Residents of downtown Denver may often stroll through the historic Civic Center Park, paying little attention to familiar landmarks like the courthouse or the golden-domed capitol building. However, with the help of WAVEFORM.exp and Digital Projection, that's not the case anymore.
The Denver Civic Center Conservancy commissioned the illusionary specialists WAVEFORM.exp bring these monuments to life, transforming into massive canvases for illuminated 3D art. In turn, the WAVEFORM.exp team relied on the imaging expertise of Digital Projection and the precise color rendering and high brightness of its technology to bring the specially designed scenes to life.
One of WAVEFORM.exp’s first projects for the Civic Center took place just before the Fourth of July. The task: Create an exciting, loosely themed Independence Day narrative projected onto the elegant exterior archways and columns of the Civic Center’s iconic Greek Theatre. This city-sponsored event was open to the public and held in an outdoor space stretching 12 acres, allowing thousands of people to gather comfortably and watch as the scenery around them shifted seamlessly from one vibrant, colorful projected image to the next.
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The 5-minute audio/visual show featured dozens of carefully designed 3D renders, celebrating both the holiday and the beauty of Denver and Colorado as a whole. “We crafted high-impact, attention-grabbing 3D content and used technology that works within the realm of projection mapping to stylize it specifically for the event," said Pat Higgins, WAVEFORM.exp co-founder.
“Equally important was selecting projection equipment that could deliver that content with maximum impact,” said Higgins. “The images we projected onto the Roman-style amphitheater needed to be bright, accurately reproduce color, and cover a surface spanning 188 feet across and 35 feet tall.” WAVEFORM.exp knew that a single projector couldn't achieve this. Three Digital Projection M-Vision 23000 projectors were utilized to maintain the brightness and depth of the three-dimensional visual effects across the amphitheater. “You can have the best content in the world, but if the projector’s imaging capabilities are mediocre, the whole experience falls flat,” Moritz added.
In an outdoor environment like this, “the sun is your worst enemy,” said Moritz. “That’s why we rely on Digital Projection.” Although the Independence Eve show was set to be presented at night, WAVEFORM.exp needed to impress the event coordinators by demoing the installation and content the night before, with their trio of matching Digital Projection M-Vision 23000 projectors.
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“When the project’s key stakeholders saw the amphitheater transform into a magical, living piece of digital art, they were ecstatic. After two months of carefully designing the audio/visual show and projection system, it felt so rewarding to see it perform in person,” added Higgins.
To protect the projectors overnight and ensure an all-weather show, WAVEFORM.exp chose to house all three units on custom-built shelving within their company van. “The compact form factor and low heat output of these projectors made this unconventional setup possible,” Moritz said.
For optimal results and a fast, temporary installation, WAVEFORM.exp conducted all essential projection mapping calculations in advance over the course of two months, using equipment specifications provided by Digital Projection, which streamlined the installation process significantly. “When we arrived the night before the event to set up, the configuration, calibration, mapping, and precise positioning of the projectors all were complete in just four hours with little to no time to adjust the mapping during the night of the show,” Higgins recounted. With such a complex and time sensitive installation, Digital Projection was able to showcase their exceptional service and support.
The event was such a success, and the partnership between Digital Projection and WAVEFORM.exp proved so effective, that they have since collaborated on several more projection mapping projects. “DP’s hands-on customer service not only helped us get up and running quickly but also positioned us for success with several cutting-edge experiential projects in the works,” said Moritz.
