Making the magic happen with projection mapping

This was the case when Panasonic projectors helped bring history to life at Edinburgh Castle. Tales from Scotland’s past illuminated the iconic landmark, in order to entertain visitors. The mesmerising 90-minute journey of light, sound and wonder, entitled Castle of Light, treated visitors to an evening of dazzling animations. It was an entirely new experience for the 900-year-old castle.

“The projectors were remarkably bright for their size but because the laser units are so small, the power consumption is low and even more importantly, they were pretty much 100% reliable,” says Alastair Young, director at War Productions.

The powerful but relatively lightweight design of Panasonic projectors was also important for the creative team that helped to celebrate man’s understanding of Space with spectacular projection mapping onto Stockholm’s iconic City Hall (Stadshuset) as part of the Nobel Week Lights festival.

The team deployed a total of 30 3-Chip DLP projectors. A 20-foot-long container, with two long windows for 18 of the projectors, was stacked on two levels and pointed at the wall of the building. Then two aluminium boxes, 8 feet long and containing 6 projectors each, were used to cover the tower. 

“It was so important that the projectors were compact and easy to set up in the restricted space we had to use,” says Johan Törnström of Creative Technology, the technical specialist that brought the projection mapping to life.

When visitors are expecting a show, the show must always go on. So, reliability is non-negotiable. Look for projectors that have built-in reliability, such as features designed to avoid blackouts. These would include multi-drive laser light sources to ensure the projector can still operate if one fails. There are also fail-safe input systems that ensure a switch to a backup without loss of image.

For example, when the Yotel Hotel in Edinburgh wanted a creative and captivating 360-degree projection mapping experience for its conference and event space, it turned to Panasonic and its partners.

Now, spectacular moving landscapes surround guests as they take breakfast in the room, from unicorns wandering through magical forests to a sequence featuring the man in the moon. All in immersive 16,000-pixel wide vision. Businesses also take advantage of the capability for sponsorship and branding opportunities at their events.

One important consideration for the hotel, and the installation partners, was that the solution delivered high-quality visuals but remained easy to use and reliable. Creative director Andy Stentiford explains:

“Using laser projectors means that we avoid the issues you get with conventional lamp projectors, with the need to change lamps and clean filters. These costs are no longer necessary for the client. They essentially have one purchase at the start of the project. Then they have the projectors operating for a guaranteed lifetime, and they’re maintenance-free.”