Riette’s design included a 3D map of London and the river with key landmarks in relief onto which a film would be projected using 3D mapping. This would be the focal point in the Thames Walk area.
The 4-metre wide model had to be accurately built, to the millimetre, to match the 3D CAD file so the animations would be perfectly mapped. The scenic construction house, Scott Fleary, built the model to exactly match the animation template.
London-based designers, Immersive, were commissioned to animate the content with projection mapping, and undertake the installation of the AV equipment.
To make the story accessible to everyone, Riette created a script with very little dialogue and the story is told by animation and sound. Immersive then turned this four-minute script into the film with 3D projection mapped animated content.
Immersive’s Creative Director John Munro said: “We often work in projection mapping, and we push our clients to use interesting narrative structures rather than rely on visual cliché.
“We designed our overall look in a way that brought very disparate elements together, and we also used expert timing to ensure that the flow of the piece made sense while still keeping a light-hearted humorous element to it. Four minutes of content with such a detailed narrative is actually quite a challenge in itself, so we are proud of the depth of storytelling within the dwell time.”
Two Optoma EH415ST projectors were installed and edge blended with Avolites Ai S4 media server to create the extra wide image needed. This server was used because of its versatility, power, reliability and highly competitive price. Ai Media Servers are tailored for professional show designers, content producers and artists. They deliver the crucial tools for sculpting the most elaborate composition multi-media inputs, outputs and triggers.
As visitors could stand close very close to the projection, it was important that the projectors were a high resolution. It was also imperative to have short throw lenses so there would be no shadows from visitors.
Ralph Lambert, Director at Immersive, said: “The ability for visitors to get so close to the install without casting their shadow across the image was only possible by using extreme short throw lenses which were available on the Optoma EH415ST projectors.
“These projectors are bright and have a resolution output of 1920x1080p, which enabled us to create our video at a combined resolution of 2832x1080. PJLink control was a must-have for automated on/off control.”
The video uses sound effects, illustrations and original photographs including some from the building of the original C19th sewers, the construction of Tower Bridge and images from World War II. Audio is fed through to three speakers over three separate channels which fills the gallery with the sights and sounds from those eras.
Ralph added: “The video is four minutes long showing London’s history and development and how and why the Thames Tideway project is going ahead. It captures the audience’s attention using immersive 3D mapping illusion based graphics to entertain as well as inform.”
The corridor leading up to the main projection illustrates ‘The Great Stink’ of 1858 and the outbreak of Cholera that was the impetus for the original Victorian sewerage system to be built. Even the lift doors have been illustrated to give the impression that visitors are walking through the old sewers. A huge mural demonstrates the increase in London’s population with which the current sewer system has to cope.
The EH415ST Full HD projector beams a 100-inch picture on a screen or wall from just over a metre away. It boasts a brightness rating of 3,500 ANSI lumens and is lightweight (3.4kg), making it extremely flexible for installation. This Full 3D projector has a powerful built-in speaker as well as an audio output, enabling connection to external sound systems.
It has an Eco+ mode for energy saving which includes standby mode and auto power off. The dust-sealed, filter free design prevents dust and dirt from affecting the system ensuring optimal image quality with minimal maintenance. It features DLP® technology pioneered by Texas Instruments, which uses millions of mirrors to produce higher quality imagery which does not suffer colour degradation over time, as sometimes experienced in other projector technologies.
The projector can be managed and monitored remotely with Crestron RoomView®, Telnet, Extron IP Link, AMX and PJ-Link, which allow almost all aspects of the EH415ST to be controlled across a network. It has extensive connectivity supporting a wide number of computer and video inputs including VGA and two HDMI ports.