Digital Spherical Displays
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Pufferfish in the Deep!! May 2010
A new exhibition at London's Natural History Museum features a PufferSphere XL provided by our friends at The National Oceanography Centre Southampton.
Pufferfish are hugely proud to have one of our PufferSphere XL displays at one of our favourite Museums, the Natural History Museum in London. The exhibition opened for the first time on the 28th May 2010. There will be more pics and info to follow, but for now you can take a sneak peek at the exhibition highlights.
Huge thanks from Pufferfish to the NHM and the team at NOC, we're delighted to be part of such an exciting installation.
Pufferfish InSpace - 2009/2010
Pufferfish are delighted to be involved with InSpace, a new public gallery facility at the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics. As part of a scheme run by Arts and Business Scotland, Pufferfish and the InSpace team led by Prof Jon Oberlander are working collaboratively on a number of research and public projects.
Pufferfish CEO Ollie Collier said, "By providing our own technical and professional expertise to the project, the gallery has been able to develop its own artistic and educational goals. At the same time we're benefiting from the School of Informatics research into how people behave and interact with 3D equipment such as ours which is in turn contributing to our own product development."
Read more here and here.
New Products- Autumn 2009
HardBalls
Newly available and fully compatible with existing PufferSphere XL units, we have great pleasure introducing you to HardBall screens. These non-inflatable, solid spheres are available in 60, 90, 120 and 150cm sizes, and open up new applications for your existing PufferSphere XL displays.
Whether you need smaller spheres for corporate spaces, brighter spheres for well-lit spaces, or something a little more substantial for that high traffic public install, the HardBall screens allow you to access those hard to reach areas that other spheres just can't touch.
PufferMini
Smaller, brighter, cheaper; the 60cm HardBall PufferSphere Mini. With projector and presentation case included, it makes the perfect solution for your marketing suite and trade show stand. Sounds Good. Looks even better.
Pufferfish Touch-a-Ball
A multi-touch, multi-user interactive sphere, ready to use with your standard XL unit. Yes, really!
You need to see it in action. In fact seeing it is only half the story, you actually need to reach out and touch this one!
Want to get your hands on your own? Call us today with your order.
PufferPonchos
Developed in one of the wettest places in a decidedly soggy nation, and road-tested on the Coldplay Stadium tour, the lightweight and compact PufferPoncho is designed to deal with that most predictably unpredictable of phenomenon, the Great British summertime. When everyone and everything is wetter than an otter's pocket, your PufferSphere will be snug and dry inside its ventilated poncho. Available for PufferSphere XL and XXL, whether hanging or standing, Bring on the great outdoors!
Coldplay Viva la Vida Stadium Tour, September 2009
Huge congratulations to Coldplay and XL Video for taking a hugely successful Arena Tour and stepping it up still further as they hit some of Europe's biggest stadiums. Lighting Director Paul Normandale introduced several new elements for these gargantuan performances, but old favorites and key talking points, the PufferSpheres, remained. The existing 6 Coldplay PufferSpheres were moved onstage where they were joined by a seventh unit, the second of two giant 3m PufferSphere XXL units which took up position stage left and right.
As the Stadium Tour took the PufferSpheres out into the elements, Pufferfish provided a set of PufferPonchos for the units. Whether flown or ground-standing the PufferSpheres were kept snug and dry by their ventilated lightweight weatherproofing, despite some famously inclement weather during the performances.
Aquascutum @ London Fashion Week, September 2009
Working again with Renegade Design, Pufferfish struck a pose J N Production at Aquascutum during London Fashion Week 2009. True to form the 1.6m PufferSphere XL coupled with some couture content from SilentStudios made for a model install.
The Big Chill 2009, August 2009
The Big Chill always occupies a special place in our little PufferHearts, so we were delighted when they asked us back for a third time to soak up the August sunshine, relax and unwind in the beautiful surroundings of Eastnor Castle. We packed the PufferPonchos just in case, but luckily the weather held and gave us the best August has to offer. A massive thanks to The Big Chill crew - and the ever gentlemanly Nigel Sadler from Green Hippo who joined us for the fun - you made it another fantastic festival!
Heineken get in-tents @ Oxegen July 2009
Ahh, Summertime! Verdant greenery, camping, music, beer and mud!
