Inside Magritte: Ceci n'est pas une exposition
People who seek a symbolic meaning do not understand the inherent poetry and mystery of the image
ISE
ISE 2020 - The digital storytelling era
ISE 2020 - The digital storytelling era by Matthew Koshy
Still buzzing from the experience of ISE 2020 in Amsterdam, which we have been attending for more than 15 years, the show represents a great opportunity for us to show a different side of our business to the thousands of attendees at this year’s event. While we have always been experts in imaging technology, we are committed to showing the importance this technology can play outside of the traditional imaging sector. Particularly as the threat from immersive digital platforms - such as streaming services - grows, so too is the need for digital storytelling across almost every industry in order to compete.
INPUT TO OUTPUT
At ISE last year, we debuted our complete input to output line-up to show system integrators exactly what it takes to deliver flawless, true-to-life images. Despite storms heavily disrupting travel plans, we just managed to make it to the show to continue building on this message. However, this time around, we provided visitors with a much more hands-on experience to showcase how our customers are using these solutions in the real world.
Our Pro AV production simulator, for example, drew huge interest from young filmmakers, who had the chance to use the C200 Cinema Camera, XF705 Camcorder and the XA55 Camcorder. These cameras are angled at a recording of a live concert projected from Canon’s 4K5020Z with RS-SL06UW lens, to simulate a live shooting scenario. Thanks to the incredible resolution and lack of spinning wheel in our native 4K projectors, they could record 4K video free of pixilation, creating footage that looks as if it was captured in real life. This same set up was used by a University in Germany to give students the chance to practice the videography skills they need to become content creators and filmmakers.
Canon’s Pro AV production simulator at ISE 2020
4K AND BEYOND
Interestingly, for content creators like this, the output is as imperative as the input. We spoke to a number of system integrators at the show from all across Europe, who are tasked with ensuring creative content is displayed as an artist intends. Quite often, they find that the majority of detail is lost in the projector lens – particularly if it isn’t glass. With 4K becoming the new “standard” resolution, we want to show just how important the input to output message is with our 4K Redefined zone. Our dedicated 4K lens, the RS-SL07ST on display (Hall 1, Stand F-50) has been a real star at the show. It received incredible feedback from media and integrators because it provides true edge to edge 4k resolution which is difficult for any lens to do. But that’s Canon’s glass and optical heritage!
In the last couple of days, we had businesses from almost every sector come to the stand and tell us they are under pressure to communicate their story in more immersive and engaging ways. For many, they want to use high-resolution content as a way to make viewers feel like they are experiencing their stories in real life. Our 8K Experience zone on the stand showed just how easy it is to create an 8K image with native 4K projectors. The feedback has been great, but what really took visitors by surprise was when we told them that we are already working with customers to deliver 12K image – and it’s just as simple.
The 8k Experience area
A straightforward explanation of this setup is that we edge blend together four of our 4K projectors (four 4K6021Z’s) to create a single 8K image. Each projector is equipped with an RS-SL06UW projector lens, which is made in the same factory as our industry-leading EF lens range to achieve optical excellence with minimal distortion, which enables end-users to create truly unrivalled displays. By taking what we have learnt from our input technology – our cameras and lenses – we are able to build and develop outputs that can achieve 8K and even 12K resolution for immersive storytelling.
IMAGING FOR ALL
A personal highlight for me at the show was the chance to show the breadth of Canon’s customer base and how we are enabling organisations across every industry to deliver on their objectives with our imaging technology. From museum installations such as the local Naturalis Biodiversity Centre to the Bristol Robotics Lab, we have enabled truly innovative methods of digital storytelling – both of which are displayed on the back wall of the Canon stand. But one sector, in particular, is leaning on this trend more than any other - visitor attractions and entertainment facilities. As we have heard from customers, with the rise of Netflix and other digital entertainment platforms, museums and galleries are having to transform from a look and read model to more immersive experiences. The volume of interest we saw from this sector at the show just goes to show how much it’s likely to grow in the next couple of years, as they look to projection to break new ground in digital storytelling. Matthew Koshy, European Projector Marketing Specialist Canon Europe
