Job Role: Workflow Specialist / Lead Disguise Programmer

Client: BAE Systems

Production Company: M-IS, 4Wall

Technical Company: QED Productions

Venue: Farnborough Airshow — 2024

At Farnborough International Airshow, M-IS unveiled a bold conceptual stand design for BAE Systems, with QED Productions and Toby McManus brought in by 4Wall to deliver the specialist projection mapping system at the stand’s core.

The installation features 12 projectors on a vast array screen forming the heart of the exhibition hall, paired with 14 projectors mapping onto a huge 3D model of the Tempest fighter jet. M-IS required the system to function as two independent interactive canvases, controllable via iPads, while also needing to be seamlessly synced into one single integrated experience.

An additional challenge, the array screen was mounted on motorised shutters, which opened and closed during presentations. This required content to track in real-time as the screen retracted. Toby designed the disguise workflow to handle these complex transitions, integrating Disguise, Qlab, Companion, and a custom iPad app into one reliable control system.

Weeks of pre-production with M-IS were dedicated to defining a workflow capable of pushing resolution limits while keeping GPU load stable, ensuring smooth crossfades and luma transitions across multiple layers without frame drop out. QED Productions collaborated closely with the rigging, lighting and set teams to ensure every department was aligned with one another.

System stability was reinforced by introducing lockout timers, preventing overexcited ushers or guests from crashing the show by rapidly switching between states. At key moments, the array screen synced with the Tempest projection model, supported by audio explaining the future defence technologies embedded within the aircraft

The installation became a focal point of the airshow, attracting international delegates from all six nations involved in the Tempest programme. Notably, Keir Starmer (UK Prime Minister) addressed the stand in a keynote speech on the future of defence and international alliances.

Software: AfterEffects, Cinema 4D, Blender, Substance Painter, Substance Designer, Photoshop, Disguise (d3), QLab, Companion, Python.