Immersive projection experiences are much in demand, thrilling audiences with their fusion of colour, vivid images and punchy soundtracks. A dedicated business concept from PlayArt in Italy has met with an enthusiastic response, spicing up events across more than 150 venues in Italy annually, ranging from private wedding events to public town activities.
As with many modern artistic endeavours, the immersive rooms – or ‘Sala Immersiva’ – marries a labour of love with the latest in AV and IT technology to bring the visual extravaganza to life. The driving force behind Sala Immersiva is Giuseppe Casciello, Art Director, Playartmultimedia. He explains: “My inspiration is spurred by the necessary and continuous evolution of this wonderful art form. For the past five years, I have given myself the tough task of always innovating and creating new projects. I get a buzz from creating ‘wow!’ art forms.” In addition to generating the concept, Giuseppe also immerses himself in his work, spending time with those who commission it to understand their vision as well as with his technical team to ensure they are able to realise it.
Images with the power to move
Giuseppe explains that his projections are always an integral part of his trail-blazing events – “the engine behind them, if you like”, he says – with those events ranging from standalone immersive experiences, or acting as a themed backdrop to celebrations like birthdays, weddings or anniversaries.
The creation of exciting and memorable experiences is possible through a combination of advanced AV and IT hardware and software solutions suited to public venue applications. In the case of Sala Immersiva, the project is brought to life via MSI Titan Extreme Laptops optimised for large 8K resolution projects. Handling the mapping is Resolume Arena, while HDMI fibre-optic cables and video signal processors – such as Matrox QuadHead2Go – distribute its specific content to each of the large venue laser projectors. The projectors that Giuseppe selected for this task needed to be powerful, reliable and quiet in operation, as well as being about to perform in environments where there are limited places to locate them. After assessing the options available, he decided on a selection of ten projectors with multiple lens options including the feature-rich Vivitek DU8395Z, the Vivitek DU9800Z and the Vivitek DU9900Z.
“I chose Vivitek video projectors for their performance, their excellent quality/price ratio, but also for their excellent sales support”, Giuseppe added.
Creating a clear picture with Vivitek
Having been designed for advanced projection requirements such as mapping, edge blending or picture-in-picture mode, the DU8395Z is well suited to its task. The WUXGA laser projector offers a constant light output of 15,000 lumens and a 3,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for clear, crisp, and bright projection image. The device offers a compelling mix of features and connectivity options.
Supplementing it, is the Vivitek DU9800Z, a Single Chip WUXGA Laser Projector that delivers 18,000 ANSI Lumens with its laser light source, the DU9800Z delivers up to 20,000 hours of operation. Additionally, the projector presents many benefits to System Integrators due to its relatively small form factor and light weight that enables simple and swift installation. Vivitek offers a new Constant Brightness feature to help reduce blending maintenance and customise brightness with a built-in light sensor inside the projector monitors the level of light. Engineered to be very stable, the DU9800Z is ideally suited to 24/7 operation with low user intervention making it an excellent choice for Sala Immersiva.
Rounding off the projection trio, is the Vivitek DU9900Z-BK ultra high bright SSL laser projector. It is a single-chip DLP projector with 22,000 lumens high brightness designed for ProAV rental, staging and large venue applications. The Single Chip WUXGA laser projector offers a constant light output of 22,000 lumens and a 3,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. The Constant Brightness feature helps reduce blending maintenance with a smart sensor continuously measuring and adjusting the illumination output.
The projector can run continuously for 30,000 hours in Eco Mode, guaranteeing 24/7 operation with low user intervention.
Depending on the scenographic projections being displayed, the number of projectors being used varies. In some cases, Giuseppe has used up to 24 video projectors – connected to two super PCs synchronized with each other – but the ‘average’ event is typically supported by anywhere between six to 14 video projectors.
Flexibility in all situations
As each installation has its own characteristics, Giuseppe needs to consider which projectors to use, as he explains: “The surface being projected on determines which projector we use. For example, it’s not necessary to use the most powerful projectors if the walls are white, so we would usually use the DU8395Z. On surfaces that aren’t as ‘clean’, like castles or mountains, I need a lot of power and the DU9800Z or the DU9900Z are best suited to those tasks.” In addition to the surfaces, another factor that determines what projectors to use is the space available within the venue for locating and positioning the projectors. “We are often restricted to very short distances or vice versa, very far from surfaces. Obviously, it’s important that we use the projectors most suited to accommodating these distances,” Giuseppe added.
With so much of the event’s impact and success hinging on the projectors, Giuseppe is careful to check and inspect their features and functions, their shape and even their weight ahead of making any purchasing decisions. “Every technology link in the chain is essential.” Giuseppe added, “So I need to consider a device’s suitability for our needs and the environments they will be used in.”
With all of those considerations in mind, Giuseppe’s most satisfied with the Vivitek projectors. He stated:
Giuseppe is sure to maximise the value from his investment. His project at the end of August 2023 will be the subject of a following case study, demonstrating the outdoor mapping of the stunning Amalfi coastline in Italy.
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