E\T\C, the large format projection specialists, created magic and atmospherics at Kings Cross Station last week, as Platform 1 was transformed into Platform 9 ¾ for the launch of the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone DVD/video.
Copies of the coveted DVD arrived onboard the Hogwarts Express, and were handed out to eagerly awaiting media and celebrity Harry Potter fans by members of the top grossing film’s cast.
When the idea of projection was thrown into the production mix, E\T\C’s Ross Ashton was approached by Chris Slingsby and Dave Hurd from Imagination. The platform was already decided upon, and then they needed over 100 different cross-fading images projected, large and clear, onto the wall at the end of the platform.
Projection was the only way to do it.
From the start, the main challenge was overcoming the high ambient light levels – while the rest of the station functioned normally, packed with commuters going home from adjacent platforms, etc.
The images were projected onto the arch shaped wall at the station end of the platform. The 6 Kw PIGI’s were located on a bridge 125 metres away, and two pairs of projectors were lined up together to maximise the intensity. At the start of the show – 7.30, all four projectors were overlaid to produce one single mega-bright image … but as it got darker, they were able to switch the show to the 2 pairs and star the cross-fading sequence.
It certainly added that extra touch of enchantment to the event. The get in time constraints were also tight. The only slots for the projection team to work were between midnight an 4 a.m. on the three nights preceding the event. The first of these was taken up just with getting the projectors into position on the bridge.
The slide positions were all pre-programmed beforehand in E\T\C’s office, which gained some time. A great advantage of PIGI projectors over other machines is the very flexible control offered over all directions in the slide alignment process. You can tip up and down, move left to right and also rotate … making it feasible to line up over 100 slides in a very short time, and to position each slide individually. The projection installation was led by Karen Monid, working with Andy Murrel. Harkness Hall made the customised arched projection surface that was attached to the station’s wall. | Click on the pictures for the large version |
