Per Eileen of Speak Coffee to Me, this awesome* video of a projection on the Prague Orloj, an “astronomical clock tower.” “The 600 Years” refers to the number of years since the clock was first built — years which pass by as you watch the video:
It’s the handiwork of a project known as The Macula, “dealing with the relationship between image, sound and audience.” If you follow that link to their site, be sure to nose around some to view more of their other work… including similar projection-on-buildings pieces.
The logistical problems they had to solve to make this overwhelm my brain. Just getting the perspective right had to be a matter of a lot of experimentation and calculation.
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* The word is here no cliche.
Sherri says
Now *that* is badass. Sharing.
Nance says
Sometimes my faith in humans is restored.
julesterp says
Whoa.
marta says
It is the sort of thing that takes my breath away and then fills me with pain–why can’t I do something that amazing!
Selfish me. But it is awesome. No cliche.
Froog says
Well, who needs any more reasons to want to be in Prague? Not me.
But WOW. Very, very clever stuff – particularly the trompe l’oeil elements where they really make you believe there are 3D effects of falling masonry and so on.
I imagine – since this seems to be an ‘official film’ of the event for The Macula team – that they’d carefully set up the camera in optimum position for all these effects. The ‘wow factor’ might be a bit compromised if you’re standing too far off to one side, or much further forward or back – but still, wow.
Was this just a one-off, or are they staging it regularly for a while?
I’m starting to think maybe New Year in Prague…
John says
Froog: I saw a pair of comments on one of the YouTube versions of this, one person asking, “When this ceremony?” and another replying, “9th? of Oktober 2010.” So I gather it was a one-time thing.
On The Macula’s Vimeo page for the production, a commenter asked if it was done all via projection, or if floodlights (etc.) were used as well. A reply from user “themacula” said it was all projection, done using two Christie projectors.
Couldn’t help wondering how James Cameron might have *cough* improved on those 3D effects…