Student Showcase Maps The Bushnell

Students at the University of Connecticut had the perfect canvas to showcase their projection-mapping course-work in December 2018: The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Hartford. The building’s neo-classical facade was a challenging, but captivating, object for the students who had received expert coaching from mapping veterans, ATD Audio Visual. 

“The Bushnell’s façade was ideal for projection mapping,” says Or Israel, president, ATD. “It has many 3D elements – columns, brick walls, and lions’ heads supporting the portico – which made an interesting surface to display the 1920 x 1920-resolution content. The façade had been scanned and content specs supplied to the students who built their projects on templates of the projection surface.”

The New York full-service event production and rental company also served as technical partner for the event, ensuring all ran smoothly. ATD chose WATCHOUT multi-display software for the showcase running on a WATCHPAX 4 media server, two 20,000 lumen projectors with short-throw lenses (mounted under the glass portico of the courtyard façade) and a Christie Spyder X80.

The two-day event made such an impression on Bushnell management that it was extended to three weeks, coinciding with the venue’s sold-out run of “Hamilton”. This meant that thousands of people viewed the showcase  – giving the students a tremendous finish to their first mapping assignment!