XL Video supplied passive 3D projection and an all-action live video production for the hugely popular MPH Theatre, a fast, loud and highly adrenalised motoring live theatre event - at the hub of MPH 05 Show.  The MPH Theatre was presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Tiff Needell, and roared into action on screen as well as in the arena, three times a day in front of a 5,000+ audience. It showcased some of the sexiest performance vehicles on the planet in a heady, 75 minute testosterone-charged cocktail of speed and car fantasy. XL was working for production company PMI. The opening and closing sequences of the MPH Theatre show each featured a spectacular 3D movie sequence - for which the audience had to wear 3D glasses.

The closing footage featured an intense, fierce battle waged between a Lotus Exige in the arena and a life size 3D virtual helicopter gunship onscreen. The 60 blistering seconds of shoot-em-up action bringing the crowds to their seat edges every time, complete with pyro and deafening sound effects, before the final denouement that saw the car blow the gunship to smithereens!

XL worked closely with stereoscopic 3D specialists Inition, who co-ordinated the 3D elements on site. A specially silvered 44 x 30 ft screen - to preserve the polarisation of the light - was rigged in the centre of the arena. The screen was commissioned specifically for this event, and tailored to fit the venue. The screen was fed with two of XL’s Barco ELM R18 projectors, complete with special new high-transmission polarising filters. These are the latest in filter technology. They are designed specifically to work with DLP projectors, and to optimise the brightness of the lightsource.

The projectors were lined up to overlap the image for increased brightness. One projector displayed the left eye information and the other the right eye information - both at the standard refresh rate. The filter, mounted in the optical light path of the projectors, ensured that the correct information passed through its corresponding filter in the pairs of passive glasses worn by the audience. The 3D material was stored on and run from an independently controlled PC. The Source machines dual DVI outputs were transmitted over 300m to the projectors on a custom made multimode glass fibre transmission system engineered in house by XL.

The 3D animations and content were created by Julian Napier of Perceptive Art Ltd and produced by Sassoon Film Design in LA, who he uses exclusively for his 3D projects. Napier took a brief from Brand Events which was to make the show hi-impact ... and came up with the helicopter idea to close the action with a resounding bang! His background is theatrical and he’s also done a wide variety of 3D work, so it seemed a perfect combination to produce the ultimate WOW factor.

XL also supplied two 20 square metre 10mm pitch Mitsubishi LED screens, rigged to flank the central projection screen, fed from XL’s own 8 camera OB truck, complete with a Sony 7150 mixer. The live show director was John Steer, and show lighting was designed by Peter Barnes.The majority of the live camera action took place on the two LED screens, during which the centre screen remained concealed behind electric tabs. XL also supplied two additional Barco ELM R18 projectors at floor level. These were used for a section of scenic projection onto the surfaces of several large flags being driven around the arena on buggies.