Facade Projection and Mapping
LIVE EVENTS
This year we have seen fa ade projection and fa ade mapping really take off.
From the Ralph Lauren show, to the F te des Lumi res in Lyon. Our friends at Scharff Weisberg have done a great job detailing the differences between projection, 2D and 3D mapping and what goes into the process. We have included the detail below!
Josh Weisberg, President, WorldStage:
To The Wall
As the amount of building fa ade projection work we re seeing continues to increase, so it seems does the amount of confusion related to what is fa ade projection and what is actual 3D mapping. The difference is important because
one objective requires a totally different set of design and implementation parameters than the other.
When It s Mapped & When It s Not
In broad terms, mapping a fa ade entails creating media that specifically accounts for the architectural elements of a building fa ade. In addition, if any of those architectural elements create a new plane, by extending inward or outward
in respect to the majority of the fa ade surface area, then we can extend the definition and say the surface is 3D-mapped . To illustrate, let s look at three examples.
The first is a flat fa ade projection where the media only takes into account height and width of the fa ade there are no architectural details that link the media to the fa ade. All the building detail is contained within the media, which very effectively creates the illusion of building wall transparency, allowing the viewers to see inside and witness the activities of the fictitious occupants.
The second example, which was created using scale models of real buildings set inside a convention center, illustrates 2D mapping of media to specific architectural elements. This means that the content was created using a two-
dimensional map and the projectors were aligned and geometrically corrected so that the windows, doors, cornices, etc, were coincident with the projected media.
Finally, the third example illustrates fa ade projection with extensive 3D mapping. In this example, you can see where the content and the projector configuration use the depth of the architectural elements, along with their height and width. Since some of these elements contain more than eight feet of depth, the mapping is somewhat involved.
What This Means to Content Development
Flat fa ade projections, or fa ade projection that ignore architectural elements, need not require special attention since the display environment can be considered a standard flat projection screen. We still advise that content developers pay attention to light levels within the image to ensure that the visual energy is high enough to standout against ambient light levels or a fa ade that sucks up projected light such as dark brick.
Compared to a flat fa ade application, a mapped fa ade requires that content be developed very precisely, but still only in two physical, versus virtual, dimensions. The required precision can be attained by using a detailed map that shows the exact size and location of the fa ade elements. In these circumstances we create a pixel map that shows where the elements are within the projected image and the precise size of those elements.
For true 3D-mapped applications, an accurate 3D model is the starting point for content design, manufacture and implementation. Hopefully, the accurate 3D model already exists and can be utilized. If not, it may be worthwhile to hire a 3D architectural mapping company to create a 3D model using laser scanning tools.
Alternately, it may be possible to create a 3D map by extruding fa ade elements from a 2D elevation although that can be risky and the resulting map should be checked against the physical site.
Why the Content Matters More
Having been involved with a number of fa ade projection projects and having looked at many others examples, one of the aspects we ve noticed is that content projected on building facades carries an additional burden, compared to standard video presentations. Because this video content is situational and exists in tandem with the architecture, it must support the context effectively.
Just like a 3D movie, fa ade projections must show the justification for the special effect, otherwise it s just a movie displayed on the wall of a building. On the other hand, a fa ade projection that relies solely on gimmicky effects and lacks a healthy dose of wit, humor or drama can be lifeless. However, content that effectively integrates visuals with building architecture or environment in a compelling and interesting way can really make an event a memorable experience.
Decibel Vendor Spotlight: Rose Brand
BACKSTAGE, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
We have been using Rose Brand for years at Decibel (dB), and our partners have been using them for much longer. For those that don t know, Rose Brand provides custom fabric and draperies, as well as production supplies and rental equipment. At dB, we use their equipment on what seems to be every show that we produce, and some of this hardware literally holds up each and every sign onsite.
In the last few weeks, we have seen a couple amazing videos highlighting the great work at Rose Brand, especially with their custom sewing and fabric. We have included them both below. If you are interested in other projects from them, head over to their blog, Know-How.
United Nations for World Humanitarian Day
The first example is the fabrication and construction of what turned out to be the largest compound curved indoor projection screen. The screen weighed in at 1,000lbs and was 46 high and 224 wide. This was built for SuperUber in the General Assembly hall at the United Nations for World Humanitarian Day. In addition to the video, they have some great behind the scenes photos on the Rose Brand Facebook page.
I Was Here United Nations World Humanitarian Day Video
Pan American Games
Another very cool example from Rose Brand is their work on the center halo and projection screen from the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. The surface for the projection was a 350 long and 104 tall screen. Rose Brand included their plans for the projection screen and halo on their blog. It is a great example of how they accomplished the build.
As with many shows of this size, the production credits are quite extensive and involved many partners. Five Currents, LLC, produced the Games while the design and automation of the halo and curtain was headed by PRG. Great work all.
