Hippity Hoppity (Light and Projection Show)

Dumbo is hands down one of the best animated films of all time. It was made when Disney was facing a disaster: Pinocchio and Fantasia had flopped at the box office, and it was the little story about a misfit elephant that saved the studio from bankruptcy.

There is one scene that stands out the most, and it is when Dumbo and the mouse get drunk by accident and start hallucinating. This installation is, in a way, a tribute to the scene that used to terrify me as a child.

Things you will need:

- 12 wood panels (6 = 35x35 cm, 6 = 26x26 cm)

- 2 LED Strips (60 LEDS each)

- Paper (Poster) Panels

- Arduino Uno + USB cable (Type A to B)

- Wires

- 400 ohm resistor

- Super Glue

- Tape

- Scissors

- Wire cutters

- Soldering Iron + Soldering Wire

- Copper tape

- 5 (9V) batteries or a battery with ~45 V

- Projector (Optional: Tripod)

- Optional: Speakers

- Laptop

Software:

1. Processing 3 & 2 (Syphon doesn't work with Processing 3)

2. Arduino

3. Movie Editing Software (iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Sony Vegas, etc)

4. Projection Mapping Software (HeavyM, VPT7, MadMapper, TouchDesigner)

+ Imagination :)

Step 1: Step 1: Make Your Boxes

If you want different dimensions, go to Boxmaker

My box dimensions are:

24 cm x 24 cm

33 cm x 33 cm

Laser cut the boxes, and then glue everything together.

Optional: spray paint the boxes with white, even though the boxes are already pale coloured enough for projections.

Step 2: Step 2: Prepare Your Panel With LED Lights

I cut up my LED strips to make 6 little ones (20 each) and made a tent like structure on the paper panels.

All strips need to be reconnected again. Use copper tape and soldering to connect them. (Make sure to not mix things up when soldering).

You don't have to cover them up with paper if you do not want to, I did it because I wanted the structure and all of the connections to be hidden.

Step 3: Step 3: Connect Your LED Strip(s) to Arduino

Connect your LED Strip to the Arduino Uno and connect your Arduino to your laptop/computer.

Upload the code I've attached below.

Schematics of the circuit are also included.

Step 4: Step 4: Attaching Everything

I would like to reuse everything that I have, thus I used tape to secure everything in place.

Attach the Arduino to the panel (I chose the back of the panel for the sake of aesthetics)

Tape the battery(ies) to the back of the big box.

Step 5: Step 5: This Is What You Should Have So Far.

Step 6: Step 6: Putting Everything Together

Now that your panels are ready, download these files to start the mapping process.

Upload your movie to the projection mapping software and position your image to fit one of the walls of the boxes.

Run your sketch and use Sypon option in the mapping software in order to modify/warp the image to fit other two walls of the boxes.

Those sketches will be running as long as your sketch is running in Processing.

Step 7: Step 7: Final Results

Here you go.

Now you have a fun/trippy installation dedicated to the one of the best animation films.