SINGAPORE – Christie® technologies delivered spectacular visuals during a projection mapping performance that enthralled massive crowds that turned up at Singapore’s Marina Bay area on December 31 to ring in the New Year and officially kick-off celebrations to commemorate Singapore’s 50th year of independence.
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The stunning spectacle was made possible by Christie’s rental staging partner Hexogon Solution Pte Ltd, which deployed almost 60 Christie Roadster HD20K-J 3-chip DLP® projectors for a projection mapping show where a slew of images and multimedia content depicting the growth and development of Singapore from past to present were projected onto the enormous façade of the famous Fullerton Hotel and the iconic Merlion statue. This is the largest number of Christie projectors ever deployed for an event staged in Singapore to date.
The eight-hour extravaganza, known as “Celebrate SG50”, was the most anticipated countdown party to usher in the nation’s year-long golden jubilee celebrations. Besides the mesmerizing projection mapping performance, it also showcased outdoor concerts featuring a star-studded ensemble of local and regional artistes, as well as carnivals and waterfront bazaars. Among the other highlights were a magnificent musical firework display, and a floating installation of 25,000 wishing spheres that reflected Singapore’s journey in the last 50 years and its citizens’ hopes for the future.
“Our heartiest congratulations to our partner Hexogon Solution for being selected as the projection provider of this momentous event and setting up the largest number of Christie Roadster Series projectors ever for an event held in Singapore,” said Lin Yu, vice president, Christie Asia Pacific. “This is a wonderful achievement and we’re absolutely thrilled that Christie’s visual solutions have been used to deliver a fantastic performance for everyone who attended this large-scale event, and helped create high quality, innovative, shared experiences that our customers love.”
Fifty-three units of Christie Roadster HD20K-J projectors were used for the projection mapping in front of the Fullerton Hotel, while six Roadster HD20K-Js were deployed for mapping the 8.6-meter-tall Merlion statue located near the Neoclassical-styled hotel. Both projection sites were synchronized for the show, with corresponding contents working hand-in-hand with the Marina Bay countdown lightings and fireworks. It commenced at 11:55 p.m. sharp and culminated in a countdown sequence to midnight, followed immediately by an eight-minute firework display to the delight of revelers.
Adrian Goh, managing director, Hexogon Solution, commented, “We are excited to present this projection mapping performance using the world famous Merlion statue and façade of the Fullerton Hotel as the canvas for this highly-anticipated event. Due to the scale of this performance, it is necessary for us to set up almost 60 Christie Roadster projectors to cover the entire area.”
However, the team from Hexogon Solution also had to overcome a number of challenges to get the visuals right. Goh noted that while the Fullerton Hotel – an old colonial building with very complex architectural features – was good for architectural mapping and transformation effects, the multiple depths of the building had resulted in distortion of images to be showcased.
“That was why we had to run simulations and tests to ensure that we can achieve the best possible results. I’m happy to note that through meticulous image adjustments and alignments, we have managed to deliver a vibrant and engaging show that made the ‘Celebrate SG50’ a very memorable and enjoyable one for all Singaporeans. Of course, the reliability and quality of the Christie Roadster HD20K-J projectors also played a role in making this a success,” he added.
Christie Roadster Series projectors provide unbelievably bright images with stunning detail and depth of color, releasing pure power with purpose-built features. Designed with built-in handles, an improved airflow system and multiple rigging points, these powerhouse projectors stack up against the rigors and stress of rental/staging. Featuring high-quality optics, 10-bit image processing and a variable contrast ratio of 1600–2000:1 for brilliantly crisp, detailed images, these compact projectors deliver crisp, clean images with perfect color saturation and spectacular video.
