Video Projection

[mattq6166]

Hi all,
Designing a show opening in late March, and i am going to be needing to use projection. I have done a bit of it but generally it is in a fairly controlled environment as our projectors that we currently own are more suitable to a classroom environment, i.e not the lumens sufficient to punch through the rest of the lights on in a proscenium show. However in this show i am going to need to punch through ten movers throwing patterns, a bunch of colorsource pars etc. So i plan on renting a few projectors, so i thought i would get the wisdom of the board. Also I have been pushing the powers that be to invest in such as to move towards 3D mapping, so my question is where should i start looking Lumen wise in projectors.
Thanks in advance,
M D Egan

 

[dbaxter]

There are some laws of physics that we have to deal with here before anyone can give you an answer. The primary information needed is: How big do you want the final image to be? How far away from that image will the projector be? What sort of surface will the image appear on? Also some clue about the angles involved in the projector and the competing lights you mentioned. You'll be wanting to aim those lights away from your projection surface - a low ceiling would be an issue.
So a little more information and I'm sure the gang here will offer up some suggestions.

 

[mattq6166]

There are some laws of physics that we have to deal with here before anyone can give you an answer. The primary information needed is: How big do you want the final image to be? How far away from that image will the projector be? What sort of surface will the image appear on? Also some clue about the angles involved in the projector and the competing lights you mentioned. You'll be wanting to aim those lights away from your projection surface - a low ceiling would be an issue.
So a little more information and I'm sure the gang here will offer up some suggestions.

Well, this is interesting, as i have

 

[mattq6166]

Well, this is interesting, as i have

oops, continued, interesting as i have posed some problems for myself, in the design itself. First of all it is a 330 seat proscenium house, so the most viable position to project from would be the booth at the back of the house, so i would say its would be a throw distance of around 75 to 100 feet, and almost a staight on angle, although we have in the past projected from the 1st beam, which would introduce i'm guessing a 30 to 40 degree angle, so lots of keystoning. However back to the interesting part, i have decided to almost completely enclose the space on three sides in a pyramid of material, still trying to figure out which Rosebrand projection cloth i'm going to use, three panels SL and SR and 4 across the back, all 5' at the base with a gap of around 3 feet between each panel, cut to a point 25 feet above the deck, with that point being on the CL 11' behind the plaster line. While the deck is 34' across and 21' deep, confused yet? So it is still being decided by myself and the director how much actual video projection will be needed, other than the called for sequence in the script, or do i want to try and add some throughout. If its staightforward projection on a few panels which i will have just upstage of the pro, or more complicated projection on a pyramid of panels 21 ft upstage at angle of about 30 degrees, which then will be competing with intruments on the 3 electrics, 3 front of house beams, the side booms, four movers on the floor, 2 movers as sides both SL and SR, 3 movers from the beams, 3 movers over the stage, etc. is this helping get the picture a bit clearer. I am thinking between 8000-12000 lumen projector.
Thanks again for your thoughts!
M D Egan
Resident Scenic and Lighting Designer
Spokane Civic Theatre

 

[Amiers]

I’d say a 2 stack of the new panosonic 12ks

 

[Eric W.]

Recently, to solve our lack of ability to do rear projection because of space challenges, we purchased an epson 7000 lumen projector and an ultra short through lens to mount from above and project onto our cyc. We can get about a 10' tall by 16' wide image from 5-6' away, and an actor or dancer can stand also about 5-6' from the cyc without a shadow being cast. It was pricey! $10, and the lens was more than half of that.