My introduction

I’ve decided to work on a concept more and more developed by cities: Floodlighting monuments through video mapping

This type of spectacles is since a couple of years one of the biggest summer event for some cities with enormous cathedrals, significant places and unforgettable heritage that they wish to emphasize by lights and colors.

These old stone come to life in front of a crowd of curious people or history fanatics, filled with wonder.

These manifestations are not that recent, we’ve been practicing it for more than a century thanks to projections in trompe l’oeil style.

Moreover, with the infinity of possibilities given by new technology, this phenomenon has considerably developed for 5 years. The effects created are more and more complex and varied.

I will try with this blog, to wonder what are the stakes, in heritage, economy and culture, of this type of shows. Also how they influence the interest in historical monuments.

A technical challenge : recording with laser

These floodlighting projects need some specific computer program, high-performance to elaborate a show calculated to the split second. It also need high level equipment to project and a team with high qualifications

The first step consists in recording the all cathedral using a laser. This is a new way to transfer a huge monument or a volume, in its every detail, on a computer. That is to say the monument itself, its size (every side, in a longitudinal or transversal way, its floor plan…), its sculptural decoration (statues, gargoyles, gates...).

When it's done, technicians can work the monument on the computer, create an animation with images, etc...

To illustrate this new technology, I invite you to visit the following website : http://mappinggothic.org/

This website was created by Stephen Murray (Professor of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University) and Andrew Tallon (Assistant Professor of Art at Vassar College)

They realize that pictures are not enough to represent a space on a computer, especially a gothic one. They published on the website pictures with high quality but also 3D maps of the architectonical volume, panoramic views as if we were inside the monument.

Their aim is to develop a more appropriate way of representing the spaciousness of individual monuments, but also provide the user of the site with new ways to understand the relationship of hundreds of buildings.

We can make comparisons between monuments:  which one has the highest nave, the biggest floorplan...etc...

This is a very amazing website for both student and scholars.

A technical challenge : Other tools

On the computer, they use a tool called “mapping video” that allows image projections on a volume in 2D or 3D (it depends on what you want). The image is created on the computer and then, thanks to the laser recording, it is thrown on the monument.

Others, more traditional may be used, for example “gobos”, a word created from the English expression “Goes Before Optics”. It consists in cutting with laser a design on a metallic plate. This one will be placed on a spotlight guided by a technician.
The following video is an extract from the "son et lumiere" in Laon, in 2013 : we can easily see that there is a "gobo" in front of the spotlight, the design is a gargoyle, moving on the cathedral.

Mapping video may be used in combination with videos: Doing that will allow in the show elements form the real life (men, animals etc…), changed, modified before on computer and included in the show.

Once they did the work in the workshop and on the computer, spotlights must be placed in front of the monument and sometimes directly on it (to increase the effects). To do that they need to think about the length and width of the place in front of the monument in order to put the spotlight on the right position.

As an example, floodlighting is a show during about 20 or 30 minutes, thrown once or twice a night and two days a week. But, for only a few minutes, the work is enormous.

Several contents

Before realizing the show, the creators of these events have to decide what will be the content of the show, the main theme, according to the instructions of cities, tourist offices.

These choices are really important because they will create the image of the building seen by the public and influenced the way the visitor will see the monuments after.

• The first type of shows, very simple consists in projecting lights effects on the monument according or not to the architecture. The point is not to deliver a message, it’s purely visual, and the cathedral is the support, the excuse to make a show. 

The following video is an extract from the spectacle of Laon in 2010, we can only see the lights that changed the colors. The music is the famous music theme from the movie Requiem for a dream

• Sometimes they create a theme to the spectacle, linked to the story of the city:

In Rouen, in 2013 the theme was the impressionnists and Monet 

In the city of Laon, they've created a show linked to the story of the city and the fact that it was under the sea millions years ago.

Next, you'll find a link to the website of the company that has realized the show, they're called "Ondine Evénement" and they posted the video mapping of the son et lumière of 2013 : 

http://www.ondine-evenement.fr/

• In other cases there is a will to create a story with a narrative and coherent thread, with a beginning and an end. They sometimes add dialogs between characters or a narrator that can make the spectacle more real.
Next this is a short film that I've edited thanks to the video mapping of Laon's spectacle of 2011 and 2012, you'll see the main moments of the show. It was the story of the gargoyles of the cathedral that wanted to find back their colors and the ones of the cathedral. To do that they seek for flowers, a rainbow and even the moon.

