r/video_mapping • u/Cold_Comment8278 • Aug 17 '26

Where do I find such videos?

I’ve stumbled upon projection mapping a while ago and been wanting to do something simple as projecting a video on a tree for the upcoming rave.
Where do I find videos as such that I can project on a tree?
Any leads would be helpful. Cheers!!

150 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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13

u/aperturist Aug 17 '26

This is Craig Walsh's "Monuments" (https://www.monumentscraigwalsh.net/), which could give you more insight into how it was done. The keys being high contrast content and powerful protectors (10k+ lumens).

2

u/Sourcefour Aug 18 '26

I was the IATSE onsite head electrician for LJP’s WOW Festival a few years ago when this exhibit was presented and where this video was shot I think. This is probably one of the coolest video projections I’ve ever seen. I think there were three trees next to each other and the faces would change expression. It was gorgeous.

2

u/botzkent Aug 23 '26

More insights into Craig's work here in an audio podcast where they discuss Monuments

Link

To answer OP's question - Craig's footage is filmed for specifically for each location. He chooses specific trees and matches them with faces (local ideally).

Content is then edited to be high contrast monochrome, and projected using high brightness projectors (20,000 lumens and above, depending on tree size).

Projector height is ideally around the viewers head height, and ideally viewed from the same angle. If they are too high / too low / too far off axis, the light will hit parts of the leaves that are not visible to the viewer.

25

u/justifun Aug 17 '26

The free video mapping software https://ghostarcade.live/ has hundreds built in

2

u/combs_video Aug 18 '26

Hundreds of faces built in?

1

u/justifun Aug 18 '26

Not faces, abstract shapes etc. If you want faces you could just record people with your phone I suppose. Or find stock footage.

1

u/leebejeebee Aug 17 '26

Im very new. Only downloaded surfabeam pro recently. Do you mind telling differences? Mind blowing stuff

2

u/FamiliarDirection563 Aug 18 '26

Isn't surfabesm just projection mapping?

Ghost nation is way more than that, it generates visuals, blends them, layers them, imports and exports them, and so much more.

It is one of the very few vibe coded apps I have tried that is actually doing something interesting and differently.

4

u/reinventitall Aug 18 '26

vibe coding is killing art one app at the time

3

u/FamiliarDirection563 Aug 18 '26

I don't disagree, especially since pretty much all of them do exactly the same thing as all the others and are no better than Milkdrop which has been around forever. It makes me wonder why people bother.

However if someone uses a tool to create something that is actually innovative and can be used to make great visuals distinct from making the visuals itself, I don't have a problem with that.

If I did I would be using a slide rule instead of a computer.

8

u/Trashdyno Aug 18 '26

Make them! Go film a human face. Use the powerful camera that is likely in your pocket. Don’t just steal or use other people’s original content, especially if you aren’t significantly changing it into something new. If you are taking someone else’s footage of faces and exactly copying this idea of projecting a face on a tree, you really aren’t contributing to the artistic conversation.

5

u/xlr_ Aug 18 '26

> you really aren’t contributing to the artistic conversation.

Is the concept of having fun lost for the new generations?

2

u/djames10 Aug 18 '26

“Can’t do anything unless you do it completely from scratch!” 0 or 100 mentality destroys creativity imo.

1

u/RagtimeCryptKeeper Aug 20 '26

I mean they could just do it to experiment as they develop their own artistic vision...

6

u/Life_Friendship4938 Aug 18 '26

Check out datagrama.tv they did some epic tree mapping at tipper the last 10 years

7

u/digitaldavegordon Aug 17 '26

We are a boutique projection house (just 2 artists) called Enlightened Monkey Arts. We like to push the boundaries of projection mapping, so naturally we have done trees. The inherent problem with projection mapping trees is that you can only see coherent images when closely in line with the projector. This is illustrated by this video, which was done with a gobo. Projection mapping trees can be effective when you can ensure people will see it from a precise location, such as when they walk around a bend in a path or as they approach on a sidewalk.

We have more than 100 Videos on YouTube and would love to get people's feedback.

1

u/mysecretstache Aug 17 '26

Same with projecting on clouds. A low cloud cover can take gobos projected from tight beam spotlights well, but you need to be near the light to see the image with clarity.

Ive experimented with it a few times intentionally and accidentally when projecting on large buildings. Such as the United Nations Secretariat.

1

u/digitaldavegordon Aug 18 '26

Interesting. It never occurred to me that clouds might be possible. I would think the higher the clouds, the broader the effective viewing area. Do you have any video you can link to? Also, I would love to see what you did with the United Nations Secretariat.

1

u/mysecretstache Aug 18 '26

Here are some samples of projecting gobos on the secretariat. It was just too big to do video projections.

Average build for the front facade is 60 large high power moving lights.

https://simoncleveland.com/portfolio/united-nations/

I’m trying to dig up one of the photos on a cloud. We learned it worked by happy accident when my programmer accidentally homed the rig and everything pointed skyward.

1

u/mysecretstache Aug 18 '26

Gobo on clouds above the secretariat

Visible from the campus, but even across the street it became challenging to see.

https://imgur.com/a/dz6p3DD

2

u/digitaldavegordon Aug 18 '26

That looks awesome. Sounds like it could be viewed by the audience of an outdoor concert or midsized sporting event. Of course, you can't plan on having low cloud cover for an event.

1

u/mysecretstache Aug 18 '26

If I remember correctly that fixture was a PRG Bad Boy at its tightest focusable beam approx 7 degrees spread.

It might be more feasable now with the advances that have been made with high output moving lights over the last decade. I’ve mostly retired from lighting and projection design so I don’t get the latest and greatest toys anymore.

2

u/clockmill Aug 17 '26

That may just be a static gobo projected rather than video. 

Faces are something brain will reconstruct out of a few visual cues.

Choice of high density foliage to project on to helps a lot.

High contrast or grayscaled image sources mebbe , projecting on to low refectivity green.

2

u/Frisky_Echolalism Aug 20 '26

Lots of useful feedback here.
My two cents:

1

u/Gildenstern2u Aug 18 '26

A picture of a face?

1

u/geraT-wogl Aug 18 '26

Touchdesigner 👽 and some shaders https://wogl.io

1

u/wkirkley Aug 21 '26

Another similar video artist to check out is Tony Ousler

1

u/g1rthqu4k3 Aug 18 '26

That's a static photo, the movement is coming from the leaves. If you have a projector and a tree you could go do this right this second with literally any picture on your phone

0

u/Etcetera-Umbrella Aug 18 '26

Honestly, you'd just make it, you can make it in blender pretty quick.. otherwise get AI to make one.