Speaker 1: What is projection design? How do you get your audience to experience something totally out of this world? In this video, I'll be sharing three fundamental basics of projection design and how you can use these techniques to bring an immersive experience to your audience. Be sure to watch to the end of the video for a free resource to help you with any type of projection work. So, stick around. Hello again, I'm Rafi Dean and welcome to ARK-AV, your online resource on technical production. On this channel, we bring you tips, tools and training to help you get the best performance for your gear and venue. Do remember to check out the links in the description below for more information about this video. If you're new here, consider subscribing. And now, let's get on with the video. Let's talk about projection design. In recent years, the use of video projection has been increasingly popular in theatre, visual arts and all sorts of events like product launches and music festivals. We're not just talking about straight-up projection of rectangular images on screens here, we're talking about the immersive experience of projection design. Here are three fundamental basics you should know about projection design. I like to call them the three C's. Context, constraints and content. Before we start throwing video onto the stage, it is important to know the context of what motivates the need for it. Other than the fact that any kind of keynote presentation will require a projection screen or LED display, performances and especially theatrical ones have an opportunity to use moving visuals in much more creative ways. If visual media in projection design can greatly benefit the performance by enhancing the scene with moving or still images, you can create intricate set backdrops without physically building them. You can also place performers in impossible places such as interplanetary travel. Interactivity between the performer and audience can be done through the media as well and of course you can use it in public spaces or installation art. Number two, constraints. Now that you know why you want to have moving visuals in the performance, we need to find out how to get the job done. This is a process of figuring out the constraints and how to work around them. Generally, to get an immersive experience with projections, you want the images to be as large as possible. Sometimes you may need to cast the images not just on the walls but also in the ceiling and on the floors. Key question to ask is how large is the venue? This will determine the kind of equipment that you use, the projection brightness, lens ratio, etc. You also have to think about sidelines and shadows. As with any type of light source, projectors cast a huge amount of light. Positioning is the key to minimize glare and shadows in order to keep the scene intact. Once the audience realizes where the images are coming from, the magic is gone. Number three, content. Here is where you figure out what you want to display. The most important fundamental in any form of design is your content. Any amount of high-tech equipment you use will not matter if the content is weak. The content must always link back to the context of the work. Here are three D's about content that help you create an immersive experience. Detail. Always choose the best resolution possible. This helps to bring out the details and contrast in the images. Depth. Although the projection surface may be flat, use the virtual 3D space in your images to create a sense of depth. Conversely, you can completely flatten and reduce the size of the scene using carefully cropped images. Displace. Use the images to displace the viewer. Think about what kind of images can influence the viewer's perspective. You could skew or scale images to alter the perspective. This is how trick eye effects work. Bonus tip. Calculating the projection throw distance is often the most tricky part of projection design. Before you begin planning your equipment list, first find out how large you need your image to be. With the image size confirmed, you can figure out what lens and projector you need to use. Based on the throw ratio of your projector and lens, you can then calculate the throw distance and confirm the rigging position. To help you get your calculations done more accurately, I'm giving away a free ARC-AV projection calculator. Click on the link in the description below to start using it now. Question of the day. What are the common problems you face in video projection? Post your thoughts and answers in the comment section below and we'd love to hear what you are working on. Thanks for watching. As always, if you like this video, give it a thumbs up and let us know what other topics you would like us to cover in the comment section below. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at ARC-AV Production. Don't forget to subscribe for more tips, tools and training from ARC-AV and see you in the next video. you