Wheeling and Healing

Cathi Dugger and her patients from the Shepherd Center, a 'catastrophic care' hospital, were on a typical outing when the stereo went out in their bus. The malfunction steered the conversation of the kids and teenagers onboard to how they would fix up their bus if given the opportunity.

Hoping to make their ideas a reality, Dugger, a physical therapist, approached the Steve Rayman Automotive Group, which donated a 40-ft city bus to the project. Dugger was then put in touch with Rob Winchester, owner of The Inhouse Productions, which would take on the exterior bus design as well as the output and installation of its graphics.

'The Shepherd Center,' explains Winchester, 'needed a concept and images that would translate well on a large scale, without looking like an advertisement or a city bus.' Nor did they want the bus to noticeably look like a vehicle for the disabled. After reviewing several themes, they decided on a fire concept that would have a rock-star tour bus quality.

Production

Winchester used a 7.2-Mpxl Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10 digital camera to take pictures of flames, then used Photoshop 'to tweak the flames a little here and there' to accommodate the space he was working with. He supplied the Shepherd Center with proofs of the graphics using a Roland SolJet Pro II XC-540 and printing onto Oracal OraJet 3951 wrapping film. One final proof was output at a reduced scale in order to show the full design, while a 29 x 96-in. sample print was produced to scale.

For final output, Inhouse again turned to its Roland XC-540, generating 780 sq ft on the same media with EcoSol Max inks. The bus wrap was printed in 46 sections, each 50-in. wide; printing took a total of 18 hr. The graphics were finished with Oracal OraGuard 290 Premium Cast laminating film using Inhouse's 60-in. Pro-Lam laminator, taking 6 hr. Winchester, with assistance from an Inhouse employee, installed the graphics, which was completed in 48 hr. Meanwhile, R&R Mobility Vans and Lifts worked on the interior of the bus, making it accessible for patients and installing donated electronics, such as a stereo system, flat-screen TV, PlayStation 2, and even a disco ball.

Comment
'The flames had to consume the bus,' says Winchester. 'We were able to do this while still staying true to the natural shape of the flames.'

Client
Shepherd Center, Atlanta, GA

The Players
The Inhouse Productions, Marietta, GA (www.theinhouse.com); R&R Mobility Vans and Lifts, Conyers, GA; Steve Rayman Automotive Group, GA.

Tools & Supplies
Roland SolJet Pro II XC-540, 60-in. Pro-Lam laminator with heat assist, Oracal OraJet 3951 film, Oracal OraGuard 290 Premium Cast PVC laminating film, Roland EcoSol Max inks.