Attraktion! wows UAE #75 • volume 14, issue 5 • 2018 www.inparkmagazine.com guests with Cinesplash 5D

Markus Beyr CEO of Attraktion! GmbH

New attractions Chinese tourists WWA in Vegas From Disney’s Land to a VR Who they are, What to expect from the annual hunt for Jack the Ripper, we look at how they travel and waterpark symposium & expo the latest themed experiences how to serve them Join us at Booth #1686 at IAAPA 2018 to find out more about powerful tools for powerful experiences

inparkmagazine.com Evolve or perish! Happy anniversary!

Martin Palicki, Judith Rubin, IPM publisher IPM editor

usiness 101 stresses that companies must change have been reporting on the world of visitor attractions Bto meet the needs of an evolving marketplace. Our I for three decades. I’ve been on staff with InPark since industry is no exception. From Attraktion!’s product 2010, but my start was at World’s Fair magazine in 1987. rollouts to WhiteWater’s branding initiative, new ideas have A world’s fair is a major land development conceived, to be backed up periodically with fresh business models designed and built on a compressed schedule, with and strategies. entertaining and educational exhibits, corporate sponsors, hospitality components, transportation, food and beverage The principle also applies to people. Folks like Jumana and an international audience. Ideally, it’s innovative in Brodersen, Mark Andrew, Yves Pépin and Geoff Thatcher design, guest experience and placemaking, with significant, all have impressive skillsets, but their success relies on long-term positive impact on its region… you see the being able to adapt to different environments, including connection… navigating from being part of a corporate team to becoming an entrepreneur. Thirty years in one industry is long enough to create a lot of relationships. It’s also long enough for new generations Magazines evolve also. InPark certainly looks different than to pop up who don’t know you from Eve. The industry is a it did 14 years ago – for one thing, this is our largest issue better place when we are able to pause and get acquainted - ever – and I think we have learned to serve the industry in to learn from and appreciate one another. a way that is helpful, timely and differentiated from other media outlets. Today’s technology simplifies the job. Someone can quickly research who you are and what you have done. That is We also are taking the good news of themed entertainment assuming you’ve taken steps to ensure there is something into different markets, particularly tech and A/V arenas. to find – your profile, case studies, photos, industry ties, Towards that end, we have shuffled our calendar around awards, rebrands and milestones. for next year in order to provide additional distribution at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) conference in InPark is a resource for creating such records – we’re a Amsterdam. That issue will publish in December, shortly vehicle of institutional memory for the industry. We’ve after the IAAPA expo and will also have distribution at even got our own archives project going – re-publishing Dubai’s DEAL show. online InPark’s vintage issues. As we all keep evolving and moving forward, don’t rest on your laurels - but do make We will be working on stories for that end-of-year issue in sure they are documented and published somewhere. Orlando during IAAPA, so please come see us at booth #1771 if you have a good story for that issue. We’ll have back issues from the year available and a friendly ear listening to ideas and suggestions from you. team & contributors PUBLISHER CONTRIBUTORS Martin Palicki Mark Eades Joe Kleiman is News Editor for the Maris Ensing InPark website. He has 25+ years EDITOR Rona Gindin Judith Rubin Scott Harkless management experience: in tourism, Philip Hernandez CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jessica Mahoney museums and attractions, in the giant Joe Kleiman, Freddy Martin screen industries and as a zookeeper. News Editor Cliff Reeves Jim Ogul, Jay Rottinghaus World’s Fair Editor George Walker COVER: This summer, Attraktion! opened a Cinesplash Rick West 5D theater at Yas Waterpark in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Markus DESIGN Cindy Emerick Whitson Joshua Ayala Beyr, CEO at Attraktion!, talks about the evolution of the Martin Palicki company and its various products. Join us at Booth #1686 at IAAPA 2018 to find out Full story on p. 26 more about powerful tools for powerful experiences

3 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com #75 • volume 14, issue 5

A Lotte water Chinese tourists 6 Creating an underwater themed playland in 71 A primary and growing market for visitor attractions by Martin Palicki by Rona Gindin

Character building Project management methodology 8 How Animax is driving innovation in animatronics 76 nFusion’s program management process designed for by Jay Rottinghaus success • by Rona Gindin

Redefining play in Disney parks Giving back 12 comes to Orlando • by Martin Palicki 82 Michael Mercadante prepares to take the helm as TEA’s new president • by Joe Kleiman

Mad Systems’ paradigm shift Creating magic with light 16 Audience targeted media delivery and LookingGlass 86 Focusing attention on Mark Andrew and Remarkable Concierge • by Maris Ensing Light • by Philip Hernandez

From cave tours to spinning coasters Photo printing snapshot 20 A look inside Herschend Enterprises 90 A conversation with DNP’s Cliff Reeves on adding by Philip Hernandez photographic value for park guests

The pearls and pixels of Attraktion! Looking back on looking forward 26 Cinesplash 5D opens in Abu Dhabi, highlighting the 92 Eight takeaways from eight years of ‘Design Trends’ company’s attraction capabilities • by Martin Palicki presentations • by George Walker FEATURE COVER Envisioning Enjoyland A Desperado, with pirates 32 A development and placemaking discussion with the 98 Benoit Cornet’s ride from corporate finance to Alterface team from Stantec and interactivity • by Joe Kleiman

TPG tackles Orlando Cut the ribbon! 36 The Producers Group expands around the world, 102 Lexington employs its design-build process to bring including Orlando • by Rick West Idaho’s past into the future • by Joe Kleiman

Fire and water Breaking waves 40 Yves Pépin, artist of the spectacular • by Judith Rubin 106 ADG’s new wave technologies and integrated features by Jessica Mahoney

Cinematic-style Virtual Reality Theming beyond the theme park 48 Jack the Ripper is virtually back in Hollow Studios’ new 110 Jumana Brodersen and JCO - Ten years of creating VR world • by Mark Eades immersive environments • by Joe Kleiman

Entertaining the possibilities Miziker’s momentum 54 A look inside WhiteWater’s creative process and new 114 Miziker Entertainment celebrates 35 years of branding • by Martin Palicki showmanship • by Freddy Martin

Fly us to the moon Inside the experience designer’s studio 58 nWave’s bold journey continues • by Judith Rubin 120 The Hettema Group keeps the creative spark alive by David Paul Green

Everyone loves a parade Moving and grooving 63 Technology that makes parades flow through a park 128 Dynamic Attractions’ endless possibilities, pioneering with ease • by Scott Harkless rides • by Cindy Emerick Whitson Gordo at the park 67 Geoff Thatcher on the experiences that led him to pen his first novel • by Martin Palicki

InPark Magazine (ISSN 1553-1767) is published five times a year by Martin Chronicles Publishing, LLC. 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207, USA. Shipping address: 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207, USA. Phone: +1-262-412-7107. Printing by Johnson Press of America. Contents © 2018 InPark Magazine. All rights reserved. Nothing in the magazine may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the magazine. InPark Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. Such material must be accompanied by a self-adressed and stamped envelope to be returned. Postmaster: Send address changes to InPark Magazine 2349 E Ohio Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207, USA. Subscriptions are available annually for $45 per year ($70 international). Opinions expressed in editorial matter are not necessarily those of InPark Magazine or its publishers, Martin Chronicles Publishing, LLC.

5 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com A Lotte water Rethink Leisure and Entertainment helps create an underwater-themed playland for children in

By Martin Palicki

otte World Undersea Kingdom began when South Lotte wanted an interactive, deeply immersive facility. LKorea-based, multi-national conglomerate Lotte They wanted to transport their guests to a unique place, Corporation turned their attention to the growing kids’ well differentiated from a normal everyday environment. leisure market. According to Cara Park, Assistant of That led Rethink to explore a number of possible ideas, Operation and Management for Lotte, industries catering including: to children in South Korea experienced a growth rate of 70% from 2009 to 2014. Like many other places in • A forest setting that would allow children to view the the world, kids (and their parents) were seeking quality world from the viewpoint of woodland creatures entertainment experiences, and they were willing to pay for it. • A fantastic city where architecture is exaggerated and out of the ordinary With that in mind, Lotte Corp. - perhaps best known for the indoor/outdoor in Seoul, Lotte • A superhero training camp where each child becomes World - began to develop what Park calls “a special theme the star of the show park at the level of Lotte World, but only for kids.” • An immersive underwater adventure Lotte turned to Rethink Leisure and Entertainment to come up with concept designs for the park. Mike Pharr, The last idea is the one that most appealed to Lotte, and now Interim CEO at Rethink, was Rethink’s producer on Lotte World Undersea Kingdom was born. “We chose the the project when he got involved in early 2015. “Lotte underwater theme to provide children with a chance to came to us with the idea that they were going to launch meet the subsea world in the center of the city,” explained as many as 20 properties that were somewhere between Park. “It is a familiar and attractive subject that kids can entertainment centers and indoor theme parks,” says easily conceptualize.” Pharr. “They wanted a number of thematic ideas that they could choose from for the initial location, with the Undersea Kingdom contains 14 attractions spread out potential to do multiple versions with different thematic over two floors in nearly 60,000 square feet of Lotte Mall overlays.” Eunpyeong in Seoul, South Korea.

According to Pharr, Rethink started off just providing concept design, but the scope of the job expanded and evolved to include additional roles. “We were involved in an education process for Lotte to help identify program requirements and find ride systems that would work with the specific logistics of this property.” The mall was already under construction at this point, so program and creative content had to be integrated with structural and mechanical specifications that were already being built. Because the space had already been identified and structural components already determined, it was similar to working in a retrofit environment, only with a brand new building.

The building’s column grid, for example, provided The completed Lotte World Undersea Kingdom challenges in design and masking. Rethink worked to Lotte Undersea Kingdom • Seoul, South Korea in Seoul, South Korea Photo courtesy of Rethink incorporate ride space around the columns so that the

6 inparkmagazine.com Rethink’s concept for Lotte World Undersea Kingdom was designed specifically for young guests and takes them into into an ocean-inspired landscape Image courtesy of Rethink

attractions would conceal them. Those that were not Since the park opened, response has been positive from able to be tucked behind rides were given full thematic local families. The park is now also starting to see more treatment. “If you imagine looking up from underwater, visitors from overseas, as well as growth in visits from you see things like coral and seaweed and a variety of school and church groups. According to Park, for the beautiful things that would exist in that world,” explained period January through June, attendance increased 53.5% Pharr. “While we were wrapping them with column from 2017 to 2018. Additionally, Park stated the park covers, we also layered them with pieces of coral, seaweed, began an international marketing campaign this past April bubbles and other components that seemed natural and and international visitors rose 1,001% from the second to not just rigid or inorganic.” The team also used movement third quarter of 2018. and lighting fixtures to help draw the eye away from non- thematic components. Even though the rides are the main attractions of the park, Lotte is proud of creating the immersive environment Rethink also worked with Lotte to help do a basic that they set out to build at the very beginning. Park cited feasibility analysis, to help ensure the project would be the attention to design and detail. “We focus on the rides sustainable in the long run. According to Pharr, there are as well as the park interior, entertainment options, music, not a lot of comparable projects in South Korea to draw restaurants and shops,” she said. “This project was a new data from, but the team made extrapolations from Lotte’s challenge for us, and we are glad we selected Rethink own existing properties and other parks in the region. for their experience and skills in creating highly themed “Once we back-filled in that data we were able to figure facilities.” out the right mix of attractions, food & beverage and retail for the park,” said Pharr. “We love designing attractions, but if ideas just stay on paper, then no one gets to experience them,” said Pharr. Rethink provided additional creative services by “We love how Lotte was able to take our designs and truly developing original characters for the park. “We came achieve the goal of creating a fun and immersive kids’ up with specific characters for the undersea theme that theme park.” would interact with their own existing characters and complement their stable of IP,” said Pharr. Lotte is looking forward to opening additional facilities as originally planned, exploring some different overlay Finally, Rethink also provided guidance on vendor themes to differentiate them. “We are proud of what the selection for the attractions, with a global array of leading team accomplished in creating an undersea world in an providers including (Italy), Sunkid (Germany), indoor park facility,” said Park. “We are excited to create Playtime (USA) and TeamLap (Japan). A team of local more unconventional theme park experiences for children contractors selected by Lotte completed the build-out and in the heart of Seoul.” • • • fabrication of the park, which opened in December, 2016.

7 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Character building How Animax is driving innovation in animatronics By Jay Rottinghaus, Animax Designs

huck Fawcett likes to say that he’s already seen the Cfuture. He can’t reveal too much about it, for fear of altering things, but he can tell you that it involves disruptive innovation and endless possibility. After nearly three decades of successes, setbacks, challenges, and change, his company, Animax Designs, finds itself in a position to help drive that disruption, barreling towards Fawcett’s golden vision of tomorrow.

In the beginning was the puppet… When 21-year-old Chuck Fawcett started his puppetry, animatronics and interactive character company in Nashville, TN in 1989, industry models were limited, but there was great, recognizable potential. This potential was Animax Designs founder Chuck Fawcett visible in Jim Henson’s cinematic masterpieces such as “Labyrinth” and “Dark Crystal,” which re-imagined and be Music City, but it’s not exactly known as a nexus revolutionized what puppetry could accomplish - and of puppetry and animatronics. The Animax team’s inspired Fawcett to become a puppeteer in the first place. scrappiness and ability to adapt have been key to the The potential could also be recognized in the work of company’s longevity. “We’ve just figured things out as Imagineering, having re-created America’s we’ve gone along,” explains Chuck. “When the tide pulled founding fathers in stunning detail with its Hall of us to the theme park industry, we took full advantage of Presidents. And it was evident in the innovations of Nolan it. When that tide receded, we concentrated our efforts on Bushnell, co-founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, who television, live shows, and whatever other creative outlets introduced America’s first animatronic band. we could find. We followed the ebb and flow to wherever we could get the work.” From that potential came opportunities, and it was Fawcett’s desire to capitalize on those opportunities “The through line of all that change in our company that led to his creation of Animax Designs. From the and our presence in the industry has been our desire start, there was no shortage of naysayers. Nashville may to be the best at whatever medium we were engaged in at the time, whether it be puppetry, animatronics, or interactive characters,” says Chuck. “It also points to our willingness to experiment with higher and higher levels of engineering, while making sure not to lose the art and beauty of the characters we are creating.”

Twenty-nine years later, Fawcett and Animax are at the top of their game working with a global clientele in the themed entertainment, live attractions, and location-based entertainment industries including , Nickelodeon, NBC Universal, Warner Bros., Sesame Workshop, Viacom, Six Flags, Feld Entertainment, and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment.

Animax’s future-focused approach and relentless pursuit of excellence (what Chuck Fawcett wryly calls his “stupid An artist applies finishing touches to an Animax character determination”) have catapulted the company into a

8 inparkmagazine.com new period of explosive growth. To meet increasing production demands, the company has expanded from 35 to 130 employees and moved from a 22,000 square- ft studio to an 80,000 square-ft, state-of-the-art facility. The company has also brought on new managerial and executive staff to address branding, strategy, human resources, operations, and business development, as well as “in the trenches” disciplines of project management, creative direction, engineering and production.

Introducing the Innovation Lab To further position Animax as a change agent in the animatronics industry, the company has recently launched Sir Richard Taylor of WETA Workshop discusses servo their Innovation Lab to explore new and untapped ideas. actuators with Chuck for an upcoming collaboration Mechanical systems engineer Jordan Neal, who has worked with Fawcett on Animax research and development (R&D) Second, electromechanical actuators will be the Lab’s initiatives in the past, is part of a new innovation “dream initial focus. Actuators, the robotic equivalent of human team” led by Rob Gosnell, an accomplished electrical and muscles, often pose the greatest challenges to animatronics computer engineer with R&D experience in the public and design and function, yet at the same time offer the greatest private sectors. Also joining the team is Louis Richardson, upside. The team will assess past and present actuator a mechanical systems designer who also has a background solutions, as well as what they envision for the future. In in concept art and illustration. As the Lab moves into its addition to evaluating its own internal processes, the Lab dedicated space in Animax’s studio in the coming months, team will draw heavily from other industries, identifying Fawcett, Gosnell, Neal, and Richardson will assess the new technologies, techniques, and materials. team’s needs and fill out the remaining positions. Says Chuck, “the Innovation Lab will challenge both us and our Creating “The Animatronic Character” clients to think bigger about what we can accomplish.” The third tenet, making robotics a linchpin of the lab, is rooted in a shift in focus taking place within the company. Fawcett’s vision for the Innovation Lab rests on three Fawcett doesn’t want to dispense with the studio’s live basic tenets. First, the physical Lab will be separated from performance or puppetry roots, but instead to slingshot the rest of Animax, operating in an independent fashion that legacy into a high-tech, focused product – the so as to improve efficiency and remove typical layers of ultimate animatronic character. “It’s hard to formulate approval. Reporting directly to Fawcett, the team will be that into words,” said Chuck. “But if I were to try, I free to “blue sky” as it wants, as it will not be saddled with would describe it as ‘an organically engineered robot the burdens of production budgets and schedules. wrapped in a transformational character sculpt.’ That captures the essence of what we will accomplish using advanced robotics.” The Innovation Lab will be the physical manifestation of that re-branding, engineering game-changing robotic solutions for the company and its clients, and never-before-seen character technology for the industry.

Exploring new realms There’s a reason Chuck Fawcett chooses not to label his unique endeavor an R&D department. “Research often lacks an end goal, and the world ‘development’ can leave you wondering, ‘for what purpose?’” he says. “Whether it’s a little idea captured from a trade show or the big disruptive one, we are making a commitment to not leave any project without an endgame or resolution. The result may often be a dead end, but regardless, we are committed to producing results.” The name “Innovation Lab” also Members of the Animax Innovation Lab team offers a bit of intrigue: “it evokes a 007-style air of All photos courtesy Animax Designs mystery, like, what is Q conjuring up now?”

