When Scion wanted to make an impression to reveal the new Hako Coupe concept car at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in March, producer George P. Johnson called upon Mike Doyle of o2 creative solutions and lighting designer Arnold Serame of Serame Design to make it memorable. The goal for the roll out was to first show a glimpse of the future of the next bold design statement by Scion and then wow the attendees with the reveal itself.
To do this, PRG Scenic Technologies built an integrated automated effects system. First, the pre-reveal featured custom low-res LED panels framed and mounted on two circular platforms that surrounded an 18' turntable at center stage. These “blade wall” fins — vertical LED tubes bearing branding graphics and content created by o2 — were open enough to accommodate the second layer of scenery, a 360° expanded metal mesh cylinder, also attached to the base wagons and integrated with the video and lighting effects.
The Hako Coupe itself was preset on the center turntable within the mesh cylinder, but black mirror Plexiglas® panels obscured the vehicle at first. The turntable's rotation was controlled via a PRG Stage Command System, and as the reveal sequence began, the blade wall platforms retracted via deck winches and deck tracks.
The Hako Coupe finally made its entrance amid the programmed sequence of automated scenery, lighting, LED images, and atmospheric effects, a starkly contrasting look to Scion's booth at other times during the multi-day event. The challenge for Serame was the back scenic wall, which he says was clearly dominant and the only element that really needed lighting. The main problem was that it was made from wood for a warm feeling during breakfasts and non-show times, during which the wall was lit with ETC Source Four Ellipsoidals to maintain the warmth. “We had to make the wood wall edgier for the reveal, more indicative of the technology,” says Serame, who used Color Kinetics ColorBlaze® 72 units overhead and in ground rows “so the LEDs would give it that edge.”
The lighting rig, run via an MA Lighting grandMA console, also included Vari-Lite VL3500 spots for overhead and frontlighting of the car and for scenic and car gobo effects. Martin Professional MAC 300s were used for overhead automobile lighting and speaker washes during presentations. Additional effects included Martin Atomic 3000 strobes and Reel EFX DF-50 Diffusion Hazers.
Programming was done by David Arch. Bill McGrath was PRG's senior account executive on the project, and Joe Bartusis was production supervisor.