When you take an old dilapidated building that was “like a shell” and
now a “dramatic but not overdone” showplace, you’ve got Club Ember in
the Historic Colony District of Anaheim, California (opened June,
2008). The 6,000 sq. ft., two-story structure is home to a restaurant
on the second floor multiple VIP lounges, three full bars and a
DJ/dancing are.
While the club looks like it’s out of the golden age of Hollywood, its home to high video technology.
Getting Theatrical
The
main floor of the Club Ember has cabanas around the dance floor. One
of the Ember’s full service bars is in full view of the cabanas. The
bar, located in front of the club’s outdoor smoking patios, is where
three SANYO PLC-XU74 LCD video projectors are situated. The back wall
of the bar is triple-frosted glass and appears to be all video. (The
PLC-XU74 features a Black Board Mode which adjusts white balance and
gamma correction automatically to project an intelligible image onto
darker surfaces or where there is not a true projection screen.) This
glass is visible both inside and outside. The engineers here have
opted not to go HD with the content for the projections, because the
resolution on frosted glass would not improve much. The concept was
for adaptable eye candy, not a sports bar environment. Conceptually,
the owners wanted to provide simple operation and flexibility.
Take it up Stairs
The
upper level of the nightclub has a SANYO PLC-XU101 with 4,000 ANSI
lumens. This brightness is needed as a visual backdrop for the entire
room. The backdrop consists of 20” diagonal picture splashes across a
series of motorized Lutron window shades. This is an astounding effect.
Raising the Bar
The
SANYO projectors, teamed with other AV equipment, helps the club
management achieve a high level environmental effect. More
specifically, the overall goal was to create a “feel” with the video
and lighting that enhanced the look of the club without taking away
from it. SANYO helped to do it’s part in creating an environment that
provides the visual sensuality, intellectual interest and appropriate
focal points to high-function building locations like the back Club
Embers bars.