Carry-On Dynamic Billboard
In places like Los Angeles, billboards are dime-a-dozen. They've become another form of visual white-noise, fading into the expected and unremarkable portions of the skyline. In order to stand out in a sea of advertising, we integrated dynamic animated elements in the form of a flipboard and Christmas tree sculpture (made of suitcases with computer controlled lights). I focused on a special suitcase that stands out with neon edges that pulse with light, alluding to the importance of such a seemingly innocuous item.
For this dynamic billboard advertisement, I created the "hero" suitcase of the Christmas tree suitcase sculpture, and patched the various electrical and data cables of this sculpture to their respective drivers.
The hero suitcase uses addressable LEDs housed in a silicone sheath which serves to both diffuse the light for a smoother look and protect the LEDs from the elements (moisture, dust, and UV radiation). In order to attach the LED strip to the suitcase, I first drilled holes in the shell of the case on either side of the strip, then used galvanized steel wire to fasten the strip through the holes and into the interior of the suitcase. After all the wired had been secured, I put down waterproofing tape over the holes to prevent water intrusion and protect anyone opening the case from accidentally getting scraped by the wire ends (despite me folding the ends when I initially created the attachments).
The interior of the suitcase contained a project enclosure with the PSU, led driver board, and other equipment necessary to animate the LEDs, and the power cord and data line were fed out the back of the suitcase, with silicone then applied to help prevent water and dust intrusion. In the unlikely event that the suitcase did encounter water intrusion, the project enclosure utilized water-resistant glands and holes were drilled into the bottom of the case to allow water to drain rather than pool.
In the interior of the installation location, I set up various dmx controlled dimmers, networking equipment, and small computer with control software provided by Evan Gannon. The lights on the tree were patched in such a way that if two lights needed to share a channel that they'd be from opposite sides of the tree in order to avoid adjacent lights brightening and dimming at the same times as each other. Once all the lighting elements were connected and tested and confirmed to be working, they were set up to run on a timer so as to be considerate to the surrounding residents, and the cables were organized to allow for easier access in the event that any future troubleshooting is needed.
Throughout this project, it was a pleasure to work with Evan and the crew at ExtraCredit. For a project with such quick turnaround where it was necessary to get all the lights hooked up and tested in a day, the simplicity of the build really aided in finding the sweet spot. This came together at the intersection of visual interest and not over-complicating what is meant to be experienced in passing. Savvy advertisers will take note of how adding even a few curated dynamic elements can take a billboard from white noise to memorable moment.