Projector screen size - bigger is better, right?
Given the option you always want the BIGGEST
screen you can find for projecting onto.... or do you?...
Is there such a thing as too big a projection
screen?
Surely if you have the budget and the space onstage, a huge screen gives the maximum visual impact.
Well, no, not really. Here's why not:
As you increase screen area, your projector has to spread its limited lumens over a larger area, and the resulting image gets dimmer and dimmer. Assuming that you actually want the audience to see what you are projecting, it's worth sticking to a reasonable size for your given projector brightness.
Some rules of thumb might be:
less than 1500 lumens, front project - stick to around 8 ft x 6ft
less than 3000 lumens, front project - stick to around 10ft x 7.5 ft
more than 5000 lumens - do what you like, as you are obviously NOT a VLOBLIVE techie, and have far too much budget to play with.
The figures for back project in a theatre or other controlled lighting environment would be a bit better.
I have done 10 x 7.5 backproject with a 1500 lumens projector and got off with it, but only in a virtual blackout.
Consider adding MORE screens rather than BIGGER screens, if you really need the coverage.
In addition there is an aesthetic issue here too. Too big a screen can be very distracting for the audience, as it starts dominating their field of view, and it stops enhancing the live action and becomes the action itself. Your audience may as well be watching TV!!
Remember too that screen size has to be matched to the venue. A 10 x 7.5 screen may seen HUGE in a small hall, but in a 3000 seat auditorium it isn't that big.
Surely if you have the budget and the space onstage, a huge screen gives the maximum visual impact.
Well, no, not really. Here's why not:
As you increase screen area, your projector has to spread its limited lumens over a larger area, and the resulting image gets dimmer and dimmer. Assuming that you actually want the audience to see what you are projecting, it's worth sticking to a reasonable size for your given projector brightness.
Some rules of thumb might be:
less than 1500 lumens, front project - stick to around 8 ft x 6ft
less than 3000 lumens, front project - stick to around 10ft x 7.5 ft
more than 5000 lumens - do what you like, as you are obviously NOT a VLOBLIVE techie, and have far too much budget to play with.
The figures for back project in a theatre or other controlled lighting environment would be a bit better.
I have done 10 x 7.5 backproject with a 1500 lumens projector and got off with it, but only in a virtual blackout.
Consider adding MORE screens rather than BIGGER screens, if you really need the coverage.
In addition there is an aesthetic issue here too. Too big a screen can be very distracting for the audience, as it starts dominating their field of view, and it stops enhancing the live action and becomes the action itself. Your audience may as well be watching TV!!
Remember too that screen size has to be matched to the venue. A 10 x 7.5 screen may seen HUGE in a small hall, but in a 3000 seat auditorium it isn't that big.
Posted: Tue - September 2, 2003 at 06:22 PM |
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This site contains my personal views, ideas, tips, tricks and rants about doing live video, IMAG or graphics at live events on a very low budget. They are published as I get time, in a style closely approximating a weblog. Dave C.
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My name is Dave Chalmers and I live in Edinburgh in Scotland, UK. My background is in Electronics, but for 10 years I have been helping to put on live video at events in central Scotland in my spare time. Through the course of these events, nearly all on very constrained budgets, I have learned a few things about what works and what doesn't. While I would not claim to be able to give you all the answers, I can at least help you avoid some of the mistakes.
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Published On: Jul 06, 2006 11:37 PM
Total entries in this category: 8
Published On: Jul 06, 2006 11:37 PM