Monday, August 27, 2018
Projection killed the video star
InPark Magazine: “Even the baby elephant ice skates,” said Robbi Lepre, Entertainment Director at Busch Gardens Tampa. And the elephant’s not alone. At the new Iceploration Show in the park’s Moroccan Palace theater, ice skating, multimedia, puppetry and aerial acrobatics come together to tell the story of a teenager and his grandfather as they set out on a journey around the globe. The duo visits the African Serengeti, the Great Barrier Reef, the Arctic and the Amazon Rainforest.
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Despite initial reservations I had about projection in theater, I eventually grew to appreciate the art form and I now see it as yet another development in theater technology that will enhance the experience of a show, instead of, as I thought it might, detracting from it. The article describes the use of projection to make up for a lack of space in the theater. Without projection, the designers would have been limited in the atmosphere they wanted to create; with the projection, they were able to create an entire world for the dancers, performers, and the audience.
The article also mentions a couple drawbacks to the use of projection. Because it relies so heavily on the precision of the mapping, a tiny shift could disrupt the design. The art and benefits that can be drawn of and from it, however, seem too great to give up just because they could potentially end badly. I’m sure that as it is developed and worked on, the risk of using projection will decrease. Just like with any technology, as it becomes more popular, the methods will become more streamlined and effective until audiences and designers become more comfortable with experiencing and using it. There is so much potential in the world of projection and I think it should not be lost simply because there are some drawbacks.
Despite initial reservations I had about projection in theater, I eventually grew to appreciate the art form and I now see it as yet another development in theater technology that will enhance the experience of a show, instead of, as I thought it might, detracting from it. The article describes the use of projection to make up for a lack of space in the theater. Without projection, the designers would have been limited in the atmosphere they wanted to create; with the projection, they were able to create an entire world for the dancers, performers, and the audience.
The article also mentions a couple drawbacks to the use of projection. Because it relies so heavily on the precision of the mapping, a tiny shift could disrupt the design. The art and benefits that can be drawn of and from it, however, seem too great to give up just because they could potentially end badly. I’m sure that as it is developed and worked on, the risk of using projection will decrease. Just like with any technology, as it becomes more popular, the methods will become more streamlined and effective until audiences and designers become more comfortable with experiencing and using it. There is so much potential in the world of projection and I think it should not be lost simply because there are some drawbacks.
Having worked both in production meetings with designers as a stage manager, and as a crew member building shows in the shop, I have seen both ends of this argument over whether projections are “killing” theater as we have known it or taking it to new heights. I have seen how projections and new media can be incredibly useful in putting across a director’s vision in a way that a backdrop cannot, and can also help solve issues with space as seen at Busch Gardens. For instance, productions of 1984 have been done for years without projections, but ever since projections were introduced, they have become integral in most productions of that work. There are certain ideas that are much more successfully conveyed with projections. On the other hand, it is very easy for projections to become a crutch for a designer. This leads to irritation throughout the shop as there seems to be no “real” theater happening there, just the methodical construction of flats and decks and directors must work around such large screens to the point of it being an obstacle at times. It is important to understand why projections are sometimes used, but it is just as important to know how you can avoid using them and instead employ others in the creative team to solve a problem without reverting to projections. I believe that there is a reason that here in The School of Drama, undergrad student produced shows are discouraged from using media this year; it is an easy fix for a designer, but often becomes a hindrance to every other part of the creative team.
I have seen projection mapping used in theatre, general entertainment, and even in political campaigns in recent years. The versatility of projections is truly astounding. I am increasingly intrigued by the elements of movement and detailing that projections add to still objects. The way Busch Gardens employs projections seems to be especially interesting. Though they are working with limited space, they enrich what they do have with projected facades to expand the area. Regarding the disadvantages of this technology mentioned in the article: as the tech advances, so will the power of media designers to influence the visual effects created with projectors. Innovators are creating new, more powerful equipment every day, so I expect that projectors will quickly become more reliable for use, especially when they’re becoming so much more prominent in the entertainment industry. I do agree, however, that for now they should be purely additive to the atmosphere of the productions they’re applied to. They add a unique flair that can breathe life into a still object, but if they are used without this object, the projection can become plain (or maybe I just haven’t seen it done well yet).
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