And so it was in Ireland where Pufferfish had the good fortune to find themselves safely ensconced in the largest, driest tent in the whole of a typically soggy Oxegen festival. Working with E Q Audio on behalf of agency Modern Green+, the 2.5m PufferSphere XL provided the perfect combination of themed dressing, experiential branding and I-Mag/VJ goodness for one of the world's best known brands, the mighty Heineken, in their rather perfectly named Green Spheres venue.
International Music Summit, Ibiza May 2009
Pufferfish were delighted to join forces with Halo Lighting at "one of the most important events Ibiza has ever seen". The PufferSphere XL delivered spherical branding at Ibiza's Gran Hotel during the summit and in the process got itself an invite to an exclusive concert in Ibiza's Old Town, a first for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sitting high on the historic city walls, the PufferSphere shone out like a beacon across the holiday island as the sun set over the Med and the party got underway. The 2,000 capacity sell-out crowd packed into in the historic Dalt Vila to see performances featuring Basement Jaxx, Filthy Dukes, Pete Tong and Rob da Bank, oh, and the first PufferSphere appearance on Balearic shores!
Pufferfish @ Eurovision May 2009
Procon, major Eurovision supplier, brought in 6 Pufferfish PufferSpheres, to make their first ever appearance in Russian airspace and their Eurovision debut.
Breaking records in every department, the stunning Eurovision stage transforms itself with a different look for each act. The sheer amount of LEDs, pyrotechnics and lighting has attracted much interest, but there are equally enthralling and unique elements suspended off stage above the 16,000 strong live audience at the Olympiyski Stadium, Moscow.
Tuesday night's first semi-final opened with the PufferSpheres lowered from the rafters as giant planets in a starry night sky, through which a giant LED clad Thunderbird soared.
During the acts the spheres displayed visuals complimented each unique stage set, and between acts their versatility was further utilised to carry digital signage, introducing each nation to the audience.
Their lightweight design, stable image projection and compact footprint make them easy to move up, down and around as the show's artistic creators dictate. Equally they offer the camera team the ability to fly-by, zoom, pan and jib around the displays, immersing the 100 million strong television audiences in the action.
Their 360 degree viewing angle means that they can be situated in amongst the audience and still be visible to all, bringing the entire audience that little bit closer to the acts on stage and keeping them informed of exactly which of the wonderful acts they are watching.
Whether as a miniature solar system, bubbling balls of graphics or fluttering spherical flags, they add yet another element of wonder to proceedings, helping Procon Project Manager Ola Melzig make good on his promise to 'blow people's minds'!
New Additions to the PufferFamily Procon Event Engineering GmbH have been the most recent to get on board with the PufferSphere XL, joining our Scandinavian chums Massteknik, our US rentals partner Video West, our Belgian connection B and I Events and a number of other service providers using PufferSphere XLs on productions across the world, including XL Video on the ongoing Coldplay Viva la Vida Tour.
National Oceanographic Centre, Southampton, UK March 2009 After making a splash at NOCs 2008 Ocean and Earth day, Pufferfish were thrilled to be asked back to their Southampton headquarters for the 2009 event. This time though we left with one less PufferSphere and one more new PufferPartner, with an excited NOC becoming one of the founding pillars of our spherical consortium - an international group with a vested interest in progressing and disseminating the knowledge and best practice surrounding spherical displays.... More on this soon!
Guardian Changing Media Summit, London March 2009
What better place for a PufferSphere chock full of spherical branding? As major broadcasters, media organisations and the ubiquitous Google gathered to discuss the shifting sands of the modern media, the PufferSphere took up position outside the aptly named ballroom. Sponsors including the stalwarts of British television broadcasting, as well as the hot new kids of European digital and IP TV, saw their brands spinning on the sphere as the rest of the great and good sipped their morning coffees and prepared for a day's debating and deliberating. After a heady day of heated discussion, the PufferSphere was on hand again, this time with with some soothing mood-making to accompany the post summit clinking and drinking.
New American Rental Partner, January 2009
Pufferfish are delighted to welcome the brilliant Video West to the Pufferfish fold. Pufferfish teamed up with Video West to supply two PufferSpheres to the PGA Tour's FBR open at Scottsdale Arizona. Sponsoring brands such as Heineken and Coors took pride of place on the spheres during the day, but the night time saw Pufferfish and Video West boost up the Hippo and VJ their little socks off. Video West loved the PufferSpheres so much that they are now the proud new owners of the first two PufferSphere XL rental-units to be available in the US of A. Pufferfish can recommend their ball-skills as highly as any of those seen on the fairways!