• The most complicated type of show makes historical references and is linked to the past of the monument or the city.

This is an extract of the son et lumière in Rouen, that used the story of Jeanne D'arc, we can see the cathedral burning :

To do that they have to study the medieval iconography and polychromy, but, there isn’t always collaboration between researcher in architecture and creators of the show.

With these type of show the monument isn’t the excuse but the center of spectacle.

We can cote the city of Amiens that creats every year a show presenting the missing colors of the cathedral's portals, they used the remains of colors that we can see on the portals and present the real colors.

But, according to me the most amazing show presenting the story of the cathedral is the one of the city of Reims that present the construction of the monument by the builders. They filmed real people dancing as if they were putting the stones of the cathedral : this is the video of Reims' spectacle :

• The story can also be humoristic or didactic, to be closer to the young public.

But it must be done carefully because it can easily pervert the historical content.

The gargoyles dancing with fluorescent colors (on the left)

In the city of Nancy in 2013 (on the right), they used the Renaissance theme, with no direct link to the city. We can see the Joconde or the Man of Vitruve (absolutely no link with Nancy...).But the best part is intervention of the philosopher Érasme mixing sound as a DJ call Erasmus (Funny but no very historic...)


Sounds and music are important factors of the show. The makers can use a music that already exists, classic music or famous rock songs. Some other have decided to create music especially for the show (example of song to the moon singing by the gargoyle in Laon's show)

An old monument in the contemporary life : Emphasize the Heritage thanks to the show

These spectacles aim to emphasize the architectural heritage of a city in a very original and present way.

These are very entertaining and do not damage the monument. The lights are kept at a distance that can’t spoil the architecture so there is no problem with the center of national monuments whose aim is to protect heritage. They put their veto when a company wants to use fireworks that can be dangerous for the monument. I can quote the case of Laon, that used fireworks for the 2011 show but didn’t for the same show in 2012 because it was too much trouble with the center of national monuments.

Furthermore, these shows need to be done with the consent of the church that can give its approval or not when they see the project and the theme of the show. We can hardly imagine a projection of Satan or something against the Catholic Church thrown on the cathedral.

These sons et lumière can sometimes allow the discovery of architectural details (like the lines of construction, gargoyles, polychromies, stain-glasses…) to a public that didn’t even know they existed. It’s a new way to make them discover architecture and art, and it’s an amusing and didactic way

This following video is an extract from Reims's spectacle in 2013, we can see that the tecnicians presented all the lines of the cathedral thanks to the lights. It's as if the cathedral was built in front of our eyes.

An old monument in the contemporary life : To change the look on the monument

This way to emphasize the monument can also change the look of the public on churches and cathedrals.

Thanks to these shows visitors can see concretely that the churches and cathedrals were entirely covered with colors! I’m sure that most of the people, that had seen a show presenting the old colors of the cathedral, didn’t know that the cathedrals where recovered entirely, it’s quite unbelievable.

Thanks to the researchers we can recreate the real colors and show the real side of the cathedral.

The Son et lumière is a show for everybody, young and old, experts in history or art or not at all. It’s a convivial show, for family too and can be less boring than a book to learn history; indeed, the creators make a link between fairytale, imagination and history, in order to move every visitor. As an example of collaboration I will quote the project of the city of Rouen that asked children to draw something that will be thrown on the cathedral during the show.

It’s a way to prove that heritage belongs to everybody, not only experts in the matter and that these old stones can be part of the contemporary life. With these new technics the cathedral is brought closer to the public sometimes a bit skeptical towards architecture.

 

Nevertheless the city or the company that realizes the show need to be careful with the message they want to pass to the public because it’s the one they will remember. People that aren’t interested or specialized in art can’t know some details of history, or famous character like Erasme, transformed into DJ Erasmus in Nancy’s spectacle, or even that Monet was very fund of Rouen’s cathedral that’s why they presented its famous painting for the show.

According to me, they need to change a bit these shows, it needs collaborations between technicians and historians of arts in order to create a most coherent show and deliver a message more concrete. 

A type of publicity and a media technic : Economical results

These spectacles are not only planned with the aim of emphasizing heritage but also with the goal of promoting a new type of art, the “mapping video”. To be able to create this type of show is a chance for every small and new firm to be known and sign new contracts in the future.

