Video Projection

Teck

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For our spring production "Beehive" the director wants to incorporate s projection screen with video of the 60's into the show but it would need to be set up simliar to light cues with nothing being projected between the video clips.

I was wondering what is the best way to accomplish this is. I was originally planning on using a powerpoint with black slides between the clips but i'm not sure how the black slides will look. I won't have any physical access to the projector during the show so putting a piece of cardboard in front of it isn't an option. I do have a $20 video selector that I could use but I don't want it to appear as thought the video was hastily switched to nothing. And if I use the switcher theres a good chance that it will display a "No Input" message on the projector.

Any input is appreciated.
 
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I'd give it a try with the black slide.
 
You can do a couple of things, based on what your budget is.

1) rent a DL1/DL2 these are essentially a combination between Moving lights and LCD projectors

2) The problem with a black slide is, what are you projecting on if its a regular screen then it's either White or Grey. so a black slide will not due, and a white or grey slide will kill you if you attempt to do a black out. so what you can try is setting the projector up with line of site to where you are, and trying to use the remote to control it.

I will try to brain storm some more, but those are my quck thoughts
 
Mechanical attenuation is probably the best solution. Both black slides and 'no signal' will still result in a visible rectangle from most projectors.

A DL.1 does have a true no-emission mode, but it is big and pricey (though the yoke and relatively high contrast does make for some nice effects).

The commercial product recommended above seems a bit pricey. I'd just pick up a surplus DC actuator myself.

A while back I saw another approach that was interesting. The video projector was bounced off the mirror of a cheap scanner. This let the scenes end, then spiral down off the screen into the floor. The 'black' screen was then reflected up, out of view.

I also recently saw a dance recital that used video for almost all of it. When video was not being displayed, there was almost always some sort of colored still (like a gradient pattern) that matched the light cues on the projector. For one piece the pipe the projector was rigged on was flown up to take the projection out of view.

Good Luck,
-jjf
 
You could rig a simple "lineset" to drop a piece of cardboard or wood into position to block the unit.
 
our school has got a very outdated projector with very degraded images and for some presentations, it would be nice to just set a portable projector (like the type used in an office) on our front catwalk and project onto the screen. does anyone know about the signal quality of a video signal after about a 50 foot cable run. I want to control the signal input from our booth.

One of the ideas which me and the other guy in change of special effects, normally use to control selfbuilt devices (such as a shutter) on stage is using the return sends on the audio snake.using two XLR connections, we are able to control 5 different channels on a PLC sitting on stage. This PLC can also be a set of relays which can simply control a solenoid to shutter the lcd screen. With all of our experimentation, we have not yet seen any problems with cross talk within our control wires and the audio runs or a degradation of sound quality. The only real consideration is if you are close enough with the sound man to have him allow you to use his snake. If you are at all electronically savvy, you can make a very clean power supply which will prevent any real possibility of interference by simple looking at some schematics on the net and learning how to add capacitiors into the circuit.

In a preformance of I Love You, Your Wonderful, Now Change i saw an excellent use of a projector to project a video on the back of scrim integrated into a set wall so that the screen was invisible while the projector was off but i very good screen with it on. The projector was used to tell parts of the story and give directions during intermission.
 
jacobbiljo said:
our school has got a very outdated projector with very degraded images and for some presentations, it would be nice to just set a portable projector (like the type used in an office) on our front catwalk and project onto the screen. does anyone know about the signal quality of a video signal after about a 50 foot cable run. I want to control the signal input from our booth.

I see no problem with a cable run that long but you would be well advised to use a high quality cable to minimise signal loss.
 

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