A focal point of the Metropolis Bar – which is located at the rear of the ship on the top deck – the plasma walls are employed during the evenings to show filmed images of the sun going down over major cities around the world. Daytime content, meanwhile, consists of ‘nature wallpaper’, including images of aquariums in Sydney and the Blue Mountains in Australia. Pacific7 has also created a 15-minute ‘spectacular’ entitled Earth, Wind, Fire and Water.
The screen installation was carried out by digital technology specialist Kezia.
The various sequences were filmed using an arrangement of three Panasonic HVX200 cameras, with a motion control head fitted to shoot the sunset scenes.
According to Pacific7 Productions’ managing director, Duncan Swinhoe, the Panasonic screens were selected for reasons of price, durability, longevity and reliability. “P&O wants Ventura to stand out from other cruise liners – its Metropolis Bar is the premiere venue on the ship and the screens are an important part of this,” he added.
“More and more people have come to recognise the outstanding features of plasma display panels, and as the plasma technology continues to advance its potential is unlimited,” a spokesperson for Panasonic Professional Plasma UK told II. “Designed for hassle-free installation, the thin wide screen design, razor-sharp pictures and vivid natural colours of the Panasonic professional plasmas bring tremendous impact to colourful and glamorous installations such as the P&O Ventura.”
“The challenges from the initial brief were enormous and not totally realised until we began testing,” Pacific7’s managing director, Duncan Swinhoe, told II. “The crazy aspect ratio of 21 screens mounted portrait meant we needed to film on multiple HD cameras and stitch our final images together in post.
“The results onboard Ventura have been mind-blowing – not only for us after two years of creation, but for the passengers who have been lucky enough to sip cocktails in the Metropolis Bar and enjoy the wall. One night they sit watching huge panoramas of Shanghai and the next it could be Las Vegas or Sydney. What could be more conducive to a super cool bar?”