9 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com The strategic advantages of the Lab are risk mitigation and process efficiency. The Lab effectively removes the responsibilities for innovation from the studio’s production teams, as well as the risks inherent in innovation. Now, by the time new technologies are introduced into the production process, they have already undergone a rigorous process of trial and error. As Gosnell explains, “We are too often reinventing the wheel from project to project. We thought, ‘let’s help our production teams and our clients find ways to reduce project schedule and cost implications with our already vetted solutions.’”

The Innovation Lab’s advanced solutions have the potential to turn the shop into a showroom. Fawcett, Gosnell and team have the intent to build up a new line of breakthrough products that will be state-of-the-art yet fully factory tested. They see it as a win-win approach that will result in new products and new ways of developing An Animax technician programs a talking character head business. “Imagine state-of-the-art bipeds, animated drones, and robot hexapods parading around the shop “The world of animatronics isn’t dying out – the way floor during client visits. The Lab, and the products physical characters are used is just evolving,” says Gosnell. derived from it, will enable us to introduce clients to “Instead of being the sole focus, they’re being used in solutions that they didn’t even know existed,” says Chuck. conjunction with other technologies to add depth and reality. No matter how realistic a VR environment is, you still know that you’re in a VR room. You need something physical to fully connect you with the IP and the story.”

“Steve Jobs and that branch of the tech industry have done a major service to the animatronics sector,” adds Chuck. “Our entire society is so used to having two- dimensional media in their laps that it has become commonplace, almost boring. People crave ‘different,’ so when they go to a theme park or location-based entertainment experience, they want something other than flat media. Physical characters and environments fill that need and craving. Our challenge now is to stay ahead of that curve and try to predict the next trends that will inform tomorrow’s character types and storytellers.”

Director of R&D Rob Gosnell studies a robotic spider As far as what else the future holds? Chuck Fawcett is keeping his predictions to himself. “For now, I’ll just smile, The future of animatronics keep dreaming, and watch it all unfold.” • • • As industry technology becomes increasingly Jay Rottinghaus (j.rottinghaus@ sophisticated, and the demands of clients and audiences animaxdesigns.com) is VP, Strategy become increasingly rigorous, the question remains as and Business Development at to where animatronics will fit into the future of themed Animax. He leads the company’s entertainment. To Fawcett and team, what they perceive strategic initiatives across the entire to be the excessive use of such digital technologies as firm, ensuring that client objectives AR and VR only serves to solidify the case for authentic, are met with creative and operational solutions and tangible, characters - and Fawcett foresees a pivotal role that innovation drives future growth. Contact Jay to for animatronics for many years to come. schedule a meeting at the IAAPA Attractions Expo, November 12-16.

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NWP-Ads Inpark 2018-6.indd 1 5/10/18 16:05 The larger-than-life entrance to the new Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida Redefining play in Disney parks Toy Story Land’s North American June 2018 debut marks a sea change in the guest experience at Disney parks By Martin Palicki

oy Story Land at Resort in TOrlando, Florida is the company’s fourth installation According to the backstory, Andy had been playing in of themed on the popular film franchise. the yard, assembling a model coaster for his Slinky Dog Walt Disney Studios in , Hong Kong and to ride, when he got called away. That is the moment each have a version of the land, we enter the scene, and are allowed to roam around the customized with varying assortments of themed rides backyard while green army men perched around the and shops. The Orlando iteration seems the most fully- perimeter are on the lookout for Andy’s return. realized, taking guests into a scaled-up version of Andy’s backyard that enables visitors to experience it from the To understand the scale of the land, these green army toys’ perspective (Andy is the human character in the films men, normally about two inches tall, are the size of who owns the collection of adventurous toys). humans. Tinker toys and Christmas lights tower above the walkways, and giant footprints in the ground indicate It also marks a formal change in how attractions are Andy has been through here recently. presented at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and across its theme parks. And with the addition of a new in-park app, “We always start with the films,” said Walt Disney guests can immerse themselves even further in the worlds Imagineer Ryan Wineinger. “We take the themes and of their favorite characters and stories. values of the films and brainstorm tons of new ways to bring those stories to the land.”

12 inparkmagazine.com Two new attractions are unique to Orlando among the “Everything in the land has to have the authenticity of four Toy Story Lands and complement the existing Toy a real toy you could find at your local toy store,” said Story Mania! interactive , which was expanded to Wineinger. Although Disney is typically pretty quiet allow for additional throughput. They are a spinning flat regarding vendors, Wineinger acknowledged “it takes a ride, Alien Swirling Saucers, and Slinky Dog Dash, which village of experts from around the world to bring each is the new centerpiece of the land. one of these experiences to the guests.”

“We wanted to celebrate the multigenerational family The Bigger Picture experience because we knew that was something Disney’s Toy Story Land marks the beginning of a transformation Hollywood Studios would greatly benefit from. So every of the Disney’s Hollywood Studios park, as well as a shift experience we developed touched on that,” explained in how guests will experience Disney parks. Instead of Wineinger. “It just so happens that in this case one of observing a story, Disney wants guests to find themselves those experiences is a coaster. We thought it would be wild within the world of their favorite characters. As opposed to imagine Slinky Dog wrapped around a toy coaster play to a linear approach like the original dark kit.” rides (Peter Pan’s Flight, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, etc…), non-linear storytelling With just enough thrill to keep adults interested, but not experiences create a moment in time, allowing guests the too much speed to frighten away kids, Slinky Dog Dash opportunity to discover elements, treats and surprises on hits that perfect middle ground of appeal to a wide range their own terms. Design focus turns to placemaking and of ages. “Slinky Dog is charming,” said Kathy Mangum, creating an environment suitable for guests to engage in a Senior Vice President, . “It’s fun bit of roleplay. You don’t get to be Mr. Potato Head, but watching kids come off the coaster - they look like they’ve you get to hang out in his world for a while. conquered the world, because it’s not an extreme coaster, but they have taken on something big.” “We are not trying to tell you a story with a beginning, middle and end,” explained Mangum. “[Disney’s Disney’s trademark attention to detail is evident Hollywood Studios] is still about movies, but we want you throughout the land. Giant “Cooties” toy bugs inhabit the to experience movies by putting you into them.” Toy Story area surrounding the bathrooms. A large wrench in the Land is what WDI considers Phase One of the park’s queue for Slinky Dog Dash is sized precisely to fit around transformation. Next year, guests will be able to walk onto the columns supporting the “toy” track for the coaster. a different planet at : Galaxy’s Edge and step

Human-sized green army men keep a lookout for humans while Slinky Dog Dash passes by in the background

13 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com into a cartoon with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, continuing the metamorphosis of the park.

“When I worked on Cars Land for Disney California Adventure, we learned that walking through Radiator Springs and Route 66 was something people love doing, even if they haven’t seen the films,” said Mangum. “That told us we were on to something. So you see that with Avatar (Disney’s Animal Kingdom), Toy Story Land and we will see more of that in the future.”

“The great thing about Pixar films is they create really appealing places that you want to visit – it’s not only the characters but the actual locations in the films,” says Mangum. “When we are doing our blue sky brainstorming and start to come up with more ideas than we possibly have room for, then we know we’ve got a really good premise to work with. ‘Toy Story’ was exactly that kind of situation where we had to edit down our many ideas - that is a rewarding process.” • • •

The Slinky Dog Dash moves like a Slinky during this portion of the ride.

Play Disney Parks

This summer, Disney unveiled a new app to help it has a lantern in the queue guests can activate to see turn wait time into play time while guests are visiting Tinker Bell. In the Florida there is a their parks. The app contains five core components: space race where guests can build a spaceship and see it launch on the projectors in the ceiling overhead. • In-line entertainment (activities, games) • In-line special effects (guests trigger special The app is a collaboration between many groups effects as part of game play) including WDI, the Disney Parks digital experiences • Apple Music integration group and various design teams. • Achievements for completing certain activities • Disney Trivia “We are always interested in how we can give our guests the ability to interact and engage more deeply with the The trivia and music can be accessed anywhere, but the stories and the undiscovered secrets of our lands,” said remaining components are available only while at Walt Josh Gorin, Executive R&D Imagineer, WDI. “Now Disney World and Disneyland. we take this device that people are already bringing into the parks and instead of it being something distracting Most of the in-queue games are designed for pass-n- or isolating, we can get them to look up and around play so only one phone is needed per group. While only and engage with the world.” a limited number of attractions currently offer games, the team is planning on continually rolling out new In addition to adding more games, future plans include experiences and special effects to trigger within the parks. augmented reality experiences and more levels of interactivity. “We think this is the start of a really cool Within the app, there are similarities between the way to add a new layer of storytelling and activity for California and Florida parks, but the experience is not those guests who want it, without impacting guests who identical. Peter Pan’s Flight in Florida is unique in that don’t,” said Gorin. •

14 inparkmagazine.com Every project begins with a story Our team of wildly talented design professionals create compelling and memorable guest experiences.

Contact: Greg Meyer, PLA, ASLA Stantec I Principal (407) 496-8328 [email protected] inparkmagazine.com stantec.com Mad Systems’ Paradigm Shift Audience targeted media delivery and LookingGlass concierge By Maris Ensing, Mad Systems

Mad Systems rolls out a new, state-of-the-art system designed to give museums and visitor centers great flexibility in programming, customizing media delivery and generally enhancing individual and group experiences.

magine an exhibit where the media is delivered in a way Ithat reflects your preferences and needs as a visitor. Content is presented in your preferred language. Exhibits become accessible to you regardless of limitations such as height or visual impairments. Your skill level and interest in a certain topic are taken into consideration when you experience an exhibit. All of these preferences are selected by you, the visitor, at the beginning of your museum All images courtesy of Mad Systems experience, and audience targeted media delivery ensues using a variety of trigger methods. This paradigm shift Unique simplicity creates a user experience truly unique and meaningful QuickSilver™ is a free-standing system, as is the Facial to you and to each visitor, and leaves a lasting, positive Recognition system - but used together, QuickSilver™’s memory to be shared with friends and loved ones. simple component list creates a uniquely flexible audiovisual system that allows for personalized media Introducing QuickSilver™ delivery. The basic QuickSilver™ system itself is The Mad Systems team had been doing experiments with considerably more affordable than traditional AV systems. micro-miniature, non-proprietary computers that - with All hardware components are non-proprietary, have the right software - can perform amazing feats. Combined internal memory, and can be controlled and updated using with the availability of less expensive monitors and the WiFi. Components include: cost reductions of laser projectors, as well as the increased stability and performance of WiFi systems, the first ideas • Micro-miniature media server capable of producing hi- quickly turned into reality. These innovations allowed us def or 4K media. Support for 10+ subtitle languages. to produce and introduce the QuickSilver™ audiovisual Audio configuration allowing for multi-channel audio system. or a number of audio tracks with capability to switch between different tracks (languages) even while The rule-based, QuickSilver™ system displays content media is running. Plug it in the back of a monitor or based on a variety of pre-determined trigger methods, projector, and it needs no further attention. Control is including buttons and infrared sensors and tags. However, through WiFi. our team also considered the new-age audience that essentially demands a unique experience in order to create • Audio server, even smaller, with optional built-in 25W that lasting impression, and we knew that more had to amplifier that not only does all the things expected be done. How could we shift the paradigm in the way we from an audio replay unit, but also allows generating deliver exhibits? Then came the next bright flash of an realistic sounding, non-repeating, randomizing idea, and the thought of using Facial Recognition or Color audioscapes - to replace the aggravating monotony of Recognition technology to control media delivery in our looping audio. industry.

16 inparkmagazine.com • Minuscule sensor/button/LED/input/output adapter; easy to hide in a reading rail or behind a motion sensor. Allows up to a dozen button or sensor inputs, can drive LEDs for feedback, can take other, unusual input signals without having to be wired back to the server or other equipment it controls.

• Programmable show control system to tie it all together - so when a button press or a motion detector activation is reported, it dims the lights, starts a show, sets the volume, and deals with a host of other possible inputs and outputs to create a coherent response.

• Media storage unit that allows end user to just change A schematic for some of QuickSilver’s wireless possibilities. media files: simply update the master media files and the system handles the rest. reduced, cabling costs are reduced, and cable installation • Mesh-based, wireless power control network allows costs are more or less gone. With no physical contact system to be turned on and off automatically. between components, even power phasing is not really an issue anymore. The QuickSilver™ wireless network • Solid, commercial quality WiFi backbone only carries control commands during the normal day, so control bandwidth is not a problem. Content everywhere With these components in place plus low-cost laser Visitor experience projectors and monitors, things change. Dramatically. The QuickSilver™ facilitates customizing the visitor QuickSilver™ media server and the other components fit experience. in the palm of your hand; plug into a laser projector or monitor - the other essential ingredient - and you can now A simple push of a button on a smartphone or tablet can run different media onto a simple, painted surface. With change all the content, or the content of specific exhibits. memory now no longer an expensive ingredient, the media If there’s a need to run subtitles in English, Spanish, or server can accommodate several high-quality video files, so any other pre-programmed language in the theater – once no need to run extenders. selected, the system takes care of the rest, even if the show has already started. The system elements are essentially autonomous - they contain all their own media, and can be programmed to With the addition of the patent pending, facial recognition loop their content, so that even without the control system option, the delivered content can be fully personalized, there is content everywhere. based on preferences selected by each visitor. If a visitor selects their preferred language as Spanish, their show Infrastructure is now minimal, and cost reductions will be presented in Spanish, or if it is a mixed audience, significant, with some WiFi points around the space, and possibly English with Spanish subtitles. A visitor who some cabling for more complex interactive solutions, prefers physics to history? No problem, physics it is. but enough of a change that the installation of conduit Limited time? The system will run the shorter version is potentially massively reduced. The need to coordinate of the media file. Accessibility needs? QuickSilver™ details between the EC and AV installation teams is will lower the buttons on the touchscreen. With other accessibility options such as higher audio volume, or high-contrast media, QuickSilver™ helps meet ADA requirements. If needed, nearby exhibit experiences can be paused, for instance to allow for a docent introduction.

If, for some reason, a facial recognition based control system is not acceptable, a secondary option in the form of our patent pending Color Recognition Controlled Media Delivery allows you to deliver content to a group

17 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com UV Blacklights UV8 UV90_Ad.qxp_Lighting Services Inc_UV Blacklights Ad 10/5/18 9:45 AM Page 1

• Help family members locate one another other using signage or personal devices, and even give progressive directions (lost kids, etc.)

• Help venue operators to ensure that parents cannot leave the facility without their kids

• Help operators and parents to ensure that kids stay with their family or group and do not depart the facility with unauthorized persons

• Help visitors to retrieve pictures, videos, prizes, and purchased merchandise for the entire group when convenient during their visit of visitors, such as kid-friendly content to a school group who arrive in matching uniforms or caps. • Assist with venue traffic control and visitor flow

Flexibility and future options • Help members achieve the best use of the facility and The flexibility of this system can apply beyond visitor their member privileges interaction and personalization. QuickSilver™ gives a facility the opportunity to make changes to their • Support ADA compliance programming at their leisure, whether a holiday presentation or adding new research to a science • Help with exhibit, show or ride control by allowing exhibition. QuickSilver™ media may be updated by simply access to certain shows/events/objects based on time changing the content on a central drive. Change a file, of day or other criteria and QuickSilver™ detects the revision, uploads it to the relevant device and the updated content is instantaneously • Accommodate VIP guests by providing recognition displayed. You can continue to refresh the media without and/or additional privileges needing to change hardware. • Boost earned revenue The QuickSilver™ solution replaces fixed graphics and signage. With cost-effective, ultra-short throw • Enhance visitor satisfaction and promote return visits laser projectors now offering many years of service, QuickSilver™ helps you make the most of available In these and other ways, the LookingGlass Concierge technology. system provides a number of services to enhance visitor experience that also work to the benefit of the venue. These different technologies have allowed us to start Mad’s Facial Recognition and Color Recognition thinking about developing other great options for our Controlled Media Delivery Systems can, in principle, be clients that thus far have not been possible, and we integrated with any audiovisual or interactive systems, have been working to build on that with new concepts however, our QuickSilver™ audiovisual solution was UV8 SERIES High Power, 365nm UV A LED, 2550mW / 15 Watts that continue to shift the paradigm for experiencing specifically designed to elevate the experience for the user. UV 8°, 15°, 25° and 40° Beam Spread Reflectors (included) audiovisual and interactive exhibits, and in particular the LookingGlass is intended as a free-standing system, but way that we welcome visitors and give them options to it provides a possibility to integrate the Media Delivery BLACK High Power, 365nm UV A LED, 15650mW / 50 Watts enjoy, learn and create memories. system with the capabilities offered by the LookingGlass UV90 SERIES Concierge option. • • • 10°, 25°, 40° and 60° Beam Spread Reflectors (included) Through the LookingGlass LIGHTS The next element that the Mad team has been working on Maris Ensing is the founder of Mad The UV8 and UV90 Series are powerful blacklight fixtures for special effects and themed environments. is the patent pending LookingGlass Concierge, using facial Systems, Inc. For more information High efficiency UV LEDs produce ultraviolet light at 1/5th the power of conventional blacklights, and have a recognition to help visitors in a range of venues including lifetime of 30,000 hours (L70) and are field replaceable. about Mad’s Paradigm Shift: 21st- museums, parks, or even stadiums. Benefits: century technologies providing Lighting Services Inc The premier specialty lighting manufacturer. customized content to each visitor, • Recognize visitors and allow groups - families, friends, visit www.madsystems.com or email school groups, clubs, conference visitors etc. - to be [email protected]. associated as groups

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UV8 SERIES High Power, 365nm UV A LED, 2550mW / 15 Watts UV 8°, 15°, 25° and 40° Beam Spread Reflectors (included)

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Lighting Services Inc 800 999-9574 www.LightingServicesInc.com 19 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com From cave tours to spinning coasters How did Herschend Enterprises go from a single, underground walking tour in the 1950s to the ever-expanding entertainment company it is today? By Philip Hernandez

erschend Enterprises was founded as a family term vision of the company.” Everything in the diverse Hbusiness and remains family-owned to this day, and it HE portfolio shares this core purpose, and Herschend had a vision and purpose that haven’t wavered. For nearly companies cultivate deep ties within the communities six decades, the company has operated with the motto: they serve even as the business continues to innovate Creating Memories Worth Repeating® and the purpose and diversify. Stated Wexler, “As Herschend Enterprises of bringing families closer together. While upholding this expands and grows, we’re focused on leveraging new vision, the company has expanded from a single walking platforms and expanding the ways that we intersect with tour of a cave in the to the multifaceted business families.” it is today.

