Posted on: 25th August 2005, United Kingdom E-mail this page to a friend

Large format projection specialist E\T\C UK is supplying spectacular projections for the 2005 Edinburgh Military Tattoo. It's the first time this stunning visual medium has successfully been incorporated into this world famous event.

Tattoo Producer Brigadier Melville Jameson CBE DL saw E\T\C UK's amazing projection show for "Music On Fire" at Sandhurst last year. He'd been wanting to use projection for some time at Edinburgh – and was waiting for the appropriate opportunity. It was a delicate matter. Already endowed with beguiling Edinburgh Castle as the event's backdrop - it needed exactly the right images and subject matter presented in a suitably elegant manner to work.

E\T\C UK's Ross Ashton states, "It was an honour to be asked to design for the Edinburgh tattoo. It's a world class event with a global reputation, and I hope that I have added a new element to the already existing excellent mix. "

This year, the special theme of the Tattoo was the bicentennial commemoration of the Battle of Trafalgar, and Jameson thought all the elements were in place to integrate projection into his show.

E\T\C UK's Ross Ashton was asked to storyboard a 10 minute projection show narrative and design artwork to be beamed onto the Castle battlements and Gatehouse for the Battle of Trafalgar sequence. This was accompanied actors on a small stage in the auditorium, accompanied by the incredible sight and sounds of the Massed Military Bands playing in the arena.

The 60 metre wide by 30 metre tall pictures told the dramatic story of the battle as it unfolded, resulting in its ultimate denouement with the death of Admiral Nelson.

Ashton sourced and researched historical material for the scroll artwork from the Nelson Museum in Monmouth and the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth. He originated other elements himself from scratch.

The biggest technical challenge, he explains, was that they had to cover two surfaces – the curved castle wall/battlements (also known as the Half Moon Barracks) and the Castle Gatehouse - to fill the end-of-arena space evenly. The battlements were about 30 metres behind the gatehouse. Added to which all of it was all a dark brown uneven surface – not ideal for projection! "It's probably the most three dimensional surface I have ever worked with" says Ashton.

They are using four PIGI 6Kw projectors all with double rotating scrollers and 85 cm lenses. These are rigged on top of the control platform and seating area at the opposite end of the arena. They are configured as two cross-fading pairs, each pair soft-edged together to make one image. The two surfaces of the Barracks/Wall and Gatehouse are treated separately, each with their own projection artwork beamed from the relevant set of projectors.

The show includes some stunning effects and high drama. Among the most memorable is the black & white projection of the rigging of the French frigate Redoubtable – from where the shot fatally wounding Nelson was fired by a sniper. The sniper is played by an actor in the show, who appears 'live' half way up the Gatehouse wall, moodily spotlit from the side. With the projection going right over the surface 'on top' of him, it looks like he is actually half way up the mast of the ship as he takes aim on an unwitting Nelson, onstage in the arena down below.

E\T\C's programmer and operator is Karen Monid. The show is controlled using the PIGI OnlyCue PC-based system. Monid was joined for the get in by E\T\C crew member, Steve Cameron.

The projection has been a resounding success with the public and Brigadier Jameson is delighted with the results.

He says, "Bringing projection onboard has been a huge leap forward for the Edinburgh Tattoo production. The images are exceptional and they should make everyone proud. The public response has been overwhelmingly positive, E\T\C and Karen Monid's work has been magnificent and I'm absolutely thrilled and delighted with the results. Projection will definitely be back next year".

Lighting is designed by Gerry Mott and supplied by PRG and audio is designer by John Del'Nero with equipment supplied by Wigwam.