Any suggestions how this could be done?

[Mark Suszko]

Well, it’s not impossible to make something like this in AfterEffects or Motion, using 2-D pieces made in a program like Photoshop or whatever, manipulating them in 3-d space to build up a projected image. Projecting it would probably use something like Stumpfl or Wings or whatever the hot current multiscreen display software is. That gets around the task of modeling it in a 3-d application first.

The hard part from my perspective would be getting the composition accurate in proportions for matching up the projection with any physical real world backdrop. To do that, I think you need very accurate scans of the projection site, from which to get the measurements for the modeling.

If I was just starting out and thinking of working in this niche, besides apprenticing or interning with someone already doing it, I’d practice by working on much smaller projects, things that would require only one or two projectors, and a target object or surface that was small and manageable. A car or van, maybe, and what’s good about that choice is, you can access pre-made 3-d models of many vehicles already for free or low cost, so a lot of that work is done and you can concentrate on the more fun parts…. Or perhaps work with a white foam core model of a stage play or ballet scene or an architectural model that was no bigger than 4×8 feet. Requires less space for the installation too, and makes moving it easier.

Once you’ve mastered working on this smaller scale, scaling up to things like the sample you showed would be relatively simple. Anyway, that’s what I think I’d do.