The Herschend Enterprises (HE) of 2018 comprises 19 properties in seven states in the US, including (co-owned by country music superstar ), waterparks, aquariums, a safari, campgrounds, lodging, adventure tours, a showboat, a media business, and an exhibition team, The . Operating companies of HE include Herschend Family Entertainment (the nation’s largest, family-owned themed attraction corporation), Herschend Studios, Herschend Live and Pink® Adventure Tours.

Vision, tradition, and family It was a few years after World War II that Hugo and Mary Herschend visited , a cavern in the Ozarks that extends 505 feet below sea level. That single trip began the Herschends’ journey into the attractions industry. Hugo negotiated a 99-year lease from the owners to start their first attraction: tours of the underground cavern. Hugo’s and Mary’s sons, Jack and Pete Herschend, helped with the cave tour business, becoming more involved following Hugo’s death. The Herschends soon built a theme park above ground called (it opened in 1960), modeling it on a long-gone, 1800s mining town that had once stood near the cave entrance. Over the ensuing decades, the two brothers created what is ranked the most extensive private amusement park and entertainment company in America. They retired in the 1990s and turned over management to non-family members.

In the words of Andrew Wexler, CEO and Director Talking Rocks Cavern Photo courtesy of Talking Rocks Cavern of Herschend Enterprises: “The original vision of the Herschends guides both our daily work and the long-

20 inparkmagazine.com The spinning roller coaster Time Traveler opened this year at Silver Dollar City Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City

Herschend Live Henson Company and Herschend Studios, and distributed Harlem Globetrotter President Howard Smith was domestically by PBS KIDS and internationally by The appointed to lead the Herschend Live division that was Jim Henson Company, encourages children to learn about rolled out in August 2018. Purchased by Herschend in marine biology and ocean optimism by following the 2013, the Harlem Globetrotters are the first Herschend- adventures of Splash, a Yellowback Fusilier, and his best owned property under the Live banner. “We’re excited friend Bubbles, a Mandarin Dragonet. In November 2017, to launch the next phase of our business with the Herschend Enterprises announced it had partnered with launch of Herschend Live,” stated Wexler in the official to develop a family-oriented “Splash and announcement. “The success of the Globetrotters touring Bubbles” dark ride. the world and staging consistently thrilling and profitable live events has served as the inspiration for this initiative, In the world of children’s museums, Herschend which we are confident we can replicate on various levels Enterprises partnered with The Magic House, a children’s for other brands in the live event business. We will look to museum in St. Louis MO, to create a new, family-focused, acquire or manage other live event proprieties under the interactive “Splash and Bubbles” experience, packaged success of the Globetrotter model on a global level.” as a traveling exhibition. The exhibit, set to premier in February 2019 at The Magic House, will transport Herschend Studios visitors into immersive, hands-on learning experiences Herschend’s media division bolsters the brand’s IP, a tactic based on the series’ characters and featuring underwater that’s been hugely successful in the industry (Disney, environments inspired by the show. Merlin, Studio 100) with the stated goal of the company to “create emotional connections using characters and Pink® Adventure Tours stories by developing and producing family entertainment In July 2018, Herschend Enterprises announced the for television, film, digital and publishing.” To that end acquisition of Pink® Adventure Tours, a full-service, the company is forming a variety of partnerships and adventure tour company founded in 1960 and featuring creative collaborations for its owned IP, as well as options a fleet of pink jeeps with operations in Sedona, AZ; Las and acquisitions to expand its character and story-driven Vegas, and Grand Canyon National Park. “Their portfolio. values, structure, and commitment to safety make Pink Adventure Tours a great fit for our family of companies,” An example is the use of “Splash and Bubbles.” This popular, animated TV series, co-produced by The Jim continued on page 24

21 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Herschend Family Entertainment: Commmunity ties and classic fun

Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE), which for the ages.” Time Traveler’s three inversions are manages all the attractions within the brand, a dive loop, a vertical loop, and a zero-G roll. The is expanding both its portfolio of attractions vertical loop is the only one of its kind and is 95 as well as the activities within its properties. feet tall. Another unique feature of the ride is the Recent highlights include the introduction of double launch - 0 to 47 mph in three seconds and the Time Traveler coaster at Silver Dollar City 30 to 45 mph in 3.5 seconds. and Wildwood Grove, a new land at Dollywood. Again, all expansions and re-investments are true to the original vision and strategy of the Community outreach is part of the culture at Wild Herschend family. To illustrate, let’s examine a few Adventures theme park as for other HFE parks. of the brand’s attractions, Silver Dollar City, Wild Based in Valdosta, GA, the 166-acre park, acquired Adventures and Dollywood. by HFE in 2007, features numerous rides and attractions, hundreds of animals and a waterpark. Silver Dollar City Adam Floyd, Public Relations Manager at Wild Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO is the original Adventures, related a story. “Not long ago we had HFE property. Brad Thomas, President of Silver a visit from an elderly woman living in a nursing Dollar City Attractions, talked about a 2015 home who’d never visited a theme park before. She endeavor that demonstrates how the park stays was afraid that would never happen. We gave this connected to its community. “In 2015, we worked lady the opportunity to feed breakfast to Shirley, with local and national volunteer firefighter our oldest Asian elephant on record. She came organizations to tell the stories of their struggle face-to-face with Oscar, our two-toed sloth, and, to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. Since of course, she had up-close encounters with lions the majority of firefighters in the US serve in and tigers and bears. Oh my! The whole experience these volunteer departments, their challenge is reminded me that creating a happy memory for real,” noted Brad. “Throughout 2015, we honored someone is truly a high calling. It’s at the heart of firefighters from across the US. Our vision was to everything we do at Wild Adventures.” bring family members closer to each other through these efforts. We’re also hopeful that, through our In September, Wild Adventures announced a storylines and our theming, kids and their parents major expansion to include a new 3-acre kids’ will aspire to make a positive difference in their area and immersive wildlife experiences. The new communities and the world.” area will debut in March 2019 and will feature six rides and several opportunities to get up close and In March 2018, Time Traveler, billed as the world’s personal with South ’s most intriguing fastest, steepest, and tallest spinning coaster, was native species: the American Alligator. Guests launched at Silver Dollar City. Time Traveler also will be able to interact and even feed the amazing sets a record as the park’s biggest-ever attraction. creatures at Alligator Alley and take brave steps We think journalist Arthur Levine summed it into their world as they trek over the Gator Bridge, up nicely in his August 2018 review for USA a netted rope bridge suspended over the alligators’ Today: “Old-timey Silver Dollar City in Branson, habitat. Missouri, is sending guests back to an earlier era on its wildly innovative (and just plain wild) Time Dollywood Traveler. The $26-million attraction uses an Tim Berry, VP of Human Resources at ingenious magnetic system to temper the intensity Dollywood, told this story: “In late November of its free-spinning cars. That allows the coaster 2016, the Smoky Mountain region experienced an to deliver rides that are surprising, unique, and outbreak of wildfires that destroyed a number of thrilling, but remain controlled and comfortable. homes and businesses throughout the area. Within Toss in a 100-foot, 90-degree drop right out of the 12 hours of the fires starting, our team had a plan station, two giddy, mid-course launches, and three in place to provide care and support for all of our inversions, and it’s clear that Time Traveler is a ride employees - especially those who’d experienced

22 inparkmagazine.com major losses. Within 24 hours, our leaders ensured • A 453-meter suspended roller coaster, The they had personally contacted each of the 2,000 Dragonflier, that will “let guests soar with a hosts we had on staff at the time to confirm they dragonfly as it dips and darts along the gushing were OK and assess any needs they may have as a geysers and lush landscape.” result of the tragedy,” Tim explained. • The Black Bear Trail ride, in which riders can “In addition, out of respect to our friends and hop on “friendly bears for a spirited trek through neighbors, we closed the park for a few days their natural habitat.” following the fires. During the time we were closed, we paid the wages of all employees who were • The Sycamore Swing, a leaf boat ride that scheduled to work those days. The commitment of “swings back and forth just like a leaf falling Herschend Family Entertainment never wavered from a giant sycamore tree.” during this time, and the support we provided was invaluable. While this was an extreme example, it’s • The Treetop Tower, which provides guests with not at all uncommon to see our company’s values views at 40 feet as they ride inside giant acorns regularly lived out in a personal way.” and spin around the top of a tall oak tree before being delivered gently down to the grove floor. In August 2018, Dolly Parton announced Dollywood’s “largest capital investment ever” - • Hidden Hollow, a 4,000-square-foot indoor, Wildwood Grove, which is set to open in 2019. climate-controlled climb structure with an oasis This is the first new area of the park since 2008 called Wildwood Creek that features pop jets, and will feature 11 experiences for guests of all splashing pools, and other wet and dry activities, ages. It will also have a dining option that will offer including musical instruments for guests. • “Southern-inspired, Southwest-fresh items.” Some of the touted features:

The recently announced Wildwood Grove addition for Dollywood Image courtesy of The Dollywood Company

23 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com stated Wexler. “This acquisition expands our business into with a musculoskeletal condition. An aquarium employee, the rapidly growing market of adventure travel and gives Natalie, struck up a conversation with the daughter and Herschend another opportunity to intersect with families learned about her condition. A smile and taking time for by offering unique experiences in some of the country’s a conversation would have been enough for a good guest most unique settings.” experience, but Natalie chose to go one step further to live out our values of greatly exceeding guests’ expectations True to the vision and creating emotional connections. She reached out to Jane A Cooper, President and COO of HFE shared one of the aquarium’s biologists and arranged a special a detailed, personal story that exemplifies HFE’s meet-and-greet with a rare penguin. This penguin also commitment to its mission and values and how this made suffered from a musculoskeletal condition. Meeting her feel. this penguin and learning its story was such a special experience for the entire family and one they’ll never “What makes HFE special is the daily practice of our forget,” said Cooper. “I’m so grateful to work for a values. It’s the ordinary moments that employees make company that empowers its employees to treat guests extraordinary that become memories worth repeating,” as family and go above and beyond to create emotional she stated. “One recent experience that exemplifies this is connections.” a visit to by a family with a daughter

Herschend Family Entertainment Properties

Theme parks Lodging • Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN • Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, Pigeon • Silver Dollar City, Branson, MO Forge, TN • Wild Adventures, Valdosta, GA • Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins, Great Smoky Mountains, TN Attractions • Atlanta Evergreen Marriott Conference • Park, Stone Mountain, GA Resort, Stone Mountain, GA • Stone Mountain Inn, Stone Mountain, GA Waterparks • Stone Mountain Park Campground, Stone • Silver Dollar City’s White Water, Mountain, GA Branson, MO • Silver Dollar City’s The Wilderness log • Dollywood’s Splash Country, cabins, RVs, and camping, Branson, MO Pigeon Forge, TN

Aquariums • , Camden, NJ (Philadelphia area) • Newport Aquarium, Newport, KY (Cincinnati area)

Dinner shows • Dolly Parton’s Stampede, Branson, MO and Pigeon Forge, TN • Showboat Branson Belle, Branson, MO • Celebration! Dinner Show, Pigeon Forge, TN • Pirates Voyage, Myrtle Beach, SC

Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar City

24 inparkmagazine.com Herschend Enterprises consults with like-minded Who’s in Charge? companies on how to bring its “Lead with Love” principles into the workplace, and offers the Leading Herschend Enterprises Management with Love Conference, a professional development event Andrew Wexler, CEO and Director that teaches the fundamentals that guide their corporate Peter Herschend, Co-founder culture. Jack R. Herschend, Co-founder Ryan Connolly, CFO Wexler added his comments about the Herschend vision: “No matter the delivery, our commitment to provide Herschend Family Entertainment Management families with opportunities to share meaningful, unique Jane A. Cooper, President and COO experiences and create memories together remains at the core of every segment of our business.” • • • For more information about Herschend Enterprises, Herschend Family Entertainment, the company’s Philip Hernandez is CEO at Gantom properties and subsidiaries, visit herschendenterprises. Lighting, Editor-in-Chief of Seasonal com. Entertainment Source magazine, and Founder of the Leadership Symposium for Seasonal Attractions. Contact Philip at: [email protected]

Jane Cooper Andrew Wexler

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BOOTH #458 WWW.SMART-MONKEYS.COM inparkmagazine.com The pearls and pixels of Attraktion! Attraktion!’s new Cinesplash 5D theater at Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi highlights the company’s innovation in creating next-gen media-based attractions by Martin Palicki

e are in an industry that demands a constant example, is part of the 4D/5D theater family, along with “Wstream of new ideas and attraction products in a more traditional 4D/5D theater and the SeaExplorer the marketplace,” says Markus Beyr, CEO of Attraktion!, 5D attraction. All the products and genres center on a an Austrian company dedicated to creating immersive, media-based experience, which draws on the company’s media-based attractions for themed entertainment. Being core strengths in technology, media, integration and able to consistently and reliably develop new product manufacturing. concepts is key to success, but the ideas also have to stand the test of time and be adaptable to different Building the Business circumstances. According to Beyr, the ascent of Attraktion! has been deliberate and measured. “Although we work constantly Attraktion! was founded by Beyr in 2012 to do just to develop new ideas and concepts, we typically do not that. Drawing on his decades of experience working on launch new products until we have a buyer,” he says. That multimedia attractions, Beyr created the company with the ensures the proper level of collaboration and problem- mission of creating new, customizable experiences for the solving has already taken place between the supplier and industry. Four main product genres (4D/5D Theaters, the buyer. Dome Attractions, Playoke and WeRobots) established the Attraktion! core portfolio, with multiple products In the article “The importance of collaboration and being offered in different genres. Cinesplash 5D, for teamwork in the creative industry,” [July 11, 2017,

26 inparkmagazine.com Cogswell.edu] renowned composer, AV expert and Cogswell College lecturer Julius Dobos explains how creative collaboration across work groups creates desirable outcomes:

“Working with people who think differently…has its own benefits: forms of creative disruption. Similar minds with similar experiences often see the same solution to a challenge — but this might be only one of the possible solutions, and not necessarily the best…This is one of the biggest gifts a creative producer can receive: the ability to see into another intellect in which solutions work completely differently, yet they produce the desired results.”

Like Dobos, Beyr has worked across multiple disciplines and aggregated the knowledge gained from different work environments. He’s taken this earned expertise and applied it to the Attraktion! product development process, not only with clients, but also with other manufacturers. For example, the partnership between Attraktion! and ride manufacturer led to the development of The Dome Ride Theater. Guests experience a rotating and tilting ring of seats inside of a sphere that is also a projection surface, fully surrounding them in a virtual environment. Dome Ride Theater is a signature ride, Markus Beyr, CEO, Attraktion! GmbH

More from the Attraktion! portfolio

In addition to the products and services mentioned of features including motion seats, vibration above, Attraktion! has several other notable and ticklers, mist spray and atmospheric effects. business lines. Attraktion! recently debuted a 4D theater at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Birmingham and Touring Exhibitions is currently working on on two major 4D theaters Attraktion! has developed an educational and in Asia, opening 2019. entertaining interactive experience that includes a variety of small, media-based experiences to inform Attraktion! Studios guests about the importance the polar regions Attraktion! has an extensive render farm computer play in the world. “Polar Journey” includes seven system to support their in-house CGI movie interactive scenes and is currently on exhibition at production team. Right now Attraktion! focuses on Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The same exhibition productions in the 270-degree format, but also setup can also be used with other content options creates dome and other themed entertainment like Wild Safari, so being able to renew the films, such as “The Legend of the Lost Pearl.” exhibition with fresh contents without the need to The company attraction film library is available for change any decoration. licensing. •

4D Theaters For more information on Attraktion! products Although developing new concept formats and and services, see “The Immersive Ingenuity of venues is a company specialty, Attraktion! is also Attraktion!” - InPark issue #55, November 2014 active in traditional 4D theaters, with a variety

27 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com developed by Attraktion! for medium- to large-scale theme parks, and the first installation will be announced soon.

“My plan has always been to combine the Attraktion! team’s extensive knowledge of the industry and world markets with bold imagination,” says Beyr. “The result has been a growing company creating tailored experiences with the latest technology.”

And grown it has. Since Markus started Attraktion! with three colleagues, the company has matured into a medium sized corporation, which resides in a large office building and production facility in Austria. Today, team members come from ten different countries and speak a variety of languages. “We rely on a variety of expertises from our team members and are constantly looking to expand our team,” says Beyr. “We are particularly seeking talented new attraction engineers, 3D artists and sales representatives Cinesplash 5D motion seats from around the world.”

Cinesplash: a flood of effects and a pearl for Yas Waterworld One of the Attraktion! products currently experiencing a wave of attention is the Cinesplash 5D theater, designed especially for waterparks. A 3D theater is augmented with pneumatically-controlled motion seats and a generous supply of water-based special effects with the ultimate goal of drenching riders (who being at a waterpark, are already wearing swimsuits).

