RES Realises Visual Event to Celebrate Sochi Olympics One Year On

RES used two S6 Ai Media servers to bring pixel mapping, video playback and realtime generative patches for LED screen media

London-based creative technology expert Realtime Environment Systems Ltd (RES) has provided the know-how for a spectacular visual event to mark one year since the Sochi Winter Olympics. The ambitious event at Sochi's beautiful Ice Palace featured a dramatic ice show and was staged by Russian TV company Channel One.

RES co-founder and project manager Mark Calvert and established freelance Ai technician Martin Harvey used two S6 Ai Media servers to bring pixel mapping, video playback and realtime generative patches for LED screen media, with one DVI output controlling 70848 Pixels @ 328 X 216 to control the 41 LED stems suspended above the rink. The show ran from an S6 Ai Media Server, with master slave hot backup S6.

advertisment

"RES was challenged with providing the technical know-how, creativity, and server technology to realise the stunning celebration, which is exactly what RES was set up to do," says Calvert. "The LED stems echoed the Closing Ceremony of Sochi's Winter Olympics, where 7,000 people performed under an 'LED Forest of Light'."

Using the Ai 3D Visualiser, Martin Harvey was able to work with the show directors, previewing media and effects without the need for a live output to the LED Forest.

advertisment

"Having used the same custom LED product at the Sochi Closing Ceremony in 2014, we already had the LED module files for this project," Calvert continues. "The show did not run on timecode, so Ai proved yet again that it's the best system for Live control."

advertisment

The visuals were a mix between client-provided video animation, such as country flags, but the RES team also used the Ai Shader Library to add realtime effects into the LED Forest, mixing live between shaders and animation files, and also programming utilities such as colour over the whole scene. Harvey also adapted existing faders and edited them to suit the client's requests.

advertisment

The S6 is Avolites Media's most powerful server, designed to output 4 x 4K output streams and run the industry's most challenging Apple Pro Res 4444 Codec. The server is fitted with 2 x i7 intel processors running in parallel to produce 12 cores in a PCI Express 3rd generation motherboard coupled with AMD's formidable W9000 gen 3 graphics cards. Data throughput is further enhanced by employing a hardware RAID controller and sata3 (6 Gbit/sec) server grade drives.

Realtime Environment Systems - or simply 'RES' - is a technical solutions company offering services to help designers, creative agencies and artists "achieve their wildest visual dreams".Mark Calvert and Dave Green moved on from their roles as Managing Director and Technical Director of Immersive Ltd. to form RES in 2014. As RES Calvert and Green now provide integration and production services, consultation, and direct system sales. Their clients includes ceremonies, corporate campaigns, cultural institutes, live music productions, and permanent installations.

advertisment