Serving the themed entertainment community

Latest News

  • Loveland Laser Tag implements Semnox’s Klaimprize self-service redemption kiosks
  • Christie laser projectors take flight at Branson’s Beyond the Lens!
  • Space Center Houston to honor Apollo program during Spring Break
  • Jason Surrell joins Storyland Studios as Executive Creative Director
  • Museum professionals advocate for Congressional funding during annual AAM Museums Advocacy Day
  • Adventure Golf & Sports introduces AmericanPie Mini Golf, tribute to courses from 50s and 60s
  • IAAPA study examines how hard-hit attractions industry is from COVID-19 pandemic
  • ZeeVee’s ZyPer Management Platform now natively supporting Smart Monkeys’ ISAAC API
  • Home
  • Opportunity Hub
    • Leads & Opportunities
    • Webinar Calendar
    • Submit a Webinar
  • Explore
    • Features
    • News
    • COVID-19
  • Issues
    • 2020
      • #85 – Looking forward to the future
      • #84 – Everything the industry has to offer
      • #83 – Waterparks and more!
      • #82 – Solving Problems with Innovation
      • #81 COVID-19 and beyond
      • IPM guide to AV 2020
    • 2019
      • #80 – IAAPA 2019
      • #79.5 – IAAPA Expo 2019 Preview
      • #79 Europe and Waterparks
      • #78 – Asia/Tech
      • #77 – The Best in Themed Entertainment
    • 2018
      • #76 – Year End/Trade Show Round-up
      • #75 – IAAPA 2018
      • #74 – EME/Waterparks
      • #73 – Asia and Technology
      • #72 – Dubai/Museums
      • #71 – MENA/Entertainment
    • 2017
      • #70 – IAAPA 2017
      • #69 – Game Changers
      • #68 Going Global: Technology on the International Stage
      • #67 – Experience Design: Many Faces Many Places
      • #66 Theatrical Influence and Convergence
    • 2016
      • #65 IAAPA 2016
      • #64 Waterpark, Zoo & Aquarium 2016
      • #63 Technology 2016
      • #62 International
      • #61 Museums and Expanding Markets
    • 2015
      • #60 – IAAPA 2015
      • #59 – Zoos/Aquaria and Waterparks 2015
      • #58 – Technology 2015
      • #57 – International 2015
      • #56 – Museums 2015
    • 2014
      • #55 – IAAPA 2014 / Tenth Anniversary
      • #54 – Waterparks, Zoos and Aquariums 2014
      • #53 – Technology 2014
      • #52 – International 2014
      • #51 – Museums 2014
    • 2013
      • #46 – Museums 2013
      • #47 – International 2013
      • #48 – Technology 2013
      • #49 – Waterparks 2013
      • #50 – IAAPA 2013
      • 2013 Wrap-Up
    • 2012
      • #45 – IAAPA & WWA Wrap-Up
      • #44 – IAAPA
      • #43 – Waterparks
      • #42 – Technology
      • #41 – International
      • #40 – Museums
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About
    • About InPark
    • Privacy Policy
  • IPM books
    • Screens to scenes: Christie’s visual technology
    • Tales from the Expo
    • Themed entertainment in academia
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linked
    • Youtube

Electrosonic Helps New Media Features Take Flight at LAX

Dec 11, 2013 Joe Kleiman Attractions, News, Technology & Media Comments Off on Electrosonic Helps New Media Features Take Flight at LAX


Electrosonic Helps New Media Features Take Flight at LAX
1044348_10151527449577825_1641979335_n

Photos courtesy Los Angeles World Airports

Los Angeles, CA, USA —  The new Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) offers passengers a unique travel experience with its Integrated Environmental Media System (IEMS), a series of seven digital media features integrated into the interior architecture that provides entertainment and information to passengers.  Electrosonic was tasked by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) with the detailed engineering and system integration of the IEMS components, and the build out of the IEMS control room that keeps everything humming around the clock.

Electrosonic was also responsible for the integration and installation of the complex digital playback system that supports the multi-channel synchronization necessary for display on the media features. Electrosonic was involved with the mammoth project for close to two years, providing the client with specialized management expertise throughout.

“This is one of the largest international terminals in the U.S., and its first priority is as an airport, a hub to the rest of the world,” says Electrosonic account executive Bryan Hinckley.  “Our experience coordinating with different trades and vendors, and our expertise in integrating complex systems and new playback technology, helped make the IEMS system a success.”

994812_10151527449687825_1058913391_n

Electrosonic project manager Janne Hammel notes, “Because of the type and scale of work Electrosonic does for multiple industries around the world, we were uniquely qualified to act as conduit between LAWA and the design and content producers, serving as a translator and helping to facilitate communications and manage expectations on all sides. It was extremely challenging and incredibly rewarding.”

The IEMS media features are located in the 150,000-square-foot Antonio Villaraigosa Pavilion (Great Hall) beyond TSA screening and consist of the Welcome Wall, the Bon Voyage Wall, the four-sided Time Tower, the Destination Board and Story Board and two portals that usher travelers to their departure gates.  Integrated into the terminal’s architecture, they are more than digital signage or multimedia eye candy.  Each media feature serves a specific purpose for the passengers, offers sponsorship opportunities for marketers, and dazzles with its ability to merge the latest technology with soaring architectural elements.

