Black projection material required...

[Stuart91]

This week I have a new entry onto my list of "strange things that customers have asked for": black coloured projection material.

 

(At first I assumed they were after back projection material and had made a typo)

 

It turns out that the plan is to have standard 8x4ft flats covered with material which looks black (possibly a glossy finish) that can also be projected onto. This is all part of a performance piece so the black is a non-negotiable, I've already made it clear that it will make the task of projection much more difficult.

 

They are looking to project from the front, which I suppose rules out things like gauze or spandex. I'm needing to source material that is stretchy enough to be able to be pulled tight and give a smooth surface. Can anyone think of anything suitable to try out?

[mac.calder]

There are decent black(ish) projection materials (designed as such), but the viewing angle is fairly acute. Rosebrand make their "Darknet" range of scrim fabrics which are front projection.

[TaliaS]

Do the flats have to be covered in fabric or could they be hard flats covered in wood? If yes, Flints have a great black projection paint. I demo-ed it at trade shows and people couldn't believe that they were looking at a projected image and not a tv screen. You wouldn't be able to have a glossy finish on it.

 

See: https://shop.flints.co.uk/Products/hatoscreen-projection-paint-1

 

Hope this helps.

[Dave m]

Even projection onto black material can look quite good, depending on the result required

[Stuart91]

Thanks for all that - some decent possibilities to chase up.

 

I think the flats could be hard rather than fabric, the other side is going to be mirrored so it's not that they need a soft surface for any other reason. The paint looks like it may well be the best option. The Rosebrand fabrics could work well too, although it's not immediately obvious if anyone distributes their products in the UK.

 

I suspect there'll be a process of trial and experimentation in the new year, but this has given me some good starting points.

[indyld]

Just avoid glossy anything.

[ojc123]

We've just finished a school show with projection onto this stuff. Cheap and worked well. We picked our projection media carefully and used a lot of white line images