Technical Direction Company helped thrill visitors during 2019 Vivid Sydney

Australian entertainment technology company Technical Direction Company (TDC) have once again played a significant role in surprising and delighting visitors at the recently concluded Vivid Sydney- the largest festival of light, music and ideas in the Southern Hemisphere.

As the company has done for the previous 10 years, TDC provided expertise in large scale projection mapping, LED video and technology for a number of the 50+ features.

Vivid Sydney takes place annually, and features immersive light installations and projections, performances from local and international musicians as well as an ideas exchange forum featuring public talks and debates from leading creative thinkers. The event attracts over two million people. 

Michael Hassett, founder and Managing Director at TDC, explained “the use of projection mapping and video display – using projected light and images to turn buildings and architecture into dynamic art projects - has exploded over the past few years and Vivid Sydney is one of the top examples. We see this trend increasing with a larger focus on interactivity where the audience can really engage with technology and art.”

Although TDC has played a key role in Vivid Sydney for a number of years, this year they switched most architectural landmarks over to the 3D workflow with disguise media servers, and away from 2D playback systems. That allowed them to take advantage of the most recent advances in media server technology - 3D modelling, for example.

Those features gave them far more accurate pre-production planning and projection studies, allowing the delivery of increased projection output. They also used disguise’s OmniCal camera assisted line-up systems which together with a multi-skilled team helped to get sites up and running far more quickly and efficiently.

TDC’s creativity and ingenuity were viewed at the Sydney Opera House; the Museum of Contemporary Art; Customs House; Argyle Cut; Taronga Zoo; Cadmans Cottage; and the Rocks branch of the English, Scottish and Australian Chartered Bank.

Alex Rendell, one of TDC’s Project Manager for Vivid Sydney highlighted that this year, TDC deployed no fewer than 70 Barco projectors, shooting around 1,600,000 lumens of light out with a staggering 161,280,000 pixels which transformed buildings across Sydney into impressive works of art.

With pedestrian flow integral to the success of any large scale event, Destination NSW approached TDC to develop a system that could relay messages to visitors in real time throughout the city. 

TDC’s Technical Services and New Media Manager, Drew Ferors conducted all the R&D into a bespoke solution that resulted in the creation of a city-wide video messaging system: 'TDC LIVE View Signage'.

Explaining this, Ferors stated “we designed a system that sees 14 large LED screens deployed throughout the city that are accessible via the cloud from a single point, and that enables the same messaging to be displayed on each LED screen."

The trial run has been so successful that TDC LIVE View Signage is now available for rental to other organisations.

This year’s Vivid Sydney saw Pixar Animation Studios transform Sydney’s iconic Argyle Cut at The Rocks with a creative light projection that delighted visitors of all ages as they were transported through a visual retrospective of behind-the-scenes artwork and animation. The projection featured the captivating characters of Pixar films including the beloved duo of Woody and Buzz Lightyear - marking the release of Toy Story 4. 

Also popular with the public was the Austral Flora Ballet on the Sydney Opera House sails. TDC worked with LA-based artist Andrew Thomas Huang to show native Australian floral imagery with motion-captured movement from a live dancer throughout the evening.

Other stand out features included Under the Harbour, a surreal underwater encounter of the marine life within the Harbour. Content was projected onto the entire façade of Customs House.

TDC worked with artist, Claudia Nicholson and Spinifex Group for Let Me Down to project giant graffiti theme at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) which was also a crowd pleaser.

Hassett concluded “with projects like this, it’s all about the planning and preparation

“Anthony Pellizzari and Alex Rendell, TDC’s Vivid Sydney project managers, are masters at site planning and external contractor/supplier and client relations. And we couldn’t do what we do without the hard work and support of the TDC team of technicians, warehouse crew, service team and operational logistics personnel who play a key role in helping us achieve the great results we always do at Vivid Sydney.”

Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. 

For more information go to www.tdc.com.au

Top images shows Pixar Animation Studios transformation of Sydney’s  Argyle Cut at The Rocks.

Images above: Claudia Nicholson and Spinifex Group for Let Me Down projected giant graffiti theme at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA);Austral Flora Ballet  projection on the Sydney Opera House sails; Under the Harbour, a surreal underwater encounter of the marine life within the Harbour. projected onto the entire façade of Customs House.