Contra Vision BACKLITE supplied by Antalis UK provided the spectacular backdrop to HONOUR, an emotionally-charged outdoor event to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War. The Contra Vision backdrop transformed one of the MediaCity buildings at Salford Quays, Manchester, into a giant projection screen, becoming the focal point for the event which was inspired by WW1 poets and the memories of the men and women affected by the conflict.
The challenge of transforming a working studio building into a purpose-built outdoor stage and cinematic venue fell to multi-service design and production company The Creative Place. James Hunt, Production Director at The Creative Place explains, “This was a particularly challenging brief as the majority of the building’s external structure was glass. Using a solid substrate would have blocked out all natural daylight and obscured the view, while at night, the building emitted such strong internal lighting. We therefore needed a highly versatile material that would give a translucency in the day, but block out the internal lighting by night.”
The solution was provided by Contra Vision BACKLITE, a highly durable translucent white perforated film that allows full vision and natural daylight to filter through, while using existing sources of lighting to ‘back-light’ the graphics when it is dark outside.
Graphics and text were then projected onto the Contra Vision screen making the images visible from the outside of the building, as well as from the inside. The carefully curated imagery and animations led audiences through the experience of the war and the battlefields of the Western Front, supported by a ‘super-choir’ of choral groups from across the region.
In total, 16 rolls of Contra Vision was used for the installation, which was left unprinted and applied in vertical strips across the façade of the building.
“We were delighted with how the product performed,” concludes Hunt. “The hi-tech film proved extremely durable and provided the perfect backdrop that facilitated full functionality of the building during the day, and an ultra-wide digital projection screen in the evening.”
For further information on Contra Vision BACKLITE, visit: www.antalis.co.uk
