By Glenn Chee

WHEN Johnny Yap and Anne Chiang felt that the audio-visual market in Singapore was in need of a new product that would give customers a greater freedom of expression, 'goo' literally fell into their laps. The duo were approached by Canadian company, Goo Systems, to supply Screen Goo for the region.

Developed in 2000 by principal company Goo Systems, Screen Goo products are specially formulated, colour corrected, liquid video screen coatings that allow users to transform any smooth, paintable surface into a high performance projection screen. The products have been used for a multitude of applications, from home theatres to large scale commercial installations.

Realising that Screen Goo could completely revolutionise the viewing experience for audiences, Mr Yap and Ms Chiang quickly established Goo Central last August as the sole distributor of Screen Goo for Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brunei. They are also in talks with the principal to distribute for India and other countries in the region.

The beauty of the product, explains Mr Yap, is its flexibility. Screen Goo has properties similar to paint and can be applied onto surfaces like typical concrete walls, to sheets of metal or glass. And unlike LCD, plasma, and projection screens, which are typically rectangular and flat, Screen Goo can turn surfaces of any size, shape, and curvature into a screen.

Applying the liquid is as simple as painting a wall, surfaces can be coated by rolling or spraying on coats of Screen Goo that reflect and diffuse light. Screen Goo brings out the depth, colours, detail and dimensionality of projections to display a picture quality similar to that of a high definition LCD screen.

Mr Yap should know, having been in the audio-visual scene for about 11 years. He and Ms Chiang are also directors of Global Quest Pte Ltd, which provides audio-visual system integrations for businesses.

Observing that the audio-visual market was becoming rather saturated, Ms Chiang explained: 'We felt that we needed something different and unique, where the entry barrier was quite high.'

In the nine months following its inception, Goo Central has already supplied Screen Goo to a few home theatres, a church, a polytechnic, and a theme park, generating a revenue of about $80,000.

One of the biggest sales seen by the company was to Universal Studios Singapore. The theme park needed to build a 12 metre by 50 metre screen for one of its indoor rides and found Screen Goo to be the most suitable. The project required about 100 litres of Screen Goo.

Goo Central also supplied the material to Singapore Polytechnic for a flight simulator screen. Screen Goo was used for the screen because the polytechnic needed a means to provide students with an experience as close to reality as possible.

The projection on the screen would have to mimic the view from an aeroplane's cockpit. To enable this, the screen has to be concave and oval in shape. Screen Goo was the only material that fit the requirements. Another plus point was Screen Goo's ability to support high-definition projections, which would enhance the experience of trainee pilots.

Although Screen Goo has been used in large projects locally and internationally - it was used in the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony - the affordability of Screen Goo also makes it suitable for projects which are a little more humble. The Catholic Church of Saint Bernadette currently has two screens coated with Screen Goo; these are used for slide presentations during church services.

For home theatre aficionados, Goo Central even provides do-it-yourself Goo Kits with all the equipment - such as Screen Goo, roller-paintbrush, paint-tray, needed to coat a 130 inch diagonal screen and border. Kits cost about $400.

The main challenge for the company is low awareness. While it gets its share of public customers, Goo Central wants to focus on business-to-business sales. Mr Yap explains that the company currently relies on word of mouth and their existing partners in the audio-visual industry to push sales, they have also set up an e-commerce website (www.goocentral.net) to make things easier for customers. He says that Screen Goo will give them the opportunity to collaborate with various clients, such as projector manufacturers, polytechnics, the military, theme parks, museums, retail and shopping malls, MRT stations, exhibitors, - a list that's as adaptable as the product.

Following the 3D hype, Goo Central is also planning to bring in a coating that allows for 3D projections. Mr Yap assures that the coating can also be used to support 2D projections.

Ms Chiang says that experience in the industry and being part of an audio-visual company gives Goo Central its competitive edge. 'Customers want to work with somebody who they can talk to on various levels, not just equipment, but also installation and application, somebody who can take the client from beginning to end.'