Disney recently launched its latest member of its cruise ship family in the Destiny. To launch the ship, Disney did what only Disney can do—create magic that even they may have not seen as possible.
[Disney's Space Mountain Becomes Canvas for Fantastic Projection Mapping]
For this endeavor, live action, whether it be Disney characters or singers and musicians, would perform in front of the massive Destiny. Behind it, a projection mapping display would create the magical background for themes like Frozen, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Disney Villains and more.
Except the canvas for the projection mapping would be the Destiny itself. It was quite the challenge. A cruise ship is not a flat surface, and even Disney Imagineers had never attempted such a gigantic undertaking. However, as with most things Disney, it went off magically, and made a memorable experience.
Per AVIXA, it took 30 laser projectors, four media servers, 15 IR cameras, 38 IR emitters, and over a mile of cabling to track and illuminate the moving vessel. The organization posted that it is believed to be the largest projection mapping on a floating object ever achieved.
Stephanie and J.P., two senior visual effects designer for Disney live entertainment and part of the magic behind Imagineering, breaks down how the Disney Destiny became a floating canvas for creativity below.
