- Barco LiveDots is supplying the latest version of its high-resolution C5 LED display to showcase a video exhibition at the George W. Bush Presidential Museum and Library, created by media artist David Niles of Niles Creative Group.
The experience begins as visitors enter the library's architectural centerpiece, Freedom Hall. What appears to be a seamless 360-degree giant painted mural suddenly comes to life, revealing ultra-high resolution time lapse views of Texas. Then an animated tableau of American life featuring one hundred characters appears. A Washington D.C. flyover and a surprising finale end the presentation. The visuals and original orchestral soundtrack surround the audience.
Running every 15 minutes as a prequel to the museum and library tours, the seven-minute show entitled “We the People” presents a theatrical tribute to Americana, its people and institutions of democracy. Niles conceived this experience and brought the challenge to Barco LiveDots, seeking to develop a new display solution to achieve his vision.
“Everyone in this business said it couldn’t be done,” said Niles. “So, I went to Barco LiveDots with my list of requirements: to create an LED product capable of presenting a photorealistic display of seamless imagery wrapping the interior of the room, 20-feet off the ground, with viewers standing directly underneath (making for some extreme viewing angles), presented in broad daylight with no distortion.”
The composited 160’ x 21’ ultra-high resolution display wall is a high-performance version of Barco LiveDots’ C5 LED display, comprising four individual surfaces, each 40 tiles wide and 16 tiles high, or 21’ x 52’ in area. The tiles are joined at each interior wall corner to form a giant video screen enveloping visitors overhead as they enter the foyer.
The C5 LED is able to display brilliant, consistent imagery even at extreme viewing angles, a necessity for this project because of its interior-facing rectangular screens. Despite the high ambient light environment due to light streaming from four adjacent windows, the display presents rich, colorful imagery because of its high brightness and contrast. Running at 110 gigabytes per minute, the video presentation is so high definition that it requires multiple computer servers.
“The opportunity to work with Niles Creative Group’s inspiration and execution is always a treat,” said Carl Rijsbrack, Chief Marketing Officer for Barco LiveDots. “The combination of David Niles’ innovative theatrical artistry and our production team’s technical abilities results in an amazing, dynamic show.”
