IPS Implements Clever Visual Plan for Operation Mincemeat Première with Chauvet Professional

	Operation Mincemeat premiere at Curzon Cinema in Mayfair, London, United Kingdom

In the beginning of the final chapter of the Second World War, the allies devised a cunning operation to disguise what would become the 1943 invasion of Italy. The plan, which became known as "operation mincemeat," employed smoke and mirrors to deceive Nazi intelligence into thinking an attack on Greece was imminent, thus enabling a smoother route towards the liberation of the Italian peninsula.

Somehow, this gripping cloak and dagger tale managed to evade the Hollywood treatment until recently, when Ben Macintyre's book on the operation was transformed into a feature length film directed by John Madden. For the star-studded UK debut of the movie Operation Mincemeat at London's Curzon Cinema in Mayfair, local production specialist Impact Production Services (IPS) was enlisted to create an elegant red carpet reception.

In keeping with the storyline of the film, which involves the clever use of limited resources, IPS MD James Mason, along with client Limited Edition Event Design and lighting designer Richard Godin, were able to create grand looks that utilized the full power and performance features of their kit.

"We used 10 Chauvet Professional X4IP active LED panels for this event and they had no problem covering a pretty large area," says Mason. "Richard Godin, who operated the lighting from a Chamsys MQ80 console with two Art-Net nodes used to distribute data signals to the main lighting areas, did a magnificent job."

The canopy overhang of the cinema's 1960s functionalist entrance helped the design team endow the premiere event with a palpable air of excitement They positioned the X4IP panels on the canopy's ledge in a staggered arrangement so as to give an interesting, expanding visual effect, upon which vibrant video content could be displayed over the facade's entire length.

With each panel measuring in at 1,000mm tall by 500 mm wide, the team were able to integrate the rectangular shape of the panels into the overall visual aesthetic of the premiere, displaying moving vertical portraits of the main characters within the film across each individual LED panel. Additional graphic content with the film's logo gave a vibrant addition to the overall look of the display, with the 4.8mm pixel pitch of the F4IP panels allowing the high-resolution requirements of the client to be met.

Aiding the design team in this achievement were additional Chauvet Professional fixtures: 10 Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWashes, and four onAir Panels. The moving Rogue units were positioned on four horizontal truss structures that ran the length of the canopy between each individual LED panel. Positioned in the press area, the onAir Panels delivered camera-friendly soft light for the arrival of stars like Colin Firth and Kelly Macdonald.

"It felt good using our collective wits to create something like this," says Mason. Indeed, it was a display of clever thinking that even the most astute of The Allied commanders would have appreciated.