Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
Visualization pioneer Barco LiveDots has supplied the latest version of its high-resolution C5 LED display to showcase an innovative video exhibition created by renowned media artist David Niles of Niles Creative Group at the George W. Bush Presidential Museum And Library, Dallas, Texas.
The experience begins as visitors enter the library’s architectural centerpiece, Freedom Hall. What appears to be a seamless 360-degree giant painted mural suddenly comes to life, revealing ultra-high resolution time lapse views of Texas. Then an animated tableau of American life featuring one hundred characters appears. A fantastic Washington, DC, flyover and a surprising finale end the presentation. The visuals and original orchestral soundtrack surround the audience. The experience celebrates the diversity of the land, its people and the connected nature of all Americans.
Running every 15 minutes as a prequel to the museum and library tours, the seven-minute show entitled ‘We the People’ presents a theatrical tribute to Americana, its people and hallowed institutions of democracy. Niles conceived this experience and brought the challenge to Barco LiveDots, seeking the team’s technological expertise in developing a new display solution to achieve his vision.
“Everyone in this business said it couldn’t be done,” says Niles. “So, I went to Barco LiveDots with my list of requirements: to create an LED product capable of presenting a photorealistic display of seamless imagery wrapping the interior of the room, 20-feet off the ground, with viewers standing directly underneath (making for some extreme viewing angles), presented in broad daylight with no distortion.
“As usual, Barco LiveDots worked its quintessential magic, and the result speaks for itself!.”
The composited 160’ x 21’ ultra-high resolution display wall is a unique, high-performance version of Barco LiveDots’ C5 LED display, comprising four individual surfaces, each 40 tiles wide and 16 tiles high, or 21’ x 52’ in area. The tiles are seamlessly joined at each interior wall corner to form a giant video screen enveloping visitors overhead as they enter the foyer.
The C5 LED is outstanding in its ability to display brilliant, consistent imagery even at extreme viewing angles, a necessity for this project because of its interior-facing rectangular screens. Despite the high ambient light environment due to light streaming from four adjacent windows, the display presents extremely rich, colorful imagery because of its high brightness and excellent contrast. Running at 110 gigabytes per minute, the video presentation is so high definition that it requires multiple computer servers.
“We are excited to be a part of such a historically significant and awe-inspiring project. The opportunity to work with Niles Creative Group’s inspiration and flawless execution is always a treat,” says Carl Rijsbrack, chief marketing officer for Barco LiveDots. “The seamless combination of David Niles’ innovative theatrical artistry and our production team’s outstanding technical abilities results in an amazing, dynamic show that only a product as rigorously designed as our C5 could handle.”
George W. Bush Presidential Museum And Library is located on the edge of the Southern Methodist University campus in University Park, Dallas. The new 226,565-square-foot, $250 million Bush Center is home to the nation’s 13th Presidential Library and Museum. The institution commemorates the Bush Administration, offering in-depth access to Presidential materials including thousands of artifacts and millions of electronic records.
Founded in 1986 by media artist David Niles, the award-winning Niles Creative Group is a 35-year-old production and design facility in show business. It is internationally known for its concept-to-completion capabilities in combining cutting-edge technology and art. The company conceives, designs and executes large format audiovisual projects for an international roster of clients, providing original content and programming.It has studios in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida.
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