Multimedia

A French production for an Asian theme park

Chimelong Park, one of Asia’s largest leisure complexes, commissioned the Flyboard Show team to design and produce the show for its daily audience. Celesta was brought in to provide technical solutions enabling the performers to be accompanied by synchronised pyrotechnic effects throughout their Flyboard choreography.

Flyboard, water and light: an aquatic dance performance

The show combines the aerial manoeuvres of the flyboard pilots with lighting displays and water effects, in a choreography that is rehearsed to suit the pace of daily performances. The challenge lies as much in the physical performance as in the consistency required of the technical solutions over the long term.

Exporting expertise to the international market

Working for a park abroad involves dealing with local regulations, the logistics of transporting equipment, and teams deployed over the long term. Celesta has adapted its production to the site’s constraints whilst maintaining the high artistic standards of its shows in France.

The influence of French expertise

This type of collaboration confirms the international recognition of French expertise in pyrotechnics and stage production. For Celesta, it is also an opportunity to develop its solutions through collaboration with a demanding partner and in accordance with standards that differ from those encountered on the domestic market.

Infrastructure that has been long awaited

The arrival of a new metro line brings about lasting changes to daily life in a city. To mark this milestone, Bagneux wanted to organise a major public event that would bring residents together to celebrate this significant step forward for their daily journeys.

Mapping and sound and light to tell the story of a city undergoing change

Celesta devised a light display and video mapping installation showcasing the area around the station, combining images of the construction site with projections looking to the future. The artistic approach was to highlight the urban transformation rather than simply staging a bonfire.

Working near a public works site

The opening of a transport infrastructure project requires close coordination with the relevant operators and local authorities, as well as strict compliance with areas still in operation or undergoing final works. The production schedule has been aligned with the – often tight – timetable for the official opening.

A highlight to mark a new chapter in the city’s development

Organising a show to mark the opening of a transport infrastructure project enables the local community to turn a technical event into a moment of collective pride. It is a way of highlighting – and celebrating – a public investment that makes a tangible difference to residents’ lives.

Mapping and sound in the service of historical narrative

A video mapping retracing the events of the summer of 1944, combined with a sound piece created using archive material, was projected onto a façade in the town’s rebuilt centre.

A production conceived with high standards and understated elegance

On such a sensitive subject, the artistic approach has prioritised restraint over technical display, with effects chosen to serve the historical narrative rather than to impress. Each image was carefully vetted before being incorporated into the production.

Passing on history to future generations

This type of performance makes it possible to reach an audience that is not necessarily accustomed to traditional commemorations – particularly younger people – and to pass on the memory of a major episode in local and national history in a different way.

The most-viewed monument in France at the turn of the century

Every 31 December, the Arc de Triomphe becomes the focal point for hundreds of thousands of Parisians and television viewers. Decorating this façade for the New Year’s celebrations involves working with a listed monument, an esplanade in the very heart of the capital and a live television broadcast, where even the slightest technical glitch is immediately apparent.

Fireworks displays on the Champs-Élysées: remarkable precision

On such a confined and heavily monitored site, each firing position has been positioned to the nearest centimetre, taking into account safety angles, the proximity of the public and the need to ensure that the images projected onto the monument are never obstructed. This precision in execution is essential for a successful display in an environment where there is absolutely no margin for error

Installation carried out in half a day, on the same day

Unlike venues where set-up takes several days, the entire firing rig had to be installed in half a day, on the day of the event, on an esplanade that was reopened to the public after the event. This tight timeframe requires flawless advance preparation: a shooting plan finalised in advance, pre-configured equipment and teams trained to set up quickly under the supervision of the authorities.

Meticulous synchronisation with the projected images

The fireworks display in Paris had to be precisely synchronised with the video mapping projected onto the monument’s façade. Celesta worked on a shared timecode to ensure that each pyrotechnic effect went off at the precise moment of the countdown, in perfect synchronisation with the images, without ever disrupting the live television broadcast.

Flame effects designed for the metal stage

Fire and metal share the same visual grammar. On a stage like the Heavy Week-End’s, every burst of flame underlines a riff, punctuates a chorus and extends the band’s energy. Celesta’s teams worked on the height of the effects, their tempo and their timing to the music, so that the fire answers the sound without ever drowning it.

How Celesta makes flame effects safe at a festival

A stage flame is never a trivial effect. It sits within a precise regulatory framework. Category T2 pyrotechnic articles and the associated stage effects are governed by French decree no. 2010-455 of 4 May 2010, which regulates the marketing and control of explosive products. Operating them is reserved for pyrotechnicians holding a level 2 certificate and prefectoral approval.

Before the first note, the set-up must be declared. Filings with the town hall and the prefecture are made at least one month before the scheduled date. Celesta’s pyrotechnicians take charge of this administrative side, define the safety perimeters, position the extinguishing equipment and coordinate with stage management and the emergency services. This groundwork is what makes show day run smoothly.

What fire scenography brings to an event

A festival is also judged on the memories it leaves. In 2024, ticketed festivals drew 8.6 million spectators in France, according to the Centre national de la musique. In a market where two editions out of three end in deficit, the experience you deliver becomes a genuine loyalty argument. A well-placed flame effect leaves a mark and feeds the images shared after the concert.

For a promoter like Gérard Drouot Productions, creator of the Heavy Week-End in 2024, these effects strengthen the identity of a still-young metal event. Fire does not replace the line-up. It dresses it.