Trade Press Praise Pufferfish and the PufferSphere XL With Coldplay's tour generating such interest globally, the Pufferfish PufferSphere XLs used in the show have been receiving plenty of attention from the industry's trade press. Both TPI and Lighting and Sound International have run features on the tour, packed with plenty of generous comments on the PufferSphere from the tour team. LSI even put a picture of our lovely balls on the front cover of their January 2009 edition, a nice surprise when it landed on our desks! You can see the curent digital addition of LSI here and the TPI article here.
Pufferfish @ Faddergalan, Stockholm, December 2008
Pufferfish were on hand to help Massteknik deliver their first PufferSphere rental. Working closely with Lighting Designer Pelle Larson of Light Land, the PufferSphere XL made its first live TV appearance on Swedish charity telethon Faddergalan. In combination with a vast array of LEDs and studio lights, one 2m PufferSphere XL hung above variety performers including Katie Melua and Josh Grogan, whilst another 1.6m sphere was used ground-standing. The canny camera team made the most of the internal projection, performing jibs, fly-overs and zooms right into the PufferSpheres without fear of casting a shadow on the image. With the themes of the show switching between performance pieces and heart-rending video reports on the charity's work, live content was fed to both the PufferSpheres and the LEDs via Green Hippo Hippotizers, allowing the synchronised, time-lined PufferSphere to seamlessly shift from digi-gobo ball to spinning globe and every which way in between.
Oh, and we still LOVE Sweden.
Balls Benelux, December 2008
Pufferfish are delighted to welcome B and I Events to the Pufferfish fold. B and I have been expertly delivering Airstar lighting balloons for years and have now taken a pioneering step into the brave world of Video spheres. Pufferfish joined B and I's Anthon Greevelink and his crack-team of balloonists at the Westergasfabrik in Amsterdam as they delivered a stunning installation for the FD Magazine's Outlook Summit 2008. The PufferSphere XL perfectly complemented Anthon's comprehensive selection of Airstar balloons, and added an exciting new dimension to the breadth of his client offering. B and I will be providing PufferSphere rentals across Belgium, Holland and the surrounding area and Pufferfish are very pleased indeed to be able to recommend their excellent services.
Why not visit Belgium - home of Chocolate, Lace and wonderful spherical displays courtesy of B and I Events.
Pufferfish and Massteknik: Scandinavian Spheres, November 2008
Pufferfish are delighted to welcome the world-renowned AV logisticians Massteknik to the world of portable spherical video-displays. Massteknik added the PufferSphere XLs to their impressive fleet of video-trailers and large scale screens, and set them straight to work at their AV showcases in Stockholm and Gothenburg. Massteknik clients from across the region soaked up the rays from the assembled AV goodies, the PufferSpheres proving an engaging attraction unique for their complete lack of corners. This set them quite apart from the other screens, even the four giant LED screens, which had to be dimmed in the interests of safety after complaints from Stockholm airport that the pilots of passing planes were being distracted (no, really)!
Sweden? We can't get enough of it, the CIA like it too.
We're for O2 blowing bubbles, November 2008
Pufferfish were at Twickenham for the International Rugby where they puffed-up a 1.6m PufferSphere XL for the hospitable folks at can-do phone giants O2. The PufferSphere delivered bubbling blue branding and relayed video footage of the day's matches above a scrum of supporters enjoying pies and pints in O2's Priority Dome. Post-match the dome welcomed the heroes of the hour for interviews cementing a once-only experience for the happy fans, who raised a glass of bubbles, under a bubble in a bigger bubble still. Brandtastic!
See what you can do, with O2
Shiny Happy People, November 2008
When Renegade Lighting and XL Video requested the presence of a PufferSphere XL at a Star-studded dinner to raise money and awareness for children's charity Shine, Pufferfish were delighted to oblige. Close collaboration with old friends and global video supremos XL Video and the gurus at Renegade Lighting ensured that the PufferSphere looked right at home in London's stunning Roundhouse. Show control was provided via our beloved Hippotizer V3, allowing Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Trevor MacDonald amongst others to deliver their messages of support via the spherical screen. But it was the special Birthday performance from the effervescent and ever-so-lovely Lulu that set the hearts of the PufferTeam racing and spurred the assembled dignitaries to dig out their dancing shoes - with Secretary of State Ed Balls ably demonstrating that he's more than just a political mover and shaker.
Find out more about Shine and how you can support the sterling work they do.
