MadMapper 101: Projection Mapping for Immersive Environments
Learn projection mapping from the ground up and transform walls, objects, fabric, and architecture into living surfaces for light and motion.
Projection mapping has become one of the most accessible entry points into immersive art, transforming walls, objects, fabric, and architecture into living surfaces for light and motion. MadMapper is an industry-standard tool for this work, used by artists, VJs, event designers, and studios worldwide to map video onto physical space.
This four-week evening course teaches MadMapper from the ground up from a beginner-friendly, installation-focused perspective. Participants will learn the fundamentals of the interface, creating and warping surfaces, masking, and output configuration, then progress to building cued scenes, working with shaders and generators, binding visuals to audio and MIDI/OSC controllers, and multi-projector workflows using Syphon.
Each session pairs instruction with hands-on studio time. Students will work in pairs with shared projectors, mapping real surfaces from day one. By the end of the course, participants will design and perform a complete projection-mapped scene using their own or provided media, leaving with the technical foundation to create site-specific projection work for galleries, events, performances, and installations.
This course focuses on projection and media workflows; it does not cover lighting control or DMX.
Course Logistics
Dates:
Wednesdays, September 30 – October 21, 2026
(Four sessions: September 30 + October 7, 14 + 21)
Times:
6 – 9 PM
Location:
In person at Gray Area
2665 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Cost:
$480
Experience Level:
Beginner
Scholarships:
Diversity Scholarships are available.
Apply by September 15, 2026 for a scholarship.
Prerequisites
No prior experience with MadMapper or projection mapping is required. Basic computer literacy, including installing software and managing files and folders, is expected.
Familiarity with media software such as video editing tools, VJ software, TouchDesigner, or Resolume is helpful but not necessary.
What to Bring
- A Mac or PC laptop meeting MadMapper’s system requirements
- MadMapper installed before the first session. The free demo version is sufficient for the course. It runs with a watermark and does not save projects across sessions; students who want to preserve work between classes may purchase a personal license, but this is not required.
- A laptop video output adapter, such as USB-C to HDMI, if your machine does not have a full-size HDMI port
- Optionally, your own media files or MIDI controller for Sessions 3–4
What’s Provided
- Projectors, one per pair
- Projection surfaces and objects for mapping exercises
- Sample media library, including video loops and textures
- Starter project files
- HDMI cables and adapters as backup
Additional Information
- No refunds or exchanges
- View our FAQ here
- Contact [email protected] with any questions
What You’ll Learn
By the end of this course, participants will:
- Navigate the MadMapper interface confidently, including surfaces, projectors, media management, and output configuration
- Create, warp, and mask surfaces to map media onto physical objects and architecture
- Build scenes and cue lists, and perform smooth transitions for live or installation contexts
- Use shaders and generators to create visual material directly within MadMapper
- Bind audio input, beat detection, and MIDI/OSC controllers to visual parameters for reactive, performable visuals
- Understand Syphon workflows and multi-projector fundamentals
- Design, map, and perform a complete projection scene using their own media
- Leave with a repeatable workflow for site-specific projection work, from media preparation through show archiving
Course Outline
Week 1: Interface, Surfaces & Output
- Interface tour: project tabs, surfaces, projectors, audio player, surface inspector, and importing media
- Creating surfaces and surface shapes
- Adjusting texture coordinates and basic masking
- Output configuration, including connecting to a projector, resolution, and display settings
- Activity: First projection onto a surface
Week 2: Warping, Scenes & Show Flow
- Mesh warping and advanced masking
- Building scenes and cue lists
- Scene transitions and timecode basics
- Activity: Build and perform a simple cued sequence
Week 3: Shaders, Audio & Controls
- Shaders and generators overview
- Audio input, beat detection, and binding audio to parameters
- MIDI/OSC introduction and controller mapping
- Activity: Bind a controller or audio to a live scene
Week 4: Media & Output
- Sourcing and working with media files
- Applying and layering effects
- Syphon and multi-projector basics
- Exporting and archiving
- Activity: Map a complete scene using your own or provided media
About the Technologies
MadMapper is professional video mapping software used to map video, images, and generative content onto physical surfaces using projectors. It is widely used in installation art, stage design, VJing, architectural projection, and events.
The course also introduces Syphon, a macOS frame-sharing technology for sending video between applications, as well as MIDI and OSC protocols for controller-based interaction.
MadMapper is developed by GarageCube. Learn more about MadMapper.
About Sieanele Ponce
Sieanele Ponce (she/her), also known as ecdysis.exp, is a Filipina installation artist and experience designer based in the Bay Area. She builds immersive, multisensory environments using projection, light, textiles, and sensor-responsive elements, creating site-specific installations that explore transformation, perception, and collective ritual.
Her work draws on her background in psychological and brain sciences, treating environments as active participants in how people feel, connect, and make meaning. She has created installations and experiences for Gray Area, Parameter Festival, and Bituin Studio, and her work was featured in Gray Area’s Local Memory Showcase (2026) and Earthseed Remnants at ARTogether (2026).
Working primarily with MadMapper, she is especially interested in making projection mapping accessible as a tool for atmosphere, storytelling, and presence. She holds a B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences from UC Santa Barbara.
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