Digital Projection, a brand of Delta, is taking center stage with its paradigm-shifting Satellite Modular Laser System (MLS) in Le Mime et l’Étoile, a new theatrical spectacle that uses cutting-edge technology to transport audiences back to the Belle Époque at the famed French theme park Puy du Fou.

A celebration of the birth of cinema, Le Mime et l’Étoile (The Mime and the Star) puts the audience behind the camera, taking guests on a kaleidoscopic journey through the evolving art of filmmaking – from silent to talking pictures, and from black and white to colour – with a love story set against the backdrop of pre-war France. The 2,000 spectators present in the purpose-built auditorium are participants, seeing the film from the ‘inside’ as it progresses from era to era. The major challenge of this show is the stage, with its sets and actors instantly turning into black and white, transporting visitors into the story.

To create this illusion, Puy du Fou’s in-house technical team relies on a state-of-the-art AVL set-up featuring projection mapping, lighting and spatialised sound, synced in real time with the movements of the sets and characters on stage. The mainstays of this system are four Digital Projection Satellite MLS INSIGHT 4K laser projectors, installed discreetly at the back of the Le Mime et l’Étoile auditorium. The INSIGHT 4K projectors gave the in house technical team the ability to transition seamlessly between colour and black and white scenes, the lighting designer leveraging the superb colour accuracy and black levels offered by Digital Projection’s ColorMax™ technology to convey the transition from silent movies to modern cinema using precise video pixel mapping and subtle shades of ‘grey’ colour mixing.In Satellite MLS format, the INSIGHT 4K’s lightweight, virtually silent projector ‘head’ can be decoupled from a separate, completely hidden laser light source, allowing for ultra-bright images while minimising the physical impact of the projectors.

Part of Digital Projection’s flagship INSIGHT range, the INSIGHT 4K laser projector combines native 4K resolution with a light output of up to 40,000 ISO lumens and a contrast ratio of 2,000:1. In Satellite MLS format, the INSIGHT 4K’s lightweight (40kg), virtually silent projector ‘head’ can be decoupled from a separate, completely hidden laser light source (remotely installed up to 100m away), allowing for ultra-bright images while minimising the physical impact of the projectors. For the Puy du Fou technical team, the ability to easily disguise the projector infrastructure was key for the show. By minimizing the impact of modern technology on the historical narrative of the show, visitors can be enchanted by the experience without even noticing the technical prowess behind the show.

Puy du Fou is also impressed by the projectors’ reliability and durability, given the demands of Le Mime et l’Étoile, which is performed multiple times a day. “The projectors are used very heavily,” says a technical team representative. “Due to the thousands of people coming in, there is a lot of dust, and these projectors can stand up to that – plus they don’t run too hot, and the laser source is protected. This brings peace of mind as we know they will run smoothly for a very long time.”
Digital Projection, a brand of Delta, is taking centre stage with its paradigm-shifting Satellite Modular Laser System in Le Mime et l’Étoile.

Following the successful debut of Le Mime et l’Étoile, Digital Projection supplied a further nine projectors to Puy du Fou for another attraction, charting the fortunes of a French naval hero in the late 18th century, transporting audiences back to another era.