“All of the media features were custom designed to support individual creative visions,” says Hammel.  “The ability to roll out large-scale custom projects is all about attention to detail and time management.  It takes a certain amount of imagination to go from design to fabrication to hardware integration, where the smallest thing can have a big impact as the project evolves.  That’s our business.”

1044757_10151527491387825_1054024199_n

What set the job apart from other large projects was that it was essentially “a series of big multimedia features included in a large public works venue,” she explains.  “We had to balance how to integrate the systems into airport operations and security.  We spent a lot of time working with the airport IT representative to deliver a system that maintains absolute security.”

The Welcome Wall, which displays joyful scenes of greeting for arriving international passengers, is a high-resolution 6mm LED Daktronics wall measuring approximately 26 by 84 feet, divided into two screens and surrounded by a decorative glass frame.  The adjacent Bon Voyage Wall, with content inspired by photographer Philippe Halsman’s Jumpology photographs, is a similar configuration with dimensions of 13 by 23 feet.

The Destination Board is a different take on flight departure information.  The 80-foot wide screen displays flight details from LAX’s Flight Information Display System database. The high-resolution 6mm LED screen is partitioned into a central flight info display flanked by informational side panels and framed by a low-resolution crown of LEDs.  Content on the side panels is linked in real time to destination flights displayed on the board to provide travelers with fun facts, weather briefs and images of destination cities, while a graceful arched crest features international flag graphics or subtle arrays of colors.

The four-sided Time Tower is built around the Villaraigosa Pavilion’s elevator tower and is designed to not only tell time, but also explore time as part of the travel experience.  It is 72 feet high with a base of diffused glass panels and an interior layer of 10mm LEDs.  Sensors sensitive to passenger gestures create constantly changing patterns in the content generated through customized programming and the capabilities of the system.  The upper surface features high-resolution 6mm LEDs and integrates a functional clock face with entertaining content incorporating a time theme.

“The display is very large and has a number of video content sources which have to synchronize seamlessly on the four sides of the tower,” Hinckley says. “Electrosonic and Smart Monkeys spent a lot of time with the content creators and Daktronics on pixel-for-pixel consistency from media creation through playback, processing and display.  There’s no video scaling involved.”

936418_10151527493107825_224084033_n

Electrosonic also coordinated with the LAX audio system, which uses very complex zoning, and delivers safety and emergency messages to ensure proper audio playback for the Time Tower clock strike at the top of every hour.

Along the west side of the Villaraigosa Pavilion, poised above retail shops, is the 120-foot-long Story Board feature.  Its high-resolution 6mm LED tiles form five display walls of varying size and shape across a structural frame.  Once again, Electrosonic worked closely with all the vendors to achieve pixel-for-pixel consistency in a huge palette of pixels comprising custom content that tells ambient narratives about travel.

As passengers move from the Villaraigosa Pavilion toward either the north or south concourse, a series of ten 28-foot-tall columns form a visual portal to their destination.  Each column, consisting of six vertically stacked 55-inch Planar LCD monitors, displays content themed around the art traditions of various destination cities.  Speakers and motion sensors are embedded in the base units of each portal to enhance the experience.

“It was an integration challenge to make sure the sensor and playback gear could co-exist in the limited space within the portals,” Hinckley points out.

Electrosonic also designed the layout and installed the Main Equipment Room (MER), which is comprised of a control and rack room. Miles of optical fiber from all over the terminal feed into the MER, where over a 1,000 individual connections provide the capability to display and control the content displayed on each feature. Cameras in the terminal that show the content-display status of each feature allows a single operator to monitor all features simultaneously. Additionally, a 65-inch display was installed in the control room where new media content from prospective partners can be reviewed prior to public display.

“We have people on site for 24/7 operation and maintenance of the system,” Hinckley notes.  “Since this is a working international airport, the only time we have access to the field equipment is between 2 and 6 am, so we not only need a quick response team on site to remedy any potential problems, but we also need to staff the graveyard shift to make any necessary repairs.”

Janne Hammel believes that once travelers experience the new terminal and its standout media features, they’ll have a greater appreciation for the work of all the vendors involved.  “You can talk about physical dimensions and number of pixels, but until you’re standing in that space experiencing the media and how it integrates with the terminal’s passenger activity and flow, you don’t realize how it exceeds your expectations.

“L.A. is a world destination and that’s reflected in the content of the media features and their integration into the physical structure of the new international terminal,” she says.

Electrosonic is proud to be a part of the LAX Integrated Environmental Media Systems (IEMS) Team, which includes: MRA International, IEMS Project Director; Marcela Sardi of Sardi Design, designer of the media features and Creative Director; Smart Monkeys Inc., Technical Consultant and system programmer for the content delivery system; Daktronics, display supplier; Moment Factory, Executive Content Producer; and Digital Kitchen, Supportive Content Producer.

www.electrosonic.com

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Print

  • airports, electrosonic, media displays
  • tweet
Related articles
  • Construction completed on Electrosonic’s Dubai Production Facility and Regional Hub
    Construction completed on...

