Credit Suisse wanted to announce its arrival in Dubai and the UAE in grand style. They did this initially at an opening gala event for key Credit Suisse organization figures, followed by a week of projections in a high traffic area to maximize brand exposure and impact. Eclipse won the bid for the contract by presenting the boldest and most effective response to the brief, combined with a reputation in the region for delivering polished, high end production solutions.
With large format projection still embryonic in the Middle East, Bell and Shortt - both of whom have previously worked with Ross Ashton and E//T//C UK - decided to call in the gurus of the genre. "E//T//C UK is the driving force and the cutting edge of large format projection," says Shortt. "We wanted to draw on their experience and resources in this field to ensure faultless execution of the job."
The Gate building - a contemporary interpretation of Paris's Arc De Triomphe - faces the temporary working space of Credit Suisse. It's a unique shape that "immediately lent itself to projections as a communication medium," says Ross Ashton. It rises imposingly 15 floors above a podium, composed from solid stone and stainless steel, with transparent glazed elements emphasising the open central space. E//T//C UK used four PIGI 6kW projectors with images overlaid to maximise brightness - the first time they have applied this technique in the Middle East. The show consisted of scrolling text and 15 static images.
The image sequence was story-boarded by Eclipse, adapted from original Credit Suisse imagery by Adrian Bell and Duncan Shortt, visualized by Vipin Sunny and then designed and produced as PIGI artwork by Ross Ashton. The projectors, complete with Barco 2.5 lenses, were located on top of a purpose built 10m high platform, and located 50m from The Gate, projecting a stunning 65m x 65m image. PIGI OnlyCue software was used for control, and the show was programmed and operated by Steve Cameron.
"E//T//C UK were extremely helpful, they pulled out all the stops to deliver a superbly finished product working to a very tight schedule," said Shortt. "The client was ecstatic to the point where they would've kept the projections as a permanent installation had it been possible!"
(Lee Baldock)