Dustin Small, CEO of Eclipse Projection Screens*, approached Strong/MDI to help develop a special optical coating to be applied to a unique seamless surface for a large-scale project led by Electrosonic, Wings over Washington, a new state-of-the-art flying theatre for Pier 57 in Seattle, Washington.
Wings over Washington uses cutting-edge technology, including 5K cameras, innovative art laser projection, drones for image capture, MUSHROOM VR™, and a ground-breaking surround sound system. Of course, the projection surface needed to be impeccable.
The Solution
Strong/MDI’s team of chemists got to work on creating a coating that was up to the task. Within weeks, they developed a low gain gray coating for the project. Following meticulous testing by Eclipse and MDI technicians, the special coating was applied to the curved surface. Considering the shape of the screen and the venue setting, this was not an easy task. The collaborative efforts of both companies led to a fantastic result; the surface was smooth, seamless, and provided the amazing optical properties this cutting-edge project demanded.
The Benefits
“Strong MDI is a passionate company that takes pride in their work and accomplishments. Their professionalism, dedication, and expertise is second to none,” Small said. “It was an honor to work with such a talented group of individuals on the Wings over Washington project. The end-result was absolutely breathtaking, exceeding all my expectations.”
“Because we have our own in-house laboratory and develop all our optical coatings directly at our facility, we had the technical capability to build upon our experience and develop this coating solution” said Francois Barrette, general manager at Strong/MDI. “Eclipse Projection Screens was great partner in this project, we are glad Dustin came to us to work on a custom coating solution for his unique seamless surface. We look forward to further collaboration.”
Strong/MDI has also had great success in the direct application of special 3D coatings for theme park rides and plans to expand upon this success to develop a line of high quality, water-based coatings for applications such as domes, simulators, interactive rides, and other specialty uses.
* On May 1st 2018, Strong/MDI announced that it would take over the business activities of Eclipse Projection Screens. Dustin Small, former CEO at Eclipse, joined Ballantyne Strong as the new Director of Specialty Projects. Press release
Eclipse Projection Screens
Theme Parks
Seattle, Washington
