The Projection Designer’s Toolkit

The Projection Designer’s Toolkit is an insider’s guide to the world of professional projection design, serving as a reference for the planning and execution of each step in the projection design process. The text addresses the design process within the context of a professional projection designer’s workflow, focusing on specific tools of the trade, best practices for communicating your design to collaborators, tips and tricks, determining budget, working with assistants, and more. Featuring interviews with some of the top names in the industry, the book offers an unprecedented insight into the professional projection designer’s process across a wide range of fields, from Broadway and regional theatre to corporate design and music touring. The book also includes in-depth discussion on production process, system design, cue and content planning, content design, digital media fundamentals, media servers, video equipment, and projection surfaces. Additionally, it features hundreds of full-color photos and examples of designer artifacts such as draftings, mock-ups, paperwork, cue sheets, and renderings. Filled with practical advice that will guide readers from landing their first job all the way through opening night and beyond, The Projection Designer’s Toolkit is the perfect resource for emerging projection designers and students in Digital Media Design and Projection Design courses.

Part 1: Understanding the Field 1. Projection Design for the Theatre 2. Production Personnel and Collaboration 3. Projection Design Personnel Part 2: Design and Production Workflow 4. Production Process Overview 5. Preliminary Design Steps 6. Communicating the Design 7. System Design 8. Cue and Content Planning 9. Content Design and Considerations 10. Digital Media as Content 11. Load-In through Opening Part 3: The Tools of the Trade 12. Video Systems and Components 13. Video Projectors and Emissive Displays 14. Projection Surfaces 15. Media Servers Part 4: Deliverables 16. Draftings, graphics, and Paperwork Part 5: Working Outside of the Theatre 17. Projection and Media Design in Other Sectors

Jeromy Hopgood is a scenic, lighting, and projection designer whose work has been seen in theatres across the US. In addition to his freelance work, he was one of the creators of the multidisciplinary Entertainment Design & Technology program at Eastern Michigan University, where he is a tenured Professor. Jeromy is a regular instructor at LDI in Las Vegas, as well as a long-time member of USITT and the current Vice-Commissioner for Education of the Digital Media Commission. As an expert in the field of show control and digital media, Jeromy teaches master classes across the country related to projection and sound design, system engineering, and the industry-standard QLab show control application.