Quince Imaging Breaks Through Dimensions
By Nick Forrester
The New Jersey Devils are looking to break through dimensions. Literally.
Even though the Devils have struggled on the ice recently, and with things not looking any more promising this season, New Jersey is implementing a new type of fan experience — a full-rink 3D projection video during introductions. The Devils are the first team in the NHL to include the system, designed by Quince Imaging, but the idea of these full-introduction videos is quickly spreading, especially across indoor sporting venues.
Quince Imaging creates 3D effects to traditional game introductions by providing a system that accommodates multi-level redundancy, remote monitoring and integration with existing arena control and display technologies on the basketball court or ice rink, as opposed to just the normal scoreboard video. By putting the 3D video on the arena of play, the company creates the illusion of basketball floors moving, shaking, or ice breaking apart, or, in the case of the Devils, changing from fire to ice after the Devil skates over it.
“We specialize in content that really fools the eye,” Quince Imaging CFO/COO Scott Williams told the CUNY Sports Report in a phone interview. “We’re using forced perspective and graphic imagery, so we can display some of those illusions.”
Quince Imaging has designed high-tech videos for roughly 30 years, but Williams said that a couple years ago, his company felt that sports arenas could use the same type of 3-D technology.
“Every seat in a sports arena is focused on that court and that’s part of the compelling nature of this,” Williams said. “So to be able to do something right there is extremely important and more impactful than the norm. The team’s focus is the media playbacks, all the high visuals because they know their players and their fans, we know the technology, so we concentrate more on the visual effects, we knit it all together and go from there.”
Williams started in the video production technology business at an early age. Since then, he has done several high-profile events, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Aside from the Devils, the group has also done videos for the NHL’s Calgary Flames, as well as the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings.
In addition to their intro video being designed by Quince Imaging, the Cavs are the first team to implement discreet full court real time tracking of individual players. The system is currently set up to track the Cavs starting lineup while interacting in real-time with the court projection system, which is also run by the imaging company.
But with this technology, Williams believes they are just starting to scratch at the surface. He added that Quince Imaging is looking at expanding to some outdoor venues, like professional football and baseball stadiums, but there are some operational challenges.
“In sports arenas, the lights can be shuddered instantly, and until outdoor football and baseball stadiums have shutterable or LED lighting, it’s not going to be as practical, even though it’s still doable,” Williams said. “But this will eventually be in every sports arena because it will have to be.”
