Supplied by Hampshire-based rental company LED Screen Hire, a massive 153sq.m of Lighthouse R16 screen was arranged in a pattern of seven screen 'blocks' totalling 199 panels - one six panels wide by four high (6.09m x 3.04m), one four by eight (4.06m x 6.09), one three by nine (3.04m x 6.85m), two four by four (4.06m x 3.04m) and two six by five (6.09m x 3.81m).
Devised by AD Events, the screens were arranged in an uneven pattern, which was designed to resemble the Manhattan skyline, evoking the feeling of being inside the movie. Forming an impressive frontage to the cinema, the huge array of R16 screen snaking around the building's façade dwarfed the entrance.
This complex system required a counter balanced ground support for the screen to be flown from. Provided by Utopium Lighting, it comprised 70 tonnes of precast engineered ballast that bolted securely into the ground support and acted as anchors for the necessary bracing. This was erected the day before the screen was installed, with the screen itself hung and ready for use in less than 12 hours.
Another aspect of the system was Pandora's Box, a revolutionary media server supplied and operated by Show Support. This new and versatile piece of equipment allowed content to cross the boundaries of each screen 'block' of R16, creating one seamless screen through which Spider-Man could fly. Processing was via three Lighthouse LIP-KX units.
AD Events founder Amanda Davis says, "We set about designing an environment that would interact with the crowd as they walked around the gardens, creating a roller coaster ride. When I first saw the concept art for the movie, I was so impressed that I wanted to bring it to life using screens and for the screens to act as buildings as well as to show montages of Spider-Man 3 graphics.
(Jim Evans)
