Crépusculaires / Twilight
Designed by Edouard Gregoire; production support by Gabriel Legrand; soundtrack by Edouard Gregoire; Finale3D simulation and Pyromac firing with ~5500 cues
Perfect summer conditions were the backdrop for this highly anticipated debut by the French team, especially given this would be the most complex setup of the competition this year. The capacity audience was rewarded with a display that was perfectly setup with every angle and position being correct and having the right product in the right place. It’s a testament to both the French and La Ronde crews for achieving this level of quality. I think I spotted only one wrong-shell-in-the-wrong-place in the entire display and not one single-shot error anywhere.
Every possible position the site offers was exploited and great artisanship was shown in the interplay between the different layers. With two scissor lifts and a cherry picker on ramp 2, extra potential was not only created but it was used in a creative and artistic manner. Sometimes these extra structures can either be overused or used in such a way that they’re difficult to distinguish between the normal positions from ramps 3 and 2, let alone ramp 4. Speaking of ramp 4, it’s often the case that this appears, to the audience, as just a larger centre firing position for ramp 3. ArtEventia were able to fully exploit the potential of ramp 4 and produce firing patterns (thanks to the two concentric circles of positions used) that were unique and visually different from the rest of the ramps.
The quality of the products used was very high indeed, with a fantastic range of colours and effects. Weather conditions were such that we had the least amount of smoke obscuring the display so this also lead to a feeling of more vibrant colours than some of the other entrants. Speaking of colour, I liked how there was a thematic use of colour in each of the sections, rather than just a mix. This also reinforced the artistic feeling of the display. The large calibre shells were also deplayed The soundtrack was well edited, but I found the narrative sections (which totalled almost a minute and a half) to be just a bit too long, especially given the interruptions the laser segments bring. Speaking of these, they were probably the best of the year so far and did serve to separate the three sub-elements of the theme. In general, the soundtrack was very well edited, but maybe the transition from the second laser segment to the following pyrotechnic segment was a little brusque.
Overall, this was a really excellent display and gave me the most “WOW” moments of any display so far this season. I enjoyed seeing the audience start to stand up after the faux finale – the pause before the real finale started was long enough to have caused confusion and was just right. The nautical shells at the end were great, but I would have liked to see other nautical effects at other points in the display. Skipping stars across the lake from ramp 5 worked very well indeed and I enjoyed the way the scissor lift and cherry picker were well integrated into the display’s canvas. Much of the soundtrack was unfamiliar to me, but I enjoyed all of it and think it must be a contender for the Soundtrack Jupiter this year. Minor criticisms would be maybe too many scenes with horsetails, though they were largely different types, and sometimes the opening to a segment (with a row of bengals or something similar) was a bit repetitive too. All that said, the standing ovation given to the team by the audience is indicative of the fact that this must be the Gold Jupiter winner this year.