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Just imagine a large building or an entire square illuminated with lights. Projection mapping is a technology that can turn almost anything into a canvas. It captures the attention of viewers and passers-by, and can be used to showcase a wide variety of ideas, from commercial presentations to media art projects. How does it work and what kind of projections are there? Dreamlaser is here to tell us.
Dreamlaser is one of the world's leading multimedia companies, with a portfolio boasting dozens of large-scale projects: installations for light and media art festivals (Circle of Light, INTERVALS, Signal, etc.), projects for global companies, works for Saudi Light & Sound (SLS) Expo and Expo Dubai. And, of course, many projection shows.
We are here to tell you how projection mapping works, when it first appeared, and how it gained momentum. We will also look at dreamlaser cases.
Let's start with a definition and a history brief.
Projection mapping (or video mapping) is a technique in audiovisual art that uses video projections on solid objects as its key method, taking into account the geometry and location of these objects.
Disney pioneered video mapping. In 1969, a dark ride attraction, the Phantom Manor, opened at Disneyland Park where images were projected onto busts of various characters to create optical illusions. At that time, 16-millimeter films were used to project images onto the figures. Later, in the 1990s, Disney patented the technology to project digital images onto 3D objects.
Contemporary artists have also played an important role in the development of projection mapping. In 1980, for example, Michael Naimark filmed a living room with three people in it and then projected the previously filmed room with its occupants onto the empty room, creating a ghostly, unreal effect.
The next important step was made in the mid-1990s by General Electric that developed a technique to accurately overlay 3D models onto solid objects.
In the late 20th century, mapping was further explored at the University of North Carolina, where students came up with a project called Office of the Future. The idea was to use projection technologies to improve the work of remote offices, including, for one, 3D images of colleagues in video conferences.
There are different types of projection mapping: architectural mapping on buildings and structures, like bridges, airplanes, or ships; interior mapping; mapping on smaller objects (for example, on cakes, dresses, or building models); landscape mapping on natural objects such as mountains, rocks, or trees; and interactive mapping that can engage with a viewer using a variety of technologies.
"Content creation is always preceded by the production team's massive research, and this is something we are particularly proud of in our approach. We get immersed deep into the topic, study the history and all available materials, interview experts in the given field – these are the pillars underpinning our process of content creation. We work a lot on cultural projects, so we know how important it is to preserve cultural codes in their authenticity and find the right visual forms for them," says Anton Kolodyazhny, dreamlaser's creative director.
Projection Mapping on the White Mosque (Bolgar, Russia)
Projection mapping on the White Mosque was one of our distinct projects with deep immersion into the history and context. The White Mosque is in the town of Bolgar in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. It is an elegant place of worship with many architectural elements. To celebrate the 1,100th anniversary since the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria, dreamlaser created a 3-D mapping on this eye-catching building. Placed far from other buildings, the mosque dominates a large water area. The hyper-realistic animation unveiled the beauty of its forms while the landscape made the mapping all the more spectacular.
The mapping on the mosque explored the theme of the culture and religion of the Volga Bulgaria. When creating the visual concept, the team consulted a professional historian and an expert in Arab studies. The animation scenes were inspired by the Islamic traditions and local folk imagery: elegant patterns, color schemes, symbols, and script elements came straight from the authentic cultural sources.
In order to adapt the projection to the shape of the building, the mosque was laser-scanned in detail, as is the case with all our projects, which helped to reproduce its every relief feature in a 3-D model.
UN Climate Change Conference (Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt)
Mappings can be used not only for holidays, but also for events that aim to draw public attention to global challenges, such as the Conference of the Parties (COP), the United Nations Climate Summit, which is the only global platform for discussing climate change.
The 2022 UN Climate Change Summit (COP27) was held for the first time in Egypt, in the city of Sharm el Sheikh. The hosts sought to show that the African continent is facing some of the most serious consequences of global warming caused by harmful emissions around the world. Thus, a projection mapping was designed to tell the story of human impact on climate processes and of the need for people to come together to address the problems associated with global warming. The appropriate scale was achieved by projection onto a large white stone palace, supported by other lighting devices and the play of adjacent fountains.
