99.96% of light absorbed. At this level of darkness, black is so black that it looks more like an abyss than a coat of paint. However, this is what the scientists of the American company Surrey NanoSystems achieved with their material called Vantablack.
Originally, this darker than black matter made up of carbon nanotubes tightly packed together was intended to be used on satellites. But this deepest black in the world has naturally also attracted the attention of artists and advertisers.
The Vantablack is so dark that our eyes and brains have trouble understanding what they are seeing. In particular, it gives the impression that a 3D object is flat. Since 2019, several projects have taken advantage of this illusion. BMW covered a car with Vantablack, French DJ Gesaffelstein performed a concert in front of a monolith using the material, etc.
All these projects have collaborated with Levitation 29 and Production Resources Group, two agencies responsible for find applications at Vantablack in the field of entertainment.
Soon more accessible
However, the problem with the material is that it is very fragile and is extremely expensive. Their latest find are therefore Vantablack tiles, about 65 by 130 centimeters, which can fit together like Lego.
Thereby, explains Fast Company, it is possible to create a wall, a ceiling or a cube in Vantablack while costing less than the complex painting process which was necessary until then.
According to Benjamin Males, the director of Levitation 29, the world of cinema has shown a keen interest in its technology, in particular in order to“Use or experiment with Vantablack to replace green screens”, used for special effects.
The technology could also be useful for non-digital special effects, cinema or theater. An example: since the material makes the perspectives imperceptible, an actor standing on a Vantablack box in front of a background of the same color would give the impression of floating in the void.
Males’ ambitions do not end there. “We are already painting the walls of cinemas black, […] if they were covered with Vantablack, you could completely suppress the perception of their presence. You can focus the audience’s attention entirely on the performance. ” It remains to be seen whether theaters and studios will judge that this technology will be worth its price, which has not yet been announced.
–
