pool Art Fair NYC
we will be taking over the entire lobby of the
FLAT IRON HOTEL
26th Street & Broadway
New York NY 10001
featuring live mixes by
Liquid Light Lab * Miixxy * DoctorMojo
Guillaume Clave * Fuzzy Bastard
installations and presentations by
Globalrev Live * VJ Electrabelle * VJ KRUNCH
Francesco Carnesecchi * VJ Albert * Ray-V
plus international artists livestreaming
Ioann – Edinborough * Vlad/Niikky – Spain
music by
DJ JayPhantom * others tba
Projectiondesign Ships a Big Install
Rugged, reliable and realistic, with low total cost of ownership; these were the projector requirements and deliverables of the huge projectiondesign upgrade of the two simulation bridges at the Marine Training Centre in Singapore.
Swire Marine Training Centre in Singapore, operated by Swire Pacific Offshore, is the first facility of its kind in Asia. Swire’s Marine Training Centre has the ability to fully simulate the working environment of an (more…)
Voyagers at the National Maritime Museum
I posted a while back on Electrosonic’s involvement with the installation of the AV system at the National Maritime Museum, but I dug a little deeper and found the artists responsible. The Light Surgeons, a multimedia collective based in East London and founded by Christopher Thomas Allen, collaborated with media artist James George to create a one-of-a-kind immersive work called Voyager. The Voyagers Gallery acts as an introduction to the extraordinary depth and range of the Museum’s collections and is dominated by a 20 metre wave-like structure that stretches the full length of the room. Designed by exhibition designers Real Studio, this 3D wave is (more…)
Planar Mosaic- 1:1 LCD Tiles
I came across a pretty cool product- 1:1 size LCD panels from Planar. A lot of manufacturers have been releasing small, modular tile arrays for digital signage, corporate boardrooms, etc….but these open up the more creative side I think. They have unique mounting hardware that allows them to be lined up or off set, and the power supplies can be rack-mounted away from the displays, making the electrical runs a little more economical. From their website: “Planar Mosaic is the only video wall system that allows designers (more…)
Nuformer Goes 360 at NAIAS
Projection wizards Nuformer are in Detroit for the North American Int’l Auto Show and they’ve designed the content for Ford’s 360 immersive “ride”. The feature is a 360 degree projection which shows off what a Ford vehicle can do for you in the future. Check out the video at about 1:25 and dig the scissor lift rig (remember to keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle!!) I’ll post some details on the projector setup when more info becomes available…nice work Nuformer!
UPDATE:
9 Christie HD projectors were used to create the 360-degree projection;
Mediaserver: Grass Valley Turbo T2iDDR;
Active pixel size: 13436 pixels wide x 864 pixels high
Control That App! SmithsonMartin to the Rescue!
I’ve been playing with a lot of software lately. Mostly video manipulation stuff- I won’t be specific because I may end up reviewing some of it and, quite frankly, friends make the stuff- so I need to be kind. But the one drag that I keep running into is control. Sure I can mouse and click all day. I even use my trusty Apple Magic Pad. But I may be one of the only people on Earth that doesn’t use an i-device. What’s that? You’re a filthy Android user? How dare you try to send and receive MIDI, OSC, or any other protocol for that matter! Certainly you can just make your own interface, seeing as how you’re all…..-ack- open-source….. (more…)
Barco Releases Next-gen Image Pro II
It seems like anymore not a gig goes by where I wish I had an Image Pro…..now I can wish for a Image Pro II. The original Image Pro earned a reputation in the industry for being a bit cantankerous, but it’s one of those pieces of gear you’re glad you have when push comes to shove. It’s the original “anything in- anything out” box for super quality scaling/converting…not so much for switching- but it’ll do that too in a pinch. Barco is launching the new ImagePRO-II, a video scaler, scan converter, switcher, and transcoder in one at Integrated Systems Europe, January 31 to February 2, Amsterdam.
