Projection Mapping and Light Festivals

What is projection mapping?

Projection mapping is a more innovative technology that is used by many on their presentation projects. It is the display of an image in a non-white or non-flat surface.
It utilizes video projectors and turns an object in 3D shape in an interactive display. These objects can be complex industrial landscapes like small indoor objects, buildings as well as theatrical stages.
Projection mapping has an original academic term of ‘video mapping’ and ‘spatial augmented reality.’

How does projection mapping work?

You may not know it; projection mapping has many benefits. It can be used for live concerts, advertising, gaming, theater, decoration, computing, and more. You can refer to specialized software that can be used for aligning the physical objects and the virtual content.
Projection mapping technology is the best technique that is used by many advertisers and artists who create extra dimensions, notions of movement, and optical illusions into static objects. The video is added with audio to make an audio-visual narrative.

When and how it started?

Projection mapping is a technique developed way back in the late 1990s. During that time, it was referred to as augmented spatial reality, video mapping, or shader lamps.
The first public displays of projections for 3D objects were conducted in 1969 during the opening of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride which also featured its singing busts.
The headshots of their singers were filmed using 16mm film and were projected to busts of their faces that make them look animated. Other early events of projection mapping were the TV movie Magical Mystery Tour in 1967 during the scene of Blue Jay Way.
In this event, the images were projected to George Harrison, which includes the face of a cat and headless male torso with words ‘Magical Mystical Boy’ written on its chest.
After that, the next record of the said technology happened in 1980, wherein Michael Naimark, an installation artist filmed the people who interacted with objects in a living room and projected it in a room which created illusions of people interacting with objects.
Meanwhile, the first time that the concept of projection mapping was academically investigated was during the late 1990s at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
It was spearheaded by Ramesh Rakar who worked on a project called Office of the Future which aims at connecting offices in different areas through projecting people in office space as if they are truly there.
In 2001, several artists also started to use projection mapping in their artwork. Groups like Microsoft also experimented projection mapping as their means for technological advancement.

Famous projection mapping events in Europe International GENIUS LOCI WEIMAR Festival in Germany

The international GENIUS LOCI WEIMAR festival in Germany is a famous event for several audiovisual projections.
It was established in 2012 as part of the Weimar Summer initiative. The city is a home of thinkers, musicians, poets. It is also the home of the Bauhaus movement. This festival is already a big part of the culture of Thuringia.
In the festival, there is an interplay of different artistic genres. The said event reunites the most appreciated façade projections, which include the Genius Loci LAB stage that features up and coming artists, light installations in public areas and music events.
The festival has a unique and global concept that combines historical heritage, artistic expression, and digital technology. Recently, the festival is a representation of an international platform in video mapping.

Zsolnay Light Festival in Hungary

Zsolnay Light Festival is one of the most famous events in Hungry. The said event will be conducted this 2019 between June 27 and June 30. The nation’s first and only light festival became successful in 2018 wherein over 75,000 visitors enjoyed the show. The Zsolnay Light Art Mapping Competition is the main attraction of the festival. The visitors are impressed with the three-dimensional moving light design in the monumental façade of the city’s Cathedral.

LUZ Y VANGUARDIAS in Spain

Luz Y Vanguardias festival is celebrated yearly during June. It features the Spanish city of Salamanca in an international and national art scene through international video mapping contest.
The event also emphasizes the emblematic buildings and streets of the UNESCO World Heritage Site having light and art projections on four nights.
The people can enjoy watching the universal legacy and history of Salamanca in a different angle. It is organized in 2016 for the first time and grown each year. Last year, the festival gained over 366,000 people.
It was joined by 38 participants coming from 10 various nationalities.

KYIV Lights Festival in Ukraine

KYIV Lights Festival is celebrated for 3 days of memorable atmosphere that is produced by the international festival of media arts and light in the Ukrainian capital.
The projection mapping technology transforms the city into an art gallery with installations, colorful light sculptures, and projections.
Some of the media artists from several countries are also invited to turn the River Port building of Poshtova square into a big screen with spectacular video projections.
The festival adheres to the tradition of other popular light festivals in the world. The best about it is that the admission is free to all festival venues.
Projection Mapping is now widely used by individuals and artists to advertise or present their niche. It is also used in major events. Do you know the reasons why projection mapping is commonly used in events? Then, the following are the answers to this question.

• It can offer an interactivity element
• It amazes the attendees for enhanced engagement
• It also gives additional memorable feature to a particular event
• One of its benefits is that it is shareable in social media
• It can also offer an excellent return on investment when it comes to publicity.

Are you planning to conduct an event with the use of projection mapping? Then, you must consider the following tips.

Deciding about the best projection effect for your event

If you have your event, you can make it grand with the use of projection mapping. Don’t worry because the following ideas will help you.

1. Consider your budget.

You must be clear about your goals. The first things must come first. You must have a particular budget to conduct your event. With this, your event has more chance of being successful.
Your event with projection mapping can also be successful even at an affordable cost. So, you must have a specific amount of budget for your event.

2. What are you going to project?

In projection mapping, you must be sure about what you are going to project in front of the public eye. You must have a clear plan of the images that you will be projecting during your event. Always remember that the complexity and size of the images have its specific cost.
If you want to save more of your budget, you must concentrate on the small details that can attract the attention of your viewers. Some of your guests can enjoy interactive video projections that a giant wall.

3. The size of your venue

If you have a huge space, you will need more projectors. You must also expect to have more expensive projection mapping in your event. You don’t have to make a new projection environment to impress your viewers. Instead, you can check for the focal points of your area to draw the eye.

4. How long are you going to plan for your event?

If you are in the planning procedure of your event, you can still use projection mapping as the highlight of your event. Meanwhile, you must plan for your projection mapping early to avoid possible problems in the future.
With this, you can maximize the creativity, cost, and collaboration of your event. You must have a creative plan of projection mapping on simple and small designs. You can also consult the professional advice of a reliable AV company to help you with your projection mapping needs.

In-house vs. outsourced projection mapping

If you plan to use projection mapping for your event, you can choose between in-house and outsourced. To help you decide in choosing your projection effect, the following are some of its benefits.

In-house advantages

• A clear scope of your project
• You can experience maximum customization for your needs
• Reduced initial costs. If you are conscious of budget, then the in-house projection mapping is ideal for you.

Outsourced advantages

• Projections will be tested, created and tweaked correctly before your event starts
• Creative and more innovative inputs from experts in the industry
• You can have access to specialized resources
• You can experience professional outcome at crunch time

2D or 3D projection mapping

If you are going to conduct your event, it is better to use 3D projection mapping. However, 3D is more expensive, so you can prefer for 2D. You can customize your projection mapping depending on your needs and budget.