Pufferfish go Kommando, November 2008
Pufferfish were delighted to add to the party atmosphere when they rolled in on pioneering Glasgow- and London-based marketing geneticists Kommando for a wee house-warming party at their new country pile. The PufferSphere's unique portability and rapid set-up and strike makes it ideal for revolutionary guerrilla marketers like Kommando, who combine unique technology with experiential know-how, street savvy, and operational excellence to create killer campaigns. But this was a night off for the troops, a chance to savour a drink and dance a dance or two, or simply stare at the big glowing ball in the garden; so that's what we did!
Need to fight a campaign? Send in the troops.
Urban Caprice: Forte Village Event, October 2008
Pufferfish were delighted to be asked back to do more work with events specialist Urban Caprice, this time in helping them bring a little touch of Sardinia to the centre of London. Sitting above the sapphire waters, the PufferSphere acted as a 360 degree window onto the delights of the Forte Village resort, tempting guests with wrap-around images of idyllic white sand beaches, sundrenched pools and mountains of fresh Mediterranean seafood. Speaking of fine fish, on this particular evening, Pufferfish were definitely the tastiest thing on the promotional menu.
See the video here
Pufferfish at PLASA, September 2008
The Pufferfish team had a fantastic time at PLASA, where our PufferSphere XL unit took pride of place above TMB's Cafe Stand. A top first time PLASA experience for Pufferfish, with plenty of compliments and interest from the assembled AV industry. Our extra special thanks to TMB for being the hosts with the most, and to all those of you who stopped by the stand. Do get in touch to see how we can accommodate your spherical fantasies!
See our Plasa Video on our Case Studies page under Trade Shows
Dare-to-be-Digital, Edinburgh Interactive Festival, EICC, August 2008
Pufferfish were proud to be at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival in August 2008 supporting Dare Protoplay, a video games extravaganza where the public can play and vote for their favourite new games designed by the gaming stars of the future. The 2007 Dare to be Digital winners fired up their game, 'Bear Go Olympics', using the PufferSphere as a screen on which to play and view the game. The game and the unique screen went down a storm with digitally-daring youngsters from across the country, and looked pretty darn smart in the process to boot.
Do you Dare to be Digital?
Viva La Puffers June-July 2008
The PufferTeam are finally returning to regular sleep patterns after two more-than-productive-16-hour-a-day months
that saw us design, develop, build, test and successfully deliver six custom-built road-touring 'Magic Balls'
for the World Tour of Coldplay's new Number One UK and US album 'Viva la Vida'....
Chris Martin's excited: "It's like a light show you've never seen before", "they're the most magic balls since John Lee Hooker had about 50 kids."
Read the blog review of their first, free gig at The Modern Age: special thanks to Miss Modernage for her lovely photos!
See fan pics here and XL Video and Green Hippo
Raimon Land, 'The Lofts Southshore' Launch Party, Pattaya, Thailand May 2008
Pufferfish and Orbit Design teamed with top Thai luxury property developer Raimon Land, delivering a
slickly branded digital sphere of influence for the launch of their new Pattaya properties.
After taking centre stage at the launch party for The Lofts Southshore, the PufferSphere was then used to show footage shot earlier in the day aboard Raimon Land's sponsored yacht in the Top of the Gulf Regatta. The yacht sailed brilliantly
to win the royally sponsored 'HM The King's Platu Coronation Cup' and the PufferSphere was no less impressive, with Raimon Land proud to become the first Thai owners of a PufferSphere!
The PufferSphere is now stationed permanently in Bangkok where it will take pride of place in the impressive glass facade of the marketing suite at The River, Raimon Land’s landmark development in the heart of the Thai capital. However, thanks to its highly portable nature, the PufferSphere will be able to accompany Raimon Land to events and presentations across Thailand, spreading the spherical goodness far and wide!
You might see it if you visit Thailand, it's a beautiful place.
Google Zeitgeist Europe May 2008
Were you among the great and the good that attended the 2008 Google Zeitgeist Europe Gala Dinner, as well as hob-nobbing with Gordon Brown and others you'd have witnessed the appearance of some of YouTube's most viewed performers, not only live in person, but also live on spherical TV. With two PufferSpheres in orbit above the crowd and the performers, live video feeds of the action were run through a Green Hippo Hippotizer. With a little Puffermagic, the artists and entertainers added their first performance on the spherical screen to the millions they have already clocked up online.
In the intervals between performances, the PufferSpheres transformed into giant goldfish bowls, starring our two pet goldfish, who shall remain unnamed for legal reasons.
