Great Balls of Video
New Technology Lets Designers ‘Innovate the Visual Language of Productions’
by Gregory Cohen | Published in November 2006 Focus on Production
As a lighting designer, I can say without hesitation that it’s an exciting time. As I look back at the last several years, there have been many breathtaking advances in technology. These breakthroughs have transformed what was a relatively static method of approaching shows into something exhilarating and dynamic. Among all of these developments, I think nothing is more exciting than low-resolution video.
Low-res video is a catch-all term meaning the use of video-driven elements, usually LED pixels, in a coarser format than standard-definition video. Some examples are the blocky video backgrounds in seemingly every awards show, the low-resolution Soft-LED drape you see on many rock tours and the scenic elements used in many music videos.
There is no doubt that low-resolution video has found itself a home in the designer’s toolbox. With the advancement of LED technology and the ubiquity of LED screens, it’s now possible to find a place for video at almost any price point.
Recently, I had the pleasure of working on a project that would become the perfect storm for the design and development of a new low-res product.
While working for Creative Director Tim Fink, principal of Tim Fink Events & Media of San Rafael, Calif., set designer Rick Goodwin and I were faced with a challenge. We were directed to create five 8-foot globes that would literally become spheres of video, visible to an audience of 12,000 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. We kicked around a lot of ideas, such as front-projecting video on inflatable globes or even putting projectors inside a translucent sphere. However, for a variety of reasons, none of these solutions were practical. Front projection would result, inevitably, in not covering all of the globe, and internally lighting the objects would require a lot of projectors to spread out adequately to fill the globes.
Eventually we decided to explore using technology called MiPix, which was developed by display and visualization solutions provider Barco. MiPix is a cube (with 2-inch sides) containing four video pixels about 20 millimeters apart.
Once we decided on a product, we had to discover how to put it all together — would the globes be a scenic element built by our scenic vendor, or could we get one vendor do to the whole thing? After some research, it was clear that there was a company that could do both easily and well.
Atlanta-based XL Video has a great inventory of interesting pieces of low-res video, and had done curved panels before. Although we were the first to request globes, the company has considerable experience in fabrication and structural engineering, so we were confident that its team could pull it off.
For such a high-tech piece, the research and development phase was relatively simple. Goodwin drew a quick sketch showing an approximate dimension of the globe and a general sense of how it should look. XL responded with a drawing showing the population of the pixels and some general fabrication ideas. We knew we had come to the right people. With the client’s approval, we began fabrication and continued our creative discussions in earnest.
The globes were to be used in the opening module of the show, along with flying performers and executive talent. As Fink was creating a video to complement the talent as well as deliver marketing messages, he had to produce video for our globes as well as the show’s 16 high-definition projections screens. We were able to coordinate this process by passing material back and forth electronically and by setting up a one-day mockup in Atlanta that we videotaped and put online for Fink’s review.
At the show, our creation was very successful – we were able to control the balls from a series of Catalyst Media Servers and put a wide variety of content on them. They complemented onstage graphics and rolled full-motion video, and at other times we even experimented with putting a camera shot on them. It was a unique look, and the client was very happy.
By having a client willing to take creative risks, a creative director with some great ideas and a stunning set design, we were able to pull off a successful project. I see these trends continuing – firms like XL and Barco continue to provide a process by which we can innovate the visual language of productions. It is thrilling to be a part of it, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to do something new again!
About the author: Gregory Cohen
Gregory Cohen is a lighting designer and a founding partner of New York-based Unlimited Visibility Lighting Design.
Contact: gcohen@uvld.com