Beyr developed the initial concept for Cinesplash with Markus Achleitner in 2009. Achleitner is managing director of Austria’s biggest thermal bath and waterpark, Therme Bad Schallerbach. He was the initiator and initial client of the idea. Together they built the first one with A scene from “The Legend of the Lost Pearl” a basic range of water effects in 2011 at Achleitner’s Aquapulco in Austria. A second theater with more effects then opened in Malaysia. Since then, additional theaters have opened at Hangzhouwan Dream Hotspring Water World near Ningbo, and two 36-seat theaters at Wanda’s new waterpark in Qingdao, China.

“It took a while for the initial concept to catch on,” explains Beyr, “but now that several are operational, parks are starting to see the value Cinesplash provides in diversifying an attraction lineup.”

At this writing, three additional Cinesplash 5D theaters were in execution in China - in , Wuxi and . The Cinesplash concept is promising for Asian markets, in part because of the sheer quantity of waterparks being built there. Cinesplash offers a Dome Ride theater concept illustration differentiating factor among competing parks, and is designed to be scaled up to provide high throughput for

28 inparkmagazine.com parks that need the capacity. And since the Cinesplash experience is so different from that of the standard waterslide, it has the potential to be added as an upcharge to regular admission.

Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi opened up the newest iteration of Cinesplash5D in June 2018. In addition to being the most current install, it also features new effects not yet found in the other theaters.

Bathing suit-clad guests enter the theater equipped with 3D glasses and sit in molded fiberglass motion seats. Throughout the film, a variety of standard effects splash the guests. Rain falls from overhead, water sprays from the sides and front of the theater, water cannons erupt below the screen, and giant waterfalls cascade down the sides of the theater. Additional, in-seat effects include spray nozzles and feet ticklers. All of this, of course, enhances the action taking place on the screen.

But the climactic moment occurs when the theater starts to fill with water until it is lapping at guest’s knees, We are proud to be the first waterpark to introduce the completely surrounding the motion seats. The effect is Cinesplash attraction genre to guests in the region unexpected and (so far) unduplicated in the world. Future -Bianca Sammut installations will also include wave generators for the General Manager, Yas Waterworld flooded theater.

Beyr is coy when asked exactly how the effect works, but he explains that a giant pit the same size as the theater is located directly beneath the auditorium and the unique system completely floods (and, at the end, drains) the venue in less than 30 seconds. The water is treated through a standard pool filtration system and recycled from show to show.

In many ways, Yas Waterworld is the perfect setting for a Cinesplash theater. The park, opened in 2013, has an extensive backstory about how the watery world was created, including the signature giant pearl perched on top of the mountain. A customized theatrical experience offers a new opportunity to pull guests into the story and enrich their experience. This made Cinesplash a good fit for the highly themed waterpark.

“We wanted to offer our guests a unique aquatic experience that doesn’t exist in any other waterpark in the region, which was also a great new way to experience the park’s award-winning story, ‘The Legend of the Lost Pearl’,” says Bianca Sammut, Yas Waterworld’s General Manager.

The story was inspired by the UAE’s pearl diving heritage, and had already been written before the park was built. In Inside the Cinesplash 5D theater at Yas Waterworld addition to producing the media for the ride, Attraktion!

29 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Guests experience 270-degrees of projection inside the SeaExplorer 5D attraction

developed content that fit this narrative. The process world. Even smaller operators are more frequently relying included taking the pre-existing 2D cartoon characters, on media-rich (frequently projection-based) attractions to and rendering them in three dimensions for the new show. tell stories and engage guests.

“Guests love Cinesplash,” says Sammut. “It is undoubtedly Cinesplash combines the best of both those trends, an exciting new addition to our rides and we are very bringing storytelling and media into a waterpark proud to be the first waterpark in the region to bring this environment typically void of such attractions, and to type of attraction to our guests. Providing visitors with a population of guests increasingly interested in both fun aquatic adventures with local personality is at the heart waterplay and themed entertainment recreation. of what we do here at Yas Waterworld.” Captivating audiences The success of Cinesplash, and perhaps a key reason Beyond Cinesplash, Attraktion! has found consistent for recent renewed interest in the concept, is driven by interest in several of its other product lines, especially two powerful current trends in the marketplace. First, Playoke and the SeaExplorer 5D theater. waterparks and water play have seen continued strong and sustained growth, particularly in Asia. As Chris Playoke immerses a group of people in a video-led Yoshii, AECOM’s Vice President, Asia Pacific points out performance. The physically engaging experience is made in the 2017 TEA/AECOM Theme Index, compared to personal, interactive and even competitive through a theme parks, waterparks are less expensive and quicker to system of real-time, 3D group motion tracking. develop, tend to require a smaller footprint, and come with a lower price point for emerging-market consumers. They Playoke systems are currently operating in China, , are popular destination attractions for both developers and Philippines, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Vietnam. It’s governments. become popular in family entertainment centers (FECs). Playoke is being included as part of more than a dozen Additionally, one need only glance at the largest theme National Geographic FECs planned for locations around park operators to see that story-driven, media based the world. The first such opened recently in Shenyang, attractions have been enjoying great success around the China, the 2nd one in Mepetec Mexico, with additional

30 inparkmagazine.com locations set to debut in the coming months. The next two are already confirmed for Changzhou and , China. In addition to Nat Geo, several other groups are installing multiple versions of Playoke, including Vingroup in Vietnam and Centerparcs in France.

Attraktion!’s latest product, SeaExplorer 5D, was launched in 2016 and is already operating in Indonesia, Malaysia, UAE and two locations in the USA (Chicago and Las Vegas). The next SeaExplorer 5D will debut in Cairns, Australia before the end of 2018.

Attraktion! also offers non-aquatic themed Explorer 5D attractions such as Wild Safari – a south African safari in the savannah with near-photorealistic flora and fauna – and later in 2019, Mission to Mars.

Each experience culminates in a 270-degree film, surrounding guests who are standing on a 3-DOF motion A scene from Wild Safari Explorer platform. Wind and water effects are added for even more immersion. “It’s essentially a small cave environment,” well in a wide range of venues and I think we have only explains Beyr. The space is scalable and can achieve high scratched the surface of what we can create for both throughput even in very restricted footprints. As with its today’s and tomorrow’s entertainment destinations.” other products, Attraktion! provides a turnkey system for operators, and also produces the CGI animated content. Markus Beyr will be available during the 2018 IAAPA Attractions Expo (Orlando) to discuss Cinesplash 5D and “I am proud of Attraktion!’s development during the the Attraktion! suite of products and services. To set up an past six years,” says Beyr. “We’ve seen our products work appointment, email [email protected]. • • •

The Dance Wild experience at the Nat Geo FECs utilize the Attraktion! Playoke system

31 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com An apartment hotel overlooks the Enjoyland RD&E development with stunning views to the lake and the iconic Wheel attraction. All images created by Robert Terry for Stantec. Envisioning Enjoyland Stantec talks about RD&E development and placemaking tantec has been active in the themed entertainment architecture, area development and interior design to Sindustry for more 30 years, with a portfolio of retail, create a living model with a parallel path – ensuring the dining and entertainment (RD&E); hospitality and resort design presentation and construction models evolve and projects, and an international client list that includes Walt maintain consistency throughout the project.” Disney Imagineering, Merlin Entertainments Group, NBC Universal, and SeaWorld. In the following Q&A about Enjoyland and the RD&E process, we hear from Stantec’s Greg Meyer, PLA, Recently, the company had the opportunity to collaborate Principal Planner and Landscape Architect; Daryl LeBlanc, with a client to develop Enjoyland, a new 260-acre RD&E AIA, Principal – Lead Design Architect; and Robert Terry, in Zhengzhou (Henan Province), China. In an integrated Associate – Architectural Visualization. resort or other leisure development, a successful RD&E functions as a unique experience in its own right - as a What expertise does Stantec bring to designing hub where visitors can shop, dine and enjoy entertainment a successful themed destination? What is your venues - while also maintaining a sense of connection approach to design and why is this method effective? with access to other components of the property, such as hotels and theme parks. A successful RD&E prolongs the Daryl LeBlanc: We assemble a visitor experience and establishes a strong brand identity creative team that includes planners, leading to increased revenue and repeat visitation. landscape architects, interior designers, architects, artists, and The Stantec community unites 22,000 employees working visualization experts to work in in over 400 locations across the globe. Stantec Principal unison across disciplines. Involving Planner and Landscape Architect Greg Meyer, PLA, our 3-D visualization resources group Daryl LeBlanc describes it this way, “Our multi-disciplinary team of plays a vital role in the success of our designers explores imaginative ways to convey authentic design and overall project delivery. This process gives our and memorable guest experiences and create a sense of team the opportunity to collaborate with 3-D visualization place. As trusted to our clients, the quality and early on – we can develop highly complex digital modeling excellence of the built environments we produce reflect simultaneously as the concept design evolves. We can our highly collaborative and vision-oriented approach. focus on conveying our thoughts clearly while also As soon as a project begins – our team of designers and streamlining our output to remain as efficient as possible. visualization experts work to seamlessly synchronize the

32 inparkmagazine.com Robert Terry: Integrating various destination may be obvious in many instances - but in disciplines at the conceptual stage and other instances, it might be more subtle. In the latter, generating a comprehensive digital smart design elements will remind the guest that this space model for Enjoyland was a huge is part of a larger collection of experiences. advantage for us - we were able to explore the space more holistically Greg Meyer: RD&E projects are and in real-time. For example, we Rob Terry like a microcosm of theme parks and receive instant feedback of how essentially become an added gate. the area development coordinates with the architecture, Our experience working with theme and the effect of the sun’s shadows at various times of parks and retail destinations has day or season. With overlaid theming, we can provide led to our blending seamlessly with the animated dynamics of a ride or attraction, so we can RD&E projects, meaning the lines Greg Meyer share the vision of the project with our clients in more between park and retail and dining meaningful ways. experiences begin to merge. The intersection of guest experiences from both worlds is exciting and allows us to What is Stantec’s role in creating a sense of place communicate our client’s brand in new and inventive ways. and establishing a connection within the context of It’s a holistic way of looking at the client’s overall design a larger destination that includes a resort and theme goal. parks? How does the design for an RD&E relate to its role as a “hub” to a hotel and other destinations on How does your design team blend a cohesive, the property? themed and branded space for your client, while addressing the individual retailers’ need to have their DL: The design approach for a RD&E must be responsive own branded presence? to the planned future development adjacent to the venue surrounding it. In many cases, the RD&E is not the DL: Typically, larger venues are designed with flexibility primary attraction for guests visiting the property (i.e. as retailers will want more of their own identity expressed hotel, theme park etc.) – however the RD&E must have while smaller spaces often don’t have the same level for the capability to be a successful venue on its own. We brand expression. If the architecture is meant to act as a understand that RD&E projects need to have a distinct backdrop, it’s somewhat easier to imagine how individual identity. The relationship they have within an overall retailers can be represented in diverse and unique ways

A blend of culture, mythology, and water elements creates the compelling and immersive theme of Enjoyland.

33 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com park. There is not the same sense of rushing around and trying to pack in as much as possible to get the most for your money. In that sense, having places to stop, take a breather, and relax become the more predominant drivers. Food and beverage venues with ample indoor and outdoor seating options are successful because they are revenue generators that allow people to relax with friends and family while taking in the experience.

GM: Outdoor spaces are equally important as the indoor spaces and are usually the first impressions for guests as they arrive and leave. Providing enjoyable outside venues Guests can view the nightly water show from the many for guest experiences builds expectations and provides outdoor themed restaurants lining the promenade - or opportunities for varied activities that today’s users expect. get a bird’s eye view from the balloon attraction. Incorporating water features, lighting, landscape, seating elements, outdoor dining, signage, and interactive activities using signage or elaborate interventions within the façade in the design for Enjoyland were essential to the project’s or storefront. The RD&E owner might choose to develop overall success. a series of design standards that tell a retailer what types of modifications might be made while keeping the RT: The objective of the RD&E is to continue to attract integrity of the RD&E intact. people beyond their initial destination. It should offer a smart balance of many different forms of entertainment GM: Placemaking for an RD&E is challenging and should and experiences. These scenarios could include a space to be successful at all levels. It begins with developing a wind down and relax, for others an opportunity to engage vision for the entire project working with the client and in more active, social environments. For Enjoyland, having the design team. Once we have an established vison that an accurate digital model allowed us to better understand expresses the overall brand and sense of place, we can spatial relationships based on the unique waterfront then begin to explore and envision how individual retailers topography. We then strategically blend activities to create will fit into the overall picture. a purposeful flow that enhances each guest’s experience with amenities while remaining diverse enough to Are there parallels to working with an IP (intellectual accommodate all visitors. property) holder? What are the challenges of working with an IP holder vs. an owner trying to establish a How do you employ storytelling in design new brand? development for the themed outdoor realms? What inspires themes for architecture? DL: Yes. When working with established IP holders, there are guidelines and expectations as to how that DL: Storytelling is fundamental to what we do. It helps IP should be translated into a physical environment. us take an IP or a brand and write out the parameters Sometimes the guidelines present a challenge, but more for the experiences we want to create. In this sense, the often they represent the framework for design decisions. architecture often becomes secondary to the experience When an owner does not have an IP, our job begins and more of a backdrop than a focal point. with the creation of a similar set of guidelines to help communicate what is important to the brand. RT: The story is crucial to a project, it forms the foundation of our concepts, helps set the tone of the Visitors need space to enter and exit, active spaces, space and provokes more highly creative solutions to and places to rest and dine. How are design elements design challenges. Aspects of the story are subtly woven applied to accommodate for a range of activity? throughout, providing more meaningful connections that help guide the guests through the space. And our proven DL: The diversity of spaces and activities is critical to the process allows us to generate multiple, accurate snapshots success of an RD&E. It is also important to cater to a of each phase of the project to visually articulate the story wider variety of age-groups than those typically found in to our clients. After all, it’s all about providing a clear some theme parks. Also, as these are largely free-admission picture of our design throughout the project so we can venues, the pace of experiences and expectations from help our clients create the space they envisioned. • • • guests are different than what is expected in a theme

34 inparkmagazine.com Congratulations to our very own TEA’s SHANNON MARTIN, incoming Western Division President for 2019!

35 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com TPG tackles Orlando Bob Chambers, Edward Marks, and Todd Hougland talk about The Producers Group expansion to Orlando Interview by Rick West

or the third time since its founding in 2011, The FProducers Group (TPG) is undertaking a major expansion, with a new office in a nexus of the themed entertainment universe. This time, it’s Orlando. The new TPG office in Orlando, headed by Todd Hougland, joins existing company locations in Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Dubai.

Co-CEOs Bob Chambers and Edward Marks established TPG to provide a suite of services for the global attractions industry, leading with production and project management, and technical direction. Chambers and Marks consider one of the company’s key strengths is retaining a strong core team, rather than dramatically The Producers Group exhibited at the IAAPA Euro Attractions staffing up or down from project to project. In this Show in Amsterdam. Judd Nissen, Edward Marks and Todd exclusive interview, Hougland, Chambers, and Marks Hougland will also be welcoming guests to their IAAPA spoke to InPark contributor Rick West about this new Orlando booth in mid-November. All photos courtesy TPG chapter of the TPG story, and what the company’s plans are with this latest expansion. performer, then as Entertainment Supervisor and then as Congratulations, Todd, on your new position at The a Production Stage Manager. Producers Group. We want to know more about you as a person and a professional. How did it all begin In 1994, I took on a project where I was the Company for you, and what steps brought you to where you are Manager for a few stunt shows produced at Six Flags Over today in your career? Mid-America (St. Louis). This led to a number of other projects throughout the US and in Europe. Todd Hougland: I am lucky to have had a number of wonderful opportunities in this great industry. I started In 1999, I produced a water stunt show for Six Flags as a performer at Walt Disney World in Orlando back in Marine World (Vallejo, California), where I first met Tom 1986; a high school summer job. I enjoyed it very much Mehrmann, who was then the General Manager. Tom and continued to work part-time through high school and and I ended up working on the Warner Brothers Madrid while I attended the University of Central Florida. project from 2001 to 2003. He was GM and I was on-site In 1990, I had the opportunity to work at Universal Entertainment Consultant. Studios Florida during its opening season; first as a In 2004, Tom had become CEO of , and he recruited me to come in as a consultant for five months, to help take their modest Halloween event to the next level. I jumped at the opportunity and ended up staying in Hong Kong for over a decade!

Half of that time, I led the entertainment team as we pushed their seasonal events to world-class level, and then the latter half I served as Executive Director of Operations and Entertainment, leading the day-to-day Todd Hougland Bob Chambers Edward Marks operations of the entire park. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Tom Mehrmann and Allan Zeman,

36 inparkmagazine.com Chairman of Ocean Park, from 2003 until 2014, as we Seven years, eight milestones transformed what was a very good regional park into a world-class park that won the in 2012. My family loved Hong Kong, but eventually we decided it • 2012: First production in China - TPG provides was time to return to the US, which we did in 2017. Not services on three shows and the lagoon long after that, Ed and Bob reached out, as they had a few spectacular at Ocean Kingdom possible projects that I might be suited for with TPG. We • 2015: TPG’s first roller coaster integration finalized our agreement in November 2017. project - Cobra’s Curse for Busch Gardens Tampa Why now? Why Orlando? Specifically, what drove the • 2015: First time as Global Exhibitors with decision to have a physical presence in Orlando in IAAPA addition to the other offices? • 2016: TPG goes into production on two Edward Marks: Orlando is a natural extension of what attractions for Dubai Parks and Resorts we’re doing on a global level. It’s arguably the busiest • 2017: Thea Awards honor two projects - at theme park market in the world. Three of the largest Shanghai Disneyland and Universal Studios clients in the industry - Walt Disney Imagineering, Hollywood – on which TPG provided Universal Creative, and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment consultant work - are bi-coastal in both Southern California and Orlando. To better serve clients such as these as well as others in • 2017: Expansion! TPG moves to new, larger the market and in Eastern North America, establishing a offices in Glendale, CA base of operations there was a necessary and important • 2018: Opening of TPG Orlando Office expansion for us. From Orlando, we have easy access to • 2018: Turnkey production of two new shows in clients from Georgia to Cape Canaveral, to the Caribbean Southeast Asia and beyond.

