In October 2017, DWP Live had the pleasure of supporting London-based 59 Productions on the Smithsonian Institution’s national museums of Asian art – Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery – reopening celebration.

The Smithsonian commissioned 59 Productions to handle all creative, design, and production for this event on-site. DWP Live was thrilled to be get the call from 59 to provide the laser scan of the building, projection system, and playback systems.

“We love being given the opportunity to laser scan the building we will project onto. For the team of designers and mappers to have an accurate 3D model from which to work is imperative for the overall success of the projection mapping. It is our goal (DWP) to continue to build on our opportunities,” said Danny Whetstone, DWP Live Founder. “There were so many reasons this project was appealing. For me, personally, the opportunity to be set up on the Washington Mall and to project onto a building that is part of the Smithsonian Collection of Museums and Galleries, that’s really cool. While working outside has its challenges like rain and cold, we love the results. Environments won’t stop us. Projecting inside and outside the UN, projecting for the Papal visit in Philadelphia, and this one…that’s pretty good company.”

59 Productions provided amazing content 12 minutes in length. Beautiful animations featured historical and artistic visuals from both galleries. Collaboration in this project was all worth it when seeing the excitement from the Smithsonian executives and the crowd.

Danny summarizes his experience by saying, “To have been part of this project from the early meetings with the Freer and learning the expectations driving this event was a pleasure. Other highlights included seeing behind the scenes during the construction phase, spending time in the archives, hearing spirited stories relating to the lifespan of the gallery collection, and walking the back halls with a passionate project manager who has seen the evolution of the gallery through multiple refurbishments. Every person involved with this project is deeply connected to the gallery. It is more than a job – it is their passion. It’s this passion that has made this event an incredible experience for me. Customers are always grateful and appreciative of the work we do, but their appreciation is on a different level. For those rooted in the Freer Gallery of Art, it is a rebirth. I am honored to have played a part of the much larger team that helped bring that passion to life.”

Watch the entire projection here.

 

Equipment List:

Projection

(4) Barco UDX 4k32 Projectors

(4) Barco HDF W30 Projectors

(4) Tempest Cyclone environmental enclosure for projectors

Video Playback

(3) d3 4×4 Pro Media Servers set up as Master, Slave and Understudy

(1) d3 2×2 Media Server set up as Designer

 

Image courtesy of 59 Productions.  ©2017 59 Productions.