
AJA KONA and Io 4K Help Color Casa Loma's Legends of Horror posted: 08/12/2016
Built in 1911, Toronto's sprawling Casa Loma is rumored to be haunted, making it the perfect setting for the haunted house experience Legends of Horror. The promenade theatre featured dressed sets augmented by fog, sound effects and animatronics, bringing the venue alive for this year's Halloween celebration; more than 70 actors representing iconic horror characters like Dracula and Frankenstein and 3D and laser projections took the experience to a whole new level. Production designer, independent VFX supervisor, colorist and editor Clark Graff lent his services to the project, including the creation of intricate 3D projections such as a plague ridden tunnel overrun by rats and dead bodies, a hellish fire, a demon possessed tree and more. AJA KONA 3G and Io 4K and were key in the creation of each projection.
I've used AJA products almost exclusively for more than 15 years because they're reliable, and this project was no exception; it's that simple, Graff shared. Reliability is worth more to me than anything. If gear breaks on a project like this, especially when it's live and time sensitive, you're up a creek without a paddle. With KONA 3G and Io 4K, I knew I'd be set.
From the start of the project, Graff realized that access to electricity would be limited From the start of the project, Graff realized that access to electricity would be limited throughout the grounds. He first walked the castle and surrounding gardens with his Creative Director script in hand to determine where each part of the story would take place, breaking it out into 20 different zones. Graff then built a power map to assess the required resources to service all the lighting and 3D projections for each zone, and set out to select, create and refine the projections.
Graff collected footage that served the story, mostly stock, in addition to projection mappings from Big Digital. Once approved, he previsualized each projection and colored it to fit a range of traditional and nontraditional surfaces - from plasma screens to mosquito netting, a tunnel, tree and more. AJA KONA 3G capture and playback cards were integral to the previsualization process, with two systems running Adobe Premiere and Assimilate Scratch . Using AJA's mobile Io 4K capture and output device via Thunderbolt 2, Graff was also able to preview 3D projections in UltraHD. The imagery was processed on a desktop system outfitted with AJA's KONA 3G, running Premiere and Scratch for greater stability and color fidelity while monitoring.
Once finalized, projections were fed through a range of projectors located throughout the castle and surrounding gardens - including the Barco HDX-W20 Flex (4), Casio XJ-UT10WN (8), Casio XJ-2600 (4), AAXA LED Android (24), AAXA M4 Mobile LED Projector (1), and OPTOMA ML750ST (5) - to eight plasma screens and other surfaces. Antari fog machines, 116 speakers, more than 300 lighting fixtures, actors and wicked costumes rounded out the experience.
About KONA
The AJA KONA family of capture, display and mastering solutions for SD, HD, 3G, Dual Link HD, 2K and 4K on a Mac or PC offers maximum connectivity like 3G/HD/SD SDI, component, and HDMI, along with the flexibility of AJAs superior conversion capability. From KONA IP to KONA 4, AJA's KONA cards provide unparalleled performance and reliability, and support a broad range of creative software.
About Io 4K
Io 4K is the next evolution of capture and output hardware offering a full set of professional video and audio connectivity with support for the latest 4K and UltraHD devices and High Frame Rate workflows. The power of Thunderbolt 2 enables Io 4K to handle a wide range of formats from SD to HD, Ultra HD and full 4K over both SDI and HDMI and support 4K frame rates up to 50p/60p.
About AJA Video Systems, Inc.
Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of video interface technologies, converters, digital video recording solutions and professional cameras, bringing high-quality, cost effective products to the professional, broadcast and postproduction markets. AJA products are designed and manufactured at our facilities in Grass Valley, California, and sold through an extensive sales channel of resellers and systems integrators around the world.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...