Situated on the edge of the UK’s Lake District, Muncaster Castle (that’s Muncaster not Munsters Castle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Munsters) is considered one of the most haunted buildings in the country. Halloween Week is the busiest time of year for the castle, and Dataton Watchout production and presentation software drive its exterior illuminations to add to the fright.
This year the Castle upgraded to version 5 of Watchout….Peter Frost-Pennington, managing director of Muncaster Castle, says, “Back in 2003 we decided to put in an exterior lighting scheme to enhance the air of mystery surrounding the venue. The towers of the Castle are an interesting backdrop. We started projecting a few images of skulls and ghosts created in Powerpoint and run by Windows Media Player. But we always knew we could do more. We’d seen the projections that were done as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee using Watchout, and we wanted that too.
“So in 2005 we invested in Watchout. We met with Steve Selwyn from Watchout Premium Partner Mirage Associates and he demonstrated what could be done using images from multiple computer sources. The result was a transformation. Suddenly we could have skeletons walking across the front of the Castle! The service and support from Mirage Associates over the years has been truly appreciated.”
“The projectors are in custom-made, weather-proof housings, and there is one computer for each tower of the Castle,” explains Selwyn. “Each show is on a 20-minute loop, synchronised with audio and lighting, and is shown to an audience of between 200 and 600 people each evening. It is a huge enhancement to the Castle’s visitor experience – especially in Halloween Week and also at Christmas, too.”
