- WorldStage was chosen to create a floor-based video projection system for entertaining New York Knicks and Rangers fans in Madison Square Garden, "The World’s Most Famous Arena".
The new large-scale lighting system installed by MSG features over 100 Vari*Lite and Clay Paky moving head luminairesVideo projections on NBA courts and NHL rinks are a big part of arenas in North America where they are primarily used for pre-game and half-time presentations. The systems typically used in arenas rely on older HD-resolution projection while the MSG team made improvements by using the latest lighting and video technologies.
After months of planning, the projection system from Worldstage was demonstrated at a NY Rangers game showing its visibly sharper images. A new large-scale lighting system installed by MSG features over 100 Vari*Lite and Clay Paky moving head luminaires. The system syncs projection video, scoreboard video, and lighting and sound, turning MSG into a dynamic environment. Even the leotards of the Knick City Dancers troupe have synchronized LED lighting features.
MSG brought in a team of engineers and designers to specify the system, create content and support its implementation. Work commenced immediately after the end of the 2014-2015 NBA season, and by early September 2015 everything was in place and ready for programming.
One of the main elements of MSG is its suspended ceiling that covers the entire arena. Management wanted the visual impact of any new equipment to be minimal and not clutter the ceiling area or impact sight lines to the center-hung scoreboard. Therefore, the projection system design team, led by WorldStage, based their location plan on existing ceiling lighting bays and placed the projectors above the ceiling – invisible to the audience.
This required modeling of the arena in 3D to make sure that existing holes in the ceiling would allow the projectors to cover the entire 200 x 85-foot hockey rink. It also required flexible custom projector mounts designed and installed by Hudson Scenic Studios to provide a precise degree of rake and tilt.
WorldStage recommended a 4K projector design that had a compact package and could output 30,000 lumens.
“The Christie Boxer 4K is revolutionary in that it uses six metal-halide lamps rather than a single xenon lamp to provide high light output from a chassis nearly the same size as previous 20,000 lumen projectors,” said Josh Weisberg, WorldStage President. “It also requires less power than similar models allowing it to be far more economical to operate.”
WorldStage used 14 Christie Boxer 4Ks with each portion of the ice surface receiving 60,000 lumens across 21 million pixel total image area measuring 7,020 by 3,060.
“The advantage of 4K projection is evident in the resulting image, which is much crisper and has greater color depth than other HD-based systems,” Weisberg said.
WorldStage used 14 Christie Boxer 4Ks with each portion of the ice surface receiving 60,000 lumens across 21 million pixel total image area measuring 7,020 by 3,060 Content playback and image warping is contained by a networked graphics system based on d3 Technologies 4x4pro. These media servers are configured as full UHD (2,160 x 3,840) outputs and feed a Harris Imagine router before hitting the projectors. WorldStage also provided 56-input multi-view capability for monitoring as well as a custom programmed touchscreen console for the system show operator.
MSG and the lighting design specialists from Arc3 Design, created lighting programming that complements the video content, expanding video effects across the arena. This element is supported by the new moving light system installed over the summer and consisting of 150 Vari*Lite and Clay Paky fixtures mounted across the ceiling. Their lighting effects include a “pulse wave” effect as well as a “laser bolt” cue that fires blue and red beams up through the audience.
MSG turned to Batwin + Robin Productions to create openers for the Rangers and Knicks teams. Both pieces feature original sound tracks and a mix of dynamic 3D animation as well as still and moving images.
The Rangers’ opener draws on the team’s New York ethos as well as its successful legacy in the NHL. For the Knicks, the tone is a little more rousing. When the Knicks’ dance troupe enters, the video syncs with the scoreboard, the court floor and the dancers’ costumes, and lighting pulsates to the music.