After establishing ourselves in Los Angeles and then internationally, our company was at a size that it made sense to go ahead and make the investment in the Orlando days, between the existing parks, redevelopments, and new office. There is a lot of work going on in Orlando these projects that will come to light in the near future. It makes strategic sense to put our team right in the middle of the action, where we can and will be available for our partners Todd Hougland with a model of Ocean Park’s waterpark expansion project. and clients for years to come. How does this new office expansion work into TPG’s history, and more importantly, what does it mean for the company’s future?

Bob Chambers: We’ve based the company on our ability to collaborate not only with our partners, but with multiple offices in multiple locations. The expansion into Orlando isn’t any different than our previous moves, in that respect. We fully intend to have a collaborative, seamless connection between our Orlando office and our LA office. So, from a historical standpoint, it’s taking what we’ve always done in terms of being a premium provider, making sure everyone’s collaborating with the best tools, and carrying that forward into the ability to truly have a singular voice that is a bi-coastal service provider.

Marks: The timing of Todd coming aboard coincides perfectly with our business growth goals, including talent acquisition and revenue stream. There are a lot of firms out there that TPG has a synergistic relationship with,

37 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com many of which are in the Orlando area. A large portion of the company’s revenue comes from white label services it provides many of its industry partners.

How does this speak to larger trends in the attractions marketplace?

Chambers: Increasingly, clients are looking for more robust offerings - collaborative and integrated design packages and design phases - which we are very focused on, and capable of delivering. TPG feels that trend of more integration is going to continue.

TPG is also very focused on efficiency, which is why the company is putting such an emphasis on seamless integration between LA and the new Orlando office. From Orlando, we are also in a stronger position to support a number of our projects in Europe and the Middle East.

This way, resources can be shared internally so that it’s not a problem if a project manager is in LA, and your special effects designer is in Florida. As long as they’re seamlessly connected, it creates a more efficient use of resources, while still delivering a fantastic result.

What should we expect from The Producers Group in Orlando for the rest of the year and first part of 2019? While working at Ocean Park, Hougland (left) was tasked by Ocean Park’s Chairman at the time, Allan Zeman (center), with Hougland: With the IAAPA Headquarters now in taking the park’s Halloween special event to the next level Orlando, we will continue to support the Association and look for additional ways to remain involved and active. Personally, now that I am back in the US, I look forward to continuing to develop my professional network in Key contacts at each of the TPG offices Central Florida via the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), and the Florida Attractions Association, as well as • Los Angeles – Judd Nissen, IAAPA. Director Project Development [email protected] The Producers Group will be exhibiting at the 2018 IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando and will be hosting • Orlando – Michael Turner, meetings at their booth, #260. Meetings can be scheduled VP Global Business Development by emailing [email protected]. • • • [email protected]

• Dubai – Ammar Hussain, Business Development Director – MENA Region [email protected] Rick West ([email protected]) is • Shanghai – Faye Peng, a creative director/show writer in the Production Supervisor themed entertainment industry and [email protected] a contributor to InPark Magazine. He is also the Creative Director of Praveen Rao, Midsummer Scream, the world’s Regional Manager largest Halloween and horror convention, which takes [email protected] place each summer in Long Beach, California.

38 inparkmagazine.com The No. 1 Trade Event for the Entertainment Amusement and Leisure Industries in the MENA region

25th - 27th MARCH 2019 HALLS 1, 2, 3 & 4 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE,

BOOK YOUR BOOTH NOW! inparkmagazine.com www.dealmiddleeastshow.com Fire and water Yves Pépin, artist of the spectacular by Judith Rubin ves Pépin is one of the great innovators and artists of Ythemed entertainment. His work defined the modern genre of the nighttime multimedia spectacular with a blend of art, technology and storytelling, integrating projection, water, lasers, live performance, robots, music and pyrotechnics.

Pépin created a modern genre of spectacle that has traditional origins in theater, performing arts and entertainment on a grand scale. The stories that unfold in these shows are simple, human stories and fables, but the production scale itself is colossal and the platform is the world stage.

Over the years, Yves Pépin’s spectacles have punctuated some of the biggest international events and tourist destinations in the world, including world expos, international sporting events, major theme parks and national celebrations. He has collaborated with the likes of Yang Zhimou, Steven Spielberg, the Totonaque Indians and a Hinduist sect.

The world belonged to Paris His most famous show ever was the Eiffel Tower Millennium pyrotechnics display in 2000, produced with Christophe Berthonneau (it can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/qczq5jBORBo). The turn of the century was lavishly celebrated around the globe, and fireworks Yves Pépin were prevalent, yet this celebration stood out among many. Daniel Milikow wrote for CBS, “At midnight, the world belonged to Paris. The City of Light earned its name. design and themed entertainment. “Yves didn’t just set The Eiffel Tower lit up like a giant firecracker, shooting the bar, he reinvented the whole idea of what you could sparks in every direction and illuminating the night like do for audiences in the evening – whether the projection high noon.” PBS Nova reported, “A television audience surface was a building or perhaps a waterscreen - with of 4,000,000,000 around the globe watched as the Eiffel showmanship and flair that are an Yves Pépin trademark. Tower was transformed into a gigantic Roman candle.” He is uniquely creative with a level of execution From BBC News: “…the base of the Eiffel Tower burst comparable to anything that would come out of the big into a blaze of light, as if it were a spaceship taking off. A companies that have adopted and adapted his stuff – really dancing mass of white stars crept up it and the tower was big events using any and all of the tech bells and whistles transformed into a column of light and shape and color in currently invented to create a great guest experience. He a breathtaking show that lasted in all seven minutes.” didn’t invent projection mapping, but his techniques led to where we are.” Within the global attractions industry, his influence is far-reaching. “The Eiffel Tower show totally changed “Yves created the very first ephemeral and permanent everyone’s perspective about what you can do with shows involving so many elements - technological a building, fireworks and nighttime. It was a most and human - and all in perfect symbiosis, despite huge spectacular thing from a master of the spectacular,” said technical challenges,” said laser designer and longtime Pat MacKay, a specialist and publisher in theater, lighting Pépin collaborator Claude Lifante of ProfilProduction.

40 inparkmagazine.com Lifante credited his experience with Pépin as helping Waterscreens found a career that has included contributing to major “Yves Pépin is an international treasure when it comes shows for Disney. to stature, influence, creativity and mentorship within the themed entertainment industry,” said Monty Lunde, “Yves has always been an innovator of things we take president of special effects company Technifex. Lunde for granted now, such as the way he used large format is founder of the Themed Entertainment Association projection,” said George Wiktor, a veteran producer in the (TEA) the global organization that presented Pépin with a attractions industry, most recently engaged on a project Thea Award for lifetime achievement in 2006. “From his for Universal Studios Japan. “His work was a precursor of development of waterscreens for large scale projections, today’s 4D experiences and other multimedia presentation to the many international multimedia spectaculars he has techniques. The level of execution and design is always produced and directed, and more, Yves is in a class of his world-class. His level of artistry and craftsmanship and own.” innovation have always stood out. Basically his work just stood out.” The concept and technique of waterscreen projection is likely his most influential individual contribution to the world of entertainment. It has been adopted and adapted

Achievements

Milestone Yves Pépin projects mploying gigantic cinematic images projected onto • 1998 Football World Cup, Paris: “A new type of Ethe sides of buildings and other structures, and onto Opening Ceremony spectacular (and at the end sheets of water or mist, enhanced by lasers, lighting, France wins the competition!)” special effects and sound, Yves Pépin and his team • Expo 98 night show, with a combination created shows that transformed outdoor environments of animated metallic structures, 360° giant and transported audiences and defined the nighttime image projection and the biggest inflated body spectacular. ever achieved to date • 2000 Eiffel Tower Millennium show, Paris: Looking at his body of work, you might imagine Yves First pyrotechnic display installed directly on Pépin studied choreography, performing arts, and stage an historic monument and launched from it, design along with mythology and history – then perhaps designed for maximum impact in TV screen became a filmmaker. In fact, Pépin applied himself format, broadcast and acclaimed around the to economics and politics, then Arabic studies – then world worked as a journalist. But all along that academic path • Tokyo Disney Sea “BraviSeamo,” mixing water he kept his hand in the arts – painting, music, theater. and fire with a spectacular mechanical animated “Art was a way of life in my family,” he said. His father, character emerging out of the water an engineer by trade, was a violinist and painter. His • Toyota Pavilion, Aichi 2005 World Expo, mother, a homemaker, also painted. Six-year-old Yves pioneering use of autonomous-driven vehicles took up the violin, intending to be a concert performer. choreographed with live dancers But in adolescence, “I realized I was not good enough.” • Beijing 2008 Olympics Ceremonies (Artistic He switched to guitar and “started to play rock ‘n’ roll Director), considered as the biggest show in the like a normal teenager. It opened up my mind.” world to the present day Journalism took Yves to work in radio, television and “Spirituality meets spectacular” communications, acquiring the “tools of expression” he • El Tajin (Mexico) 2002/2004: Research and eventually put to work in his shows. • enactment of the early Totonaque civilization, presented at a spectacular archeological site Yves Pépin is based in Paris and his website is • New Delhi, current since 2014: Akshardham https://www.yves-Pépin.com. Temple Show: Enactment of an ancient Vedic story at a spectacular Hinduist site

41 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com “Lost in Space,” created in 2018, a Space-Opera designed by Yves Pépin, composed by Jeff Mills and Sylvain Griotto. Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, directed by Christophe Mangou, with Jeff Mills, DJ and Prabhu Edouard, tablas. Claude Lifante, laser designer and Frédéric Faillard, lighting designer.

far and wide. “Yves Pépin made the benchmark for water “His Lisbon ‘98 show was one of the most dramatic projection shows - amongst other things. He created a things I’ve seen; an overwhelming mix of media, visuals, genre,” said Jeremy Railton, founder of Entertainment fountains, lasers, effects and surprises,” said Keith James, Design Corp. and a fellow creator of unique international president of JRA, a leading experience design and master spectacle. planning firm.

“Innovating and discovering new ways of expression Pépin remains an artist to the core, and his work has are very important to me,” said Pépin. “The waterscreen been his business. “Yves’ work combines the heart of format was born when I first combined water and image a poet laureate, the mastery of a fine artist and the projection for a show, in the La Defense district of mischievous imagination of an unsupervised child,” said Paris in 1989, celebrating the Bicentennial of the French Bob Rogers, founder of BRC Imagination Arts, a leading Revolution. The fountain show I created was to my design firm in attractions and branded experiences. “Deep knowledge the first show with images projected through philosophical thought, rigorous technique, technical the air onto a screen consisting only of water spray.” brilliance and creative daring empower Yves’ creations and Waterscreen projection was subsequently adopted by yet his work is experienced as pure joy and spontaneity, Disney, SeaWorld, Universal and many others. achieved effortlessly.”

World Expos and artistry “In the midst of all his spectacle, he always saw himself as Pépin’s work was in high demand in the 1990s for shows an artist, however commercial the work was,” said Wiktor. at world expos in Europe and Asia. George Wiktor commented, “At Taejon Expo 93 and Lisbon Expo 98, “Yves is highly creative, and yet he is pragmatic,” his work combined huge mechanical structures, big things said longtime industry colleague Michel Linet-Frion, moving, lighting, projection, music. He took waterscreen Creative & Innovation Director of Pierre & Vacances projection in multiple directions; he used inflatables as Développement. “He ends up with the right solution screen surfaces; he created environments that rose out of and there’s a whole thinking process behind it; he has the water.” the intuition and the experience. You know he’s going to find the right answer, that he’ll get there – that the end

42 inparkmagazine.com Seven minutes of spectacle and a new century Yves Pépin and Christophe Berthonneau on the Eiffel Tower Millennium fireworks show

“I met Yves around 1996 or ’97 and was doing a “Christophe’s goal for the finale,” said Pépin, “was lot of theater and events,” said pyrotechnic artist that it have such a powerful light that it would appear Christophe Berthonneau, of Groupe F. “We as a big, bright flash, burning the image on camera. established a good relationship – he was very He achieved this perfectly with a huge amount of professional, an artist who was clever and efficient magnesium, so one TV director was sure that we had in business. He can manage very big and complex blown up the Eiffel Tower!” stories.” Berthonneau said, “Working with Yves over the years, A few years later, Berthonneau was recruited to we took a lot of risks, but at the end of the day were produce the Eiffel Tower Millennium fireworks show, always able to deliver something very special.” which would be broadcast live – a global television event as well as a live spectacle. “I brought Yves onto Pépin said, “Christophe is a totally inspired artist, the project, and we built the event together.” taking fireworks to new levels of expression, creating characters, stories and new experiences based on light Pépin said, “The story concept was challenging. For and fire.” me, the Eiffel Tower, for this unique celebration, might dance, then take off, as a rocket going up into “In the production of multimedia events, Yves is a the sky, made fantastic with fireworks.” master,” said Berthonneau. “He knew how to mix video and light and water and fire. It is tremendously Berthonneau said, “ I felt that the best conclusion to difficult to integrate all that together to make the show was to end with darkness at midnight, the something elegant, and he was there at the beginning, moment the year 2000 began. Ultimately, we told both inventing the process and always creating beauty, stories at the same time, with the same object!” telling an authentic story, making it real.” •

Photo courtesy of Groupe F.

43 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com result will be powerful yet feasible, and each show will be unique, and it will create emotions. Considering the scale Pépin refers to “BraviSeamo” as a “nocturnal fairytale” of his work, this is particularly impressive. His shows are while also saying “There was no need to explain to huge and very technical, yet they touch people deeply and the audience in words.” A giant, animated structure in simply, they evoke emotion. Yves understands what the the form of a fire breathing dragon emerges from the audience is experiencing and communicates to them. In depths to encounter the water spirit, an aquatic sculpture a lifetime you only meet a few people like Yves, with this floating across the lake. The show achieved cult status at kind of deep understanding and vision.” DisneySea and ran every night for six years (2004-2010). “If a show does have dialog, it must be easy to Large international audiences understand,” said Pépin, “not just in terms of the language Creating shows for international crowds requires the story but in how it is said; not too heavy. Language can be a supersede language barriers. “The story must be able to powerful element, like stones marking a path.” be understood by anyone, whether the audience is mostly local, such as ‘BraviSeamo,’ which I wrote and staged for “There’s something in the way Yves tells a story,” said Tokyo DisneySea Resort, or international, such as for Railton. “He is totally sincere and serious about what he Lisbon Expo 98 or ‘’ for Resorts World does; he’s also incredibly generous and inclusive.” ,” said Pépin. “Told through visuals, music and effects, through action, characters and gestures, the story Music, lasers and pyro speaks by itself. The flow of the music - the feeling the Pépin makes the most of music in storytelling. “Music and music is giving to the audience - is a kind of narration.” soundtrack are key elements, and there are great musical artists who have worked with me for years to help realize “Yves’ shows are always upbeat, with a popular my vision, such as Philippe Villar and Pascal Lengagne,” accessibility and a brightness and lightness – like a circus he said. “They first became a team when I brought them or parade - awe inspiring and happy, easily accessible to a together to work with me on the soundtrack of the 1998 large demographic,” said Wiktor. Football World Cup event.”

RELIABLE KEY TECHNOLOGIES FOR MEDIA BASED ATTRACTIONS UNCOMPRESSED MEDIA SERVERS - CAMERA BASED CALIBRATION - REALTIME SHOW CONTROL

44 www.brainsalt.com inparkmagazine.com “Where other directors would have chosen composers known for such events, Yves chose to trust our new duo that he had only just created!” said Villar. “It was our first big production with Yves. We subsequently composed 90% of his shows. With Pascal, we are now working on many French and international productions. Thank you, Yves for making us meet!”

“Between Philippe’s rock and pop background and Pascal’s more traditional background, they developed a unique way of expressing the situations, the actions and the characters of my shows through themes, rhythms and melodies,” said Pépin.

