038 REPORT
PROJECT JEAN-MICHEL JARRE
Company: Coherent Location: Monte Carlo, Monaco
The international performer and recording artist Jean-Michel Jarre has, for a long time, used lasers as part of his multi-media live performances of synthesised music and synchronised visual effects. His recent outdoor concert in Monaco was one of his most spectacular and complex yet. It combined over 300W of total laser power, a massive LED-based video screen, fireworks, a light cannon, and a version of the laser harp, first made famous by Jarre. The performance was a key part of the public celebrations for the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco, a close friend of Jarre, and was free for all residents of Monaco. Additionally, the international repu- tation and huge fan base of this unique and famously innovative artist, who has sold over 80 million recordings worldwide, helped draw an estimated total television audience of between two and three billion viewers. The concert itself included a combination of Jarre favourites, as well as several new pieces written specially for the occasion, including ‘Wedding March’ and ‘Vintage’. The show was performed on a large (almost 100 metre wide) stage in the harbour of the tiny principality, where laser engines were located on a floating cement platform that is normally used as a support area for the annual Formula One car race. The entire show, including the laser effects, was choreographed by Jarre, together with the well known Lighting Designer, Ignace D’haeze. The laser effects were supplied by LaserImage, a leader in laser light show technology for over 20 years, and a company that has worked with Jarre for over three years. Virtually all (90%) of the total laser power was generated by Coherent’s Taipan line of solid state visible lasers. In addition to providing a full palette of laser wavelengths to support Jarre’s preference for full colour laser effects, Taipan lasers also provide up to 100kHz direct modulation, which simplifies the downstream optics used to switch and direct the beams. And, just as important, Taipan lasers deliver the superior beam quality and collimation (highly parallel beam) necessary for the long projection distance involved. The lasers were approximately 300 metres from the stage and the nearest audience members. In a high profile show like this, Taipan’s most important characteristic proved to be their rugged, proven reliability, particularly in harsh outdoor operating conditions. In fact, in supporting over 70 shows for Jarre, often using tens of lasers, LaserImage
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has never experienced a single Taipan laser failure. In Monaco, in particular, the lasers’ exceptional reliability was completely validated by the harsh operating condi- tions leading up to the high profile concert. First of all, floating in the harbour meant that the lasers were continuously exposed to salt air. And second, they were subjected to huge diurnal changes in ambient temperature and humidity with the sun beating down on the laser housings for several hours each day. As if this were not enough of an environmental challenge, there was also a thunderstorm to contend with which occurred on the Wednes- day afternoon, two days before the actual performance. This prevented any of the other lighting effects being put through scheduled tests on the Wednesday evening, except for the lasers, which were all working perfectly in spite of this potential weather catastrophe. This high profile show, which lasted over two hours, utilised full colour laser effects due to LaserImage’s combined use of red, yellow, green and blue lasers. Most of the laser show took the form of beam effects, where the use of thin smoke enables the entire light beam to glow brightly along its path over the stage. The movement and number of the beams were synchronised to the music and other visual effects. The famous laser harp used two 20W green lasers and a Prolight Laser Harp Con- troller to form a pattern of nine vertical beams on the stage. These were played by Jarre by inserting his hands in the beams, analogous to a real harp, with each beam creating a different tone from a midi synthesiser. The midi parameters and the shape of the harp were controlled and changed in real time by Jarre using a foot-operated control unit. And while all of the laser show (except the harp) was full colour, it was also entirely ‘green’, having only a modest carbon footprint. That is because of the high electri- cal to optical conversion efficiency of the optically pumped semiconductor laser (OPSL) technology used in Taipan lasers. The laser effects including the harp totaled just over 300W of laser power.
www.coherent.com /
www.laser-harp.com /
www.prolight.hr
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