From a Hong Kong beach
to the whole world
30 years of innovation, perseverance and passion. The story of a man who transformed a crazy idea — projecting films with a screen as light as a kitesurf sail — into a company that exports to more than 50 countries.
The spark on a Hong Kong beach
It all begins on a Hong Kong beach. A kitesurf catches the eye. Its inflatable tubes, light and wind-resistant, spark an idea that will change everything: what if you could project films outdoors with a screen as light as a kite sail? The idea seems crazy, but it will never leave the founder's mind.
The first screen — and the first lesson
The first screen is tubular, ordered from England. On delivery: heavy large pipes and no idea how to assemble them. It is a bitter failure, but it is also the start of an obstinate quest: find the right technology, the right fabric, the right manufacturing method. The lesson is clear: having an idea is not enough, you have to make it yourself.
The fairground school
In the village, travelling showmen are somewhat shunned by everyone. But instead of ignoring them, the founder turns to them to learn how to assemble structures. Two days of intensive hands-on learning, putting up tents with poles and benches. It is brutal, physical, and incredibly educational. The showmen pass on ancestral know-how that no one else possesses.
"Now you're a real showman. You can go on tour."
The Breton sailmaker — La Trinité-sur-Mer
In Brittany, at La Trinité-sur-Mer, a sailmaker's workshop becomes the birthplace of the first true Hallucine screens. Jean-Christophe, master sailmaker, masters all sewing and heat-welding techniques. Together, they develop a revolutionary screen: after the projection, it falls into a large sail bag. No need to fold it. This is a major innovation that will become the signature of the blower range.
Hallucine, the event services company
Hallucine becomes an event services company. The team travels the world doing outdoor projections: festivals, corporate events, weddings, sports broadcasts. It is this field experience, accumulated over hundreds of events in dozens of countries, that forges the company's philosophy: every product must be designed by those who use it, not by engineers who have never assembled a screen at 3am.
"Our competitors have never had to fold a screen at 3am to go to sleep. We have. That is why everything we make is lighter, faster, simpler."
The airbag secret — Lyon
In Lyon, the former fabric capital, an investigation begins. Car airbags use an incredibly light and resistant fabric — capable of withstanding the explosion of an airbag without tearing. When car manufacturers say it is 'classified', the founder does not give up. He eventually finds the answer in a Lyon factory: a high-tenacity polyamide made by DuPont de Nemours. The same fabric for all manufacturers. This fabric will become the heart of the blower range.
The Tunisian exile
The Breton sailmaker faces economic difficulties and decides to relocate to Tunisia to reduce production costs. Loyal to his partners and the trust built over 10 years, the founder follows them. Manufacturing continues under the Tunisian sun, with the same quality standards.
China — Responding to the market
Customers ask for cheaper screens for occasional use. Off to China to manufacture economy screens of 5 to 6 metres with a heavier coated fabric. It is not Hallucine's usual quality, but it is the law of the market. Trips to China become regular — every two weeks — and allow lasting bonds to be built with local manufacturers.
Stranded in China — COVID
Last trip to China, February 2020. COVID strikes. Impossible to return to France. Rather than endure the situation, enrolment at Shenzhen University to learn Chinese. The city, close to Hong Kong — where it all began 25 years earlier — offers a new perspective. What was meant to be a setback becomes an opportunity.
"I must admit I am a bit lazy and did not learn much Chinese. But I was captivated by the charm of this incredible city."
Shenzhen — The adventure continues
Based in China, the founder works daily with a partner factory in Dongguan — you could say they have become friends. The event services side was sold off to refocus on what matters: the design, manufacturing and sale of inflatable screens, tents and furniture. The spirit remains the same after 30 years: products designed by the people who use them. The goal is clear: to make Hallucine known to the widest possible audience.
An atypical journey
Hallucine's founder is neither an engineer, nor a designer, nor a trained businessman. He is a cinema and outdoor enthusiast who learned on the ground — literally. From the beaches of Hong Kong to the Breton sailmakers, from the Lyon factories to the Shenzhen workshops, each stage of his journey forged a unique expertise.
His strength: an insatiable curiosity and an obstinate refusal of the status quo. When screen manufacturers used heavy, rigid PVC tarpaulin, he looked elsewhere. When car manufacturers told him the airbag fabric was 'classified', he kept looking. When COVID stranded him in China, he enrolled at university.
Now based in Shenzhen, he continues to develop Hallucine with the same energy as on the first day. His goal: for every event organiser in the world to have access to a light, reliable and affordable inflatable cinema screen.
En bref
Our Values
Three principles that have guided every decision, every product, every interaction for 30 years.
Lightness
Every gram counts. We have folded screens at 3am, carried equipment on beaches, assembled structures in the rain. We know what 'too heavy' means. That is why we spent years searching for the lightest and most resistant fabrics in the world — from kitesurf to car airbags.
Reliability
Our screens are guaranteed for 10 years. Not 2, not 5 — ten. Because when you are in the field, on the eve of an event for 5,000 people, you cannot afford to make a mistake. Every seam, every valve, every strap is tested and retested. Our products are designed to last.
Innovation
From kitesurf to car airbags, from Breton sailmakers to Chinese factories, we seek inspiration everywhere. The best solution is never the most obvious. It is by looking elsewhere — in other industries, other countries, other cultures — that we find the ideas that make the difference.
Want to write the next chapter with us?
Whether you are an event organiser, equipment rental company or simply curious, we would love to talk with you.
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