This one-of-a-kind experience is live for the whole five weeks of the competition and has been created by Kings Cross-based event-makers and placemakers PRODUCE UK. Nine months in the making, the project was commissioned by Hyundai Motor UK to host 45,000 guests across 45 games. With the content reacting in real time to the action in live matches with everything from goals scored, red and yellow cards, penalty shootouts, national anthems and even injury time triggering a unique immersive audio-visual response.
The experiential design has been delivered by technology experts Holovis. The dome features a total combined 360° panoramic projection of over 20K resolution. Virtual seven by four metre 'match windows' being driven by a live satellite feed give fans a front row seat and bring the action to the fore at twice lifesize scale. Atmosphere screens feature real time content mixed live by the Holovis team that changes and evolves in line with the mood of the fans expressed in over 8k resolution, surrounding their peripheral vision and making them an inescapable part of the drama.
These visual effects are being created using 14 three chip DLP F85 projectors from Barco, which boast a brightness of 11,000 lumens and have a contrast ratio of 15,000:1. Fifteen different timelines of content (one background, three scenic 'flats', four colour changing, three action, two scoring and one animated flag timeline) present infinite creative configurations so the same is never experienced twice and specific elements can be manipulated to anywhere in the three dimensional space, either pre-planned or live.
The content is being driven by two Delta Infinity Media Servers from 7thSense Design as these allow for an uncompressed, extreme resolution and high frame rate playback of the media, ideal for the live games in particular creating a true sense of realism and immersion with pixel-level accuracy.
The Football Heaven features actor and former Wales international player Vinnie Jones and his on screen team of tattooed cherubs. The humorous animations will raise anticipation ahead of each match, opening the gates of football heaven and reacting to key match moments. Fans will glimpse cherubs wheeling in cannons and playing tubas as they celebrate live match successes and see them hiding in the clouds to avoid the Grim Reaper if a red card is shown.
Visitors are given infrared LED wristbands in key matches that are stimulated by live elements in the games, according to which team they are supporting.
(Jim Evans)
