PROJECTION MAPPING
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was then replaced with a projector. This resulted in rotating projection mapping. Returning to the present, although projection mapping is largely used for artistic and themed attraction pursuits, brands and marketers have also picked up on its benefits in the advertising department. It now often lends itself to mammoth brands and franchises, delivering colossal campaigns. Coca-Cola’s promotion in Sydney harnessed mapping technology to transform a building into a giant vending machine. Passersby could interact with the projection by ‘selecting’ a Coke, which would then appear to roll down the building into an actual vending machine at its base, where they could collect their drinks. Major sports players have also not shied away from projection mapping’s offerings. Nike has used the tech to morph stadiums into immersive sports arenas. During its product launches, it projects dynamic visuals onto the field and stands. Car giant Audi has also flexed its muscles in the projection department
While its recent growth is impressive, its history goes back further than one might imagine. One of the first-known instances of projection onto a non-flat surface dates back to 1969, with the opening of the Haunted Mansion ride in Disneyland. The spooky set-up included optical illusions featuring a disembodied head and five singing busts performing the ride’s theme song Grim Grinning Ghosts . This was achieved through filming headshots of the singers, then projecting that footage onto the busts of their faces. It turns out that Disney has not just led in projection mapping’s development; it also holds the earliest patent on it – named ‘Apparatus and method for projection upon a three-dimensional object’. The patent describes a system for digitally painting an image onto a contoured 3D object. Fast-forward ten years, and another example emerged through Michael Naimark’s immersive film installation: Displacements . In this installation, a living room with two performers was filmed with a rotating camera, which
One of the first instances of projection onto a non-flat surface dates back to 1969, with the opening of Haunted Mansion”
Creative Technology’s stunning project: Ikmah After Dark in Al Ula
Al Ula’s ancient rock inscriptions are brought to life using 27 projectors to tell its rich history like never before
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