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Christie puts the dazzle in presentation of Audi A3 Sportback in Spain

christie_logoAudi wowed audiences in both Madrid and Barcelona with the Audi A3 Experience, the automobile brand’s stunning audiovisual spectacular, combining 360° projections, 3D mapping and Showmaster Control to publicise its new A3 Sportback. Produced by New Media Creative Technology Studio, the show used different Christie projectors and Christie® MicroTiles® videowalls supplied by Ingevideo.

The event was staged first in Plaza de Colón in Madrid between 28 February and 8 March, and then in Plaza de Cataluña in Barcelona from 16 to 23 March.

The show was held in a special geodesic dome. A true landmark in modern engineering, this igloo-like structure was designed and created by the US company Pacific Domes using a sophisticated negative pressure system that makes the metal structure vanish to create a 800 square metre screen.

Measuring 10.5 metres high and with a diameter of 21.7 metres, the dome covers a floor area of around 370 square metres. New Media has the exclusive rights to this system in Spain and is currently one of only four companies in Europe who have access to this type of infrastructure.

Inside the dome the company installed six Christie Roadster HD20K-J projectors (3-chip DLP®, HD resolution, 18,000 lumens ANSI) to create 360° projections onto the screen, with over 12 million pixels at 4K resolution, synchronised using a 7thSense Delta media server, Medialon and L-Acoustics 5.1 surround sound.

The six projectors were fixed on supports at 2 metres above the ground and at increments of 60°, edge-blended with Christie Twist™.

Another three Christie projectors, in this case Christie HD14K-M (3-chip DLP®, HD resolution, 13,500 lumens ANSI), were used for the 3D mapping on the new A3 Sportback model which was located on a revolving platform inside the dome.

The show opened in pitch darkness before an offstage voice announced the start—at which point the rings of the Audi logo were lit up one by one. Afterwards various flashes of light appeared using 3D mapping which were gradually connected together to create countless light cubes that formed the first complete image of the stage. Later, fast-moving lines appeared from right to left, drawing the outline of the new Audi A3 Sportback. Next, the panel hiding the Audi A3 Sportback, and on which its silhouette was projected, was slowly withdrawn to reveal the real car. The idea was to transmit the sensation of the transformation from virtual to real.

When the car was started, it revolved in a circle and turned to face the audience; the parking lights were turned on to create the idea of movement, in such a way that it seemed as if it were moving forward through an abstract world of lines, spirals and tunnels projected onto the stage.

Once the Audi A3 Sportback emerged from the tunnel, we found ourselves in the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, filmed in 360°, which were projected on the screen and reflected on the body of the car. The new Audi A3 Sportback was combined with pre-recorded images of the cities to give the sensation of driving around them.

The event also used two Christie MicroTiles videowalls, in 4×3 and 5×3 configurations, which showed the Audi A3 TV advert. In addition, a Christie LX1500 projector (3 LCD, XGA resolution, 15,000 lumens ANSI) was used for the projection on the outer surface of the dome.

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All the projectors, as well as the MicroTiles videowalls, were managed with two 7thSense Delta media servers: one with 6 outlets and the other with 4. Meanwhile, the whole event was synchronised with a Medialon Showmaster Control used as the central integrated control for all the audiovisual elements.

“It was a truly spectacular event, really impressive and never seen before in Spain”, said Marcos Fernández, Christie Sales Director for Spain and Portugal. “It was amazing to see how New Media made the most of our visualisation technology to produce such a creative and at the same time complex experience”, he added.

“The truth is that this event was totally pioneering in Spain and with this sophisticated equipment we managed to give the audience a completely immersive experience”, claimed Diego de Anna, New Media CEO. “The most complex element of the event was synchronising the show’s various audiovisual and light elements, but thanks to the control systems used and the versatility of the Christie equipment, the integration was a complete success.”

“We chose Christie projectors because they are reliable, robust and versatile”, continued De Anna. “Of the equipment available on the market they delivered the best performance, as well as being really intuitive to handle.”

Meanwhile, Pepe Soler-Roig, Audi’s Sponsor & Events Manager, added, “We were impressed with the quality of the image, power and performance of the Christie projectors we used in the events held in Madrid and Barcelona to present the new Audi A3 Sportback. Audi always look for excellence in the events it organises, and the Christie projectors certainly gave us what we were looking for.”

Specifically addressing Christie MicroTiles, Pepe Soler-Roig said that he had been very pleasantly surprised: “At first, we had not envisaged using this element in the project, but once we saw it in place and in operation we were instantly convinced that it should be a key feature of the show. And it goes without saying that we are more than happy with the result.”

He concluded, “The audiences at the event were bowled over by the quality and originality of the show. The impression the public took away with them was having been part of a show with the latest audiovisual technology.”

The show itself lasted eight minutes and was screened a minimum of 20 times each day, from 11 in the morning until 9 at night. Between Madrid and Barcelona, around 25,000 people were able to participate in the Audi A3 Experience.

About Christie®

Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc. is a global visual technologies company and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio Inc., Japan (JP:6925). Consistently setting the standards by being the first to market some of the world’s most advanced projectors and complete system displays, Christie is recognised as one of the most innovative visual technology companies in the world. From retail displays to Hollywood, mission critical command centres to classrooms and training simulators, Christie display solutions and projectors capture the attention of audiences around the world with dynamic and stunning images. Visit www.christieEMEA.com

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