The team comprises of six full-time staff, four on-call staff and two artists. Each evening, they film live footage, process the images at light speed and project shadows. Tom, Head of Projections, explains what’s special about IRIS. “Other Cirque shows, such as LOVE, Mystère or KÀ, mainly project pre-recorded images. Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour and CRISS ANGEL Believe also use live clips. On IRIS, in addition to a few pre-recorded passages and real-time taping, we use infrared technology and projection mapping, which allow us to present the audience a full immersive experience!” The result — for the deconstructed images that enhance the hand-to-hand act, or the kaleidoscopic effect that highlights the contortionists’ performance — is stunning. In addition to accompanying some acts, projections are also used to provide the set with volume and relief.
In the first minutes of the show, the patterns on one of the stage curtains start moving during a big “charivari” act. The characters seem to come to life. The same is true for the “castelets” on each side of the stage — a wink here, a slight head movement there . . . Just enough to make you think your eyes are deceiving you.
The projections are much more than a decorative element — they are an actual character in the show. In the Filmstrip act, the artists record—in front of the audience — a short video clip, which is then projected repeatedly in the frames of a giant filmstrip, allowing them to interact . . . with themselves! “The projection reacts to the onstage action,” adds Tom, “and not the reverse, like many spectators think.”
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{ SOURCE: CirqueClub }
