Creating a safe way for people to gather and celebrate Halloween, the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields teamed up with production company Blockhouse Studios for this year’s Harvest Nights celebration. From illuminated pumpkins and ghosts playing tennis to a virtual party at the National Historic Landmark Lilly House, the month-long Harvest Nights event leveraged projection mapping to create a spooky outdoor walking experience from October 2-25.
“During a time when traditional Halloween celebrations were put on hold, we wanted to create a truly unique, safe experience all ages could enjoy while incorporating historical aspects of the museum,” said Kevin Winkler, Blockhouse Studios owner/cinematographer. “Epson’s powerful laser projectors helped us bring our artistic vision, and most notably Lilly House, to life.”
Harvest Nights attendees were guided through the enchanted woods on Newfields’ campus, past the mystical ghost train and to the grand finale at the historic Lilly House. Blockhouse transformed Lilly House into “Mischief Manor” using nine Epson laser solutions: seven Pro L1755UNL and two Pro L20000UNL projectors.
Guests ended their spooky experience with the Mischief Manor projection mapped party scene that included time period references, actual renderings of the inside of Lilly House, animated routines from the local Indianapolis Ballet, and much more.
“It’s always impressive to see the creative way artists use projection to deliver unique experiences for the public,” said Ramzi Shakra, Epson product manager. “In today’s current social distanced world, Blockhouse and Newfields brought back the Halloween magic for local residents to enjoy.”