BIG Screen

[Dijjital]

Hi, I'm working on a show coming up that the promoters want to use one really BIG screen (like 25'x18.75). I assume I'll have to rear-project, unless I can get someone up on the ceiling to hang a beamer. What would be a good material to use and could be obtained in these dimensions? Also, how many lumens would be required to paint a nice bright picture on a screen this big?

[LEVLHED]

I've got a screen thats about 15' x 20' made of three 5' wide bolts of white parachute nylon that I had to have prefessionaly sewn by a sign/awning company that had a sewing machine designed for light/thin fabric..the screen is quite nice when large is needed and the material is thin enough to allow for rear projection...they also pack remarkably small...
I can't imagine needing anything BIGGER! but thought I'd pass my info along..I actually got the bolt of fabric off ebay..he was selling it in chunks but I asked "how much you got and how much for it ALL!!"
Actually had enough for three screens that size made! sold one to a buddy and still have 2 of them...

oh yeah, and I've filled the sucker with my 1300 lumen just fine in venues where they didn't waste their money on a bunch of "intelligent" lighting....

[syzygy]

Originally posted by LEVLHED

I can't imagine needing anything BIGGER!

In November, we're going to be projecting onto a 24m x 18m screen...

The screen in question in inflatable with a water filled ballast base.

(is is going to be stood in the middle of a a sports ground though.)

Dan.

[wellREDman]

in my experience most places only hire screens up to 20ft,

we had one job where the client Insisted on a 25FT fastfold ,
took us two days of phoning round to find one (typical responce, "look mate we put the screens in wembley arena, they only use 20ft, are you SURE you need a 25ft?")

for a screen that size, if theres gonna be ANT lighting going on other than you projections, id recomend 2K+ lumens (we used a 5K for the 25ft one, but again overkill on the clients instructions )

[ui]

I read though these posts and I had to laugh.

At my first VJing gig a few months back, I put together this huge 16x10 foot screen with bands of lycra and 1" PVC pipe segments. I'm glad it was dark in the club, because this thing was butt ugly: stretched out on essentially toilet piping frame and attached with this superpowered staple gun and krazy glue.

So I did the gig and the clubowners asked if they could hold on to the screen. No qualms about that! There was no way I could have folded this thing up and taken it away, and I would have looked pretty daft with it being carried around to engagements on the top of my subcompact vehicle.

Three months go by and I had another gig there: they STILL had the thing hanging where I left it, ripping apart at the seams I made and somewhat discolored from what I suppose was smoke and fog juice. I would have thought that after that much time they would have just given up on the makeshift solution and bought a real one if they liked the concept so much!

[rickmaersk]

Dijjital
I know there are certain contexts when you HAVE to use a large single screen but I find the 4:3 aspect ratio just gives an image that's too tall. Is a line of smaller screens an option? This tends to look slicker anyway.
If it has to be a big single screen my advice is hire one, don't make it yourself.
I find it's usually easier to obtain a big fastfold screen with a rear surface anyway( maybe depends on the local AV market, where I am it's conference work so there are a few big rear screens that get built into stage sets). You will probably need to hire a projector with a wide angle lens for this job. In which case it's likely to be plenty bright.
Using a frame made from lighting truss is another option for a big screen. If you get lucky the lighting company might do screen surfaces with eyelets aswell. Even if they don't it's a better start than plastic pipe!
And as always... if you go for DIY screens please fire proof them.
rick

[murph]

I've filled 40'x30' screens with 1900-3000 lumen projectors, definitely looks better closer to 3000. For 25' I'd recommend around 2000 lumens.

And a 25' fastfold??? I used 20' once and that was ungodly expensive, I dunno if they even make 25 footers!

[alangeering]

I used a 3500 lumen projector on a 6' by 8' screen...

...which reading what you've written sounds like overkill...

...but what I was showing was critical to the plot of a theatre production and had to compete with theatrical lights.

When the light lads have installed intelligent/moving lights and start to fiddle with their joysticks then you'll need all the lumens you can get.

[bluntfaktory]

i'd make that screen using a heavy grade white rip-stop nylon , it's a tenting material . plus i think if your going to pack a punch on a screen that big you need a 3k at least . :nod:

[InsideUsAll]

don't know if your still looking for screens, as I notice this thread origonated back in september, but just thought i'd mention ;) we can provide screens of literally 'any' size!

inside-us-all screens (http://www.vjforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=4779&highlight=alternative)

[jason5d]

we have up to 35 foot wide screens and projectors from 1000 to 35,000 lumens

have a look at our site www.5dg.org then give us a bell