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Christie makes leading projections at Vietnamese theme park and Queen Mary University, London

Four D20WU-HS lasers help to deliver spectacular visuals and water effects at Dam Sen Theme Park, Ho Chi Minh City, whilst two Crimson HD31 projectors boost the brightness of one of the largest rear projection systems in Europe, installed at Queen Mary University of London

Christie HS Series 1DLP laser projectors are helping to deliver spectacular visuals and water effects, including large-scale water screen projections, at a new nightly lake show at the picturesque Dam Sen Park in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Four D20WU-HS projectors were deployed for the water screen projections, double-stacked and fitted in a waterproofed, air-conditioned control room built directly across the performance area.

Jointly presented by Dam Sen Theme Park and Christie’s trusted partner Alta Media, the night-time spectacular features an advanced lighting system comprising lasers, interactive water screen projections and a dancing fountain spanning 100 metres in length. The Alta Media team’s primary challenge was to accurately calibrate the images on water screens that are located 200 meters away from the control room.

Visitors enjoy an exciting combination of twirling water jets, complemented by a fire performance and an aerial firework display over an energetic soundtrack. This is the first interactive water screen project in Vietnam that showcases an innovative ‘photo booth’ function, where selfie photos taken on-site can be displayed on the water screen during the performance.

“We are delighted to be involved in this major project that seeks to promote Dam Sen Theme Park as the latest and trendiest night tourism destination in Ho Chi Minh City,” said Hoang Tu, chief technology officer, Alta Media. “As the systems integrator and digital content provider for this new outdoor show, we have pulled out all the stops and deployed various AV technologies, such as state-of-the-art laser projections, to deliver a highly immersive and enjoyable experience.”

Noting that the quality and reliability of the projections are most critical to the success of this night-time extravaganza, Tu said the team had shortlisted several projector models for assessment before deciding on the Christie HS Series. “We needed a high-brightness and cost-effective projection system that not only excels in colour accuracy, but also has a small form factor and is easy to install,” he explained. “The Christie D20WU-HS, with an output of 20,600 lumens and Christie BoldColor Technology, that accurately reproduces colourful images without sacrificing brightness, ticks all the boxes and emerged as our preferred choice in terms of both quality and budget,”

Michael Bosworth, executive vice president, Enterprise, Christie added: “We are pleased that Alta Media has chosen the Christie HS Series to power the water screens for this large-scale outdoor spectacular at Dam Sen Park. This demonstrates the high performance, dependability and versatility of our 1DLP laser projectors, which are increasingly embraced by customers around the world and used in numerous applications to deliver highly realistic and entertaining experiences.”

Meanwhile, in the UK, Christie has collaborated with Reflex and Audio Visual Material (AVM) to increase the brightness of one of the largest rear projection systems in Europe, installed at Queen Mary University of London. Two Christie Crimson HD laser projectors have been installed for the 12m by 6m (39 ft x 19.5 ft) rear projection screen in The Great Hall, an 800-seat space, boosting display brightness by around 33%.

Raj Dattani, senior technical design engineer at Reflex led the installation and chose to work again with the AVM and Christie teams seven years after the initial installation. “We have gone from two 10K projectors, 4 lamps, and regular maintenance checks to triple the brightness and no maintenance with laser,” he said. Additionally, a switch to AV over IP distribution means just one cable to the projector, giving users and clients huge flexibility.

Queen Mary University is a leading Russel Group university, with more than 25,000 students where the hall is also rented to corporate clients. The university wanted to keep the same 3DLP® quality but with the maintenance advantages offered by laser projection technology.

“The Christie Crimson HD31 projectors offer both,” said Mick Perrone, key account manager at AVM. “And with BoldColor Technology for rich and vibrant colours, they offer enhanced colour performance and saturation over standard laser phosphor projectors. Since there are no more lamps to change, we don’t need to schedule return visits to the site as they are virtually maintenance free. There were other features to consider such as having a comprehensive suite of lenses, being fully omnidirectional, and equipped with blend and warp software.”

The installation was challenging, partly due to the sheer size of the projection screen and the limitations of where the projectors could be positioned. “We wanted to make sure the whole screen was filled and make the most of it,” Perrone explained. “And while the specification of the projectors and lenses were appropriate on paper, the position of the installation pushed them right to their limits of their zoom and lens shift capability.  To ensure they worked correctly in situ, before getting design approval, AVM tested the products off-site. This was a crucial element that contributed to the success of the project.”

The relationship between the three AV companies goes back more than a decade, and Dattani was keen to continue with such a well-proven team. AVM supplied the complete display solution and carried out the pre-design acceptance tests. Visual Displays rebuilt the projection rigs – located at the rear of the stage – for the larger and more powerful projectors. The unusual circumstances of Covid-19 necessitated socially distanced surveys, design discussions, and installation.

Queen Mary University is very pleased with the results. Henrik Brogger, Head of IT Service Delivery, commented: “Thank you to the team at Reflex for helping make the upgrade of our prestigious space by far fit for the future! I can’t wait to see a lecture in the hall with that magnificent projection.”

Dattani added: ‘’The proof is always in the pudding as they say and this particular project was no exception, the results are there for all to see. Great effort all round!”

Queen Mary University of London images courtesy of Clive Reygers, Reflex