Gladstone’s multipurpose Entertainment Convention Centre boasts a flat floor event space that can service 1,700 standing, and an auditorium seating 674 for theatrical productions, concerts and presentations. Situated 100 kilometres south of the next major centre, Rockhampton, the GECC services community and business groups from the coast to the hinterland, and is equally at home staging a musical or a trade fair.
With a busy end-of-year schedule ahead in the theatre, Operations Supervisor Simon Mai was looking for ways to create unique stage effects and looks quickly and easily. Adding a media server to the GECC’s arsenal looked like a solution, but choosing the right product was the challenge. Graeme Hicks of Entertainment Production Supplies provided Simon with a Green Hippo Amba to evaluate, and the GECC liked what they saw. “Simon and the crew are using two 7K Panasonic projectors onto the rear cyc,” explained Graeme. “With the Green Hippo Amba, edge blending is a joy, it’s just so easy. All the clients love it because they can have whatever they want projected. The Amba provides moving pictures at a reasonable price.”
At just 1RU, the Amba is an easy-to-operate, affordable media solution for any application. Running Hippotizer V4 software on a solid state drive, the unit ships with a substantial library of stock content, and additional content can be easily added. SHAPE 3D Mapping allows users to create or acquire a 3D model and import it, add lights and projectors or cameras to your scene, and align your projector output onto your physical output using masks, blends and warps.
“We’ve used the Amba for everything from dance schools, to schools shows, to theatrical shows,” said Simon Mai. “For example, Gladstone Gymnastics does a two day presentation because they have 1,500 students. We need to create an individual look for each number, and the Amba is perfect for that kind of application. We’ve been using a combination of customer supplied, downloaded, and included media.”
Simon and the crew have big plans for the Amba on their first major theatrical production in January; The Addams Family musical. Their designs will use projection mapped video with sound, incorporating set and backdrop elements. The crew are looking forward to using their quieter time post-Christmas to test out mapping and blending techniques, acquire media, and put the unit through its paces.
Simon chose Entertainment Production Supplies and Lexair Entertainment to supply the unit because of the quality of their service. “I could have found another product, and paid less for it, but I pay for service,” he confirmed. “Being regional, if I can’t get service, then there’s no point in owning anything. Graeme from EPS is incredible, and he can’t do enough. And I’m confident in Green Hippo because it’s backed by Lexair.”
