Proteus™ supports storytelling on stunning UAE 50th National Day Celebration

Lighting Designer Bruno Poet recently turned to Elation Professional’s Proteus™ line of IP65 luminaires to light the UAE’s 50th National Day Celebration, a breathtaking and technically demanding show that beautifully chronicled the country’s unique history and hopes for the future. The ambitious Golden Jubilee spectacular took place in the remote and harsh terrain of the Hajar Mountains and was both technically bold and emotionally touching. Artistic Director and Designer was Es Devlin who worked with LarMac PROJECTS, the Official UAE 50th Celebration Producer. LarMac enlisted a team of 650 personnel to bring Devlin’s vivid designs to life.

The vision, scale and spectacle of the Golden Jubilee show was nothing short of astounding. Centered on a giant rotating disc and sculpture floating in the waters of Hatta Dam. PRG provided around 1,000 lighting fixtures for the show, including Elation Proteus Hybrid™ and Proteus Maximus™ luminaires. Surrounded by water and exposed to the elements, the fixtures had to perform amidst a challenging environment.

Poet and the lighting team used 100 LED‐based Proteus Maximus plated around the perimeter of the elliptical performance area, and 108 Maximus and 56 Proteus Hybrids on the horizon arc walkway to frame the main set. “The Elation Proteus Hybrid and Maximus were an obvious choice because of their IP rating,” Poet said, although he adds that he felt he was taking a bit of a chance as he had never used them before. “But I was blown away by the brightness, quality and reliability of the Elation Proteus Maximus ‐ they worked consistently in unbelievably extreme conditions of heat, moisture, wind and dust. They were as bright as I had hoped, and had fantastic consistency of color and beam edge from unit to unit. They had the punch to work as narrow pencil beams to scythe through the air, but also the flexibility to make big wide sheets of light as well. They were truly remarkable units and there is no way we could have delivered the graphic air looks the production required without them.”

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Photos © Nicolas Chavance