"25 IMAGES PER SECOND" WHEEL

One of the most beautiful avenues in the world, the Champs Elyseés in Paris, was the scene of an artistic Son et Luminaire on Millennium Eve.

Eleven different ferris wheels were illuminated along the famous avenue, each wheel representing a different theme. One of the wheels was illuminated by X&Y Systems who installed 47 Martin MAC 600 washlights at its base and on poles adjacent to it.

The theme for this wheel was "25 images per second" a reference to television film speed. Renaud Le Van Kim from Channel 1 in France, in cooperation with Designer/Decorator Philippe Desert, came up with the theme idea.

Sixteen boxes were installed in place of the usual seating cabins, each box housing a ferris wheel model. As the large ferris wheel turned, each model rotated in front of a camera equipped with an automatic eye. The main ferris wheel would then stop and a video would be triggered to play on adjacent screens.

Each model ferris wheel activated a different themed video, for example a historical event, TV heritage clip or music video. Thus sixteen different videos were shown in one revolution of the wheel. Large screens installed next to the wheel displayed images of artists around the Champs Elyseés as well.