    Comments Off on Construction completed on Electrosonic’s Dubai Production Facility and Regional Hub

  • Freetouch BYOD technology helps museums and attractions keep interactives in play
    Freetouch BYOD technology helps museums...

    Comments Off on Freetouch BYOD technology helps museums and attractions keep interactives in play

  • Electrosonic announces Ewan Smith as President, Bryan Hinckley as Global VP, Immersive Experiences
    Electrosonic announces Ewan Smith as...

    Comments Off on Electrosonic announces Ewan Smith as President, Bryan Hinckley as Global VP, Immersive Experiences

  • JRA designed National Comedy Center named Best New Museum by readers of USA Today
    JRA designed National Comedy Center...

    Comments Off on JRA designed National Comedy Center named Best New Museum by readers of USA Today

More in this category
  • Loveland Laser Tag implements Semnox’s Klaimprize self-service redemption kiosks
    Loveland Laser Tag implements...

    Feb 26, 2021 Comments Off on Loveland Laser Tag implements Semnox’s Klaimprize self-service redemption kiosks

  • Christie laser projectors take flight at Branson’s Beyond the Lens!
    Christie laser projectors take flight...

    Feb 26, 2021 Comments Off on Christie laser projectors take flight at Branson’s Beyond the Lens!

  • Space Center Houston to honor Apollo program during Spring Break
    Space Center Houston to honor Apollo...

    Feb 26, 2021 Comments Off on Space Center Houston to honor Apollo program during Spring Break

  • Jason Surrell joins Storyland Studios as Executive Creative Director
    Jason Surrell joins Storyland Studios...

    Feb 26, 2021 Comments Off on Jason Surrell joins Storyland Studios as Executive Creative Director


Quick Takes

My Tweets

Latest Issue

Leads & Opportunities

  • Eleventh Hour seeks Technical Proposal Writer/Manager for entertainment company client
    Eleventh Hour seeks Technical Proposal Writer/Manager for...

    Feb 16, 2021 Comments Off on Eleventh Hour seeks Technical Proposal Writer/Manager for entertainment company client

    The position is ideal for a technical proposal writer who...
  • Little Canada seeks Visual Arts Specialist
    Little Canada seeks Visual Arts Specialist

    Feb 16, 2021 Comments Off on Little Canada seeks Visual Arts Specialist

    Little Canada is a highly detailed and animated journey...
  • Scenario seeks LA-based safety manager
    Scenario seeks LA-based safety manager

    Feb 15, 2021 Comments Off on Scenario seeks LA-based safety manager

    The main office/shop located in San Fernando with various...
  • Steelman Partners and Gensler designing 75 hectare resort near Angkor Wat
    Steelman Partners and Gensler designing 75 hectare resort...

    Feb 10, 2021 Comments Off on Steelman Partners and Gensler designing 75 hectare resort near Angkor Wat

    The initial phase is expected to be completed by 2025 at an...
  • Walt Disney Imagineering seeks Business Planning and Operations Executive
    Walt Disney Imagineering seeks Business Planning and...

    Feb 03, 2021 Comments Off on Walt Disney Imagineering seeks Business Planning and Operations Executive

    The Director will lead financial planning and tracking and...

Top Posts

  • VST Enterprises' technology being integrated into Circle Pass Enterprises' COVI-PASS Digital Health Passport
    VST Enterprises' technology being integrated into Circle Pass Enterprises' COVI-PASS Digital Health Passport
  • Loveland Laser Tag implements Semnox's Klaimprize self-service redemption kiosks
    Loveland Laser Tag implements Semnox's Klaimprize self-service redemption kiosks
  • Crayola IDEAworks® traveling exhibit unleashes colorful creativity in young minds
    Crayola IDEAworks® traveling exhibit unleashes colorful creativity in young minds
  • What will it mean to postpone Expo 2020 Dubai until 2021?
    What will it mean to postpone Expo 2020 Dubai until 2021?
  • Christie's new germicidal UV product for attractions
    Christie's new germicidal UV product for attractions
  • Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago to open with US premiere of Immersive Van Gogh
    Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago to open with US premiere of Immersive Van Gogh
  • Sally Brings the Animal Animatronics of Five Nights at Freddy's to Life in New Attraction Concept
    Sally Brings the Animal Animatronics of Five Nights at Freddy's to Life in New Attraction Concept

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Categories

  • IPM Interviews
  • Theme Parks
  • Museums
  • Water Parks
  • Attractions
    • Haunts
    • Zoos & Aquariums
  • World markets
    • Asia
    • Europe & Middle East
    • Latin America & Mexico
    • North America
  • Technology & Media
  • Business
    • Events
    • People
  • World Expos

InPark Magazine

2349 E Ohio Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207 USA
262.412.7107
mpalicki@inparkmagazine.com

View our Privacy Policy

Copyright 2018 InPark Magazine / All rights reserved
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Instagram