Epson and Electroson reveal “The Secrets of the Earth”

A specialist in video mapping production, Electroson Production portrays the Grottes des Grandes Canalettes through a sound, light and video spectacular. Making full use of the quality of Epson’s video projectors, Electroson takes visitors on an extraordinary journey.

The Grottes des Grandes Canalettes, located in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, were discovered in the 1980s, 300 metres from the medieval city of Villefranche-de-Conflent, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since they were opened to the public, the Grottes des Grandes Canalettes have offered visitors a traditional sound and light show.

The show began to age, and the management called on video mapping company Electroson to bring it up to date and give it a new lease of life. After a quick study of the existing system and taking the conditions of this unusual location into account, Electroson decided to replace the sound and light equipment with an LED lighting system and a spectacular projected video.

The Grottes des Grandes Canalettes now welcomes 500-1000 people per day to its show, with six performances per day during the summer season.

The 25-minute show, created specifically for the location, retraces the Earth’s history from the Big Bang to the present day, highlighting the four elements: water, earth, fire and air.

The project is certainly out of the ordinary due to the conditions found in the depths of the caves: poor light, 90% humidity and a constant temperature of 14°C. Electroson therefore had to find a solution that would deliver both quality of projection and simplicity of implementation, whilst withstanding the demands of the environment.

The solution - two Epson EB-Z9800W projectors and the creation of customised "smart boxes". Designed to house the video projectors, these heated stainless steel boxes help to protect the equipment in difficult conditions, without reducing projection quality.

As Sébastien Riquelme, Electroson’s graphic designer, explains, "the main factor in our choice of these Epson products is the quality/price ratio. In our opinion, the Epson EB-Z9800W video projectors offered the best quality on the market, at a very competitive price.

Power and contrast were also two key features in choosing these products. "Due to our requirements, we already had a quite fixed idea of what we wanted. After attending a demonstration, we knew we could go ahead with what we had in mind. But we were really surprised by the contrast ratio; I've rarely seen such good quality on similar models."

It's a real benchmark project, says Sébastien Riquelme: "We liked the range and the product did not disappoint. When we feel confident about a brand, we want to repeat the experience. So we want to re-use this product in other projects and on other installations. And, above all, we will not hesitate to recommend this video projector."