Sons et lumière are most of the time linked with the cultural program of the city.

Some people, interested in culture will add to their visit and the show, the visit of exhibitions in the city or region. For example, in Nancy, the show isn’t linked with the story of the city but with the theme of a very big Renaissance festival with exhibitions, music, market etc…

here is the website of the event where you can see the all programm of the festival : http://www.renaissancenancy2013.com/

 

Restaurant and bars close to the event will see the number of tourists increase every night of the show, they can open a bit longer to cover the entire show. It’s the same for the car parks in the city: with the enormous number of visitors the amount of the takings will be quite satisfying.

The results here are indirect for the city and will allow it to invest in other show of that type.

A type of publicity and a media technic : Publicity to the city thanks to the media

These following videos from local news (France 2, France 3…), present different types of shows and explain the projects. This type of mediation will attract visitors or foreign tourist to visit the city.

The 1st one deals with Chartres: http://www.ina.fr/video/2399763001049

This video deals with a show in the city of Chartres: for the fourth time, they floodlight the main monuments.

Visitors can see some colors like blue, orange or purple, thrown on the frontage of the main monuments. Statues of the cathedral recovered their original colors for the astonishment of the visitors!

The comments are unanimous: “it’s beautiful”. And as every son et lumière it also presents the story of the city, and the history of art. Roland Hergault explains the projections of art: “everything that we see is an extract from a painting or details of a painting presented inside the museum”. And thanks to the video mapping these painting become alive!

It’s not only beautiful lights thrown on the 13 main monuments; it’s also their story, the history of Chartres that dazzled from April to September, more than one million visitors coming from the city or tourist.

The second video deals with the light show in Laon in 2013, it explains that the theme is linked to the history of the city. This is a video in French language, so I’ve decided to create the English subtitles to transcribe the video:

This third video deals with the city of Lyon and its annual fête des lumière. As for the video of Laon, I’ve created the English subtitles of the video :

A word of conclusion

It appears clearly at the end of this study that these son et lumière want to present the architecture thanks to modern means and be closer to the public.

Collaborations between cultural services and technicians well skilled in new technology give birth to events where dream and historical reality or sensibility and intellect, are linked to one another.

According to me, relations between researchers and technicians must be created, so that the spectacles will be even more linked to real history, but the shows must stay quite as they are, not too complicated and close to everyone, every ages.

Furthermore it is obvious that to create these shows a lot of money is needed and infrastructures in place must work with the project, so we’ll easily see theses spectacles in big cities with a high budget in culture and less in small cities. More and more we see that they ask sponsors for help, firms or private people.

But for the moment, there is no need to worry: only looking at the north of France we can count a lot of cities developing these projects, Amiens, Laon, Chartres, Rouen etc. and the number of visitors seems to increase year after year.

To go further

In England too we can found light shows, it was created by french people in the 1950’s but it’s not only a French thing anymore! 

I choose to speak about French examples, most of them situated in the north of France, because it’s something that I know and I’ve seen in reality! I don’t think I will be able to speak about English shows as well as French shows! 

              

But, to go further in my research and because we’re in an English class I had to speak at least about one English example.

I choose the one dated from the Olympic Games in 2012. The House of Parliaments received on its faces a spectacular light show presenting all the sports performed during the Olympics: swimming, running, tennis etc… 

We can see a nice mapping video: they explain the story of London, had thrown the flag Union jack all other the Parliament, also pictures of famous sportsmen…

http://www.london.gov.uk/media/mayor-press-releases/2012/07/olympics-inspired-images-projected-onto-houses-of-parliament

This article deals with the project of London’s mayor, Boris Johnson to create a show, during this event, documenting important sports moments and London’s Olympic heritage.

They explain that they wanted to show London’s heritage by presenting all the famous champions from 1908 to now, former champions to new names emerging.

They had thrown the show every evening during the Olympics and the Paralympics.

And because it's magic....

To end with magic and a funny moment I will show you a special "son et lumière" from an international place : Disneyland Paris!

This show with fireworks, water games, lights, musics is called Disney Dreams! They created this show to celebrate the parcs' birthday! It was thrown every nights from april the 1st in 2012.

The cost? 10 millions of euros!

For the winter season they created an other show, inspired by the new Disney movie "Frozen"!

This video that I've made shows one of the sequences of the "son et lumière", it deals with Aladdin and the Genie!