Projecting an unforgettable experience

Impressing Europe’s most seasoned audio-visual (AV) professionals at events and tradeshows to ensure you stand out from the plethora of incredible technologies on offer is no mean feat. But that’s exactly what Epson set out to achieve at ISE, the world’s largest trade show for AV professionals, and Epson’s own European Partner event.

The challenge was clear:  Provide a show stopping projection experience, that existing and future customers would remember forever. The key ingredient to success was Epson’s flagship EB-L25000U laser installation projector, currently the brightest, smallest and lightest 3LCD projector available, and innovative mapping techniques created with partner, mclcreate.

At Epson’s European Partner event held at the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam, Epson’s advance projection technology was used to create a magical AV experience that ‘wowed’ the gala dinner audience of 400 AV professionals from across EMEA. Inspired by the dramatic potential of the Museum’s 17th-century walled courtyard, now enclosed by an architectural glass roof structure, mclcreate devised a show-stopping, 10-minute production showcasing the EB-L25000U’s key features. The installation projectors’ vivid brightness and fluid natural imagery delivered a vibrant, high-energy experience. Three dancers performed live on stage in front of a giant presentation screen, providing the canvas for the projection mapping, as it seamlessly ebbed, flowed and played around the historic courtyard walls

“We wanted to provide our customers with a truly memorable experience at our European Partner event. It needed to be something that was visually stunning, but also demonstrate the capabilities of our new laser projectors,” says Neil Colquhoun, Executive Director of Professional Displays, Epson Europe. “The magnificent architecture of The Maritime Museum, created a challenging backdrop for the EB-L25000U to demonstrate that it can project the sharpest, brightest and most colourful images possible. The feedback from customers and all who attended the event was overwhelming, it definitely captured their attention!”

At Epson’s ISE booth, projection mapping also designed by mclcreate was used to mirror the geometric shapes of the Epson stand design. Patterned projection windows encircled a Mercedes–AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula OneTM car, suspended horizontally onto a 9m x 7m wall. Connected narratives filled each geometric window whilst the car itself was used as a canvas, moving from the grid onto an F1 circuit. The three-minute mapping story, repeated on a loop throughout the four-day show, then transformed into an explosion of rich, organic colours, shapes, highlighting the Epson EB-L25000U’s extraordinary power. This innovative Epson projection technology and mclcreate’s implementation not only captured attendees’ attention, it also helped Epson win ‘Best Large Stand’ at the event.

To create such a powerful experience, the surface of a real Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula One racing car was scanned with 3D lasers providing the exact measurements needed to produce a flattened 2D-projection (UV) map. Following this, mclcreate developed and finalised the storyboard and set to work programming a video sequence to bring it to life at ISE. The footage was projected onto the car and surrounding panels using fourteen Epson EB-L25000U projectors controlled by a D3 4x4 Pro media server and 4 x Q-DVI VFC (Video Format Control) cards. mclcreate’s team of four expert technicians implemented the design at the Epson Stand in just 36 hours.

“The world’s leading AV professionals were present at both venues, so the pressure for mclcreate to deliver technical as well as creative excellence was immense,” adds Jamie McAffer, mclcreate’s Creative Director. “The results are bold and imaginative statements that clearly demanded attention and instantly communicated the technological innovation, premium performance and forward-thinking expertise underpinning the Epson brand. We’re enjoying our partnership with Epson and can’t wait for them to talk with us about their next challenge!”