Scenic LED sits on the increasingly blurry line between video and lighting by utilising the same individual components of a video wall, packaged in tiles and strips that provide flexibility for lighting and set designers to build dynamic effects into the set. Bringing the control of these elements firmly in to the hands of the lighting designer or visual content director, MiTrix and MiStrip remove the restrictions of content being forced to confirm to a 4:3 or 16:9 screen formation.
With almost constant rental now confirmed throughout September, Essential has further demonstrated its commitment to Scenic LED by doubling its stock of MiTrix and MiStrip with immediate effect and increasing the choice of fixtures by becoming the first company worldwide to receive shorter (380mm) MiStrip's for further flexibility.
Employed to launch the new Ford Verve concept in Frankfurt, Mansfield Design asked Essential to help create a digital waterfall, river and pond that formed an introduction to the reveal of the new Ford concept car. The MiTrix 'waterfall' then split and tracked smoothly from its original position to reveal the vehicle, forming a different configuration to play another role in the event. The combined features of brightness, transparency and flexibility mean that a set including MiTrix or MiStrip needn't be static or solid.
At an event staged by AV Unit at the Hammersmith Apollo in August, four MiTrix banners flanked a conventional projection screen allowing the conference graphics to break out of the central projection screen and engulf the entire stage. Adam Clark, AV Unit's production director commented, "We were delighted with how well MiTrix performed. It is an extremely versatile system that creates endless possibilities and we are already planning to use it on future events."
Proving that not all uses of scenic LED need to contain hundreds of thousands of pixels, Eclipse Presentations enlisted Essential to provide scenic LED fixtures for a financial awards show at the Old Brewery in London. A gently curved array of 48 MiStrip's arranged vertically, provided an eye catching backdrop to the lectern using the background images and videos from the higher resolution screens to create a consistent visual style across the set.
For Essential's scenic LED Demo Days, Tony 'Turbo' Hall transformed Essential's demonstration and pre-production suite in to a full size event with creative use of MiTrix and MiStrip fixtures including a wave shaped ceiling piece, moving screens and reveal pieces, multi-layered alcoves revealed and concealed though the semi-transparent scenic LED screens.
The event was very well attended with hundreds of lighting designers, production managers, trade customers and set designers getting the opportunity to see the equipment in action, and get a hands-on look at the components and how the system is constructed.
(Jim Evans)