“To dare to bring us together for our differences was daring to create new colors in the music, a successful musical laboratory for Yves’ innovative shows,” said Villar. Shows on which he and Lengagne collaborated with Pépin have been honored with some 15 awards, including seven Thea Awards. The duo also create music for other clients in theme parks, cinema and advertising. “Yves is passionate about music – as a The 2008 Olympics opening ceremony captivated the world with its artistry, young man, he was a brilliant classical storytelling and choreographed performances Photograph reproduced courtesy of Stufish violinist,” said Villar. “It’s a pleasure to work with him. It is very rare to work with a director who Pyrotechnics and lasers are frequent tools of storytelling RELIABLE KEY TECHNOLOGIES so perfectly understands composition and musical terms!” and spectacle for Yves Pépin productions, and Claude Lifante (laser designer) and Christophe Berthonneau “I have also had the honor to work with Christophe (pyro designer and producer) have often been on his FOR MEDIA BASED ATTRACTIONS Mangou, Conductor and Music Director,” Pépin said. team. “Yves is my favorite storyteller, and he sees the UNCOMPRESSED MEDIA SERVERS - CAMERA BASED CALIBRATION - REALTIME SHOW CONTROL “Together with the internationally famous Jeff Mills (who laser as a full-fledged media element,” said Lifante, who composed the musical piece), we created the project ‘Lost began collaborating with Pépin in 1977. “His sense of in Space’ in Toulouse in spring 2018, also featuring the staging, and the dynamics and dramaturgy of the shows brilliant tabla player Prabhu Edouard and the renowned correspond to my own sensibilities. Yves knew how to Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse (60 musicians channel my energy, and how to integrate lasers effectively conducted by Christophe). Christophe is also a top-level into the shows.” conductor and plays with the best orchestras in the world. He is a mentor and an inspiration, especially with his own “Claude flew an aircraft for the first time with me, when musical group Amalgammes, for which I am honored in 1977, he was junior laser designer on my first show to have been chosen as parrain [English translation: in Hong Kong (an international fashion show for the ‘godfather’ or ‘spiritual sponsor’].” Hong Kong Trade Development Council). He went on to become one of the best laser designers in the world, “Music gives everything a heart, tells the story and pulls working internationally in music concerts (with Jean your heartstrings,” said James. “Everyone can get the big Michel Jarre tours, for example), also with Disney parks. effects - but story is at the heart of everything Yves does.” He conducted all the laser design in my shows and took a central role in our 2018 ‘Lost in Space’ in Toulouse.”

www.brainsalt.com 45 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com “Yves’ artistic direction did much to bring out the key ingredient,” he said. And creativity is still foremost. “It’s potential of lasers as an artistic, theatrical and storytelling important to always start fresh. Forgetting is the condition medium, and I thank him greatly every day,” said for reinvention. Don’t be too full of what happened in the Lifante. “We continue to create together - shows that are past if you want to be free and to go further.” particularly close to my heart because of their spiritual universality, such as our work with the Akshardham Advances in technology have greatly simplified the community in India. These shows are small jewels of process, but these also open the way to fresh innovation artistic expression.” and challenges. “I know the effort that was necessary to do what we did in the past, said Pépin.” Today it is like In the late 1990s, Christophe Berthonneau was a pioneer nothing. Technology has evolved. Audience expectations of using a computer to program fireworks. “The Eiffel have evolved. Don’t say, ‘look what we did before, it’s so Tower Millennium show owes the major part of its great.’ Build upon it, improve! That is the culture. Forget success to him,” said Pépin. Earlier collaborations were everything and start fresh.” on the show for Lisbon Expo 98, and the football World Cup. “Christophe is the best pyro master in the world, “Yves has always been ahead of things, invented things and much more than that,” said Pepin. [See Eiffel Tower that over time were adopted by many others, and he is sidebar on p. 44.] certainly still doing that right now,” said Linet-Frion.

Always start fresh “Yves Pépin is an icon in the industry, and everything he Building upon decades of award-winning international does has been iconic since the first,” said James. “Kudos successes and creative collaborations, today Yves Pépin to the man!” continues to actively seek new challenges, although he no longer heads a large production firm (he founded ECA2 in “Yves expanded the possible, leaving a much larger 1974 and departed in 2008, and the company continues to playground for those who try to follow his lead,” said Bob flourish and create spectacles in the same style). Rogers. “The rest of us would imitate him, if only we could.” • • • “I’m still consulting on big projects for big international organizations, and supporting projects with music as the

Next Issue: December 2018

• Everything you missed at the IAAPA Attractions Expo • Bonus distribution at ISE Amsterdam and DEAL Dubai • Deadline: November 30, 2018 inparkmagazine.com

46 inparkmagazine.com Next Issue: December 2018

47 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Cinematic-style Virtual Reality Jack the Ripper is virtually back in Hollow Studios’ new Virtual Reality world By Mark Eades

ollow Studios recently rolled out a new, customizable, Hturnkey virtual reality (VR) experience package. In its first installation, “Wax House: The Legend of Jack the Ripper,” the experience engages guests by blending elements of an escape room with a macabre, problem- solving mystery. This is a departure from the usual format of a first-person, shooter-style VR game. “I thought we could mix a cinematic approach with virtual reality,” said Hollow Studios founder David Love.

“Wax House” is currently running at Mountasia Family Fun Center in Santa Clarita, CA. It opened there in September, in time for the Halloween season. The experience accommodates up to four people at a time for a 35-minute adventure, including pre-show. “People want a chance to explore things,” said Love, who brought his background in specialty filmmaking, theme parks and David Love, owner of Hollow Studios, and creator of Wax high-tech experience design to the task. House: The Legend of Jack the Ripper, the VR Escape Room, stands outside the entrance of the experience at the Hollow Studios is marketing the new VR attraction Mountasia Family Fun Center in Santa Clarita Photo by Mark Eades package for theme parks, amusement parks, FECs, shopping malls and other venues. To that end, Hollow Studios will be exhibiting at the 2018 IAAPA Attractions “Wax House” is not the first VR production for Hollow Expo in Orlando in November, to demonstrate the Studios. They worked on a few VR projects for Cedar Fair product and the “Wax House” show. and others before deciding to tackle this one on their own. The full-service media company also has experience in Hollow Studios’ new VR experience is designed to scale producing ride films, and large format dome films; recently up or down in size, and with options such as a pre-show completing production on two films (titled “Walk Through and a complement of special effects. Love pointed out the Bible” and “Wings Over Israel”) for a dome theater that “Wax House” could be a good fit for museums at the Morris Cerullo Legacy Center under construction focusing on crime and crime solving. “The VR content in San Diego. Those films will premiere when the center could be changed to accommodate a facility, along with opens in the latter half of 2019. reconfiguring the preshow, and of course customized for seasonal attractions including but not limited to Love founded Hollow Studios following in the footsteps Halloween,” Love said. of his father, Jim Love, who worked as a film editor and occasional director at Disney. Four-year-old David even Ideas and craft got the chance to briefly meet Walt Disney in 1963 [See Love got the idea for the VR attraction a year ago, after “Hello, young man,” InPark issue #65, November 2016]. taking the Jack the Ripper walking tour where the murders Eventually, Love got his first job in the Disney studios took place in London’s Whitechapel area. He brought the mailroom, advancing into film shipping, then moving idea back to his Hollow Studios team in Simi Valley, CA, into set lighting as an active member of the Set Lighting where they came up with the idea of placing it inside a Union. It was while working in set lighting that he got his Victorian-era wax museum depicting five of the gruesome first experience on theme park films working on Disney’s murders with VR displays of wax figures. 3D attractions, “Captain EO” and “MuppetVision 3D.”

48 inparkmagazine.com Love rode “Star Tours” when it opened at Disneyland in expected to find clues that can help them discern the 1987, and was inspired to start Hollow Studios to produce identity of Jack the Ripper. a range of themed entertainment projects. In 2008, the studio rolled out a successful turnkey attraction at the When the detective finishes his introduction, a character IAAPA Attractions Expo, where it received an award seen in one of the posters on the wall comes to life for Best Exhibit 600-1000 Sq. Ft. After that they built through digital projection. The character depicted gives up a library of six ride films that are licensed to several guests additional information about Jack and the murders. companies, including SimEx-Iwerks. In the course of the preshow, all the characters on the posters come to life in similar fashion, speaking to them Preshow immersion and sharing additional clues and background. A silhouette For “Wax House: The Legend of Jack the Ripper,” of an ominous sculptor of the wax exhibits is seen Hollow Studios designed a themed entrance and preshow working on his next gruesome display depicting one of to virtually transport people in time and place to Victorian the bloody deaths. London. The theming starts outside the entrance, made to look like the exterior of an old brick building of the Entering the virtual environment period. The preshow closes, and a wooden gate opens, allowing four guests at a time to wander into a large (900 square Once inside the building, guests see wooden crates, one feet of actual space, though 3,000 sq. ft. of VR space) holding an old-style phonograph, and posters on the brick black space where technicians gear guests up with walls depicting characters from the gruesome crimes. backpack computers (called BackTops) that also contain The five-minute preshow begins in that space when the the wireless communication technology that makes phonograph comes to life and a recording of the lead it all work. “We packed as much of the data onto the detective on the Jack the Ripper case is heard. He briefs BackTops, so we could get as much detail as we could in guests on the history of the unsolved crimes and, once the experience,” Love said. they are admitted into the wax museum, how they are

One of the areas of Wax House: The Legend of Jack the Ripper, a virtual reality Escape Room at the Mountasia Family Fun Center in Santa Clarita. While searching the VR experience, visitors will see five different characters all made of “wax.” The four visitors at a time will also discover clues and from that must discern which of the five is the “real” Jack the Ripper. Photo courtesy of Hollow Studios

49 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com The mysterious preshow space for Wax House: The Legend of Jack the Ripper, a virtual reality Escape Room at the Mountasia Family Fun Center in Santa Clarita. During the preshow, the “paintings” and “photos” on the wall come to life to help set up the experience. Photo by Mark Eades

To complete their preparation to enter the virtual world of designed the experience to help keep people moving the wax museum, each participant is fitted with a headset through. A limit is placed on how much time they have and two handheld devices. One device will appear as to explore each floor and solve its puzzle. When the various objects carried through the virtual environment, maximum time has elapsed, a virtual door to the elevator such as a lantern, or a magical orb that triggers things to opens and they must move on. If they solve the puzzle in happen in the museum. The other handheld device is a less than the allotted time, the door opens to take them to triggering device that appears as a claw in the VR museum, the elevator immediately. providing the guest with a method to open wooden chests, find hidden compartments, open drawers or pick objects The final moment in the VR wax museum is when guests up, such as slips of VR paper with clues scrawled on them. are asked to pull a lever and identify which of five suspects “What sets this experience apart is you have to take time is Jack the Ripper. Choose wisely! to search, find clues and think your way to a solution,” said Corey Drake, a technical artist and game programmer Production, installation and operation on the project. Guests spend a healthy 25-plus minutes in Love acknowledges that there’s a lot of variation in VR the VR experience, exploring the virtual four floors of the image quality out there. “We are on the high end of the wax museum, all filled with wax displays of the various quality spectrum, in terms of production values and murders, and a variety of other objects such as furnishings technology,” he says. “Everything in the package supports from the crimes and more, all within a virtual world. that, from the original content to the final display.” The content was created in-house by the Hollow Studios team There are real-world physical cues to support the virtual using a combination of Modo CG software, and the Unity experience and help keep guests immersed. To travel Realtime Render Engine. Hollow Studios also provides, between the virtual reality “floors,” guests board an integrates and installs the full technology setup as part of “elevator” in the VR world that carries them up or down. the package, along with training and some post-installation To enhance that VR experience, guests actually stand on support. a wood platform placed above transducers in the mockup space, simulating the impression of traveling up or down. Production on “Wax House” began about a year ago Drake noted that, “Throughput is a primary challenge with the development of the storyline. Hollow Studios’ in group VR,” explaining how the Hollow Studios team Chadd Cole was assigned as lead animator and producer.

50 inparkmagazine.com Image courtesy of Hollow Studios Love envisions VR experiences as something that can allow smaller operators to be competitive and make the most of a limited footprint. With a relatively small amount of physical space, state-of-the-art equipment, a great story and compelling content, operators can open the door for their customers to roam through entire worlds that feel authentic. “I see great potential for amazing experiences.” Emphasizing that the experience is flexible and customizable, that Hollow Studios brings a full This character could be Jack the Ripper as seen complement of media production capability to the table, in one of the areas of Wax House: The Legend of and that sometimes a first-person shooter experience is Jack the Ripper Photo courtesy of Hollow Studios exactly what the situation calls for, Hollow Studios will showcase art and a video teaser from a new VR idea as part of its IAAPA Orlando exhibit this November, in When the storyline was finished, digital capture images of addition to its “Wax House” demo. “Survivors of the actors against a green screen were shot so that Cole and Citadel” (working title) is a sci-fi, first-person shooter type his animation team could incorporate them into the VR experience. For more information or to set up a meeting, experience. Then it was time to integrate and install the contact [email protected]. • • • entire experience.

Operationally, it takes two people to run the VR part of Mark Eades (markaeades@aol. the project, plus one out front to deal with questions, sell com) is a freelance writer residing on-site tickets, and the operation of the preshow. With in Southern California. He was a very few moving parts the entire experience is, according journalist for the Orange County to Love, very easy to maintain. Register for 14 years covering theme parks, along with stints covering At Mountasia, the cost of admission to “Wax House: The Coto de Caza and breaking news. Legend of Jack the Ripper” is $29.95 per person for an Prior to that, he worked at the experience that lasts 35 minutes including the preshow and Orange County Newschannel, gear up time in the VR space. Hollow Studios provides a 24-hour cable news channel. Before switching operators with additional tips and support to keep to journalism in 1997, he worked as a writer and operations flowing smoothly. For instance, it is suggested producer in the theme park design business working for groups to form ahead of time - as a solo guest is on projects for Universal and Warner Bros. He also unlikely to find all the clues on each virtual reality “floor” worked at the Walt Disney Company including 11 in the time allotted. The studio also suggests locations use years at Walt Disney Imagineering on projects like Star an advance reservation system for guests to book their Tours and Muppetvision. visits.

51 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com

Entertaining the possibilities A look inside WhiteWater’s creative process and new branding By Martin Palicki

f WhiteWater were to release a compendium of the A good majority of people there came to work for Icompany’s ride products, in the style of the classic WhiteWater by chance. Many had been familiar with printed product catalogs of yore, there would have to founder Geoff Chutter’s original WhiteWater Waterslide be extra pages at the back to allow for new ideas and and Recreation Complex in Penticton, BC, Canada, but concepts yet to be created. “Our business is really about discovered an industry more expansive than what they getting clients excited about their dreams and then helping had imagined, once they started working with the team. them achieve them,” says Paul Chutter, WhiteWater’s The discovery parallels WhiteWater’s own expansion in Chief Business Development Officer. “The possibilities the industry and into becoming more than just a product are limitless.” manufacturer.

Of course, WhiteWater doesn’t print a product catalogue “Knowing that one of the world’s largest waterslide – in part because the company views itself as offering creators was just down the road was a giant magnet for more than just a slate of rides and attractions. In fact, me,” says Kelly Sall, Project Manager for Water Rides and WhiteWater sees itself as a service provider more self-proclaimed industry fan. “I watched job openings here than anything else – and in reality, that’s what they for almost 10 years until I found the perfect fit for my have become. They sell slides, play structures and dry skillset.” attractions, of course, but they also sell expertise, creativity and partnership potential with park owners and operators. What keeps WhiteWater staff on board, however, is more than just typical job perks. Of course, company culture People make up a team matters, and nearly everyone I spoke with recounted tales We visited WhiteWater’s corporate headquarters outside of of special breakfasts served by management, open-door Vancouver, Canada earlier this year and saw firsthand the policies, and real, meaningful opportunities for career team’s collaborative, solutions-based approach to business. growth. More than that, however, there is a sense of being The workplace was frenetic and full of dynamic energy. part of something important: bringing fun to millions of Teams of designers, engineers and salespeople got folks around the world, being part of a company that is together, broke apart to work and regrouped later to driven to succeed through creating fun. discuss the latest projects, plans and ideas. In a digital world it was refreshing to see so much communication “At WhiteWater we get the ability to learn about a space happening face-to-face. and then try to create something fun in it,” says Design Manager Anthony Marinakis. “All of us really get into creating spaces for kids and families to enjoy. Seeing kids’ faces light up when they are having fun in our attractions is really rewarding.”

“I think everything starts from the top. The passion Geoff Chutter has for the industry and helping clients is unmatched,” says James Hansen, Manager Project Services. “Geoff’s excitement is at its peak at major industry gatherings such as the IAAPA expos, because that’s when he’s surrounded by the industry that he loves. It filters down from there and motivates everyone to be the best at their job.” WhiteWater’s Slideboarding combines a competitive game with a traditional waterslide. Photo courtesy of WhiteWater.

54 inparkmagazine.com WhiteWater’s new No Boundaries combines play and exploration for all members of the family Photo courtesy of WhiteWater

Knowledge is power After surveying parks of varying sizes around the globe A key component of WhiteWater’s business plan has been to find out what mix of wet to dry attractions worked for to cultivate industry knowledge and share it with current them, the WhiteWater team crunched the numbers and and prospective clients. The company’s recently released created a program that allows park owners and developers “Report on Play”(play.whitewaterwest.com/register/) was to enter their own data and learn if they have the right the result of professional studies on the different ways proportion of water rides versus other attractions for their people approach play. The report establishes four groups: particular location and variables. Dreamers, Adventurers, Socializers and Challengers. Each group approaches play from a unique perspective. In addition to providing real and meaningful data points Subsequent WhiteWater surveys determined operators to their clients, WhiteWater’s knowledge base is designed in our industry tend to predominate in two categories: to inspire clients to have a conversation with their teams Dreamers and Adventurers. So it’s important to keep the and excite them about the possibilities their project can demographic difference in mind, and create attractions reach for. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that WhiteWater is that cater to all four types of visitors who come to the unveiling an entirely new branding during the 2018 IAAPA park. Attractions Expo this November in Orlando. The new company tagline, “Entertain the possibilities,” is designed Essentially, the report is a tool to help prevent groupthink to inspire developers to think about what a partnership from taking root. “We have to remember that no project with WhiteWater really signifies. is just about us, or our client. Every project is about the guest that comes to experience the attraction, and giving “Naturally, we like to always be talking about the latest them what they want,” explains Chutter. “Thinking about product, but we often forget about the creativity that is how people play is an effective tool for figuring out how to involved,” says Director of Global Marketing and Strategy implement ideas deliberately and effectively while earning Una de Boer. “By harvesting that creativity and knowing our returns vis-à-vis the end-customer’s ultimate satisfaction.” clients and business, we are able to build really incredible In other words, by taking the time to understand the things. There really are endless possibilities to entertain.” market and end-use customer, WhiteWater is able to help bridge knowledge gaps for their clients and help execute Franceen Gonzales, Executive Vice President, Business their vision. Development, agrees: “What’s most important to me in the sales process is talking with the client about what their The company’s latest research results produced “The ambition is, sharing in their excitement for those ideas, and Splash Factor” (whitewaterwest.com/splash-factor/). then making those ideas happen.”

