FEAST FOR THE EYES: New LED Screens Enhance Barrett-Jackson Experience
February 28, 2023
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
One of the trademark components of the Scottsdale Auction is its size. The site itself has nearly one million square feet under cover, spanning nearly a mile in length. The auction arena itself is enormous, designed to hold thousands of people, with a giant American flag spanning 30 by 50 feet overhead. Now, just when you thought The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions couldn’t get any bigger or better, 108 feet of new LED screens have been added – the equivalent of a 10-story building turned on its side.
Clear, detailed and massive, the new LED screens provide as stunning a feast for the eyes, like you would find at any IMAX theater or high-tech sports arena. The top-quality screens have changed the entire dynamic of the auction, visually elevating the overall experience.
So how did a 10-story building’s worth of LED screens even fit into the arena? The two side screens flanking each side of the auction block, which typically show the current car being sold and the current bid, have been upgraded to 12-by-20-foot LED screens – that’s 40 feet with those two screens alone. On the left side of the block, adjacent to the side screen, a 6.5-by-12-foot screen was added where information on auctions were previously displayed. This new screen shows future auction dates, top sellers of the day, what recently sold and what Lots are coming up next. That brings the total up to 52 feet. Behind the auction block, an impressive 6.5-by-56-foot LED screen was added, bringing the total screen width to a glorious 108 feet.
“At Barrett-Jackson we have always been innovative,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “We talked about adding the screens for years and how they could be used to amplify our guest’s experience. This was the year, and the result has been an incredible transformation of the entire auction block.”
Of all the new screens added, the one behind the block itself changed the look the most. Onlookers were treated to dazzling dynamic backgrounds and, at times, details of the car on the block or a side profile photo of the vehicle being sold. The screen was also used to display graphics that enlarged what the audience could see or indicate when milestone bids were placed. The atmosphere was positively electric when bidding on the 2023 Scottsdale Auction’s top seller, a 1989 Ferrari F40, escalated and the screens lit up with “$2,000,000 is bid!” But the bidding didn’t stop there – the final sale of the F40 came in at $2.75 million.
To create the graphics, Tim Heit, Barrett-Jackson’s digital media wizard, used layers to be able to change different elements of what was being displayed. One of the challenges he encountered with the screens was keeping everything in its proper proportion so that none of the images were skewed. While the 56-foot width was really no problem, getting the graphics to fit the 6.5-foot height of the screen took skill and imagination.
Before the start of the auction each day, Heit was able to simulate a “fly-by” video following the national anthem. The fly-by featured the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angel flight squadron, which started at the far left screen and made its way across all 108 feet, leaving contrails in its wake, as the deep bass from Barrett-Jackson’s high-quality sound system shook the arena for a truly immersive experience.
As with many modern-day marvels, the screens were built to travel. After their time behind the auction block in Scottsdale, the screens were carefully packed and made ready for transport to Florida for the next event. To see these new LED screens in action, join Barrett-Jackson at the 2023 Palm Beach Auction, April 13-15 at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
