BUDGET: Between 1 crore INR and 4.99 crore INR (USD135,000 to USD540,000)
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The pioneers of Projection mapping in India, Knownsense Studios’ team of experts merged the rich digital art of projection mapping with the spirituality of the Swaminarayan sect at a grand 9-day celebration at Narnarayandev Dwishatabdi Mahotsav in Bhuj. The team masterfully turned the humongous 270 ft wide central facade of Swaminarayan temple Bhuj into a dynamic canvas with screen augmentation that celebrated the 200 years(Dwishatabdi) of the temple with 3D projection mapping. The narration interspersed the epic of Shree Swaminarayan’s life journey and Narnarayan Dev Temple’s Inception journey through the vibrant narrative character of Kaliyuga. Audiences from all walks of life were spellbound by the visuals that were not only mesmerizing but showcased the architectural novelty of the 200-year-old temple.
12 Full HD 20,000 Lumens Projectors, 600 Lights, 40 Moving heads, and surround sound brought to fruition the masterful show projecting approximately 16000 pixels that weaved a spell of spiritual magic for nine straight days on the devotees. A lifetime memory of divinity for Lacs of people visualized by Knownsense Studios for Dwishatabdi Mahotsav.
WHAT DID THE CLIENT WANT TO ACHIEVE?
The client wanted to craft a mythical cosmic journey filled with intricate digital art on the Swaminarayan Temple facade that would mesmerize the audience at the Dwishatabdi Mahotsav. While developing this complex narrative, the religious and spiritual sanctity of the narrative were to be upheld. The 200-year celebration of Nar-Narayan Dev temple was a festival of great importance for the people of Bhuj and traveling devotees, the projection show was to be the highlight of the celebrations. The cosmic narrative was to be developed keeping in mind the audiences of all age spectrums, as it was of paramount importance that Nilkant Varni’s journey and his relation with Kutch are emphasized in an inspiring manner.
The narrative was to be completed in 15 minutes, covering all the important aspects of Nilkanth Varni’s life and inauguration of the temple with a narrative prologue and epilogue binding it all. The objective was clear: developing a one-of-a-kind visual treat with spiritual significance.
SCOPE OF WORK YOUR COMPANY WAS INVOLVED IN
We were the sole company associated with the project from start to finish. This process included Ideation, Scripting, Research, storyboarding, Animation, Visualization, Editing, Installation, and Execution of the show. The project was an end-to-end deliverable to the client in a fixed period.
The process started with mapping the space. Simultaneously, the research and writing teams worked rigorously to understand Nilkanth Varni’s life so as not to miss a single detail.
The scripting and storyboarding were followed with the creation of many dreamy and surreal frames were to be invented with scintillating background music and goosebump-inducing sound effects; Kaliyuga was the narrator, the voice had to be spellbinding, a perfect artist was to be found for the narration, and he infused life with the words of narration.
WHAT KEY CHALLENGES WERE FACED?
We intended to integrate the geographical and cultural themes, infusing a historical essence and incorporating the traditional crafts of Bhuj. A vibrant tapestry of Indigenous artisans’ work, resulting in a deeply rooted and globally appealing narrative. The process of bringing this show to life with the introduction of Kaliyuga as the narrator and captivating the audience with the divine story of Lord Swaminarayan and the establishment of the Swaminarayan sect demanded that we enhance the narrative with traditional motifs in digital art, intending to portray the spiritual legacy of the temple, the transformative meeting of Nilkant Varni and Sadguru Ramanand Swami, and the construction of the temple’s monumental structure. The challenge was maintaining the religious sanctity and crafting a technical marvel that presented a unique showcase of devotion.
The intricate details on such a huge canvas demanded that each dome of the temple architecture bring a unique visual treat to the entire experience. The canvas was 270 feet wide and 75 feet in height, commanding visual intricacy in fractions of millimetres. The confluence of such design on a big canvas inspired the team’s confidence to create something monumental.
HOW WERE THOSE CHALLENGES RESOLVED?
The large-scale production on such a humongous facade of 270 ft required a thorough and resolute approach. An expert research team with writers conducted in-depth research on the life of Swaminarayan and the construction story behind the Nar-Narayan Temple of Bhuj. The rich visuals written in the script were then realized further by the visualization team. The team developed an extensive storyboard from the script, but the storyboarding process was lengthy as every intricate detail had to be designed with the cultural and geographical elements of the narrative kept in mind. The facade’s capacity was further augmented as the team redefined the canvas, open arches of the temple were covered up to make the canvas 270 ft wide with a height of 75ft. Advanced Lidar scanning technology was employed to capture the building’s details down to one square inch. This precise scanning enabled the creation of a highly accurate digital model for the projection mapping process. This decision of ingenuity propelled the team to develop visuals from the storyboards. 2D animations, 3D Projection animations, Motion Graphics, and, Visual Effects artists from the team combined and weaved the narrative on the paper into dreamy visuals.
HOW HAS YOUR WORK HELPED THE CLIENT?
The 9-day-long Mahotsav celebrating the 200th anniversary of the temple saw an overwhelming footfall of devotees, and the projection show became the glowing highlight of the celebrations. Lacs of people witnessed the show with child-like anticipation and enthusiasm, which serves as a testament to the show’s success.
The facade, an open space of the temple situated near the serene lake, with the wind in the evening, required expert handling of the visual design and operation on the ground to maintain sheer quality without a single glitch. This is an authentication of our handling of the project to perfection.
The ingenious idea of covering the open arches of the temple to augment the canvas required the most intricate designs across the temple facade. The visuals were mesmerizing, and at the same time, they elevated and brought the grandeur of the 200-year-old structure to the forefront as well. The frames were designed with such precision that each one of them, across the canvas, highlighted the geographical theme along with the structure. 2D & 3D Experimental visuals incorporated in the narrative pushed the envelope in the creative projection show as visuals got resounding feedback across the celebrations.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ABOUT THE PROJECT?
The culmination of all of the processes came together after a high-resolution 8K rendering in the form of a projection show primed to engross the audience with the life of Shree Swaminarayan. The logistics and practicality of execution took over from that point onwards; 12 Full HD, 20,000 Lumens Projectors were installed for the celebratory show, with 600 lights and 40 moving heads operated by collaborators in tandem enhancing the visual grandeur of the projection show. Surround sound complimented the visuals in the open space of the temple. The dedicated operating team overlooked the operation for 9 days and maintained a smooth operation amongst the sea of devotees. A culturally rich show was conceived and executed without a spot, with various in-house teams working together to deliver the show of substance. Creating such visual, narrative, and technical scale on historical architecture with significance is the most proud and creatively enriching experience with the project.
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