Dataton’s high-performance presentation software, WATCHOUT was used by Mind Opera in one of the most impressive CES stands and the conference Keynote presentation at this year’s CES International 2012 event.
Seattle-based creative agency PBJS hired Mind Opera for its expertise and track record in creating high-impact presentations using Dataton WATCHOUT™ technology. Mind Opera was asked to participate in two projects to implement PBJS's visuals for Steve Ballmer's 90-minute Microsoft Keynote and a 60'x6' video wall, as a part of the Microsoft Experience Pavilion.
Bryan Schaeffer of Sintr.com was also involved in making the project come to life, working with Mind Opera. WATCHOUT and the computers to run it were supplied and supported by Show Sage from Brighton, MI.
WATCHOUT presentation utilized looping scenic backdrops, transitions bumpers and video playback, as well as audio stingers. The show ran flawlessly, timed to perfection due to WATCHOUT's timeline based control.
The Pavilion comprised sixty-three 47” flat screens creating a video wall 60' wide by 6' tall. Four WATCHOUT display computers were used outputting two channels each. Seven channels fed 3x3 segments of wall, and the eighth channel was fed to an LED video ceiling that followed the walls movement.
Mind Opera also designed a 7.1 linear sound system for the wall, fed through an eight-channel audio device connected to a WATCHOUT display. This gave the sound designer a tool to create audio effects that moved up and down the wall, adding sound movement to the audiences’ experience. As a final step, the time code was sent to the lighting board, which allowed it to track the timeline with lighting effects.
David Johnson at Mind Opera says, “Ultimately WATCHOUT was the perfect solution for the video wall. Bryan Schaeffer and myself rely on this technology to create a big and unique experience for the attendees, that reflected Microsoft's brand and showed off the new Windows 8 style graphics seamlessly. We quickly set up a miniaturized version of the video wall at our office which allowed our client to view the wall at anytime and gave them confidence that the WATCHOUT technology would be perfect for their installation. Whether it was a creative or technical challenge, WATCHOUT's flexibility allowed us to say yes to every new aspect of this project.”
Fredrik Svahnberg, Marketing and Communications Director at Dataton says: “This is yet an other example of how a global company can take advantage of using our multi-display and presentation software to wow audiences and at the same time, educate and inform. It’s clear to see that Mind Opera put WATCHOUT through its paces and delivered on expectation.”
