Digital Projection Highlite Laser II sets the course at Hengdian Studios

The integrator project:syntropy has used 16 projectors Digital Projection Highlite Laser II and software BY Stumpfl Pixera to take the visitor to a new dimension within the 'Flying Theatre' attraction.

At the beginning of the years 90, Hengdian Group acquired a large tract of agricultural land in central Zhejiang (China). The objective was to build a large film studio and, later, add attractions to turn it into a theme park that recreates thousands of years of Chinese history and culture. Currently, Hengdian World Studios It is known as the largest film studio in the world, with more than 370 hectares, and has received more than 150 million visitors since 2011.

With more than 1.200 movies and television shows filmed at its facilities, including the live-action remake of Mulan in 2020, the studio has continued to share Chinese culture with the world. Film crews can rent available scenes for free, thanks to the theme park's attractions that provide the constant flow of tourism that fills the venue every year.

Hengdian World Studios always seeks to continue innovating and expanding for the 20 millions of tourists who visit it every year. In his last bet, Visitors immerse themselves in the so-called 'Flying Theatre' (Flying Theatre’), installed within the decoration of the Qin Palace.

The German integrator, project: syntropy, worked on the concept and system design for the theater, including delivery, local installation and maintenance. Taking advantage of its experience of more than a decade in the world of training and flight simulation, developed a new generation of flight experiences.

“The theater is a mix between a theme park attraction and a cinema”, explica Christoph Bode, project technology director: syntropy. “Riders are suspended in ride seats in front of a domed screen of 25 metros. These wobble and move as if the users were in the movie, creating a fully immersive experience”.

The projection equipment for this venue was a vital component to the theater. The projection had to be impeccable, with visitors directly in front of you at all times. Project: syntropy chose 16 projectors Highlite Laser II of Digital Projection for attraction.

“We needed a projector that could deliver cutting-edge visual output without the need for frequent maintenance.. The Highlite Laser met all our requirements”, explains Bode.

Con 13.000 lumens, This projector delivers visual performance packed with sharp, impactful colors with dynamic contrast of 10.000:1. With its solid state lighting system, The projector does not require lamp replacement in its most 20.000 hours of lighting life, further reducing total cost of ownership.

“The visual result is magnificent, with impressive uniformity for full 4K screen master playback. Brightness values ​​were vital for the size of the dome and the Highlite met them with ease”, Bode adds.. “We also needed a company that was close, that would allow technicians to be on site within a day, and Digital Projection China could provide it”.

Lars Steffens, project projection expert:syntropy, explains how the projectors and calibration cameras were installed around the dome screen opening, which guarantees full coverage of the visuals.

The dome's visuals are supported by a sophisticated surround sound system of more than 20 channels located behind the screen, which ensures that users are immersed in a totally different world.

“We calibrate the projectors with the camera-based system from domeprojection.com, which is done in less than 20 minutes for 16 projectors, which is important for the nature of the attraction”, says engineer Juliane Neumann, who performed the initial calibration of the system and established the automated procedures.

Projectors can be controlled and calibrated using media control interface software Pixera the AV Stumpfl. Thanks to its easy-to-use interface, allows any park employee to manage the system without having much experience in projection or calibration.