DARPATech 2007: Inspired Collaboration

Design Team

From Williams/Gerard Productions:
Producer: Carlo Tamburro
Creative Director: David Cushing
VSO Scenic Designer: Paul Fujihara
STO Scenic Designer: Joe Karlik

From Production Plus:
Account Managers : Doug Thompson
Brian Jansen
Project Coordinators: Frank Weber
Greg Pet

Pictured here are the results of close collaboration between the Washington DC office of Williams/Gerard Productions, Production Plus, and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). DARPA is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense (DoD). It manages and directs selected basic and applied research and development projects for DoD, and pursues research and technology where risk and payoff are both very high and where success may provide dramatic advances for traditional military roles and missions.

Approximately every two years this 50 year-old institution hosts DARPATech--a show to display their successful projects. Few trade shows can match the level of cutting edge technology seen at DARPATech 2007. Williams/Gerard Productions and Production Plus were on hand to help STO (Strategic Technology Office) and VSO (Virtual Space Office) put their best foot forward. Williams/Gerard provided design and creative direction; Production Plus provided project management and construction.

The Strategic Technology Office had over 58 projects for display; robots, communication devices, surveillance gear, all manner of equipment both subtle and spectacular. The booth was 30' x 30'. Production Plus packed 40 plasma screens into this area, all with HyperSonic speakers; visitors were able to stand shoulder to shoulder and watch different presentations without any sound interference between them. Approximately 6000 feet of cable filled specially designed cable trays and raceways snaking through the infrastructure of the booth. Under the direction of Williams/Gerard designer Joe Karlik the STO booth was made into a high-tech wonderland.

The Virtual Space Office has been working on a variety of space projects to include major launches: making them more efficient, safe, and cost effective. Over the past seven years VSO's three space launches have all been tremendously successful. They wanted to celebrate this, and inspire their visitors with the simple majesty of their achievements. "What do you do when you think about space, when you contemplate the heavens?" asks David Cushing of Williams/Gerard, the project's creative director. "You look up." This led Paul Fujihara, designer from Williams/Gerard, to design the soaring curvilinear structure and the projection screen overhead. VSO loved it the minute they saw it. "We presented two ideas," says Cushing. "The one that got chosen was our favorite from the very beginning, even in ideation. The people from VSO responded to it immediately."

For Production Plus, this project was a chance to stretch its wings and show just how seamless and inspiring its work could be outside of the theatrical world. "This is a growing facet of our work," states Alex Axotis, general manager of Production Plus. "For the past 30 years we've made a name for ourselves providing turnkey solutions for corporate theater, but we've done other great work as well. I think these booths show what we're capable of."

Selected Gear

1 Extron Matrix 6400 64 x 64 Video and Audio Router
12 Folsom Image Pro Video Processors
48 Sony DVD Players
32 RevolutionHD 32” LCD Monitors
8 RevolutionHD 42” LCD Monitors
1 Christie LX100 Projector
40 American Technology Corporation Hyper Sonic Sound panels
1 Mackie 1604 Audio Console
5 Shure 4800 Audio Processors