Managing Director of Visual Focus Toowoomba, Mr Ralph Atkinson was invited to join the 2018 Epson Projection Tour delegation to Japan.
The VIP delegation, guests of Epson Australia, included 14 audio-visual business owners from across Australia and 4 from New Zealand. Visual Focus was one of two Queensland companies selected to take part in the tour recognising the Toowoomba company’s expertise in large venue and theatre projector systems.
At Epson’s Matsumoto headquarters, Japanese executives shared their future strategy for the Epson projectors division with the delegation, showcasing their developing technology through demonstrations and holding open discussions with design engineers. Mr Atkinson said he was impressed with the projection technology in development finding a half day tour of Epson’s Matsumoto factory inspiring.
“I was particularly keen to take part in demonstrations of new Epson projection products yet to be released worldwide.”
“This insight into the future of product releases puts Visual Focus ahead of the game and will influence our business planning to stay at the forefront of new technologies.
Toowoomba and the Darling Downs is a key regional market for the Epson Projector range with installations of ultra short throw projectors in school classrooms and training facilities to the large venue L-series projectors used in community venues and theatres.
“Large venue projectors are being used in spectacular ways”, Mr Atkinson said.
“You only have to see what’s happening at Festivals like Sydney’s Vivid with building projection and projection mapping to see the way technology is influencing the arts and events.” Mr Atkinson said.
Mr Atkinson said that a number of Toowoomba businesses and events are working with large-scale projection.
Rowes Furniture in Russell Street is one of the first in Toowoomba to install a large scale projection mapping system. Animation artist John Rowe worked with Visual Focus to design and install a building projection system to present regular holiday themed animation for the public to view.
Visual Focus recently worked with Downlands College to install projectors for their school musical “Crazy for You”. The school created a series of projection mapped images projected onto their proscenium arch to cleverly transport the audience to various set locations in New York.
While the Empire Theatre is a regular user of Visual Focus’ stacked set of large venue projectors creating scenery backdrops up to 16 metres wide for various productions on their stage.
Visual Focus is supporting the inaugural LIT Festival, Stories in Light, that will present various projection artworks and large-scale images outdoors during the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
Images: Ralph Atkinson (6th from left in centre) with the Epson Projection Tour delegation to Japan, May 2018
Ralph Atkinson Managing Director suits up for the Epson factory tour in Matsumoto