Structure of the presentation

I had originally planned to construct a box like structure out of the studio flats. The flats would create an enclosure that would prevent the user from seeing the winches that support the trussing and the lights. This enclosure would also act as a means to contain the haze that would otherwise disperse. In order for this to be suitable for the presentation, the enclosure would have to be quite large, as I want the users to be able to walk around the lights freely, with at least a 1-meter radius, and at this stage I plan to have the lights approximately 1.5 meters apart from one another. Although I did like the idea of producing a solid structure I still want the presentation to be quite free, i.e. I don’t want the user’s movements to be restricted.

As a result I have decided to use a different sort of structure, one that can be suspended from the ceiling. The structure will be hung approximately 8 feet from the ground, and will house all of the equipment (apart from the haze machine) that will be used within the presentation. As a result this will not be able to be seen by the users, rendering it more ambiguous than if it was all supported by a trussing structure. As well as the PIR detectors, controllers, and wiring the structure will also support the lights, and will have sufficient holes in place to allow the lights to shine through, which will give the appearance that the lights are coming from the wooden structure, almost like they are dissecting it. I will also paint the structure black so that does not stand out from the rest of the room, hopefully allowing it to be slightly camouflaged.

As the structure will be supported from the ceiling it will mean that there is more freedom for users to move around the structure. It does mean however that there will not be a wall to prevent the haze from dispersing. Although, this may present a problem following further testing I am confidant that if the haze machine is placed in the correct position then it will provide a large enough quantity of haze to allow the beams to be fully seen. The studio also has large curtains in it, so if the structure can be placed relatively near these, they will act as a make shift wall, stopping some of the haze from escaping into the rest of the room.

The studio that I plan to show the presentation in is a large room, and as a result I would like to use one of the larger studio flats to split the room into two, which will prevent the users from being able to see the structure as they enter the room. At first I would like the users to explore the piece one at a time, and then once each user has explored I think it would be interesting to watch others explore the piece from a distance.

There are health and safety implications attached to this idea of hanging the structure that will have to be considered and discussed with the studio manager and technicians.