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Christie helps Puy du Fou turn history into a spectacle
October 24, 2019
TOLEDO, Spain - A total of 28 laser projectors from the Christie® HS Series is behind ‘El Sueño de Toledo (The Dream of Toledo)’, the greatest show ever staged in Spain. This is the first spectacle by Puy du Fou España, the new historical theme park currently under construction in Toledo, which is scheduled to open to the public in spring 2021. The park is previewing El Sueño de Toledo for local audiences and the night time show brings over 1,500 years of Spanish history and culture to life. It can be seen until October 26, 2019 and then again from April 8, 2020.
Rigged in three towers with most in landscape mode and the rest in portrait, the projectors bring to life the buildings, walls, bridges, churches, windmills, rivers, trees and stones making up the set that includes 1,400 square meters of projection area plus water screens on the five-hectare stage. Completed in under eight months, it serves as the backdrop for the appearance of Reccared I, Alfonso VI, Alfonso X the Wise, Al Ma’mun, Isabella of Castile, and historical characters including Christopher Columbus, Emperor Charles V, and Miguel de Cervantes.
Lasting 75 minutes and designed for an audience of 4000 people, the show is full of performances, dancing and battle scenes with special effects, music, lighting, projections, water screens, and fireworks. Powered by 800 light projectors, 60 water dispersers, and 28 Christie video projectors, the show unfolds over a five-hectare space with a series of stage settings featuring ancient walls, a bridge and a Mudejar-style church recalling Toledo.
Puy du Fou is a long-standing Christie client: “Since 2009, Christie has been one of our main suppliers and at the current moment we have over 100 of the brand’s projectors, including models from the J Series, Boxer, GS and now, also, the HS Series,” says Olivier Girard, technical director, Puy du Fou España. “The choice was a foregone conclusion because our relationship with Christie is very solid and rewarding. We were also swayed by the fact that Christie has an office in Madrid – just one hour from Toledo – which offers us technical support at all times, thus guaranteeing us its unparalleled level of service.”
Girard said they chose the HS Series because they are using the same projectors successfully in the Puy du Fou France shows ‘Le Mystère de La Perouse’ and ‘Le Premier Royaume’ – winner of the Best Show of the Year at IAAPA Expo.
“We would particularly like to highlight the brightness and the stability of the light from the HS Series projectors over time, as well as the high color fidelity ensured by the Christie BoldColor technology built into the projectors, which is really crucial for the success of the show,” adds Girard.
WHATSIT, a French company specialized in the development of large-scale shows and events, played a key role in the projection installation for El Sueño de Toledo. Baptiste Lassaigne, AV Consulting Manager at WHATSIT, said of the Christie projectors used at the show: “They are very compact high brightness machines with an amazing cost/lumens ratio. They also offer low heat emission, which in such a hot environment is a true thorn out of our side. And I would also underscore their low power consumption, which greatly simplifies installation as well as being ecologically beneficial.”
About WHATSIT
WHATSIT was born to support and set up any project related to video mapping. With long experience in the implementation of digital devices, WHATSIT offers consulting services that concern both the scenography and the latest technologies in digital light. Because such projects are at the crossover of many different crafts and skills, WHATSIT also develops systems that allow all these distinct technological and artistic disciplines to communicate effectively, to interact seamlessly, to design, implement and deliver a visual experience of the highest quality. Visit: http://whatsit.fr