The company says the ImagePRO-II is the most versatile (more…)
200″ of 3D-HD Awesomeness
OK. We’re now at the 200″ point of 3D-HD display. 200 freaking inches! 16 damn feet! Has the world gone mad? I’ve been on a bit of a 3D kick here and this one definitely qualifies as “3D”. Developed by The Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications in conjunction with JVC Kenwood, this massive 200-inch auto-stereoscopic HD 3D prototype display boasts 57 distinct viewing angles. The effect is achieved with an array of 57 projectors, each tuned to maintain the image’s brightness and color across the screen, while a (more…)
Electrosonic Projects in Dover Castle Tunnels
When English Heritage opened the new attraction at Dover Castle, “Operation Dynamo: Rescue from Dunkirk,” it deployed audio-visual and show control technology from AV systems integrator Electrosonic to recreate the drama of World War II’s Dunkirk evacuation.
all images copyright Electrosonic
Situated in the network of 60-meter long secret tunnels, 26-meters underground behind the famous White Cliffs of Dover, the attraction makes extensive use of AV technology to present the events of May 26 to June 4, 1940. In the highlight of the attraction, 23 projectors create giant images that run the entire length of the space augmented by spectacular lighting effects. German fighter planes appear to zoom down the entire length of the tunnel immersing visitors in the action on the Dunkirk beaches, while another scenario shows eerie-silhouetted figures hunched over a table planning the evacuation from within the tunnels. (more…)
LCD Screen Pr0n Overload
This place is for real. Sharp has announced that it has developed a gigantic 156 Multi-screen setup composed of 60” PN-V601 LCD arranged as followed with 36 monitors on the wall, celling and floor as well as 24 monitors on both the right and left wall in order to provide with the best immersive video experience ever during the 5D Miracle Tour at the Hui Ten Bosch Theme Park in Nagasaki. I can’t wait to see what controls it all…….
Christie Spyder X20 in the Architainment World
We posted a while back on the Spyder and it’s related products, and here’s a great example of the system in action. Talk about LCD wall. I like that the URS Universal Routing Switcher was used in conjunction, although I don’t see how you could NOT use a routing switcher in this application. After reading the article, I really wanted to know how they were doing the “live feed” from two HD cameras. Anyone know? Also, having spent most of my childhood at Huntington Beach, I got a little homesick…..
Tools, Tips, and Tricks of the Trade- Vista Spyder
Vistasystems bills the Vista Spyder as “the world’s most versatile video processor”. The Spyder has gained notoriety because it was designed with a wide variety of users in mind, from the beginner to the seasoned pro. It is used heavily in broadcast studios as well as C&C centers. It is also used widely in live production, from corporate events to giant tours. There are basically 3 different versions- the Series 200, 300, and X20. Here’s a detailed explanation.
There is also the URS, a Universal Routing Switcher, which allows anything in (Composite to 4k) and anything out (to any of 8 user configurable outputs). Here’s the info, as well as a great mouse-over explanation. This unit does exactly what it says- universally routes and switches, which means you can get rid of external scalers, transcoders, and scan-converters.
Looks like we’ll need 3 or 4 for the plush Projectionfreak headquarters….
Thunderbolt in the Projection and the Entertainment Technology Industry
Does anyone else find it odd that they called it Thunderbolt as opposed to , oh say….lightning? Doesn’t thunder usually follow lightning? Whatever the legal folks had to do with it- Thunderbolt is coming and hopefully it’ll catch on like the ubiquitous IEEE 1394 Firewire did. What exactly is Thunderbolt? It’s the hot new I/O technology from Intel on Apple devices. I’ll admit- the specs are impressive. Dual-channel 10Gbps per port, bi-directional, Dual protocol (PCI Express and DisplayPort), daisy-chaining, electrical or optical cables, compatible with existing DP devices, power over cable for bus-powered devices and the list goes on. The official word from Apple is that you can use it for 0ne, not two, external displays, so at least the portable carrying folks can get some more real estate out of it. The best thing for everyone in the entertainment or projection industry is the stupid-fast transfer rates. At those speeds you’ll be able to transfer a full-length HD movie in less than 30 seconds! How many times have you been on a gig and feared a transfer/backup because the fastest you could go was 800 Mbps? Fear no more! Back up the whole show and the backup for the backup faster than you can blink! Here’s a great article over at Ars technica with graphics, details, pictures, etc.
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Some Great, Great work in out in Videoland
After seeing and working the Blue Man Group 2010 Tour, I was convinced I had “seen the light”. It is perhaps the coolest use of video/interactivity that’s out there. A recent discovery revealed my new heroes- Bob Bonniol and MODE Studios, who helped develop some of the technology that led (no pun intended) to that astounding production. Make sure to check out the link as it’s a great reference for some behind-the-technology info on BMG as well as a number of other cutting-edge works. Projectionfreak is humbled.
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