IBA Men's World Boxing Championships: Opening Ceremony (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
Sports tournaments are often a celebration of local culture and traditions, an important event for the host country. In 2023, dreamlaser helped to organize the opening ceremony of the IBA Men's World Boxing Championships in Uzbekistan in a packed Humo Arena, where the audience watched a multi-genre show with athletes and artists performing amidst a complex setup of different projection surfaces.
dreamlaser designed 25 animated scenes specifically for the opening ceremony to tell the history of boxing going hand in hand with the ancient culture of Uzbekistan. The setup consisted of many different elements, including projection grids, screens, and other surfaces to display the content, as well as light installations, bimmers, and screens.
Khareef Dhofar (Oman)
Projection mapping is a regular tool of media artists, but the most impressive pieces of this art are created when artists take an unconventional approach to their work. A good example is dreamlaser's work at the Khareef Dhofar festival in Oman, named after the cyclone that brings cool weather to this arid region each summer. This annual event has been held for 25 years, inviting tourists to experience the rich culture of the Arab region and residents of neighboring areas to enjoy the coolness so unique to the Middle East. During this time of the year, clouds gather over desert areas, winds blow, rain falls, and greenery sprouts. All of this creates a unique natural context used by the dreamlaser team to incorporate a huge dome-shaped scene at the edge of the misty desert, which became a canvas for ornaments and historical animations, and even turned into the moon.
Visually, the mapping in Oman was filled with images of the region's culture and nature: sea creatures, calligraphy, unique daggers, the moon and stars that are so clearly visible in the desert.
Apart from creating a recognizable spot on the festival map, the semicircular shape of the structure became a convenient platform for displaying elaborate content. Another awesome solution was the real-time processing and projection of the artists' performances at a concert during the festival.
Equipment: a total of eight 30W lasers and 14 Panasonic PT-RZ31KE projectors were used.
Immersion (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)
In addition to buildings, various structures can be used as surfaces for video mapping. One example of an unusual mapping is the Immersion installation by dreamlaser. During the INTERVALS 2023 festival, we made a media installation on a pier in the city of Nizhny Novgorod. It was projected onto the textured walls of the pier and descended the stairs along with the audience. Being able to move within the installation space defined the immersive part of the work: indeed, people seemed to be immersed in deep water. A ceiling of smoke and laser light that looked like water surface produced an unforgettable effect.
"The most important thing was to create a sense of immersion under water. Anton Kolodyazhny, our creative director and co-creator of the installation, came up with the perfect solution of creating a laser plane-like ceiling that limited the space from above and increased the immersion effect," said Anna Gagarina, dreamlaser's creative producer.
Inauguration of the Monument to Poet Makhtumkuli Fraghi (Ashgabat, Turkmenistan)
The scale of projection mapping and computer graphics potential make it possible to narrate the most exciting stories as soon as the night falls. One of dreamlaser's most recent historical projects was a show commemorating the 300th anniversary of Makhtumkuli Fraghi, poet, thinker and humanist as well as the founder of the Turkmen literary language. In honor of this event, a grand opening of Fraghi's monument was held in Ashgabat at the foot of the Kopet Dagh mountains.
The show was dedicated to the poet's life and legacy, and the story was told through a variety of symbols of the local culture and nature: the audience traveled with the character across the mountains of Turkmenistan, through its history, and finally arrived in the modern city of Arkadag, a lasting legacy of great ancestors. The main scene in the mapping was a majestic staircase with massive granite bowls, which was illuminated with 130 multimedia projectors, including the advanced Christie D4K40. At the climax of the show, a bright carpet was rolled up the stairs to a 60-meter sculpture of Makhtumkuli Fraghi on a pedestal, embodying his greatness and spiritual power.
Equipment: total of 14 Christie D4K40 projectors, 20 Christie M4K+25RGB projectors, 25 Panasonic PT-DS20K2E projectors, 7 Panasonic PT-DZ21K2E projectors, 12 Christie Crimson WU31 projectors, 30 Christie Griffyn 4K35-RGB projectors, 22 Panasonic PT-RZ21KE projectors + smth else were used in the show.
Adidas FIFA World Cup Russia (Moscow, Russia)
In the run-up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, dreamlaser created a mapping on the façade of the famous Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.
The main idea of the installation was the power of unity of different nations and the significance of creative interactions. Creative approach unites people around something important, inspires them to change the world through joint effort and address the biggest challenges. With this mapping dreamlaser also wanted to inspire the audience to support the Russian national football team.
The project required 24 Panasonic PT-DZ21K2E projectors and 2 Disguise 4x4 PRO media servers.