An impressive mapping of Horse Guards Parade in London, broadcast on the BBC, was only made imaginable through restrictions on social estrangement.
In a year in which several occasions were postponed or canceled around the world, a Creative Technology (CT) team stayed with just over a month to organize a large-scale occasion of the length of a stadium that would take months to prepare.
The British national broadcaster, the BBC, is due to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day with an audiovisual exhibition at Horse Guards Parade in London, broadcast on 15 August. This was an unprecedented opportunity to use this place, which was taken only by the unforeseen restrictions of social estrangement launched that had interrupted the same schedule of parades and public access. CT was excited to be able to participate in the creation of something charming and monumental for others across the country to witness.
The resolution made through the BBC to cover almost the entire Horse Guard Parade with projection. This ranged from the former Admiralty building to Dover House. Massive constructions with complex geometry proved to be a challenge for the modeling team that divided the constructions into 3 equivalent sections facing AutoCAD, Rhino, and Mode in a race to complete this colossal task.
Meanwhile, the modeling team provided a superior polyethylene mesh of all the analysis, which was then reduced to anything usable and deposited in the Mapping Matter software application. The team then used this to create a very accurate analysis to help the number of projectors needed to succeed in a three-hundred-0 lux target and how to minimize shadows created through horse statues in front of Horse Guards or through lighting. towers located in the center of the courtyard of arms.
CT’s chief projection engineer Matthew Mark worked tirelessly to test and configure all 69 projectors in a limited time period, 12-core CT fiber optic distribution, and traditional MTP to LC bypass boxes to distribute the main and backup signals to each of the seven towers.
The corporate structures and level noNonsense was present to build the seven projection towers. Each measuring ten meters high and 4 meters deep, the largest with five bays wide can accommodate up to 12 projectors and even all their empty cases.
Creative Technology builds its complex maximum formula of its kind to date, providing a full 4K visualization of up to 24 resources for major server and backup outputs and even with paints of this size, still only part of its capacity. a whole trail of redundant signaling, which means that even if the main signal trail is lost, the projectors automatically switch to backup signals.
Nine main servers were used to produce two machine-compatible 4K outputs. These were then cut into 8 HD signals, giving 69 main transmissions.
Video projection tools specialist VYV UK was available as a team component to help align all 69 31K projectors in the limited time available. This was an opportunity to use all the newest features of the company’s Photon media server, such as multi-window calibration. This uses a soft structure to create a three-dimensional scan of the building, a procedure known as three-dimensional reconstruction. From this information, Photon can align projectors in seconds.
The BBC had built an on-site server room with more than 10,000 BTU of air conditioning, meaning that even in the days, the machines remained at the best temperature regardless of their workload.
BBC Events has turned to its normal external transmission provider and its sister company Creative Technology NEP UK to obtain its expanding OB unit “Ceres”. The giant OB unit provided a safe covid paint environment and was founded around 24 camera positions with 8 cameras moving between multiple positions each of the six shooting nights. NEP UK also provided RF links for Steadicams and all RF communications.
Richard Lancaster, head of advertising at NEP UK, commented: “It is a privilege to paint with BBC Events, and this session was especially special, the screening as well as the charming place and the acts in question provided lasting memories for all involved.”
The content of this exhibition was created through Kate Dawkins, Diana Henry and her team of animators. They controlled producing 38 high-resolution content sequences that were filmed as a backdrop for army bands and orchestras during the five-day filming.
Will Harkin, Creative Technology’s assignment engineer, commented, “I’ve worked on many large-scale assignment assignments over the years, but I actually feel, despite the limited time we had, that this was the most productive to date. I am firmly convinced that without the wonderful equipment we have in CT, delivering paintings of this complexity and length to the highest point we have reached within the allotted time would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. Let’s hope that all the hobby and experience in this assignment will have an impact on the audience of the house as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of VJ Day.
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