No giant TV screen? No problem. Using projection mapping, you can turn any wall, building, or mountainside into an audio visual work of art to promote your event or business.

So what is projection mapping? Also known as “spatial augmented reality,” it is a technology that can project images, shapes, and colors onto 3D objects instead of traditional flat surfaces. While it may seem like a newer concept, projection mapping has been around for quite some time, so you’ve probably already seen it in action at concerts, theatres, or sporting events.

The first known use of projection mapping dates back to 1969 at the opening of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride, where images of a disembodied head and ghosts were projected onto sculptures that sang the theme song throughout the ride. Projection mapping really began to gain traction through academic work at UNC Chapel Hill in 1998, specifically from an academic paper, titled The Office of the Future. This paper imagined a world where we could experience augmented reality from our desks. People would have the ability to Skype with life-size versions of colleagues!

Projection mapping is a highly sought out service within the audio visual equipment rental industry. It’s been seen at many world-renowned events, such as the Olympics, Super Bowl, and Rugby World Cup, as well as at local corporate events. In August 2011, Klip Collective illuminated the iconic tower at the University of Texas in Austin for a television spot celebrating UT’s roster of successful alumni. Using 3D animation and mapping, Klip rebuilt the tower as a 17-story stack of blocks that twisted like a sky-high Rubik’s Cube.

GigRent provided projection mapping for the Sam Adams Air & Apres tour and The Super Bowl in Atlanta. GigRent founder Jordan Goodfellow describes project mapping as one of the best ways to elevate your event planning:

“The most awesome visual effect? I’m really partial to when our projectors were used for the Samuel Adams Ski Events last year in 2018. I think it looks super cool when you’re projecting on snow or projecting on a medium that is not “normal,” is not something that people are used to seeing a projection on. It’s a white surface. It may as well be a projection screen. I would say that those are some of the coolest visuals and I would love to see us do more around that sort of an event or an opportunity. Whether it’s with person tracking, or utilizing the projection to create a visual that interacts with the people that are either in the crowd or the people that are jumping.”

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