After the industry-wide slowdown in 2020, Adam MacDonald, entertainment and productions manager, went on a mission to drive excitement and reinvigorate space at the Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek, Fla. Here, he started searching for new ways to turn ordinary spaces into magical moments. At the same time, he looked to keep the need to adapt to various events and occasions in mind.
A Dazzling Vision
After building a massive 20,000-square-foot outdoor venue, the highly anticipated Fourth of July event was coming up. Here, MacDonald wanted to “make a big splash” with people coming back to the casino. As a result, he needed something fresh that would raise the bar. Moreover, he wanted to set a new standard for attractions and events at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. Digital artist Jasper Mosher and his creative partner and wife, Shelby Mosher, then came onboard with a fleet of Epson laser projectors. With this, they helped light up the casino with dazzling images and colors.
“What better way to draw attention to a building than with a massive display that could be seen from miles away,” says MacDonald. “To pull this off, I needed technology that could produce very large images with flexible placement and easy content changes. And of course, I needed to factor in cost. Projection checked all the boxes. And through research, I came across several examples of projection mapping with Jasper Mosher’s name attached to them. After seeing his work, I trusted him and knew he was the right person for the job.”
The Mosher team had been working with production company Native Event Services (NES). Per a statement, the organization specializes in artistic installations and special event productions for the Seminole Tribe casinos. NES introduced the Moshers to MacDonald to projection map a large section of the casino using custom visual effects for the July Fourth celebration. This area included 280 feet of the exterior and a 360-degree projected environment inside the attached Porte-cochere structure for a live band performance.
Outfitting the Projectors
“I remember standing in front of the casino trying to wrap my head around the scope of this project,” adds Jasper Mosher. “And just when the reality started to set in, Adam invited me to check out the other sections of the casino that he wanted to map.” By the end of the tour, Mosher and MacDonald planned to map over 300 feet of the casino’s exterior, the Porte-cochere stage area. [This] included six video screens, a separate two-story entrance and a VIP rooftop party.
The team did have a slight hiccup with a few Florida royal palms standing in the way of the exterior projection. To avoid removing the trees, Mosher got creative with projector placement and leveraged the versatility of Epson lenses. With this, he could eliminate most of the tree shadows. Jasper Mosher notes, “This first project came together flawlessly. After that, the productions just kept getting bigger and better.” MacDonald also remarks, “Everyone was blown away by the projection mapping, including property leaders and executives.”
Enhancing the July Fourth Celebrations
Fast forward to 2022. As the July Fourth production drew near, MacDonald’s visions expanded and the talented Mosher duo delivered. Here, they used 34 Epson laser projectors to bring various sections of the casino to life. This also included a new water-screen installation. “It was my first chance to play with the new Epson EB-PU2220B 20,000-lumen projector,” says Mosher. “This projector is a marvel of modern science — impressively small and lightweight for the power it pumps out.”
For the water-screen installation, the team positioned EB-PU2220B on the opposite side of the lake. The projector also focused on a huge 70-foot by 30-foot “water-screen” pump that Mosher and MacDonald placed in the center of the lake. “The results were just awesome. The incredibly bright and colorful images looked like massive holograms floating above the water. It was cool listening to hundreds of people making awe-inspired noises in unison every time the visuals transitioned,” Mosher adds. “It felt like an embodiment of the elusive ‘wow factor’ that everyone in the special events industry tries so hard to create.”
Expansion to Other Holiday Celebrations
The results of the July Fourth celebrations thus inspired MacDonald to use projection mapping throughout the casino, taking over any and all space that allows for it. New to the 2022 holiday season, MacDonald wanted to create something that all ages could enjoy. As a result, the team provided projection mapping of holiday décor on the exterior of the casino. It also went along with a custom playlist for people to drive or walk by during the season. MacDonald adds, “The projection was so big, bright and colorful that it was visible from miles away. So, it [became] truly something that everyone in the community could enjoy.”
The main exterior mapping typically runs for six to eight weeks at a time around the Fourth of July and holiday seasons. Each projector has its own custom weatherproof case. Additionally, the Epson Projector Professional Tool Software (EPPT) makes it easy to setup and manage the installed projectors. Mosher notes, “Throughout the last three years of using the same Epson projectors for extended installations, we have not had any issues.”
Delivering Immersive Projections
For MacDonald, there is no copy and paste projection template. “My goal is to have every event deliver a new experience. Jasper’s inspirational ideas and mapping skills coupled with reliable Epson projection technology, so far, we’ve been able to do just that.” According to MacDonald, the focus was to increase the number of casino guests as well as drive awareness, social engagement and community outreach. MacDonald then emphasizes that the impressive results from each production helped achieve this. Now, more folks are attending casino activities. Moreover, awareness has grown exponentially.
“Not being bound by any frames or restricted by space, projection technology has made these projects limitless,” adds MacDonald. “I keep throwing outrageous ‘hail Mary’ ideas at Jasper and Shelby, and they keep delivering. I’ve worked with many of the best in show business and event entertainment; and the Mosher team sits at the very top of this list.”
For content creation and management, the Mosher team relies on Resolume projection-mapping software. It is the main tool used to manipulate custom content to fit into real world environments. Additionally, the included autopilot features allow them to leave the projectors running for months at a time.
A True Partnership
As a big part of the Epson installations, Mosher also notes his appreciation for NES and their associated company Event Service Group (ESG). “Using their resources to do the heavy lifting involved in these massive productions make it possible for Shelby and me to focus our energy on the artistic aspects of the trade.”
“Jasper’s artistic capabilities and innovative projection mapping skills continue to amaze us,” adds Ramzi Shakra, product manager for large venue projectors at Epson America, Inc. “His work is the definition of pushing projection beyond limits. We always eagerly await the next big project.”
“I didn’t know what to expect when we started this projector mapping project, but now it just keeps getting better,” MacDonald continues. “Last year’s water projection experience was a gamechanger. Now, the hardest part of my job is trying to do outdo the last project. Luckily, creative possibilities seem to be infinite with the Mosher team and Epson projectors.”
Click on “View Slideshow” for additional images of the installation. All images courtesy of Epson.
