Christie RGB pure laser projection is being used to power the visuals at The Teatro Real, in Madrid, Spain, which was the winner of the International Opera Award for Best Opera House in the world. The opera house has acquired five Christie M 4K25 RGB pure laser projectors to improve the visuals for its opera, dance, concert, and recital programming.
The Teatro Real, inaugurated in 1850, is an architectural mixture with 28 boxes on different floors, in addition to eight prosceniums and the double-height Royal Box. The jewel of the theatre is its 1,472 square metre (15,844 square foot) stage box which accommodates complex scenery changes, including multiple set design elements such as lighting and visuals on stage and in the orchestra pit.
The theatre acquired three Christie lamp-based 3DLP projectors nine years ago, and recently upgraded to more modern models with improved colour performance. After a series of tests in Christie’s demo room in Madrid, the Teatro Real decided that the M 4K25 RGB was the best choice for its needs.
Fernando Valiente, head of audiovisuals at the Teatro Real, said: “Its RGB pure laser technology that approaches the Rec. 2020 colour volume – a colour standard closest to what the human eye can see – provided us with colour nuance that far surpassed the old lamp technology. In fact, we saw it in Luigi Cherubini’s opera Medea where Christie’s RGB laser technology allowed us to get the punchy reds we needed to project fire and lava onto the stage.”
Another feature of the M 4K25 RGB that caught the attention of the Teatro Real was the small form factor of the equipment: “For us, the weight and size of the projectors are very important elements, since we have to move and hang them in different parts of the theatre, and this particular model is very light (41 kg/90 pounds) and small compared to the old projectors,” added Valiente.
He also highlighted the omnidirectional capability of the equipment, which allows the projectors to be placed in any orientation, either vertically, horizontally, or upside down. meanwhile, the quiet operation of the M 4K25 RGB, which operates at 46.7 dBA in standard mode, was another feature he enjoyed: “It is one of the best features of the projector because it makes it possible to finally have projectors inside the stage, something we couldn’t do before,” explained Valiente.
The Audiovisual Department at Teatro Real also valued the compatibility of the lenses of their previous Christie projectors with the new M 4K25 RGB projectors. In addition, these lenses feature the ILS1 intelligent lens system, which simplifies lens changing – an advantage for live shows – and offers motorised zoom, focus, and offset via remote.
