Saks Fifth Avenue “An Enchanted Experience”

For the 2014 Saks Fifth Avenue holiday display, American Christmas and Integrated Visions Productions teamed up to create a spellbinding and dramatic light and projection show. The show features the innovative integration of LED and strobe lighting fixtures combined into an architectural projection mapping show on the iconic facade of Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City. The lighting design and projections, designed by Integrated Visions Productions, are inspired by the Art-Deco Style and by iconic visual elements in New York City. An array of 1800 LED nodes as well as strobes, up-lights, and lit garlands installed by American Christmas are used not just as an accent to the projection show, but interact with projected elements across the same structural details, blending with and augmenting the projected image to produce stunning results.

Live projection experts DWP Live provided the projection equipment and support for the installation, using Barco 26,000 lumen HD projectors to illuminate the facade and the Coolux Pandora’s Box Media Server to drive the display. To synchronize the lighting and sound with the video, Integrated Visions used the Pharos Controls LPC4 with phenomenal results.

The live stream of the opening performance, which featured the Rockettes and Grucci Fireworks, is estimated to have been seen by over 5 million people. The presentation played every ten minutes daily from November 24th thru January 4th to an estimated audience of 25 million people.

Credits:

Architectural Projection and Lighting Show designed and produced by American Christmas, Inc. and Integrated Visions Productions.

Lighting and Garland Installation by American Christmas Inc.

Projection Mapping by Integrated Visions Productions

Technical Direction by Bryan Dodson, Robert Payne and American Christmas Inc.

Integrated Show Control by Integrated Visions Productions and DWP Live

Lighting and show control integration powered by Pharos Architectural Controls Projection Installation and Support by DWP Live

Producer: Kent Fritzel (American Christmas, Inc.)

Executive Producer: Fred Schwam (American Christmas, Inc.)

Animation by Integrated Visions Productions

Animation Directed by Michelle Dodson and Bryan Dodson

Art Direction by Michelle Dodson

Assistant Art Directors: Bryan Dodson and John Ensor Parker

Creative Advisors: Kent Fritzel (ACI), Fred Schwam (ACI), Kristen Henrickson (ACI) and Robert Payne

Lighting Design by Bryan Dodson, Robert Payne, Michelle Dodson, and American Christmas Inc.

Lighting and show control integration powered by Pharos Controls

3D Workflow by Dandelion and Burdock

Animation Support by Reel Mind Studios and Pixel Rain Digital

Green screen shoot produced by Tim Daust (Reelmind Studios)

DWP Live team is Danny Whetstone (President), Ben Ryle (Lead Programmer), Justin Carlson (Lead Projectionist)

On-site Audio support by Richard Chychota Audio Score by Irving Berlin

“Time Divides”, 2012

Using 365 seconds to represent the 365 days in a solar year, “Time Divides” shows the underlying structure that unifies the annual seasons as understood and experienced by humanity. This is the same structure that unifies all people, animals, minerals and other assorted earth-bound lifeforms. The individual’s experience of time creates the illusion of separateness. Transcending this illusion is a path to clarity. By focusing on unity while experiencing time, life takes on new meaning.

About the Project “Time Divides” by Integrated Visions was part of ‘Codex Dynamic,’ curated by Leo Kuelbs and John Ensor Parker. The massive projection mapped art piece spanned over 30,000 continuous square feet of the Manhattan Bridge anchorage and archway in DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY as part of The DUMBO Arts Festival 2012. The piece received the Festival’s Grand Prize and was recognized as Best in Show as well. Projection and media server support provided by World Stage, also the event’s main sponsor.

Projection mapping of President Snow’s house, 2012

Integrated Visions Productions was hired by GGX on behalf of Lion’s Gate Films to provide projection-mapped visuals for several scenes in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”. The dynamic display magically transformed The Swan House, a historical Atlanta landmark, into the opulent backdrop for an extravagant futuristic gathering at the mansion of the movie’s President Snow, played by Donald Sutherland. According to the Internet Movie Database, this marks the first time any group has been credited in a major motion picture under the heading “Projection Mapping,” and Integrated Visions is proud to have seamlessly delivered to the big screen a new medium normally reserved for live events and advertising! Projection mapping is truly a groundbreaking new addition to film and television production, allowing animated effects to be fused to real structures in realtime within the camera’s view instead of in post-production, saving both time and money and allowing real talent interaction with the animated content. Bringing the medium to a blockbuster production marks a profound milestone for both Integrated Visions and for the technology as a whole. It opens an entire universe of new creative possibilities, and Integrated Visions will continue to drive the development of new spellbinding designs and applications, pushing forward and crossing visionary frontiers into the future of both film and live production.

