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Blackout Designs Somerset House’s Screen Under The Stars
Drapes and rigging specialist Blackout was appointed by Somerset House Productions to design and supply the giant projection screen for Somerset House/ Filmfour sponsored spectacular ‘The Summer Screen’ – a week of diverse outdoor feature film screenings, staged in Somerset House’s majestic 18th century courtyard.
Cutting edge technology and the splendour of the Grade 1 listed surroundings combined for the success of The Summer Screen. It featured an inspired programme of classic films, including ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’, Oscar winning Japanese animation ‘Spirited Away’ and the metropolitan premiere of horror film ‘Land of the Dead’, as well as music sets from DJ’s as diverse as Asian Dub Foundation, Osymyso and Four Tet.
Blackout’s project manager Kevin Monks collaborated with Somerset House and events manager John Howes to design and supply the integral giant cinema projection screen to his exacting specifications.
Manufactured by Blackout France, the 17.5 metre x 7 metre matt semi-permeable projection screen weighed over one tonne and required Blackout’s eight man team to assemble its Thomas truss frame on site before it was laced over and stretched to the extremities, ensuring a super taught display. By virtue of its permeable membrane the screen conveyed pitch perfect sound with no dampening in quality from the speaker system concealed behind.
Blackout also designed and supplied the screen’s Thomas truss support structure, which was braced into the alcove behind four pillars at the southern end of the courtyard. This supported the screen in position two metres proud of Somerset House’s façade, ensuring that the Grade 1 listed building remained intact, and that the screen - suspended 12 metres high - provided a perfect sightline for over 2000 filmgoers each night.
Ian Thomas of Bell Theatre Services provided the film projection equipment comprising of a Phillips’ FP20 35mm cinefilm projector, which boasted a reinforced lamp-housing and a water coolant system to cradle an ultra bright 7kW bulb, which projected the crystal clear image 60 metres across the courtyard.
John Howes, production manager at Somerset House commented: “Blackout have overcome all hurdles put before them with great aplomb, to achieve an impressive large screen rigged onto a grade 1 listed Portico, enabling Somerset House to function day-to-day while transforming itself into a fantastic outdoor cinema space at night.”
27th September 2005
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