The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, presents the riveting sights and thundering sounds of war in “Beyond all Boundaries”, a 45-minute 4D film that is sure to inspire and educate. The gripping performance – using nine Christie DLP® projectors – takes audiences on a memorable journey through World War II from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the D-Day invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, Iwo Jima and the final victories in Europe and the Pacific.
With Tom Hanks serving as narrator and executive producer of “Beyond all Boundaries”, theater seats shake as tanks rumble across Europe and Africa, snow cascades down during the epic Battle of the Bulge, and B-17 bombers scream seemingly inches away in a mesmerizing display of technology made possible by Christie.
Entering the theater, visitors are greeted by massive stage curtains covering a nearly 180 degree field of view, that when parted, reveal an enormous 120ft x 36ft transparent screen (scrim), with black curtains behind it. Three Christie Roadster S+20K DLP projectors with edge-blending and image warping capabilities combine to create an enormous, wrap-around, seamless image on the scrim.
“We chose the Christie Roadster projectors for their color quality and light output,” said Steve Calver, project manager at Electrosonic, who was responsible for AV support. “We also like the constant intensity lamp setting that helps maintain the original output level of the projectors as the lamps age.”
Thirty feet behind the scrim is a secondary, 115ft x 26ft screen that is illuminated by five Christie DS+10K-M projectors. Also between the two screens are various objects, such as tank traps, which can be illuminated. The overall effect creates great depth and complexity – the audience is aware of a “3D” effect without being made aware of how it is achieved.
“For the back screen, which had a short throw distance and steep 35 degree angle, we needed to get the images as large as possible,” Calver explained. “The Christie DS+10K-M projectors permit us to do this while maintaining tight alignment among the projectors - so it appears as a single, unified image. The projectors also have fixed lenses and we rely on their edge-blending and warping module.”
Adding to the realism, gun turrets, a radio set and a 25ft German guard tower emerge from a pit in front of the main scrim. A Christie Roadster HD10K-M with HD (1920x1080) aspect ratio, mounted on the catwalk high above, projects supporting images and captions being masked onto three small panels that rise up out of the pit in front of the scrim.
“We use Christie projectors because they are superior to other brands, and we like to specify all of the projectors in an attraction from a single manufacturer,” concluded Calver. “We are also very happy with Christie’s customer service and support. They have always been quick to respond with technical support from both the office and the field. Repairs on equipment are always quick and timely. They take responsibility for equipment and/or firmware issues and work hard to correct them so that future components are free from defects. They work with us as a partner in the business, recognizing that our success is their success.”
About Christie®
Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. is a global visual technologies company and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio, Inc., Japan, (JP:6925). Consistently setting the standards by being the first to market some of the world’s most advanced projectors and complete system displays, Christie is recognized as one of the most innovative visual technology companies in the world. From retail displays to Hollywood, mission critical command centers to classrooms and training simulators, Christie display solutions and projectors capture the attention of audiences around the world with dynamic and stunning images. Visit www.christiedigital.com.
