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ThirdEye Creative Productions

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Politics, Prestige, and Projection Mapping:
How Panasonic Connect Transformed a D.C. Landmark
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Overview

The days leading up to the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner are filled with star-studded media parties and exclusive events. This year, one of the most talked-about celebrations kicked off the weekend’s festivities on Thursday, April 25th. Held at the Organization of American States (OAS) building in Washington, D.C., the exclusive event attracted a high-profile crowd of celebrities, politicians, journalists, podcast hosts, and other media mavens. The party’s grandeur was matched by the elegance of the OAS building, a striking marble structure completed in 1910 and renowned for its historic charm and intricate design.

To bring this high-impact event to life, ThirdEye Creative Productions, a full-service production company specializing in high-end corporate events, was tasked with transforming one of the building’s ornate halls into a dynamic party space. Led by Senior Producer and Managing Partner Keith Tebo, the team used Panasonic Connect’s PT-RQ35K 3-Chip DLP(TM) 4K projectors to deliver stunning visuals while overcoming the many challenges posed by the venue’s historic architecture and tight setup schedule. The projectors' advanced features, ease-of-use, and lightweight design all played crucial roles in delivering a captivating display that complemented the event’s opulent setting.

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  • Challenges

    The event’s success hinged on overcoming significant challenges related to time constraints and the venue’s architecture. Chief among them was set up — Tebo’s team had roughly 40 hours from Tuesday morning until the event on Thursday to complete the entire installation. During this period, they faced restrictions as the hall was occupied for meetings during the day, limiting their access and dramatically reducing their working time.

    The OAS building, located just steps from the White House, presented additional challenges due to its lack of modern amenities. The historic structure had no freight elevators or loading docks, complicating the logistics of transporting and setting up equipment. The building’s narrow spaces required the use of small elevators, and the absence of rigging infrastructure meant that scaffolding had to be built to position the projectors high up to illuminate the ornate ceiling.

    Given these constraints, Tebo’s team needed projectors that were not only highly dependable in performance but also compact and lightweight enough to facilitate easier handling and installation. The team also required equipment that was quick and easy to use from an operator’s perspective, despite the complexity of the ceiling’s projection mapping.

  • Solutions

    Tebo, an experienced technician with a long-standing trust in Panasonic projectors, knew he could count on the PT-RQ35K models to create a stunning display. His team mounted 20 PTRQ35K projectors on a cylinder 100 feet long by 40 feet wide, with 10 projectors on each side, and built motorized scaffolds to lift the projectors to the ceiling.


    Given the hall’s elaborate architecture, with its stately white columns and vaulted, coffered ceiling, the projection mapping was exceptionally intricate. The 3D scan of the ceiling included 41 million pixels and was mapped and warped using media servers.

    Despite this complexity, the projectors were remarkably easy to use – something Tebo was counting on. “This is one of the things I love about Panasonic,” he explained. “I’ve never had a single input problem. We didn’t have to monkey with the projectors or deal with any last-minute issues or fixes. We just plugged them in and they worked like they always do.”

  • Results

    The event delivered a visually impressive and engaging experience for all political glitterati in attendance. The projection mapping illuminated the spectacular ceiling and enhanced the hall’s architectural features, including its grand chandeliers and stained-glass windows. Tebo was impressed with the performance of the PT-RQ35K, particularly highlighting the vividness of red due to the projector’s new red laser technology. “The red colors looked amazing,” he said. “I was blown away.”

    Not only did the display impress the guests, but it also set a new benchmark for technical sophistication in projection mapping. "This project was incredibly complex, likely featuring the highest pixel density ever used in pixel mapping,” Tebo remarked. “It's got to be among the top five, at least."

    Tebo credits much of the event's success to the capabilities of the PT-RQ35K projector and says it will now be a staple in his projection mapping arsenal. “It was the first time I used the 35Ks, and now I can't imagine mapping with any other projector," he said. “The brightness and beauty were unparalleled.”

Conclusion

In the end, it was Tebo's faith in Panasonic Connect that empowered him to exceed customer expectations. Initially considering mapping only the building's front façade, he realized that Panasonic Connect’s advanced projection technology offered the flexibility to create an even more compelling experience inside the building, where it would be more impactful for guests. By opting to focus the projection mapping onto the interior hall’s ornate ceiling, Tebo was able to push the boundaries of projection mapping and deliver a truly memorable and one-of-akind event.


ThirdEye Creative Productions would also like to thank their client Lighthouse Creative Works for their partnership on this project. "It’s the harmony between client, vendor, and leading OEMs like Panasonic Connect that make projects like this set new industry standards in the ‘wow’ category," Tebo says.

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