55 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Waterslide molds are prepped in WhiteWater’s Kelowna factory WhiteWater refreshed one of their AquaPlay structures for the Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee, Illinois

Turning dreams into reality Life Floor had already successfully created a product Moving discussions of ideas into actual plans requires a to help reduce or even eliminate injuries in this area. bit of work and planning. At WhiteWater, a team of more Naturally, WhiteWater engaged in a partnership to provide than 100 engineers takes initial designs and translates them the Life Floor solution alongside their own products. into shovel-ready plans. “The partnership with Life Floor not only helps “We are happy to entertain all possibilities with our clients address a major industry safety concern, but it opens up as we partner with them on a project,” says Chutter. “But additional possibilities for us to think big in our product we will not compromise our core value set in the process development,” explains Chutter. of turning those dreams into reality.” Second on WhiteWater’s value list is quality. Slides and Topping WhiteWater’s list of values is safety. “For us, attractions are subject to extreme conditions. Harsh safety is a non-negotiable,” says Gonzales, who also chemicals, fluctuating temperatures and intense sunlight all serves on a variety of industry safety committees and work to deteriorate composite materials. But WhiteWater organizations. “Without a commitment to safety, we break is committed to innovating and creating the best materials trust with our customer.” Each attraction at WhiteWater for the job. is put through multiple ride simulations to check for potential problems, and subjected to a full range of The company’s main fabrication facility is a wholly-owned internal assessments to ensure complete rider safety. subsidiary called FormaShape, located in Kelowna, BC. The team there also provides composite products for Additionally, WhiteWater displays that it is committed to other industries, most notably signage and retail building innovating preventive safety measures, and developing exteriors (think gas stations and convenience stores). industry partnerships to help achieve that goal. WhiteWater recognized that slips and falls are the number “Quality control is the name of the game for us,” says one safety concern at waterparks, and industry supplier Christine Stewart, Senior Quality Manager at FormaShape.

Paul Chutter Franceen Gonzales Una de Boer Nathan Jones

56 inparkmagazine.com “Every piece is 100% inspected and held to our strict criteria and specifications. Everything from the raw materials to the finished product is tracked and checked.”

“Ultimately, people make purchase decisions on the element of quality,” explains Chutter. “People view our brand promise as synonymous with the quality of the WhiteWater product lines.”

Finally, though equally important to the other values, is WhiteWater’s commitment to creativity.

“We are a hugely creative company,” says Gonzales, “but that side of the business isn’t always seen.” Even though a ride package may include the same slide products, no two WhiteWater’s Attractions team experiences one of their rides parks are the same. “Our team is here to help differentiate our clients’ parks and create tailor made experiences for each situation – fulfilling client needs instead of sales received a Thea Award in 2017 for its innovative quotas,” she says. technology and game-changing effect on the industry. Looking to the future, the team is currently working on More than fiberglass the latest WhiteWater product: Vantage (www.vantage.co). Perhaps the best example of how WhiteWater has already WhiteWater will be introducing Vantage to the industry leaned in to its new “Entertain the possibilities” branding during the IAAPA Attractions Expo in November, but has is with the No Boundaries play structure. Incorporating a hinted in advance that Vantage is a technology tool that variety of dry play elements and a variety of challenging will help operators understand their park operations better obstacles, No Boundaries allows children and families and enhance the whole guest experience. of all ability levels to play together. Viewing platforms permit parents to enjoy play with their kids without having “Vantage will show the industry that WhiteWater has a to climb, crawl or slide alongside them. No Boundaries much broader understanding of what a park can be than attractions are already operating in Asia and the Middle people might expect,” says de Boer. “Because we see the East, with more under construction. wider potential for parks and think outside the box, we are able to bring Vantage to the market.” “No Boundaries highlights how we have been able to dream up new concepts outside of the traditional It’s clear throughout the company that the entire team is waterpark attraction,” says Nathan Jones, President, Park working to create spaces where fun thrives, and in turn, Attractions Division. parks succeed. The company’s new branding is designed to reflect that, and remind both employees and clients that There are other examples too. The company’s what collectively is accomplished is truly exciting. Slideboarding product, which overlays a simple game onto a waterslide using RFID technology, helped create an “We want to celebrate the passion and creativity in our entirely new genre of waterpark attraction. Slideboarding industry,” says Chutter. “We want people to dream and think bigger…because with WhiteWater, you can.” • • •

Anthony Marinakis Christine Stewart James Hansen Kelly Sall

57 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Fly us to the moon nWave’s bold journey continues by Judith Rubin At the 2018 IAAPA Attractions Expo, nWave will Distribution and growth continue to be the driving vision demonstrate its content on nWave VR headsets as well as as the company boldly enters a new phase, with new onscreen, showcase new releases and roll out a new online, partners and new target markets. “We’re always ready to 3D-only streaming platform. The company recently move on when it is time,” said Stassen. What time is it announced a change of ownership structure, and new now? According to nWave’s distribution clock, it is time executives will be on hand along with more familiar faces. to move into VR, gaming, flying theaters and consumer markets, among other things. t has been exciting and instructive to watch the Iprogression of nWave Pictures, the production and The two Matthieus distribution company Ben Stassen, Eric Dillens and In June 2017, nWave parted ways with Studiocanal, ending Caroline van Iseghem co-founded in Brussels in 1994 to a partnership which, when it began in 2010, had been a serve specialty cinema exhibition and attraction markets milestone ushering nWave into the feature film business. with entertaining and educational 3D content. nWave has In the dissolution, nWave regained full control of its been influential, controversial and disruptive, and a model content. New opportunities and milestones were on the of innovation and success in the quest to embody the horizon. standard of great stereoscopic 3D and lead the charge in multi-platforming. Effective September 2018, MZM production group and Belga Films have acquired a majority stake in nWave. Distribution is the heart of the matter. Cross-platforming Under the deal, MZM’s Matthieu Gondinet is nWave’s enables a wider range of operators to dip into the nWave new COO, and MZM founder Matthieu Zeller is the content library, resulting in more butts in seats, more new CEO and co-chair, sharing the latter position with eyeballs, and, ideally, more satisfied customers and repeat Dillens. Stassen will continue to work on productions and business. Recognizing viable new markets and expanding van Iseghem will continue to run the studio. “The two distribution to those markets has driven company growth Matthieus,” who were both formerly with Studiocanal, over the years at nWave, bringing its content to more bring new resources and expertise to guide the company markets and keeping pace with exhibition technology. into new markets and its content onto new platforms

“The Queen’s Corgi” is a fun CGI animated film following the playful lives of the royal dogs by nWave All photos courtesy of nWave

58 inparkmagazine.com – notably VR, gaming, flying theaters and streaming - while continuing to serve and develop existing markets and formats such as giant screen cinema, feature films, attractions, museums, and science centers. Janine S. Baker, SVP, distribution and development, and Goedele Gillis, sales director EMEA, remain in place.

Giant screen pioneers Cross-platforming seems obvious enough today, with digital assets the norm. But 15-20 years ago, this was not the case. “We were one of the first companies to cross- platform everything we were doing,” said Stassen. Not everyone saw digital conversion of theaters as inevitable, and the process was more formidable when it involved cross-printing to film.

nWave was and continues to be a leader in showing how digital assets can be tapped to configure content for multiple platforms and versions, and that’s been the key to a boutique animation studio serving themed entertainment markets with 3D content, having grown into the nWave of today.

When Ben Stassen and Eric Dillens met and started to click, business-wise, Eric owned the largest independent TV production company in Belgium. He also owned the rights to broadcast a number of independent game shows in that country and the Netherlands, including “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune.” For his part, Ben had been making motion simulation films popularized by Showscan, Film poster for nWave’s “Hurricane 3D” notably the runaway hit “Devil’s Mine Ride (1991).” series and its beloved protagonist, Sammy. Today, nWave Together, the partners built nWave and expanded its is a prestigious player in the giant screen sector, with market reach, adding one niche platform after another, high-profile premieres at leading institutions such as the from rides to attractions, to giant screen and the cineplex. California Science Center, and Smithsonian properties. “They always recognized they could break out a portion Thanks to a growing number of distinguished production of a feature to keep serving attraction markets,” said partners, the nWave library has expanded to include live Baker. action titles such as “Hurricane 3D” (2017), “Planet Power” (2018), “Snow” (coming in 2019) and “Feathered The company vision didn’t always match the industry Dinosaurs” (coming in 2020) alongside animated work status quo. Ben became known as an outspoken, such as “Son of Bigfoot” (2017) and the newest release, controversial pot stirrer. People remembered his words, “Queen’s Corgi.” “We changed the culture of the special whether with anger or annoyance, amusement or respect. venue markets,” said Baker. These days, it’s mostly respect, as their vision proved true and their models influenced the markets they entered. VR and the headset “The giant screen cinema business was evolving,” said Plain and simple: if nWave is distributing content on a Ben. “It was exciting to be the black sheep and stir things platform – be it HDR video, 1570 film, fulldome, AR or up. We ended up doing eight films in seven years’ time – it VR, or a theater in an underwater cave, you can safely was a crazy, very productive time, especially for 3D films.” assume that the display quality has caught up with the promise of the medium. nWave went on to build a solid library of entertaining and educational evergreen titles - and a solid clientele of One of nWave Pictures’ all-time, top titles, “Fly Me to museums, science centers, zoos and aquariums. An entire the Moon,” (2008) is experiencing a booking surge - generation has grown up on nWave’s “Turtle Vision” museums and planetariums alike plan to feature it in 2019

59 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. Most planetariums have replaced or augmented their classic optomechanical (“starball”) projectors with digital dome (“fulldome”) projection. That “Fly Me” is available for distribution to planetariums indicates that nWave recognized a viable market sector and invested accordingly to serve it.

It’s likewise a validation of virtual reality that nWave has now made its entire library available for VR. And with this innovation, the company has taken an additional step to serve VR markets and ensure quality presentation of its content – partnering with a hardware provider to develop and offer the nWave headset. A great deal of testing and R&D went into customizing a headset that would deliver a premium 3D viewing experience in a synchronized, group setting to fit the needs of nWave customer sites. The city lights of Dubai as seen in a still The big selling point of VR delivery is that it can impart from nWave’s film “Planet Power” a theatrical experience without the theater. The headsets cost less than building a theater, and the venue can be “It’s more affordable,” said Baker. “There is no real moved around and expanded by adding more headsets. footprint - you don’t have to build a theater to get our content.” It’s also mobile. “A children’s museum that doesn’t have a lot of space, for instance, can move Meet the Matthieus a headset or group of headsets around to different classrooms or with exhibits. Either way, the experience is Matthieu Zeller just as immersive.” nWave CEO and co-chair After having headed luxury brands “To watch an nWave 3D film with a good VR headset in the l’Oréal group, Matthieu is an experience comparable to seeing it in giant-screen Zeller joined Studiocanal in 2012 3D,” said Stassen. “Your field of view is filled, the visual as Deputy General Manager, International Distribution, Marketing and Development. He contributed to the international expansion of the studio, including creation of a subsidiary in China. He founded MZM production group in 2016 to develop and produce high-end European content. MZM regroups the production labels Octopolis, Bamboo Films and now nWave.

Matthieu Gondinet nWave COO Ben Stassen Matthieu Gondinet is a seasoned manager in distribution and production, with a background in corporate finance and a 15-year tenure at Studiocanal. He was recently with Vivendi, focused on business development for digital content, before re-joining MZM production group in 2018 and becoming COO of nWave.

Eric Dillens Janine S. Baker

60 inparkmagazine.com “This headset is not about 360, but about how we can show our 3D content at its best and satisfy the user,” said Baker. “This is a headset that will work for almost everyone. nWave has overcome the quality and comfort issues generally associated with VR headsets. We look forward to introducing it to the industry.”

Based on past performance, we expect that nWave will deliver on its new promise. While continuing to stoke new growth with new partners and new platforms, nWave will continue to be a leader, to provoke change and build its brand. We’ll see VR like we’ve never seen it before, and we’ll see nWave take a larger stake in other new markets while continuing to do well in all the other sectors. We’ll A still from nWave’s powerful film “TurtleVision” also be seeing and hearing from some new people, while Ben and Eric allegedly will dial it back a bit, enjoy the quality is great, the 3D is fantastic. We’re excited about fruits of success and all that. being able to bring this even to tiny venues. We feel good about moving forward with this. We’ll have demonstration “nWave is nWave; we keep doing what we’re doing,” said headsets at our IAAPA Orlando booth and have Ben. remastered all our films for VR display. The VR headsets were something I believed in before anyone else in the Visit nWave at booth 1066 during the IAAPA Attractions company. The others said it wasn’t going to work; I knew Expo. Contact [email protected] to book an appointment it would arrive, although it took longer than expected.” with the nWave team.• • •

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with over 7,000 installations worldwide -INTL.COM | [email protected] 1.877.586.7839 (USA & CANADA) inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Everyone loves a parade Technology that makes parades flow through a park with ease By Scott Harkless, Alcorn McBride

ith their elaborate floats, live performers, and music and sound effects to enhance the themed Wengaging soundtracks, parades are often star experience. It also gives the staff the ability to page and attractions within theme parks. However, since they make announcements. Since the job of the parkwide audio operate within the common areas of the park and involve system is to distribute audio to everyone in the park, it’s a widely distributed audience, they can also be one of the the perfect vehicle to distribute the parade audio as well. most technically challenging attractions to build. The best Sounds easy, but there’s a catch; in order for that concept way to avoid having your parade rained on (technologically to work, the parkwide system needs to synchronize with speaking!) is to understand the key concepts behind how the floats as they pass by. they work and leverage the right tools to overcome the common challenges. Why is this so difficult, you ask? Well, to start, audio- to-audio delay is one of the most unforgiving scenarios Audience and audio when it comes to synchronization. The human brain is First, we have to consider the sheer size and location of quite sensitive when it comes to perceiving sound. Minute the audience. Parades usually travel through the heart of variations in audio delay, amplitude, and frequency are the theme park and are one of the most highly anticipated carefully analyzed by our brains to perceive such things attractions. Dense crowds are inevitable. Although the as which direction a sound is coming from, and how far show experience originates from the parade floats, the away it is. If the audio playing from the parade floats is crowds make it impractical for the floats to provide all out of sync with the parkwide audio, the result can be of the show audio. If they did, the floats would either quite unpleasant. Although the amount of delay that be too quiet for most guests to hear, or so loud that the affects each person varies, a common goal is to try to keep devoted fans waiting in that premium spot would rupture these audio systems synchronized to within 10ms of one their eardrums! In order that everyone have an enjoyable another (10ms = 10 milliseconds; a millisecond is one- experience, the floats need the help of the parkwide audio thousandth of a second). system. Synchronization The parkwide audio system is the network of cleverly So… what we’ve got is a parkwide audio system that hidden speakers you hear throughout the park. During runs from playback equipment that’s locked away in an normal daily operations, this system provides background equipment room somewhere in the depths of the park,

Parades can excite and engage guests in meaningful ways. They can be daily occurrences or special events such as this Chinese New Year parade at Ocean Park Hong Kong in 2012. Photo courtesy Shankar S. via Flickr and Wikimedia Commons

63 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com and a bunch of battery-powered vehicles with their own elements for each float, each with corresponding, unique separate audio playback systems. Keep in mind that there audio tracks that the parkwide system will need to play, is no wired connection between these systems and that and play only from speakers near the float as it moves the floats will be moving throughout the park during this along the parade route. This requires the parade system experience. Under these circumstances, how in the world to track the position of every float so that it can route do we achieve synchronized playback with a precision audio to the speakers that are nearby. To do this properly, better than 10ms? While there are many approaches to there must be an intelligent control system onboard the solving this problem, the more effective ones revolve float that is capable of interfacing with technologies like around the idea of having a shared reference clock that’s wheel encoders, GPS, and/or RFID scanners to determine distributed wirelessly. In the earlier days of parades, this position. This control system must then relay that position clock would be broadcast using DTMF tones (dual- to the control system that’s managing the parkwide audio tone multi-frequency signaling, such as those used in touch system so that it can route to the appropriate speakers. By tone phones) or SMPTE longitudinal timecode (LTC). deploying the right show control systems in conjunction The floats and parkwide playback systems would both with the flexible routing and mixing capabilities of a receive this transmission, lock to these distributed clocks, modern DSP (digital signal processor) platform, the and trigger simultaneously with a respectable level of complexity of this task is greatly reduced. precision. Equipment and environment Nowadays, the same shared clock principles still apply, Last, but not least, the unique environment of the float but the distribution methods typically adhere to more itself should be considered. As with pretty much anything modern industry standards. This includes methods such else in theme parks, story and theming come first so the as GPS and network-based clock standards like NTP and technology equipment for a given float will inevitably be PTP (network time protocol and precision time protocol). housed and concealed in its dark, cramped, in-between As long as the floats and parkwide systems are equipped spaces. Space, power consumption, and equipment with audio playback equipment that can precisely lock to weight are, therefore, significant factors of float design. these standards, they can all share a clock that is accurate, Other factors to take into account include the constant and perform to within microseconds of one another. The vibrations and exposure to outdoor elements; factors that idea is that all systems can be scheduled to begin playback mainstream A/V equipment is not designed to handle. at a very specific time based upon this clock value. Even Given these considerations, when making equipment though it may take some time for control packets to choices, ideally those choices should point to something bounce around network switches and fly through the that is compact, efficient, DC-powered, and specifically airwaves on wireless networks, it doesn’t matter. Every made for this type of application. These types of solutions system readies itself to start playback at the scheduled empower operations and maintenance staff to keep the time and, as a result, they are able to achieve microsecond- parade running at its best. synchronization. When you combine the power of distributed clocks, Loops, floats and control float tracking, flexible show control, and float-friendly Once the parade system has this ability to synchronize hardware, you have a solid foundation for an amazing audio playback between the floats and the parkwide parade that not only looks great, but sounds great too. • • • system, it has the ability to provide the foundation of a parade show: the parade loop. To elaborate, most parades are designed around the concept of a show, As Chief Innovation Officer at typically several minutes in length, that is designed to Alcorn McBride, Scott Harkless loop seamlessly. Although the show elements would vary ([email protected]) works closely greatly, the duration of the show on a given float would be with clients to determine their the same as that of the other floats. These shows would biggest areas of need and leads a all be designed to loop synchronously along with the team of problem solvers to come up parkwide audio and repeat until the parade is over. Thanks with creative solutions. He draws upon experience in to the shared clock, the parade system can retrigger the product development, system commissioning, client parade loop in perfect sync every time. training, marketing, and sales.

