Robe luminaries get involved in the dream of Puy du Fou in Toledo

For the staging, they have been used 74 BMFL WashBeam, which have been installed mainly on the sides of the stage with some in the front, while 20 MegaPointe have hidden in the hills, in the back.

The project of Puy du Fou, which began its journey in Toledo last year, continues to reveal more details of the technical systems that have been used.

The Immersive and Epic Night Show The Dream of Toledo has been creatively directed by Nicolás de Villiers and illuminated by Koert Vermeulen of the Belgian company ACTLD. The main luminaires used in the Koert specifications are robotic Robe, specifically they were installed 74 BMFL WashBeam y 20 MegaPointe.

As published in Digital AV Magazine, This show takes viewers on a journey., energetic and condensed, through history, from the reign of Recaredo in the 6th century to the arrival of the railways, passing through the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa and the discovery of the Americas along the way. A show in which they participate 185 actors and endless special effects are used to represent these 1500 years of history.

The stage is an outdoor space close to 125 meters wide and one hundred meters deep, with an inclination that leaves the back elevated. Set includes several permanent buildings and structures and a large lake. The action takes place on top, in front and behind the water. Nicolás explained the historical narrative to Koert and he created a lighting concept for the show, with the great cast following the special music composed by Nathan Stornetta.

“The essence of the show was similar to some of the ones we have created in the French park, so some of the fundamental principles and style had to show continuity. However, It's a great dramatic achievement.. Fresco, new and completely unique, which required a lot of attention to detail”, explica Koert.

One of the key requirements of Puy du Fou was that the show be elegant and refined, in addition to providing a lot of emotion. All this had to be accompanied with a sophisticated lighting setup., a stage mapped with projections and special effects.

With more than a thousand luminaires, las 75 BMFL WashBeam are in charge of doing the rough work, according to Koert, along with some LED wash luminaires. To play this role, they had to be noticed, even among all the action, and be a multifunctional tool.

Given the topography of the site and the fact that there was no overhead rigging for lighting, much of the light comes from the sides, with some fixtures backstage and others scattered at ground level, in addition to several footlights and other smaller hidden ones.

In 2016 when the project and its financing were initially confirmed, Koert tested several products in a competition to decide who would get the job. From this test, emerged as “clearly the best option” la BMFL WashBeam, especially at distances 40 a 100 metros, for those who needed something powerful. These models are located, mainly, on the sides of the stage with some in the front, while the MegaPointes are hidden in the hills behind.

MegaPointe project strongly into the night sky from behind fixtures, cutting the haze, the fog and the general natural atmosphere with its bright, stinging beam. They are mounted at different heights to give a variety of positions and some interesting angles.

With a show of this magnitude, lighting is a clever combination of creating atmosphere and many big statements; It also helps to bring out the details and complexities related to the story. Koert first worked on treatments for ambient lighting, and then on illuminating particular artists and the action.

Worked closely with the PDF video team and content creators, Cosmo AV, so that the lighting elements would harmoniously join with the video that was mapped in some of the buildings, which adds another layer of texture for the broader perspective. The BMFL frost effects options were very useful for combining lighting and projections..

Koert and his programming team, composed of Christopher Bolton and Luc de Climmer, They had three weeks on site to capture everything on the grandMA3 console. MA Lighting, but they only had one full week to schedule the lighting.

At the moment, the show is on its winter break and will return next April, so that thousands of viewers can enjoy it this year.