The client wanted to present her guests with the best Oscars red carpet viewing party ever, and she wanted two huge screens to do the work.
Cantara explains: “The performance objectives for this design were simply to create something incredible, possibly ridiculous, meant for parties and television events. The dichotomy of performance vs. room aesthetics presented so many challenges to address.
While doing as much as possible to maintain proper viewing angles and distances, the other issues in this space became readily apparent. “The sound, somehow, needed to match the scale of the video system in boldness, yet not be seen, or interfere at all with the interior finishes, decorative elements or furniture. It had to be effortless to control, too – so that one could watch two independent sources, but only hear one — and then instantly merge both systems into a single audio and video experience.” Careful audio calibration was a must, given the hard, Art Deco surfaces, walls of glass, and furnishings.
The video had its own challenges – while the client wanted the biggest screens possible, the image would be absolutely blinding at these distances without careful adjustments that still preserved excellent pictures.
Cantara pulled off the installation of dual drop-down Barco projectors, screens, hidden speakers, and even a DJ-input wireless mic-and-music rig that had to integrate perfectly with all the other sound systems in this luxury LA apartment. CEDIA’s judges were taken with this project, also awarding it the 2020 CEDIA Award for Innovative Solution. Cantara’s work on the rest of this home earned CEDIA’s Highly Commended honors for Best Integrated Home, Level IV.
