Obscura Digital Explained

Obscura Digital is a creative studio located in historic Pier 70 in the Dogpatch District of San Francisco, California.[1]

Combining innovative technology with creative expression, Obscura designs and develops immersive, interactive digital art installations and experiences around the world. Obscura works with Fortune 100 companies, cultural dignitaries, and global foundations to communicate transformative messages using original content for emerging technologies.[2] Obscura specializes in custom video content, large scale interactive displays, architectural installations, kinetic sculpture, stage shows, and projection mapping that turns nearly any surface into a video screen.[3]

Obscura is best known for first-of-its-kind, large-scale projection mapping events on St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican[4] and the Empire State Building in 2015, in conjunction with the film Racing Extinction. The Empire State Building project was named Modern Met's Top 15 Most Remarkable Art Installations and (combined with the Vatican event) achieved 5.4 billion media impressions globally.[5] Other notable events include projecting an 8-minute program entitled "Chrysalis" in the world's largest geodesic projection dome (at 120 feet diameter) for Coachella; projecting real-time election results, maps, images of seminal moments in American history, and photos from the campaign trail on the south façade of the Empire State Building during CNN's 2016 election night coverage; and projecting seminal images from Harper's Bazaar on the north façade of the Empire State Building celebrating Harper's' 150th anniversary.

Other notable work includes permanent installations such as the LiveFX Board at AT&T Stadium in Dallas,[6] the 52-foot RFID-triggered wall at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta,[7] and the immersive LED wall in the Salesforce office building lobby at 50 Fremont Street in San Francisco.[8]

History

Travis Threlkel, Chris Lejeune, Leo Raderman founded the company in July 2000, and assembled a small team to work out of a South of Market warehouse,[9] with Threlkel overseeing creative, technology, Lejeune overseeing Design and Production, and Raderman as Chairman. In 2002, Patrick Connolly joined Obscura as the company's CEO and was instrumental in growing the business in its early years. Threlkel continued as Chief Creative Officer, Chris Lejeune as COO and Raderman as Chairman. In 2009, Chris Lejeune became CEO and together with Travis Threlkel elevated the scale of the company to the World class visionary company Obscura is known as. Chris Lejeune Successfully managed the company through Acquisition by Madison Square Garden Company in November 2017. At the Time of Sale to MSG Obscura employed a team of over 70 artists, technologists, builders, and strategists, working in three main categories: live events, installations, and experimental technologies with tangible prototypes.[10]

Key projects and collaborations

Temporary installations and projection events:

Permanent installations and interactive walls:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: iwamotoscott.com. Iwamotoscott Architecture.
  2. Web site: Obscura Digital. 14 September 2013. SEGD - The Society for Experiential Graphic Design.
  3. Web site: Obscura Digital Case Study. Adobe.
  4. Web site: Obscura Digital's High Def Projections. July 2008. Fast Company.
  5. Web site: Most Remarkable Art Installations of 2015. 2 December 2020. My Modern Met.
  6. Web site: AT&T Stadium Empowers Fans with Responsive Technology. The Marketing Arm.
  7. Web site: College Football Hall of Fame Media Wall Highlights Latest Technological Innovations. Medialon.
  8. Web site: Salesforce Lobby Becomes a Water Wonderland. 6 May 2016. CBS News.
  9. Web site: You Are Surrounded By Obscura. 10 June 2002. Variety.
  10. News: MSG Makes First Outright Acquisition With Entertainment Tech Firm Obscura. Brown. Michael. 2017-11-25. TheStreet. 2017-11-30. en-US.
  11. Web site: The Antarctic, Powered by HP. Coachella.com.
  12. Web site: Celebrity Bazaar Covers Empire State Building. Harper's Bazaar. 20 April 2017.
  13. News: Trevor Paglen Sees Artistry in 'Machine Vision'. 7 January 2017. San Francisco Chronicle.
  14. Web site: Qasr al Hosn Fort Festival. Obscura Digital.
  15. Web site: Sneak Peek at High Tech Attractions at Super Bowl Pier 70 Concert Venue. 4 February 2016. KRON4 News.
  16. Web site: Visa Lights Skyline with Rich Digital Experience. Visa.
  17. Web site: Be a Model Man Representation Project. Refinery 29.
  18. News: 2015 Paris Climate Talks. 18 December 2015. New York Times.
  19. News: Illuminating the Plight of Endangered Species at the Empire State Building. 30 July 2015. New York Times. Roston. Tom.
  20. Web site: NASA Education Express Message. https://web.archive.org/web/20161105095026/https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationexpress/2016/10/06/nasa-education-express-message-oct-6-2016/. dead. 2016-11-05. NASA.
  21. Web site: UNESCO Lights Up Its Paris Headquarters with a Message of Peace. 16 November 2015. Fast Company.
  22. Web site: Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well Tour. Live Design Online.
  23. Web site: SF City Hall to be a Living Piece of Public Art. 11 June 2015. SFGate.
  24. Web site: Groundbreaking Interactive Visualization Technologies Ignite Live Acts on a Global Stage. PR Newswire.
  25. Web site: Illuminations Extinction Species Louie Psihoyos. Ecowatch.
  26. Web site: A Projector-Equipped Tesla is Taking Environmentalism to the Streets. The Creators Project. Vice.
  27. Web site: Transformations. Cargo Collective.
  28. Obscura Digital's Massive Projection Series Turns San Francisco's Exploratorium Into a Technicolor Canvas. WIRED. Sterling. Bruce.
  29. Web site: Abu Dhabi. 19 December 2011. Derivative.
  30. Web site: Nike Hyper Elite Platinum. Tomorrow Awards.
  31. Web site: Sydney Opera House. Derivative.
  32. Web site: This is So Cool: 125 Years of Coca-Cola. Screach.com.
  33. Web site: Facebook Networks Become a Living Light Show. 28 October 2011. Fast Company Design. Fast Company.
  34. Web site: YouTube Play. Obscura Digital.
  35. Web site: Li Ka-shing introduces the "Thriver" OS with empathy as its kernel. CKH.com. CK Hutchison Holdings Limited.
  36. Web site: With Its New Tech Hub Bloomberg Shows Startups How It's Done. SEDG.org.
  37. Web site: Take a City Tour of Dubai – Inside a Projection Theatre Ball. The National.
  38. Web site: UNESCO Anniversary Projection Show. 16 November 2015. Livescience.
  39. Web site: Obscura Digital and Steelblue Provide Virtual View Visualization Tools to Aid Sales. June 2015. RealityBiz News.
  40. Web site: Diageo Johnnie Walker Blue Label Gallery. Obscura Digital.
  41. Web site: AmCup. Iwamotoscott Architecture.
  42. Web site: Westfield's Illuminique Under the Dome by Obscura Digital. Mapping Around.
  43. Web site: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Media Wall. Cargo Collective.
  44. Web site: Bus Stop Wizard Video Games and Interactive Digital Signage. 6 March 2011. Digital Signage Today.

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