National Book Festival Team
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS, TIPS & TRICKS
We just want to share a few photos of the great team we had onsite for the National Book Festival. We couldn t pull off an event of this size without a stellar team.
Physiological Branding
TIPS & TRICKS
In the event world, experience is King. Over the last few years there has been a concentrated focus in the industry to move toward a full brand experience, rather than simply hosting a event or gathering for a target audience. Full immersion, sensory activation and user experience are considered when planning and executing events.
With that in mind, this is a fantastic behind the scenes look at a BMW advertisement and screening. Here, they are taking an advertisement and have gone beyond the experiential aspect. They have included a physiological effect called an afterimage. Towards the end of the ad, they flash a projection of the letters BMW and ask the audience to close their eyes. The image will float in front of you when you close your eyes.
Look for more and more companies and clients moving toward tactics that elicit a physiological response. And look for some to begin to push the line. In reading the comments for the video and other blogs, some people already think this goes too far for an advertisement. I personally can t wait to see where this trend goes.
How it s Done: Afterimages
In the video above they don t include the flash, so I have included a quick example below from a University of Toledo Web site. Stare at the dot over the eye in AFTERiMAGE in the diagram below for 10-20 seconds. Then shift your vision over to the black dot on the plain gray part of the diagram. You should see a negative version of the square and word. It doesn t show up instantaneously, but emerges after a second or so. More detail on this and other examples can be found here.
PR Smiths: Decibel Management Picks Up PRSA Silver Anvil
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY
For the part it played in the production and tour events for the DoubleTree by Hilton Little Things Project, Decibel Management was awarded with its second Silver Anvil by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
The Little Things Project saw DoubleTree by Hilton ask its customers about the little things that made big differences to their stay in the hotel. The project gathered more than 5,000 responses that spoke of the importance of local bargains, ability to recharge electronics, free Wi-fi and DoubleTree by Hilton s famed chocolate chip cookies. Following this research, the hotel went on the road for a 50-city tour to share these little things with people across the nation.
The campaign met with rave success wherever it went, which was shown in the PRSA Silver Anvil in the Marketing Consumer Services- Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality category for the DoubleTree by Hilton s Little Things Project Brightens Travel Experiences Nationwide tour. This was truly a team effort from all sides including DoubleTree by Hilton with Ketchum, Gensler, Digital Royalty, OMD, Decibel Management and Laird.
DoubleTree by Hilton, Ketchum and the Little Things Project also won 2 Bronze Anvils in the Media Relations Consumer Services, Travel and Tourism/Hospitality and Social Media, Consumer Services categories. The campaign also won an Award of Commendation in the Creative Tactics, Consumer Services category.
Decibel Management is proud to be awarded the PR industry s highest honor for the second year in a row. A big thanks to the entire team, and certainly looking forward to working with this group again!
That s a Wrap: Decibel s 2012 Campaign Trail
COMPANY NEWS, LIVE EVENTS
With the 2012 presidential election season over, we ve finally returned from another great year of campaign events. While on the road, we worked with some great agencies, toured the country and delivered some really amazing experiences for our clients.
Republican or Democrat, these political events present their own set of unique challenges and requirements. For corporate and planned stage venues, we need time to plan, draft, make revisions, and use a variety of rendering and mapping software, from Meeting Matrix to Vectorworks, to help ensure everyone on the team is executing from the same drawing. Many campaigns simply don t allow that luxury, and often we re forced to retreat back to pen and paper, whiteboards, or as shown in the photograph, even chalk on concrete walls.
Fishersville, VA
A perfect example of this was our campaign stop in Fishersville, Virginia on October 5th. We helped to organize and coordinate a venue for more than 15,000 supporters, together with a lineup of speakers, fireworks and musicians that included legendary country star Trace Adkins.
Finishing a separate event in Iowa, we had less than 24 hours from when we received the outlined sketch until we were supposed to be onsite in Fisherville. The staff lead from the campaign had a very specific idea for how he wanted the show to look. The idea was revised, edited, and set into motion.
We had an entire site to build out, as there was absolutely no infrastructure at the venue. We designed and printed side scrims, ordered the related services including power and tenting, additional av, fencing, bike racks, etc. and within 72 hours we were ready for the show.
Needless to say, it was a huge win.
It was the first political event of this scale for the campaign, and it set the bar for those to come. This event saw some iconic images captured, with over capacity attendance, an above the fold article and photographs on the local front page, and mentions in CNN, C-Span and several other national media sources.
Ames, IA
Another great event we produced was the rally at Kinzler Construction in Ames, Iowa on October 26th, though it too had a unique set of challenges. Because of busy schedules at the venue location, we weren t able to get started with onsite construction until 4pm. With the event beginning at noon the following day, we knew we d have to hustle to get everything in place.
This set the stage for an overnight build in freezing temperatures. We were ready for this, but wanted to have a working plan to maximize our efficiency, get done that evening, and get out of the cold.
