E//T//C was working for media and production company The Bank, who produced the event for Shell UK. It's the fourth year running that E//T//C UK has illuminated this prime site with high impact projections for the event.
The 26 storey building - once the tallest in the UK - was covered by eight 6 kW PIGI projectors that were sited 100 metres away on the edge of Queen's Walkway (the corresponding riverside path), housed in a curtain-sider truck. Six of the projectors, complete with double scrollers running vertically, produced the poppies, three targeted at the top half of the tower and three at the bottom.
The stunning red on turquoise background images were overlaid to maximise brightness, and were scrolled to draw people's attention. The mega-bright projection was visible from anywhere along the South Bank with clear sightlines of the building. The other two projectors were used to produce the text line Reflection And Hope, the slogan of the 2005 Poppy Appeal.
The projectors were tech'd by Steve Cameron and programmed and run by Karen Monid, using PIGI's OnlyCue PC-based software for control. The installation process was completed in two days - a short period for the amount of kit involved, the environmental challenges and the precision line-up time needed to ensure the projections looked their best. The projections were project managed for The Bank by Roger Oakley of Word of Mouth Productions.
Ross Ashton comments, "This is now the 5th Poppy Appeal in which we've been involved. Previous years have included projecting onto monuments such as Wellington Arch, and we're really proud to continue being part of such an important and relevant national event."
(Jim Evans)
