BladeZone's Off World Forums

What happens when a developer who is also a Blade Runner fan buys a building in Downtown LA? Why, he wants to put a huge video billboard on one of the sides of the building, that's what!

Sonny Astani, the developer and BR aficionado, intends to run "video art" and community announcements to break up the flow of ads.

clicky LA Times linky

Can't see the article without signing up, but I think I understand the story anyhow.

I think they're doing this in Hong Kong and Japan, but I could be incorrect.

It's really nasty, if you ask me. But then, I hate all outdoor advertising. We have some here in SF that are several stories high...but they are only billboards and not video ones.

Film prompts animated LA billboard
Published: Jan. 27, 2008 at 2:47 PM

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- An Iranian-born businessman says he wants to erect a 14-story animated billboard for a Los Angeles building after being inspired by the film "Blade Runner."

Businessman Sonny Astani said that after seeing the futuristic 1982 film years after its release, he was inspired to bring its looming cinematic advertisements to reality, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

That inspiration led Astani to a 33-story condominium project in downtown Los Angeles, where he wants to place his 14-story billboard on the sides of two buildings.

"My intent is to do something so unique that people will drive downtown to see it," Astani said of his plan. "It will make the building famous for the people who live there."

Astani's "Blade Runner" proposal is representative of a new marketing trend in Los Angeles focusing on large animated billboards, the Times said.

Such proposals have been met with some skepticism by local activists, who contend such intense billboards would only serve as major distractions capable of nearly blocking out the night sky.

© United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

Thanks for finding that, Kipple. I only pointed people to the Times because I saw the article in the dead-trees version on Sunday.

My thoughts exactly.

Good find guys!

Here is a new link to the LA Times article that might work (alternatively, google for "building on cinematic vision"). Interesting read, whereas the actual projection planned (see rendering) looks fairly small scale compared to the building's size I think.
Can't make my mind up whether I would like it if I lived near to it or hate it, but it's definitly intriguing to see a BR-like future becoming reality!

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-signs27jan27,1,353262.story?page=1&ctrack=1&cset=true

Dude, why is it that you can find things that me, a local, cannot? Your search skills astound me.

i admitm that wass silly enough to deseve a ban