This body of work explores the shared ephemerality of projected light and crochet, using impermanence as both material and meaning. Through a process of creation and unraveling, crocheted forms made by Olek were carefully dismantled and captured frame by frame by Michelle Penland Dodson, then recomposed into animations. Across installations, digital projections, and architectural mapping, the works reflect cycles of transformation, labor, and flux, honoring artists and practices and expanding the boundaries of what materials and processes can be held as art.

“A Working Life” Large Scale Projection Mapping, Miami, 2015

Part of Form & Substance at the InterContinental Miami, 2015

Projected Light and crochet share many qualities that may not be immediately apparent. Both mediums share an ephemeral nature that has become integral to the meaning of this work. The ephemeral nature of both mediums of light and crochet symbolize the impermanent nature of all things and the liberation of attachment. To create the projected content for this installation, Olek spent countless hours producing crocheted elements that were then destroyed as they were unraveled knot by knot, a process which Michelle painstakingly captured frame by frame via stop motion photography. The millions of resulting frames were re-combined then projection mapped onto the installation. This process of creation through destruction mimics the universe’s own creation process where everything is in a constant state of flux. The labor intensive creative process for this work symbolizes the labor of the artists whose work has been forgotten by history due to its ephemeral nature or because it deviated from the lineage of western fine art. It is our intention with this piece to honor and acknowledge both these artists as well as the artists who we feel helped broaden the scope of what can be art and what subjects are appropriate for art.

“A Working Life” Framed Projection Art

“A Working Life” by Olek and Michelle P. Dodson

Duration: 3:13 Digital Projection, Wooden Frame

Immersive Installation at The Rumney Guggenheim Gallery, New York City

Music : Grus “Threadless”

“Turbulent Tranquility” is a projection mapped mural by Integrated Visions. Mural and Projection designed by Michelle P. Dodson and Bryan Dodson of Integrated Visions. Projection Installation by Integrated Visions. Mural painted by Mural Painters Inc.

“Amorphous” 2021

“Amorphous”

This animation is a playful exploration of glass as a living surface, shifting and transforming across the surface of the building. The glass bends, fractures, and reassembles, allowing the architecture to momentarily feel fluid and alive. The work is accompanied by an original soundtrack by Randy Klein, whose music adds a rhythmic, immersive layer that deepens the sense of movement and transformation.

Directed by Michelle and Bryan Dodson

Original Soundtrack by Randy Klein

Animation by Michelle Penland Dodson

Produced by Choreografx, inc.

“Refractions” 2017

“Refractions”

In this animation, Michelle digitally modeled the glass sculpture created by Leo Tecosky during the filming of Directions, transforming the building’s surface into a field of shifting glass panels with the colorful arrow sculpture floating in the background. Aligned to the architectural lines of the real structure, the panels refract and fragment the arrow sculpture, causing it to sparkle as the panels rotate and light moves across the façade.

Directors: Michelle Dodson (IVP) and Bryan Dodson (IVP)

Glass Sculpture by: Leo Tecosky

Animation: Michelle Dodson (IVP)

“Directions” 2017

“Directions” by Integrated Visions and Leo Tecosky

This piece is a playful remix of the glassmaking process, centered around an original arrow sculpture blown by artist Leo Tecosky. Footage of the real glassmaking process is layered and reimagined, blending into a vibrant exploration of heat, color, and the slow, viscous movement of molten glass.

Directors: Michelle Dodson (IVP) and Bryan Dodson (IVP)

Glass Artist: Leo Tecosky

Camera Operators: Michelle Dodson (IVP) and Bryan Dodson (IVP)

Film Shoot Producer: Rich Chychota

Editing and Post Production by Michelle Dodson (IVP) and Bryan Dodson (IVP)

Soundtrack: Rich Chychota

Credits

MindBlown Toledo :: Installation Team

Executive Produced by First Hospitality Group Inc. (www.fhginc.com)

Designed and Produced by Integrated Visions Productions

Projection Mapping by Integrated Visions Productions (IVP)

Technical Direction by Robert Payne (IVP), Bryan Dodson (IVP) and Atlanta Soundworks Inc. (www.aswav.com) (ASW inc.)

Automated Show Control by IVP and ASW Inc.

