Multi Screen Show

[Davidrw49]

I just realized I posted this in the PSG forum by mistake, so I'll post it here as well.

I was approached today by someone who wants to me do a large slideshow for a special event next year. What he would like is multiple screens arranged in a large circle with the audience in the middle. The slides would be 360 degree panoramic shots of a single scene, then all the screens would change to a similar panoramic of the next scene. All with music and narration.

I can shoot the panoramas with no problem, but I've not worked with multiple screens before (except in the old days with slide projectors and a dissolve unit).

My question is can this even be done without a mega bucks budget? We have access to multiple digital projectors. Can one computer control multiple projectors each with a different image? Can I do this in PSP?

Any ideas? This could be a nice addition to my resume.

Thanks!

Dave

[Rik 101]

Hi, this is out side my field of expertise but my brother in law is a "vj." (video jockey think dj but with video/ multiple sources and screens) He runs a hobby business providing large video displays for Bands. Big Dance parties New years Events etc. I have forwarded your thoughts to him

Preliminary Questions
Q.1 How many screens are you thinking ?
Q.2 Are you thinking of a single panoramic display or multiple images but with a common theme ?

He has a friend running a linked setup A computer controlled multi display of 42 inch Plasma Tvs that can be configured in different ways 3 x 6 or 5x4 or even a 10x 2 array to make one giant picture but isnt sure about how to go about a full 360 panorama.
He is going to talk to some of his contacts over the weekend

So i will keep watching this post and update you as soon as i have something that may help.

Rick

[Davidrw49]

Thanks for your reply Rick.

The number of screens has yet to be determined. We're just at the idea stage now. They'll probable be large front projection screens with video projectors shooting across the room for each one. At least that's what my friend described. I'd say at least 6.

He's thinking one surrounding image to create a sense of being in the middle of the scene. My thought is if we did say, 6 screens, I'd shoot six shots at an angle of view of 60 degrees of each scene. Then loading all of the number one shots of each scene into its own slide show in one projector, all the number 2 shots in the number 2 projector, etc. Six different slide shows where each projected formed one panel of the panoramic shot. The audio could come from just one projector. (of course a surround sound setup might be fun!) I guess we could set up six operators and manually advance each slide in each show simutaneously on a cue of some sort. Might work with a slow dissolve type show.

I guess what I'm looking for is a way to automate this so I don't need six operators doing it manually. And without the financial and equipment resources of Weta Workshop!

Hope this makes sense!

Thanks for forwarding this to your brother-in-law. I'll be anxious to see what he has to say.

Meanwhile I have a 3d photography club meeting this weekend where we're discussing how to do stereo PSP productions.

Dave

[DickK Profile Private messageWebsite]

The idea is neat but I'd think about this very carefully before getting too far into it and I'd first sit down with some paper to try to imagine a layout that might work. First issues that come to my mind are:

-- is how big is the room and how many people are anticipated to be in the audience?
-- what are the largest (width is what counts) screens I can consider renting and getting set up?
-- how many of those and projectors (& maybe computers) can the budget stand to rent?

To form a circle with flat screens there will have to be more of them than just indicated by the number of feet in the circumference of the circle. In fact, I think the smallest number that approaches optimum might be an octagon if you're going to really create pseudo-360 degree environment. If the screens are ~12' across then 8 of them are going to enclose a space that a really rough sketch indicates you're not going to get lots of folks inside. Part of the problem is that the images won't look good unless you're back from the screen and that means a major portion of the area inside is empty. Oh, and we've not even begun to consider the space needed for all the gear which has to be in the middle unless we're doing rear projection.

A few really rough numbers and a sketch make me doubt a 360 environment going to be practical even if you solve the problem of controlling a bunch of projectors seamlessly. The area enclosed for the amount of gear isn't a good ratio in my mind. However, I think if you can solve the projection issue (no idea how to do it), then a 180 or so environment might be on the edge of feasible because reduces the issue of getting people away from the screens and where to put all the gear.

Interesting problem but this is going to be complicated for sure.
Dick

[briancbb Profile Private message]

I'm sure there is a setup like this at Disney, either Epcot or in LA, I can't remember which. This was some 10/15 years ago.

Room held about 200 people and had bars to hold onto as they projected a rollercoaster and everyone swayed although the floor did not move .

Although fuzzyness could be seen at the joins, I think about 8 projectors. Looks complicated to me as the screens followed an arc and the projector lens must have to correct for this.

Brian