“This was the first time that I shot a musical entirely with ARRI cameras, but I know the AMIRA and ALEXA Mini well, having used them several times on documentaries, commercials and promo reels,” says Rohart. “I really value their soft and natural look; they bring a lot of dynamic in the colors, while avoiding problems of saturation. The result is never flashy. It was important for the very colorful show that “The Lion King” truly is. I knew it was the ideal camera system to faithfully reproduce the work of the musical's creators. It was also the prefered tool of the Disney teams, who immediately suggested shooting with ARRI.”
Led by the audiovisual production department of Disneyland Paris, which manages nearly 400 projects each year, the recording took place in the new Frontierland Theater, opened for the occasion. Capable of hosting 1,175 spectators, it has a modular stage 40 m wide, and is equipped with 360° audio technology unprecedented in Europe.
“We had to contend with a lot of constraints on this project,” explains Carole Jublot, manager of audiovisual productions at Disneyland Paris. “The construction of the hall had just been completed. We only had a few days to shoot before it was opened to the public. We filmed over two days, under live conditions, and carried out the editing and color timing right after, since the projection at the Walt Disney Studios park was to be linked with the launch of the musical live at Disneyland's Frontierland Theater. It was a very big challenge.”