Symphoria occasionally needs large screen video support for their concerts at the Civic Center in downtown Syracuse. Christmas is one of those times. The old-school way would be to use a rented backdrop and maybe jazz it up with Christmas lights. Today people expect more. And as a non-profit, the solution had to be:
- Economical and practical
- High performance
- Something that could be operated backstage from a laptop computer
Although the laptop needed to be backstage, the projector had to be out front where all the people are. Fortunately, the Civic Center has a permanent “projector shelf” on the mezzanine level of the auditorium. With the use of an HDMI signal extender, a video line could be run approximately 200 feet from backstage right to the projector.
Any content that could be shown on the laptop (graphics, animated slides, videos, etc.) could be projected in real-time on the cyclorama behind the orchestra. The challenge is always to provide a projector with enough light output to project an image that will not only be seen by all, but one that will “pop” on the big screen. This is accomplished by using a 12,000-lumen projector with a long focal length lens.
