I now have for years been pushing the idea and working hard to get a proper "Festival of Lights" going in our city of Birmingham. I participated in the three PTTR (Paint the Town Red) shows for the Red Cross, mapping a downtown townhouse in 2009 and 2010 with a 30 minutes animation, and mapping my Mini Cooper in 2011. I worked with Jessica Simpson to put together two "Light Dreams" shows for the Alys Stephens Center in 2012 and 2013, producing a 20mn animation mapped to the building facade, and making it into 3D the second year.
I am now suggesting we use the Rotary Trail as a venue for the next Birmingham Festival of Lights. I have walked it up and down over and over in the last few days, and photographed it from every angle. I am convinced it would be a great space to host an Annual Festival of Lights. Not a great big budget major festival like Lyon or Berlin, but a more manageable and affordable one, and therefore a viable one.
From my experience over the last 6 years or so in the Festival of Lights business, it has become clear me that the big problem always is the prohibitive cost of renting big 20+K projectors. Even 10K's are expensive.
On the other hand, 5K Schoolroom or Home Theatre Projectors have become quite affordable, in the $500 to $1000 range. I have acquired four myself, a medium throw zoom full HD 1080p home theatre 5K, and three matching very short throw 720p 4.5K wide angle fixed lens overhead classroom projectors. They are suitable to cover areas roughly 10ft x 18 t in a dark environment. When it comes to projection, even with the big 45K guns, darkness is key, any ambient light spoiling the contrast and color of the projected image.
I also have a Matrox Triple HeadToGo Box which allows me to stretch a single continuous 3940 x 720 pixels image across the three projectors.
But then again, projection is not the only way to use light, and a quick Google search for "light sculptures" or "light installations" will turn up a plethora of great Artwork made in all kinds of ways, from the simplest bulb or candle in a paper lantern, to the most sophisticated and programmed Laser or LED contraptions, running the gamut from hanging light bulbs, strings of Christmas Lights, LED Strips, neon tubes, fluorescent sticks, electro luminescent EL wire, etc... Just candles in paper grocery bags or Christmas lights in plastic grocery bags are sufficient to make a fabulous Light Installation. IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY TAKE A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY AND SKILL.
I am now suggesting we use the Rotary Trail as a venue for the next Birmingham Festival of Lights. I have walked it up and down over and over in the last few days, and photographed it from every angle. I am convinced it would be a great space to host an Annual Festival of Lights. Not a great big budget major festival like Lyon or Berlin, but a more manageable and affordable one, and therefore a viable one.
From my experience over the last 6 years or so in the Festival of Lights business, it has become clear me that the big problem always is the prohibitive cost of renting big 20+K projectors. Even 10K's are expensive.
On the other hand, 5K Schoolroom or Home Theatre Projectors have become quite affordable, in the $500 to $1000 range. I have acquired four myself, a medium throw zoom full HD 1080p home theatre 5K, and three matching very short throw 720p 4.5K wide angle fixed lens overhead classroom projectors. They are suitable to cover areas roughly 10ft x 18 t in a dark environment. When it comes to projection, even with the big 45K guns, darkness is key, any ambient light spoiling the contrast and color of the projected image.
I also have a Matrox Triple HeadToGo Box which allows me to stretch a single continuous 3940 x 720 pixels image across the three projectors.
But then again, projection is not the only way to use light, and a quick Google search for "light sculptures" or "light installations" will turn up a plethora of great Artwork made in all kinds of ways, from the simplest bulb or candle in a paper lantern, to the most sophisticated and programmed Laser or LED contraptions, running the gamut from hanging light bulbs, strings of Christmas Lights, LED Strips, neon tubes, fluorescent sticks, electro luminescent EL wire, etc... Just candles in paper grocery bags or Christmas lights in plastic grocery bags are sufficient to make a fabulous Light Installation. IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY TAKE A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY AND SKILL.
