Live video projecting
- Thread startertheaterscout
- Start date
PhantomD
♂
theaterscout,
As I have just posted in another thread here, rear-projection is the way to go, and if against stage lights you'd definitely want a projector from 2100 - 2500 and up lumens - the higher lumens the brighter, but just make sure that it's not SO bright that it distracts attention from whatever's going on under lights from the stage. We recently had trouble with our 3500 lumen projector at church (front projection, beside a huge house light = higher lumens) where even when it had no input, there was a distracting "glow" from the screen that killed the darkness effect.
Budget is the main factor in your decision making here. Video fades is an issue, unless you use either a production TV video console ($$$) or a computer with presentation software (supporting live input) and a video card in the computer ($). There is a discussion on presentation software elsewhere on this board. There was a great production console reviewed recently in Australian sound magazine AudioTechnology, which I get in addition to CX.
As for the actual camera...you can use any relatively decent normal video cam that has a RCA video out that streams while using the camera. Simple and effective - just run an RCA lead where ever you want it.
For the camera...we actually use a Canon Network Camera VB-C50i that is actually designed for security, but has a 26x optical zoom and amazing quality and comes in a roof-mountable version, although it will fit onto any standard video camera tripod. Controlled by one computer on a LAN with the Admin Client and password, can stream to any computer on the LAN running its Viewer Client. It has all sorts of built in functions...you can set it pointing at a certain area, use the software to make a selection within that area then if there is motion within that area you can set off an alarm connected to a little breakout box that we have.
We connect an RCA lead to the output of the breakout box, run that to our projector while controlling the camera via computer - I even setup a wireless network with a laptop to do it. Helps being a CCNA student!
Amazing stuff - hope it helps.
As I have just posted in another thread here, rear-projection is the way to go, and if against stage lights you'd definitely want a projector from 2100 - 2500 and up lumens - the higher lumens the brighter, but just make sure that it's not SO bright that it distracts attention from whatever's going on under lights from the stage. We recently had trouble with our 3500 lumen projector at church (front projection, beside a huge house light = higher lumens) where even when it had no input, there was a distracting "glow" from the screen that killed the darkness effect.
Budget is the main factor in your decision making here. Video fades is an issue, unless you use either a production TV video console ($$$) or a computer with presentation software (supporting live input) and a video card in the computer ($). There is a discussion on presentation software elsewhere on this board. There was a great production console reviewed recently in Australian sound magazine AudioTechnology, which I get in addition to CX.
As for the actual camera...you can use any relatively decent normal video cam that has a RCA video out that streams while using the camera. Simple and effective - just run an RCA lead where ever you want it.
For the camera...we actually use a Canon Network Camera VB-C50i that is actually designed for security, but has a 26x optical zoom and amazing quality and comes in a roof-mountable version, although it will fit onto any standard video camera tripod. Controlled by one computer on a LAN with the Admin Client and password, can stream to any computer on the LAN running its Viewer Client. It has all sorts of built in functions...you can set it pointing at a certain area, use the software to make a selection within that area then if there is motion within that area you can set off an alarm connected to a little breakout box that we have.
We connect an RCA lead to the output of the breakout box, run that to our projector while controlling the camera via computer - I even setup a wireless network with a laptop to do it. Helps being a CCNA student!
Amazing stuff - hope it helps.
for a quick and dirty, cheap way, heres what we do
A standard projector, on a scrim. We had to turn it upside down, it came from the booth. We used a 50 foot s-video flown to a camera that was actually being used on stage. we then used a laptop for teh images. The big problem is the switching. You can have it fade in and out of black by using either a nice rigged up mechanical fader, or a piece of black cardboard over teh front. then, quickly change sources and fade it back in. Or, maybe your director wont care about the changing input source. On some projectors, its a tiny text in a bottom corner, on some its absolutely annoying.
A standard projector, on a scrim. We had to turn it upside down, it came from the booth. We used a 50 foot s-video flown to a camera that was actually being used on stage. we then used a laptop for teh images. The big problem is the switching. You can have it fade in and out of black by using either a nice rigged up mechanical fader, or a piece of black cardboard over teh front. then, quickly change sources and fade it back in. Or, maybe your director wont care about the changing input source. On some projectors, its a tiny text in a bottom corner, on some its absolutely annoying.
Perhaps a set of DL2's From High end systems might be the way to go?
soundlight
Well-Known Member
If the projection doesn't need to be moveable, the DL2's are necessary. It's just a large rental cost for a smaller project. That's my $0.02. A security camera and a projector is all that is needed, besides, you'd have to have one DL2 as the camera system, and one as the projector, if I'm getting this right.
Last edited:
saxman0317
Active Member
Since this sounds like a HS production...ill tell ya what a high school did for the same type of deal. we just used a simple scrim on a wooden frame with a projector in the back of it. Projecter was hooked to a VCR output, camera into the input and the VCR had a mirrior output setting. Worked fine, was simple, and worked great considering i put it in about 45 minutes before curtain opening night. Different scrims give different feels to i found. White and light colors are more thruthful, where as darker colors gave more of a ghosty fell. We used black since it was a projection of Ceasars ghost and added some dry ice effects and such to. Pretty cool.
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