Gathering around our whiteboard in the one building with heat (a natural gathering point), we came up with what we thought was a great plan that is, until we got a last-minute call from HQ changing our event from an informal rally to a more stately speech. Starting from scratch, we built a brand new event on the same site (using white boards one and two).
By the next day, the sun came out, it warmed up for the several hundred people in attendance, and the event was billed as a pivotal moment for our campaign.
Fredericksburg, VA
The next event production was one of the most challenging for our team.
In Fredericksburg, we began setting up the first site at 6am. Seven hours later when we broke for lunch, everything seemed to be in great shape. That s when a weather call was made and the event moved indoors, a half mile down the street.
While part of our crew began packing up the event site we had just set up, we took our initial walkthrough of the new site. Luckily, it had a fantastic load-in potential, including loading docks, flat concrete (something that we REALLY take for granted sometimes), and blank canvas with rig points. The audio was tough, but we made it work. What we really wanted to nail down was the setup. Our gear was at the other site, so we used what was available to sketch out the plan. It was from this rough sketch on concrete that we built the entire show.
We used a number of decor assets to make this work, including one of our larger US flags as a backdrop for the campaign bus. It takes two to rig something this size, but only one to pose for photos. It made for a long night, but the event was a success.
Despite these challenges, we had a great time out on the road. To respond to the dynamic and unique set of requirements we faced, we were forced to be resourceful, responsive and diligent. In the end it paid off. We met new friends, worked with some great agencies, and most importantly, produced and delivered some great events for our clients.
National Book Festival Power and Rigging Day
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS, TIPS & TRICKS
Today we started both signage rigging and power for the 2011 National Book Festival. The day started with rain that moved through, but luckily didn t slow the crews down too much.
As you can see from the photos, this is where we start to see the signage and branding come to life. We will continue the power and AC basics as well as the signage throughout the week.
Million Dollar Idea
EVERYTHING ELSE
After reading a few posts from our friend @blah2voila about million dollar ideas, I wanted to share this amazing project from the designers at MNML. Scott Wilson and team designed two watches that integrate the iPod Nano, the TikTok and LunaTik.
While the designs are great, the most impressive part is the response they got for initial funding. Instead of VC or angels, they went direct to the consumer through KickStarter.com.
[On a side note, Kickstarter is a great concept in its own right, and I find the most fun finding local projects that are getting off the ground. Try it if you haven t already!]
Their original funding level needed to begin production was $15,000. This is no small amount for the average on KickStarter. As it ended last night, they received a total of over $940,000. I thought this would be a great example of a million dollar idea!
TEDx Amsterdam and Mobile Event Apps of the Future
EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS, TIPS & TRICKS
Although first appearing on the scene only recently, event apps are quickly becoming a staple of large event management today. Given how cavernous some conference centers can seem, or the immense scale that industry events can take on, having a helping hand on a smartphone can help attendees integrate with the event and interact with each other in a more meaningful (and creative!) way.
Recent and super awesome example of this? The TEDx Amsterdam application designed by Frog Digital (kudos!). If you re planning on having an application developed for your event, we ve got a few ideas for you:
Keep it Simple!
All good apps are clean easy-to-use and don t overdo the features. Figure out the five most useful features your attendees may need, then hone that list down to three and build that.
Choose the Right Developer
You ve got an event to plan, and not a lot of extra time to devote to app production oversight and debugging. Getting an experienced application developer will set you on the right track from the get-go. (No idea where to start? Check out theymakeapps.com or call us.)
Provide Instructions
If you re going to make a mobile event application available, be sure to provide instructions on how it s intended to be used. You might do this via seminar or info packet.
Ideas: Personal Touches
Especially at larger events, the goals and agendas of each attendee will be vastly different. You might consider adding a scheduling function to your event app design to allow customized itineraries.
GPS Function
If your event is multi-locational or big, consider make your app GPS compatible as an alternative to you are here paper mapping. People will get lost in a closet, if you let them. So don t let them. GPS will only work in a big space, though as of today s technology, it s accurate to about 500 feet, so if you re working within a small space it won t do you much good. In that case, a get directions function could substitute.
Daily Alerts
Dedicated apps may be a nice alternative to SMS updates for attendees. Personally, we think SMS can get a bit annoying, as it s hard for the receiver to filter incoming messages by relevance. Business and political executives are already bombarded by texts and emails, they don t need an additional communications backlog. But if you build a messaging system into your app, event data can be accessed and processed in context, turning an annoying interruption into a relevant reminder.
Behind the Scenes Look at the Romney NASCAR Event
COMPANY NEWS, LIVE EVENTS
Just a few photos and a quick video of setup for the NASCAR Technical Institute event. It was awesome to get the opportunity to have the vehicles up on stage!
NASCAR from Decibel Management on Vimeo.
