Projection mapping by QED Productions on Brighton Royal Pavilion using Christie projectors is the culmination of Dr Blighty, an immersive walk-through installation��that marks the Pavilion’s use as a hospital for wounded soldiers from the Indian subcontinent during the First World War.
Part of the 50th Brighton Festival, Dr Blighty tells the story more than 2,300 Muslim, Hindu and Sikh soldiers who were treated in the iconic building, which was originally built for King George IV.
During the spectacular 10-minute projection, the Pavilion’s façade – with its domes and minarets that put one in mind of a maharajah’s palace – are lit with numerous images of violence and beauty, as well as having their architectural details highlighted in vibrant colours. Content was produced by creative studio NOVAK, working to a flattened 3D model created by QED.
“It is a truly pioneering projection mapping project of the most intricate detail and quality,” said QED director Paul Wigfield. “We’ve had to deploy 500,000 lumens of projection power to enable it to happen before nightfall.”
He added: “We are sending 22 individual synchronised HD outputs from two d3 4x4pro media servers in order to achieve the coverage required.”
The projection uses six Christie 30,000-lumen Boxers and 16 Christie 20,000-lumen projectors, in a mixture of landscape and portrait, using all lenses ranging from 0.72:1 to 3.89:1. The HD feeds are delivered via QED’s fibre system, and each is monitored via two 16×16 DVI multiviewers. QED custom projection enclosures are also deployed. Sound is delivered by a d&b audiotechnik system.
Wigfield resisted the temptation to watch the projection before the opening night, in order to experience it from the perspective of an audience member. Seeing the concept realised was “absolutely amazing,” he said. “It’s the culmination of many months of hard work and of many years waiting for the opportunity to arise. We simply had to do justice to the Royal Pavilion, to honour the World War I commemorations and to celebrate 50 years of the Brighton Festival, so we put all our resources and skills behind it.”
Projectors from Christie
Projection specialist QED Productions
Dr Blighty – Brighton Festival
Creative studio NOVAK
