Christie, the global visual and audio technology company, has provided its 4K projection and auto-calibration solutions for Senzoku Gakuen College of Music’s new ‘digital curtain’.
Christie is pleased to announce that Senzoku Gakuen College of Music (SGCM) in Japan has adopted its 4K projection and auto-calibration solutions for an innovative ‘digital curtain’ within its newly opened MUSIC POOL CINO theatre.
This new digital curtain, which is the first of its kind to be installed in an educational facility in the country, is a new take on the traditional Japanese tab curtain, which is usually made from a single or multiple pieces of fabric with fine embroidery. The aim is to surprise, engage and uplift audiences before a performance at the MUSIC POOL CINO theatre, as well as boosting its public image.
Digital curtain
The curtain is 19 metres wide and 4.84 metres high, providing a large area where digital content can be projected. Projector solutions for this project were provided by Ushio Lighting Inc. using two Christie Boxer 4K30 3DLP projectors installed at the rear of the theatre.
These include the Christie Mystique automatic alignment and calibration solution for easy installation, alignment and maintenance.
Professor Makoto Shinohara, Head of Musical Theatre Course, SGCM, says, “When audiences enter MUSIC POOL CINO for a performance, a still image is displayed so it looks like a normal stage curtain. The surprise comes when visuals on the curtain begin to move a few minutes before the show starts.”
A spokesperson from Ushio Lighting Inc. says, “Since images are projected on the curtain, its edges may shift back and forth under the influence of air conditioning or atmospheric pressure, resulting in distortion or deviation of the portion where two images blend.
“Christie Mystique software has been introduced to overcome these misalignments. The ability to quickly adjust and maintain multiple projector projections makes troubleshooting easy for the user.”
Created to draw attention to art
The content for the digital curtain was created by Naked Inc., based on a work called Nanban Byobu by Japanese painter Naizen Kano. The original work is a folding screen from the late 1500s, showing Nanban (foreign) ships, buildings and people that arrived in Japan from overseas.
Prof. Shinohara says the digital curtain aims to draw attention to art, not only for visitors but also for current and future students of SGCM.
“Musicals are a stage art that originated in the West and are often performed around the world. In addition to traditional musicals, we are also creating original musicals in Japanese. This is why we selected “Nanban Byobu”, which is a mixture of Japanese and Western styles, and the projector reproduces the details of this elaborate work brightly and vividly,” he adds.
Michael Bosworth, executive vice president, Enterprise, Christie, commented, “We are delighted that SGCM has chosen our Boxer 4K30 projectors and Mystique to deliver extraordinary digital projections on the stage curtain of MUSIC POOL CINO. This is a brilliant demonstration of how Christie’s various technologies can breathe new life into a traditional art form, and enable our partners and customers to transform their creativity into reality.”
Christie’s Boxer 4K30 weighs less than 68kg (150lbs), providing 30,000-lumen projection technology in a compact solution, ideal for live events, conference rooms, large halls and more. The easy to use, flexible projector features 4K resolution, alongside Christie TruLife image processing and omnidirectional deployment capabilities.
Last month, Christie launched Christie CounterAct, a new far-UVC light fixture for UV disinfection that can be used around people.
