Enhancing the Magical Experience: Midtown Video's Collaboration with Camp

Midtown Video, a renowned audiovisual integration company based in Miami, embarked on an exciting project in collaboration with Camp. This SoundTube Entertainment® case study explores their journey in creating immersive and interactive experiences for children at Camp's family experience company, with a particular focus on the Little Mermaid-themed installation.

Background::

In 2014, Midtown Video's journey with Camp began when Josh Wright, who was the Director of IT for Quirky at the time, was researching integrators that could help with live streaming, especially on the Newtek Tricaster. Through this exploration, he discovered Midtown Video, laying the foundation for their partnership. Ben Kaufman, founder of Camp, later brought Josh on board as the Director of IT for Camp, extending the relationship to this new venture.

The Collaboration:

Camp's unique concept aimed to revive playfulness in toy stores, filling the void left by the Toys R Us bankruptcy. When customers enter a Camp location through the "Canteen," they encounter a typical toy store, complete with shelves stocked with cool toys and sometimes even a milkshake shop. However, what truly sets Camp apart is the "Magic Door," a giant bookshelf that opens into a transformative tunnel, leading to a theme-park-like experience.
The first theme was the Summer Camp Experience complete with canoes, a radio lab, a dance floor, and all the other camping traditions. Themes have included Cosmic Camp, Cooking Camp, Sports Camp, and now a string of partnerships have enabled Mickey & Friends, Paw Patrol, the Little Mermaid, Encanto, Trolls, Bluey, and more.

Challenges and Solutions:

One of the most significant challenges faced by Midtown Video was the need to rebuild each store with every new theme. To address this issue, Camp and Midtown Video decided to standardize their installations, beginning with the Atlanta store. This standardization involved creating a Unistrut grid, facilitating the easy mounting of lights, projectors, and speakers. Additionally, networked products were introduced to provide greater flexibility and ease of management.

With over 14 locations open and themes that rotate from city to city, the decision to abandon traditional 70-volt distributed audio for Dante®-enabled speakers was pivotal. Instead of moving speakers and rewiring for each theme change, the new setup allows for dynamic re-zoning of audio playback by plugging a speaker into any network jack in the Unistrut grid. This approach greatly streamlines the transition between themes and eliminates the need for extensive rewiring.

For example, the Mickey and Friends Experience launched at the Manhattan Store, then moved to Dallas. Then the Encanto Experience opened at the Manhattan store.

When Midtown Video finished the installation at the Tysons, VA location, the Encanto Experience moved to Tysons, and they installed the Trolls Experience at the Manhattan location.

Some CAMP locations include:

Manhattan (5th Ave and 16th St)
Columbus Circle Mall
SoNo (Norwalk, CT)
Paramus, NJ
Boston, MA
Los Angeles, CA
Dallas, TX
Atlanta, GA
Chicago, IL
Tysons, VA (DC area)

Midtown Video made several product choices to enhance the audiovisual experience at Camp. They utilized SoundTube’s STNet Dante®-enabled IP PoE speakers, which provided flexibility and allowed for individual addressing of the speakers. RDL's Dante-enabled Bluetooth and analog input wall plates were also incorporated, enabling easy Bluetooth connectivity in the activity rooms. Biamp and RDL's products, such as the Dante-enabled DSP and volume wall controllers, were used to ensure seamless audio control in each zone.

SoundTube’s STNet system is an IP-addressable speaker system with proprietary 40 watts PoE to each of its speakers. STNet operates on Dante-enabled platforms allowing seamless connectivity with hundreds of other devices. In the Camp stores, the IPD speakers connected to the Dante network via the SoundTube STNet Switch II which was set up centrally via software. This STNet configuration was ideal for the rapidly changing audio needs in the stores.

“I was introduced to SoundTube speakers at Art Basel in Miami in 2006. One of the displays used the Focal Point speakers which only came on when you are directly beneath them,” continued Jesse. “They stayed on my radar because Jerry Sahi of Quest Marketing does a great job repping the brand and kept them top of mind. When this application came up, I knew that SoundTube was what I needed. We used a mix of the IPD-RS62EZ 6.5” speakers with the IPD-RS52EZ 5.25” speakers at Camp.”

Some of Midtown Video's favorite gear in this job:

SoundTube STNet IP-enabled speakers and switches
Biamp DSP and Controllers
RDL Dante Wallplates
Panasonic Wireless Mics
Audio Technica Wireless Mics
Gator Cases
Mackie Mixer
Middle Atlantic Rack
LEA Amplifier
Chief Projector Mounts
Lumo Play Interactive Projection Software

Results and Feedback:

The Little Mermaid-themed installation at Camp's toy store, coinciding with the movie's release, was a resounding success. The immersive experience captivated children, and Midtown Video's meticulous attention to detail and reliable audiovisual setup contributed to the project's triumph. Minimal post-installation adjustments were needed, reinforcing the effectiveness of the implemented system. Midtown Video plans to replicate the same system in two more Camp stores later this year.