Projection and Projection surfaces

Projection surfaces seem to be a mute subject to talk about. A simple, ideally ironed, bed-cloth would suffice as a projection surface, right? If I can project onto any wall, floor, ceiling, regardless of design, material or colour, why do I need a dedicated projection surface, right?

Well, lets create an analagy. 

You can mount 4 wheels to a board and roll down a hill. If you attach the wheels on to an axel and mount the axle moveable you can even steer. But you would certainly not get into city traffic with the contraption or win a car race.

Projection surfaces are similar. With a bedcloth I can get a rudimentary result.  But it is not optimal and will neither reflect the capabilities of your projector or the quality of your content.

Projection surfaces are made of different materials, colours, consistencies and come even in opaque or transparent, white or dark and everything in between, so that you can have an all-rounder, which works everywhere, but maybe not optimal, of you can have surfaces (screen-materials), which give you the best performance.

In the following series we will review different materials for rental and staging, corporate, home, retail, exhibition, special effect use. We will try to keep it simple and not add to many diagrams. Yes, we may show you how the colour performance may be and why that matters, how the viewing angle is and why that can be critical and how the material performs on not so ideal environments.

Some of the first distinctions we will have to make is the difference between foldable and roll down material. PVC based and fabric or fibreglass. Acrylic foil or sheet and projection paint.

Finally we will talk about cleaning and service.

This is a comprehensive program. Not to tax you to much and take up of your valuable time, we will break this down into small junks. It is like eating. Consuming smaller quantities keep you healthy and slim.

So I hope you will stay with us and get to know your projection surface and be able to create a better screening experience.

 

The challenge to create cost effective and impactful digital displays and audio visuals.

 Budgets, apart from really prestigious projects, are always tight and every cent spend on a retail, museums, gallery and visitor centre installation must be well considered. 

What are the key elements in creating a cost effective 'show' for your viewers?

A good story:

Look for the story, not the product”. Everything has a story to tell. Regardless if we sell toothpaste or a designer dress, a new electronic gadget or a big truck. There is a story behind it.

If you are a museum, national park, visitor centre, you have already a good story. The trick is to tell it well.

Make it engaging? Make it fit the mindset of your audience, not the mindset of the curator, designer, administrator or sales person.

Ofthen less is more and simple can have more impact.

This applies to everything, the audio, visual and technology side.


Viewer engagement.

Engage your viewers. Make them part of the story. This does not neccessarily require wizz-bang interactivity and augmented reality. Sure these aspects can help, but they can be costly and not always be reliable, in particular if you don't have dedicated staff.

Find the element in your story, which will people want to linger and see and listen. A cute animal picture, a baby, a ......, often does more then complex technology.

Make it big:

 Most people in this world are visually oriented, even blind people refer to ’seeing things’. 

So the visual impact is most important. Use big screens or multi-screens (no this does not cost the world). Surround people with images. Immerse them. Complicated? No it is not.

Interaction. 

Get your audience to interact with your story by touching the emotional element.

Technology.  

This comes last.
The range of technology is wide ranging and so is the price. But the most costly technology is wasted if the story is not told well.
On the other hand, effective use of projection foil and mirrors, projection on to objects, panel displays, mirror walls, suspended acrylic screens, all this can help to tell your story with a minium of expense.

LCD, Projection, LED?

Sales people will tell you that a 40K+ LED wall has more impact, then a 10K three projector show on a wide screen.

Rubbish. There are applications where a LED wall will shine and have the desired impact. On the other hand 3 x $500 LCD monitors and a controller can equally engage your audience.

If you have the space, put projection into a darkened room. Why do we still go to cinemas? Because we like these spaces, which allow us to immersive into the story on the screen. Cost a fortune? Does not have to. A blacked our space can be created as a room within a room at minimal cost. Or you have the space, just utilize it wrongly.

Whatever, create the impact and tell your story well. Then every dollar you have invested will pay back multiple times.

Want to talk? Just contact us at itiav.info@iti-imagegroup.com.au and we ring you back.