The highlight was the spectacular Ford Motors stand, dedicated to the launch of the new Mondeo, which dominated Hall 4 of Birmingham’s NEC. The centrepiece of their display was CT’s fully-integrated audio-visual installation, designed and programmed by Chris Slingsby, head of Imagination’s Special Projects dept, working alongside CT’s Dave Herd. The presentation combined multiples of 6K PIGI scenic projectors, using double scrollers and rotating double scrollers through 360 degrees, supplemented by eight Christie 7K Roadie projectors. These were mounted onto the circular lighting grid in the centre of the drum, firing out into the 30m diameter auditorium - one projector assigned to each of the four perimeter screens. The 3-chip DLP Roadies provided the video element and live camera replay while the picture origination was from Doremi hard drive systems, controlled via Dataton, which also interfaced with the show automation system. Playback was from a three-camera PPU system, with desktop video PCs, providing the speaker support.
On the dealer and press days the presentation was made in a full show format. Tracking screens moved on monorails as part of a choreographed sequence, while dealers watched from their seats inside the theatre ‘drum’. As each show commenced the screens moved from their fixed positions, and each section of the circular screen rotated a quarter turn. The PIGI projectors fitted with the rotating double scrollers allowed images to be moved through 360 degrees at varying speeds, working synchronously with the opening screens to create a series of dynamic moving images. When the show finished, the entire drum opened up. Creative Technology delved further into their hire fleet, supplying a Toshiba videowall for the first floor cafe area, as well as a number of Pioneer plasma screens.
The Imagination-designed Land Rover stand presented the revised Freelander. Their production manager Francis Mugford in turn contacted Creative Technology who supplied an 11sq.m 10-bit LVP-102D Lighthouse 10mm indoor LED screen, running continuous product footage off a Doremi. Guy Mapley project managed and Jonathan Sheard was senior engineer. The Vauxhall stand for Jack Morton Worldwide was under the supervision of Creative Technology’s head of project management, Jon Hodgson, with a number of 40" plasma displays and VTR playback sources being provided for the opening press and trade days, as the new Corsa was revealed.