See our video here
You can see more of the whole day-long event via YouTube, though as these videos are made up of the footage that was being shot for display on the PufferSpheres, the PufferSpheres themselves are not visible.
Standard Life Investments Cocktail Party May 2008
Pufferfish got all aboard with the wonderful people at Night Train Productions to create two stunning spherical focal points for Standard Life Investments' lavish Annual Cocktail Party at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. As well as supplying and suspending the PufferSphere hardware, Pufferfish also designed a bespoke motion graphics package for display on all screens, spherical and non. The content used colours specially selected from Standard Life Investments' brand-palate and incorporated animated images and 3D models of the company's various properties and premises.
Keep an eye out for our video of the event, as well as a sneaky peak at the flat-screen showreel, both coming soon!
National Oceanography Centre, March 2008
Pufferfish dusted off their buckets and spades, piled in to the Puffervan and headed for the balmy climes of the south coast and the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton.
The NOC's annual Ocean and Earth Day offers the public a chance to meet those at the forefront of oceanographic research, explore the various technology involved in gathering oceanographic data and, most importantly, develop their understanding of how the changes ongoing in the world's ocean affect us all on dry land.
The PufferSphere was used to display the complex datasets developed by Dr Andrew Coward in an engaging and easily understood manner. Allowing visitors and researchers alike to see the models played out around a glowing 2m digital globe, the tactile PufferSphere brought the data to life in such a way that young and old, experts and novices could better grasp the processes at work under the surface of our blue planet.
Watch the Video
TPI Awards, February 2008 Pufferfish teamed up with Green Hippo and a host of AV wonderkids to set the stage for the TPI Awards. Simon Amstell took the helm as the production industry slipped into their penguin suits and took a night off (for once) for a bit of well-deserved back slapping amid the grandiose surroundings of the Grosvenor, Park Lane.
Finnish Live TV Odyssey, January 2008
Pufferfish put on their woolliest socks, dusted off their novelty Moomin undercrackers and set out for Helsinki Finland to bring a touch of spherical sparkle to the Finnish 'Golden TV' Kultainen TV Awards. Hippotizer supremo and general AV god Johan West was on hand, along with Finland's foremost lighting designer Mikki Kunttu, and between them they set the event space alight using a whole sack of AV goodness, garnished with a couple of well placed PufferSpheres. A live TV first for Pufferfish, and not without its challenges, but a whole heap of Hippo-driven fun with Mikki, Johan and, via the magical medium of live TV, the entire Finnish nation. Golden TV it most certainly was.
Why not visit Finland?
Sweden Rocks! January 2008
Pufferfish return from Stockholm waving little Swedish flags and extolling the virtues of the Hippotizer following a night of Nordic notoriety at Rock Bjornen, Sweden's national music awards.
Pufferfish supplied two PufferSpheres, which were flown from motorised truss-work in the VIP back stage area. Content was supplied to both displays via a single Green Hippo Hippotizer media server. During the pre-ceremony reception the PufferSpheres were lowered to eye level above two large rotating circular buffet tables, providing uber-cool spherical branding whilst a veritable smorgasbord of Swedish celebrities and pop-icons nibbled in anticipation.
Post ceremony, with the awards being grasped tightly in the sweaty palms of their proud new owners, the reception area transformed into nightclub mode. The PufferSpheres were raised to make way for what must have been one of the best-looking dance floors ever known to man and, whilst the Hippotizer pumped fresh and funky disco-ball style content around them, the Swedish pop-princesses and rock-bears underneath partied long and hard into the Stockholm dawn.
Visit Sweden we loved it!
New Partner, November 2007
Pufferfish are delighted to announce a new partnership with Green Hippo, a thoroughly brilliant bunch of like-minds, intent on delivering stunning, user-friendly AV solutions through their Hippotizer Media Servers, the world's defacto choice for realtime video playback.
By developing a free 'Pufferizer' plug-in, Green Hippo have opened up a second route to spherical content production, allowing for realtime 'spherising' of any type of content, in addition to our existing pre-rendering option. The Hippotizer offers up to four separate live video feeds, syncing with all AV industry protocols, and many advanced VJ solutions. The Pufferizer plug-in completes Pufferfish's content offering, providing total flexibility in the development and integration of all types of media. With this in mind, Pufferfish recommend the Hippotizer as their preferred realtime solution, allowing users to create awesome spherical displays at the click of a button.