The video-mapping projections screened at the Chapala waterfront pitched as a highlight of the February 8 to 13 Carnaval festivities were plagued by last-minute schedule changes and technical issues that tarnished the program’s expected glamor.
Previously announced screening times were altered on the day of the Carnaval kickoff and the back-to-back shows set for Sunday were reduced to one event at 8:30 p.m. after vandalized wiring equipment discovered early in the day was repaired.
The water screen spouting out at the entrance to the Jesus Pescador bridge was stirred by winds blowing in from the lake, causing considerable blurring of the video images. However, live fireworks displays that were shot off simultaneously during each show did give audiences a touch of glitz to applaud.
Late-comers may have missed the spectacles altogether due to their brief running time of seven minutes.
Considering that the hefty production costs boil down to about one million pesos per minute, taxpayers may wonder if the ephemeral extravaganza was worth its salt.
Large crowds turned out most evenings on the six-day run of the Carnaval video mapping shows, but many viewers were let down by the short duration and blurred quality of the projections.