Tuesday 23 December 2008

Creating holographic media

Between 2007-08 SquareZero has become one of the pioneering creative studios creating content for virtual holographic display across both true 3-D and holographic projection platforms. During that time we have created productions for advertising, corporate events, product launches, exhibitions and trade-shows, working with brands such as Speedo and Toyota and also entertainment productions for nightclubs, parties and even a bar mitzvah.

Whilst the content and effects used in holographic projection platforms are thoroughly modern often incorporating mixes of CGI and live action footage, the platform itself is often a high tech version of the 'Pepper's Ghost' illusion which was invented by English engineer Henry Dircks in the 19th Century and introduced into theatres by it's namesake Professor John Henry Pepper. The illusion startled theatre goers with an effect that allowed live people or objects to slowly materialize into a scene.


We create content on a regular basis for the Musion® Eyeliner™ holographic projection system, creating content for brands and events such as Speedo, Toyota, BT, and even a barmitzvah to name a few. The life size holographic image screens have been installed at launches, trade-shows, parties, nightclubs and theatres around the world. Today’s commercial systems have developed that technique with tensioned foil replacing the previous glass, specialist lighting and powerful state-of-the-art projectors. The projection foil is of such high quality that it enables the true reproduction of high-definition video so that audiences viewing video images imagine them to be real. Using sets starting from just 2m² cubes, projected images range in size from 50cm², up to a massive 20m x 100m. Live or virtual stage presenters appear alongside and interact with virtual images, humans or animations. Even existing ‘made for TV’ 2D video material is transformed into compelling footage running in giant floating 3D virtual screens created by the Eyeliner™ system.





The beauty of the system is that you can create surreal experiences appear realistic, life size and lifelike as in our Toyota Auris launch where we had a life size car floating in mid air in Bluewater shopping centre. For Speedo we had Michael Phelps appear in four countries simultaneously, when he was only actually 'live' in New York. Prince Charles made a speech at an ecological conference in the Middle East without having to fly, David Blaine threw a phone across a stage to himself, Cisco transmitted a live hologram across the globe - you can have a lot of fun creating illusions using this platform.

We can have people on stage interacting with their own holographic alter-egos or animated characters in any world we want to create around them. In one set for Vodafone we had an individual talking ‘live’ to their artificially aged holographic-self in the year 2020. We can mix holographic images from different locations into each other enabling presentations, live debate or interaction, which we now term “tele-presence”. Another example would be bringing together a global management team to present their vision and to celebrate a corporate anniversary as we recently did for the Russian Telecom giant Rostelecom.





One of the more strangely popular and often repeated customer briefs is the ‘bring back’ genre – a result borne of the super-realism feature of these systems where the images are so lifelike – so whoever the subject is celebrity, singer, religious character or politician if they have mass appeal then their re-appearance as holograms is always an attractive option – it’s always struck me as both ironic and little gratifying that a Victorian theatre illusion is still hard at work today helping us to create new ‘ghosts’.


Other holographic technology SquareZero has mastered is aimed at creating true 3d depth on the smaller screen. Screen systems such as Philips WOWvx give a 3d depth illusion without the need for the use of special glasses, giving a solid looking, tangible image on-screen. Images can be created in animation software, filmed especially or converted from standard footage. The software uses a separate special hidden 'depth-channel' movie which allows the software to display the picture in 3d.

The holographic technologies have plenty of further prospects as we are experimenting with interactive touch-screen user interfaces, motion tracking, augmented reality (AR), customer product configurators, games and web-based content.

Wednesday 17 December 2008

Agfa Graphics presentation wins trade fair award

Agfa Graphics announced the 2008 edition of the four-yearly Drupa printing trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany has been a great success. The award it won is called the "Expo Yearly Award" (in Dutch it's "De Expo Jaarprijs") for best trade-show participation in a B2B environment in 2007-2008.

The company's stylish presentation made exclusively by SquareZero caught the eye of the crowds and its innovative solutions met with general approval from numerous print professionals. As a result, Agfa Graphics report a solid order intake for both the prepress and the industrial inkjet segment.

Musion® Eyeliner™ is a new and unique high definition video projection system allowing spectacular freeform 3-dimensional moving images to appear within a live stage setting. Eyeliner™ brings 21st century video film effects to live conference or trade show presentations, retail displays and large scale digital signage.

Watch footage from the trade fair here

BT Sales Conference Event



At its annual UK Sales Conference, BT Global Services treated its sales team to an 'out-of-this-world' presentation. It wasn't held on a space ship, but inside a 'virtual' computer game.

Held at the NEC in Birmingham, 1,800 BT Sales executives gathered to celebrate their achievements, and to be inspired about their role in building the future success of BTGS. Marketing Agency, George P Johnson (GPJ), created the concept and developed the theme of 'Game-On' with SquareZero. The auditorium needed a big stage and our content had to be seen from all areas of the room. To achieve this, an 18m-wide Musion® Eyeliner™ Foil was used.

Some presenters were beamed in and out of the stage and others just walked on to the stage and interacted with larger-than-life graphics that floated around them. The content presented was a mixture of live filming, recorded footage and 3D graphics.
QUOTE: "The feedback from delegates has been fantastic. There is a sense that we broke the mould of the typical sales conference with this event". -- Tim Smart, President of BT Global Sales UK

"This conference has been the topic of many conversations in the BT Centre". "I am still being asked how did you teleport those guys in and how did those floating graphics work? Sales people who have been with BT for years have said it's the best event they have ever been to". -- Neil Blakesley, Vice President UK Marketing.

Thursday 11 December 2008

Urjuan Nights, property event on Musion

SquareZero provided spectacular video content for a Musion Eyeliner holographic projection at the Barwa Real Estate at Qatar Property Investment Forum in Qatar at the end of November 08.

Occupying the largest exhibition space, 'Urjuan, a modern city that represents Qatar's rapid economic growth and its efforts to preserve its cultural heritage ' is set to offer more than 24,500 housing units consisting of a beachfront luxury hotel and resort, and luxurious apartments, which can accommodate over 63,000 residents.

The 5.5 million square metre city themed development also includes a shopping mall, souks, leisure facilities, open gardens, tourist attractions, a G+12 business hotel and an 18-hole specialty golf course with private villa golf estates.

SquareZero used 3d animation in a swirling design of old and new buildings representing the modern new developments and the country's cultural past. Swirling ribbons of colour promoted a celebratory feel and other impressive CG elements contributed to give a feeling of a landmark event. The movie was tailor made for the Musion holographic projection technique - for which SquareZero are the principle content and media providers. Design was by our creative director Najma Bhatti and Jonson Jewell was the lead animator.