Media Servers by Christie Pandora’s Box (www.coolux.de)

Projector Calibration and Auto-alignment by Christie Mystique

Pandora’s Box and Mystique Programming by Kevin Morris (Christie Digital)

Projectors manufactured by Christie Digital

All Weather Projector Enclosure designed by VM Systems, IVP and ASW inc.

Atlanta Soundworks Inc.’ s team for Mindblown Toledo included Galen Boyce, Shane Boyce, Sam King, Randy Long, Elvis Pressley, and Javier Guzman

InterContinental Miami :: Red Bull Mind Meld at Ultra Music Fest 2012

For 2012’s Ultra Music Festival, Red Bull tasked Integrated Visions Productions with producing a massive projection mapped installation on the side of the iconic InterContinental Hotel adjacent to the Festival’s location in Miami’s Bayfront Park. The resulting projections covered approximately 20,000 square feet of the 366′ tall hotel’s north facade. Integrated Visions created more than 30 custom 3D animation modules, integrating cultural and extreme sports footage from the Red Bull content pool into the projections. SenovvA, the technical solutions and production company that provided gear for the recent Oscars telecast, calibrated and seamlessly blended 12 large format Barco HD projectors to create the single canvas you see in the video.

Credits

Special thanks to the InterContinental Miami for providing such an amazing canvas and playing host to the Integrated Visions crew. (http://www.icmiamihotel.com)

Executive Producer: Janet Smith (Red Bull North America)
Project Management: Integrated Visions Productions, LLC
Producer and Director of Marketing/Communications: Brian Blessinger
Technical Director: Bryan Dodson
Creative Director: Michelle Dodson

Media Creation

Co-Directors/Art Direction: Bryan Dodson & Michelle Dodson
Assistant Director/Art Direction: Timothy Daust
Graphic Design/Art Direction: Darcy Reenis

Animations in the show by: Bryan Dodson, Michelle Dodson, Timothy Daust, Michael Hussey, Li Shen, Michael Stone, Alex Turbyfield, Erin McGuire-Thompson, Josh Marsh, Thomas Bassett, Kelly Head, Tom Pritchard (DoP for VFX video asset shoot)

..:: LIFE PATTERNS ::.. Pattern created by Kris Davidson.

Digital artwork created by Kurt Redeker of Knew Conscious. (http://knewconsciousgallery.com)

Projection Setup

Projection Execution and Media Operation: SenovvA, Inc. (http://www.senovva.com)
Dave Taylor, Sr. Projectionist, SenovvA, Inc.
Tristan Valencia, Sr. Producer & Managing Director, SenovvA East Coast, SenovvA, Inc.
Bryan A. Edens, Producer & Director of Marketing/Communications, SenovvA, Inc.
Simon Anaya, Media Management Engineer, SenovvA, Inc.
Sean Kelly, Projectionist Nick Jaidoo, Projectionist
Edgar Olave, Global Link Group (http://www.globallinkgroup.net) ROC OFF, Local Crew (http://www.roc-off.com)
Jamie Mardis, Sidram Power (http://www.sidrampower.com)
Juancho, Production Assistant

—- Special thanks to The Intercontinental Hotel Group and Ultra Music Festival.

Soundtrack of YouTube documentation video: “A Meaning” by Braille (http://www.braillesounds.com)

“Impermanence” on “Spindle” by Henry Moore

Part of Form and Substance, 2015 at the InterContinental Miami

“Impermanence” is a site specific work that explores the ephemeral nature of all experience. This work was created by Integrated Visions as part of Form and Substance: Miami 2015, a group exhibition organized by Integrated Visions Productions that featured a projection installation that turned the Spindle, a 17’ tall marble sculpture by Henry Moore, into a digital canvas to show works created by four artist teams from around the world.

To projection map this complex surface, a pixel perfect model of the Spindle sculpture was necessary. To create this model, DWP Live laser scanned the lobby with LIDAR, creating a point cloud that not only captured the sculpture itself, but also the surrounding environment. The resulting point cloud data allowed the projection team to create a projection plan for the installation that kept the projectors out of sight while seamlessly covering the Spindle with digital imagery.

“Portal” :: Collaboration with Kris Davidson, 2011

Portal is a mind warping video projection mapping collaboration on a sculptural screen designed by artist Kris D with video mapping content designed by Integrated Visions Productions’ Bryan and Michelle Dodson.

Kris D: Screen Design and Fabrication

Bryan Dodson: Animation, Fabrication, and Editing

Michelle Dodson: 3d Animation and Fabrication

View the Making of Portal