With synchronized parade loops, we’re ready to move on to the next major dilemma; those pesky floats that insist on moving. Most parades will have unique show

64 inparkmagazine.com LEWA WONDERLAND, XIAN, CHN

THEATER

YAS WATERWORLD, ABU DHABI, UAE

LINCOLN PARK POLAR JOURNEY, MANDALAY BAY RESORT CHICAGO, US LAS VEGAS, US

THEME PARK FUTUROSCOPE CENTERPARCS LES TROIS FORETS, FR &KIDS POITIERS, FR 65 inparkmagazine.com www.attraktion.cominparkmagazine.com | [email protected] inparkmagazine.com Gordo at the park Geoff Thatcher on the experiences that led him to pen his first novel

Interview by Martin Palicki

n late 2017 InPark profiled Geoff Thatcher and how amusement park) gave several of us on the launch team Ihe developed The Experience Model to help clients name badges. I got emotional when I put a name badge understand how to create successful attractions that back on for the first time since I left Lagoon in 1994. resonate with guests [see “Former amusement park cleanup boy makes good,” InPark issue #70, November Where do you see the smaller regional parks fitting 2017]. In addition to working on projects around the into the theme park industry? world, Geoff has been writing a book honoring the great American regional amusement park, served with a slice I would never claim to be an expert on themed of 1980s pop culture. The book will be published in early entertainment economics, but smaller regional parks will 2019. thrive as long as they really understand who they are and invest in branding. And I’m not talking about advertising. Can you tell us a bit about the book’s storyline? I was lucky enough to spend half a day walking Holiday World with the late Will Koch, and he credited much It’s about a skinny Baptist kid named Gordon who of the park’s success and growth to branding. He knew grew up playing and working at a fictitious amusement park in Kentucky called Lakeland Park. Right now, the working title is “Gordo at the Park,” but I really want to Geoff Thatcher (l) and writer Zane O’Gwin (r) busy at work in call it “Swim in Water Fit to Drink” because that was the Abu Dhabi on a Devin SuperTramp viral video that has so far advertising slogan at the amusement park’s swimming pool been viewed over 4 million times Photo courtesy of Geoff Thatcher when I was a kid. However, people keep telling me that title doesn’t describe what the book is about, so maybe it will still be “Gordo at the Park.”

Is the book autobiographical?

As you may recall from the article last year, I’m a skinny Latter-day Saint kid who grew up playing and working at a very real amusement park in Utah called Lagoon. It’s a memoir of sorts, based on the 10 years working there as well as my experiences as a young regular at its million- gallon swimming pool, penny arcade and rides. Let’s say it’s like Law & Order and just “based on a true story,” okay?

Lagoon park was my childhood playground. I wouldn’t be in this industry without my time at Lagoon. I learned so much working as a clean-up boy at the swimming pool, in rides and, finally, in the park’s entertainment department. I learned from some of the best in the industry: Peter Freed and his entire family, Boyd Jensen, Dick Andrew, Ron Van Woerden, Lori Capener and more.

Actually, this summer I was working on the grand opening of a new theme park in Abu Dhabi, and the General Manager (who also got his start as a teenager at a regional

67 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com what it meant to be “First for Family Fun.” I remember behind-the-scenes. At first, it’s a bit odd having someone just being amazed when he talked about how branding constantly shooting video and stills of you working. influenced everything they did (and still do) at Holiday However, I came to appreciate how valuable and easy it is World. I think the parks that struggle don’t fully for us today to document our lives. Personally, I wish there understand their audience and brand and how branding were more photographs of me working as a stuntman should influence every decision. in the Wild West Shootout or as a zookeeper and engineer back in the 1980s at Lagoon. What have you learned about yourself and the industry while writing the book? Also what’s both special and exhausting is the relationship these influencers have with their fans. Devin’s five million I’ve learned that writing the book is quite a process! I followers are real people. That’s why brands seek him, and started it over 15 years ago, and I think one thing that I’ve other influencers, to partner with. learned is that it’s okay sometimes for projects to take a long time. Lagoon is known for its beautiful trees, and we Since that project wrapped, I’ve been working on a brand all know trees don’t grow overnight. The commitment experience project with Exhibit Concepts in to towering trees requires a long-term view and patience. for FM Global that’s really exciting. FM Global is a well- Some projects require exactly the same thing. known insurance company in our industry. We are using themed entertainment effects and digital technology, such The other thing I’ve learned is that a lot of things have as augmented and mixed-reality, to create a memorable changed since 1982. One of the challenges of the book experience. In one instance, we are using Technifex was how to authentically capture what it was like to work technology to place guests inside FM Global’s 60-foot tall in an amusement park in the 1980s without offending fire lab at its research campus. We want people to feel the today’s audience. heat of the flames.

What do you mean by that? The themed entertainment industry truly has a great reach, from small regional parks like Lagoon to large brand One of the things I struggled with was how to experiences like this one. And I still think we’ve only authentically represent safety incidents—including some scratched the surface when it comes to bringing themed stupid decisions I made as a teenager (yes, I’ve still got entertainment to brand experiences. I recently pitched a the scars). Safety has always been a cornerstone of this giant oversized piñata—and I mean giant—to a CMO of industry, but times (and policies and procedures) were a big Fortune 500 company and he smiled and said, “Oh different back then. Similarly, there is a cultural awareness man, I love it, but we aren’t quite ready.” today about issues such as workplace sexual harassment and unofficial “gay days” at the park that were handled What’s next for Geoff Thatcher? differently in the 1980s. I wanted to authentically represent the time period without appearing to be tone deaf to some After this book, I’m thinking about social media. I’d love really important issues. to create a series of videos on The Experience Model. It will be like a documentary, but posted in small increments What projects have you been working on recently? over 24 months. Beyond that, I’m dreaming about working with my children. My oldest daughter Zoe has already I spent most of the summer in Abu Dhabi—what an worked with me on several projects. She just graduated incredible experience! One of the highlights was working from Auburn University, and is designing children’s with YouTube star and social media influencer Devin costumes in St. Louis for Weissmans. It’s my dream to SuperTramp on a promo video for the project. That video one day work with all my children. My son Joel is studying is up to 4 million views on Facebook and is still going! I writing and themed entertainment at the Savannah College know people love to criticize social media, but it seems of Art & Design while our youngest is hoping to head to to me that in our industry, it’s a resource that is under- SCAD as well. She already knows more about attractions utilized. and coasters than most adults (seriously, she knows the details of every coaster and attraction manufacturer). Working with a social media influencer is a fascinating experience because you have two video production crews. Where can people get a copy of your book? You have the video production crew that is shooting the video that’s going on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram It will be available starting January 14, 2019 on Amazon and then you have the crew that’s shooting the influencer both as an e-book and printed copy. • • •

68 inparkmagazine.com 69 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com 70 inparkmagazine.com Chinese tourists A primary and growing market for visitor attractions By Rona Gindin

Chinese tourists have become an all-important leisure market. More than 154 million Mainland Chinese residents traveled abroad last year, and that number surges higher every year. This exclusive story for InPark explores this vital new consumer pool: who they are, what they want to experience, and how they use technology and social media to find and share information and make transactions when they visit theme parks, water parks, museums and visitor attractions in Asia, the U.S. and Europe.

Introducing the Mainland Chinese traveler rom millennials through young seniors, residents of FMainland China have more disposable income than ever before, and they’re using some of it to explore their country and the world. “Fundamentally, you’ve got 1.3 Guests enjoy billion Chinese, and about 300 million more are middle Photo ©Disney class than 10 years ago,” said Chris Yoshii, vice president and global director of leisure and cultural services for AECOM. (AECOM partners with the Themed Entertainment Association to produce the annual TEA/ dedicated YouTube channel. “Every niche has millions and AECOM Theme Index, a global attraction attendance millions of people in it, so each segment is infinite,” said report.) “They’re very eager to go out into the world and Ledsham. see different places, especially famous ones. The numbers will continue to grow at double-digit rates throughout the International growth potential next decade. We’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg,” he As big as this market is, it continues to increase predicted. tremendously every year, with a huge pool yet remaining. Only eight percent of Chinese residents have passports, These active travelers like to do and see new things at a according to “Thailand Loves Its Chinese Visitors, up to a steady pace. Beyond that, they’re diversified. “There is no Point,” a February 2018 article in the Wall Street Journal, typical Chinese traveler,” explained Christopher Ledsham, and the percentage rises regularly. chief communications officer of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, or COTRI. Wealthy residents So vibrant is this market that the number vacationing from first-tier cities have developed a taste for adventure out-of-country grew by double digits annually from 2002 in locales exotic to them, he elaborated, while travel to 2013, according to the United Nations World Tourism newbies from smaller markets want to stay closer to home Organization (UNWTO), and by 2012 the Chinese – first exploring other Chinese cities, then nearby countries secured their place as the No. 1 spenders in international such as Thailand or Vietnam for their first out-of-country tourism; that hasn’t changed since. The $261 billion experience. Once they get started traveling abroad, though, they spent in 2016 was 21 percent of the world’s total, Chinese tourists keep moving. Those venturing beyond UNWTO reported. the mainland visit 2.1 countries or regions a year, reported “Outbound Chinese Tourism and Consumption Trends: Despite this growth, Chinese citizens still face some 2017 Survey,” a report by Nielsen and Alipay, which practical hurdles in visiting numerous global destinations, predicts the figure will rise to 2.7 in 2018. with the country’s passport ranked only 67th in the Global Passport Index; 129 states worldwide still require The COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Chinese travelers to obtain a tourist visa before visiting. profiles various niche markets in a series of short info- But some countries have taken steps to simplify access and packed videos called China Outbound Travel Pulse on a are rewarded with healthy, growing numbers of Chinese tourists, including the , Morocco, Tunisia, Japan and Indonesia.

71 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Political issues can drive trends New Zealand are also on their itineraries, COTRI said. By contrast, the Maldives, South Korea and Thailand all Younger, more independent travelers have tighter budgets, saw drops due to inter-governmental tensions, according but they are the fastest growing segment. They’re headed to the Wall Street Journal story. For example, half as many to Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Mainland Chinese visited South Korea in 2017 than a year Czech Republic and Spain, said the COTRI and Dragon earlier, the article reported, saying that China “blocked Trail China Outbound Travel Pulse videos. They seek out tour groups” because the two countries were “locked in a local experiences and cultural immersion, and they use political row.” apps to book homestays.

That didn’t end relations, and South Korea is ranked the $206 per day third most popular destination for Mainland Chinese Older Mainland Chinese travelers who haven’t been out tourists, with 27 percent of surveyed respondents having of the country much still prefer to travel this way, while visited the country “in the 12-month period we studied,” their peers who have already tried that a few times prefer noted Deborah Weinswig, CEO and founder of Coresight to put their budgets toward custom tours or traveling solo, Research. Nielsen reported. To this day, 34 percent of Chinese take a classic package tour, while others opt for independent Politics and the economy are always factors. Weinswig travel (49 percent), semi-independent (42 percent), and observed that “the top two concerns for continued customized travel (25 percent). strength in Chinese tourism to the U.S. is the impact on the value of the yuan-U.S. dollar exchange rate, and if Shopping has traditionally been a huge part of the the political climate were to have any impact on security experience, spending freely on luxury items. On average, concerns in the U.S.” each Chinese tourist spends $672 shopping during an overseas trip, according to the 2017 Nielsen report. That’s And it is all about safety. “Safety is always the number one decreasing somewhat, said COTRI, which found that concern of Chinese tourists,” she said. “Any perceived in 2017 Chinese international travelers spent 37 percent instability would have a negative impact on growth.” This less on shopping while abroad and 14 percent more on does not include [Great Britain’s] Brexit decision, however: dining. This is for a variety of reasons having to do with “the UK has experienced a recent increase in Chinese regulations, taxes and e-commerce. tourism since the decision, as Chinese tourists look to take advantage of the weaker pound,” Weinswig said. Since they’re shopping less, that leaves money for attractions and theme parks, among other activities. Understanding the travel patterns According to Nielsen, in 2017 outbound Chinese tourists As mentioned above, tourists from Mainland China tend averaged $5,565 per person per trip, $3,064 of that on to begin by exploring within their own country first – a location (not including airfare and group tour costs), trend that is growing with the nation’s rail expansion with a 3 percent rise to $5,715 expected for 2018. The – then proceed to other Asian countries, then venture farther Chinese tourists go from home, the bigger their farther as they gain confidence. In 2017, according to expenditures, Nielsen added. On average, they spent UNWTO, Chinese tourists went to Thailand in the $3,451 in Australia and $3,064 in the United States, less in greatest numbers, followed by Japan, Singapore, Korea, Asian countries. Malaysia, the United States, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and then Australia. Chinese tourists are starting to stay in one place longer. That leaves time for local museums and other cultural Nielsen reported that 38 percent have seen Europe venues. Still, according to “China 2016 L.A. Visitor (mainly France, the United Kingdom and Germany), 25 Profile” shared by Discover Los Angeles, in 2016, 90 percent North America, and 20 percent Australia and New percent of visitors from China did indeed shop, while Zealand. 62 percent dined in high-end restaurants and 58 percent visited amusement or theme parks. These visitors – whose Once they’ve had their time in other Asian countries, numbers skyrocketed from 273,000 in 2010 to 1.3 million Europe and the U.S., it’s all about adventure, and Mainland in 2018 (the last two years are estimated), spent $206 a day. Chinese tourists will then put Egypt and Africa at the top of their lists, said the Fung/Coresight report. African Theme parks remain popular safaris, South African glamping experiences, Antarctica Mainland Chinese tourists don’t go abroad only to try out forays, plus bungee jumping and sky diving in places like theme parks, but a big chunk – 41 percent – still make time for such attractions, Nielsen reported. Most are

72 inparkmagazine.com 73 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com signage that points out your best seller, your special of the month and your premium product.”

These visitors may be open to trying an attraction’s signature foods, but they’ll also want foods they know from home, Yoshii noted. “Make sure the outlet that sells it is marked boldly on a Chinese-language map, and provide a Chinese-language menu.”

Many efforts can be taken in conjunction with other attractions and lodging facilities. Las Vegas providers joined forces after seeing the number of Chinese tourists to Las Vegas jump 13 percent in 2016, reported Kala Peterson, communications manager, Las Vegas Ravinside Lodge, Limpopo, South Africa Courtesy Legend Hospitality Group Convention and Visitors Authority. Through a program called “China We Welcome You,” the Authority taught resorts and other tourism partners basics regarding married couples in their 30s traveling with children, and behavior, payment methods and effective welcoming groups of young adults in their 20s. (By contrast, non- techniques. Chinese tourists prefer natural attractions and museums.) Once they’re on the property, they buy things. Sixty-six Accommodate the apps percent spend more money inside the attraction than on Arguably the most important thing attractions can offer admission, Nielsen said, including food (75 percent) and is the ability to let their Chinese tourists pay with the shopping (68 percent). apps they use at home. While only 11 percent of most international travelers pay with such apps, said Nielsen, While they’re in theme parks, these tourists enjoy mild 65 percent of Mainland Chinese tourists do. For tourist rides and shows, but not thrill rides, noted AECOM’s attractions, that number is 58 percent. They do use bank Yoshii. “Mainland Chinese typically like colorful family cards and cash, Nielson noted, but mobile apps are more rides and even the kiddie rides, including family coasters, important to them than to other travelers. The reasons: and flat, round and dark rides,” he observed. “They also convenience, speed and familiarity; pride of seeing really like performance, stunt, fireworks and song-and- Chinese brands; no need to deal with currency exchange dance shows, including spectaculars.” discounts; and relevant marketing promotions.

Welcome! Marketing Experts recommend that theme parks and other Marketing to this customer community involves attractions adjust service styles and technology to understanding their unique habits and mindsets. Online accommodate Mainland Chinese tourists. actions tend to be effective. Travel agents are fading out, As for hospitality, 10 years ago, Ledsham said, the as is print media. It’s important to have a Chinese-language basics were WiFi, TV stations in Chinese (which aren’t version of your website, yet the most effective marketing as important now that smartphones and WiFi are will involve smartphones and social media. ubiquitous), and hot water dispensers, since Chinese tourists like to have that available for drinking. “The Chinese skipped the desktop Internet era,” Ledsham reported. “Mobile is absolutely the way forward.” Today, operators would be wise to add Chinese-speaking Specifically, he advised creating a relationship with the staff, a Chinese-language map of the attraction and a Chinese online travel agency Ctrip, which acquired [the Chinese-language overlay of the app to enhance the guest European travel fare aggregator] Skyscanner in 2016. experience, advises Yoshii. “If you don’t want to develop “Those apps reach Chinese tourists where they are at the a sophisticated app, create a download with maps and moment, allowing them to change their plans such as to descriptions in Chinese of attractions and restaurants see a dolphin show on a whim. Plus, they do so in the within your theme park that will interest Chinese visitors,” Chinese language, allowing payment in Chinese currency.” he said. Using this media, create meaningful messages, added Shopping choices can be overwhelming, so attractions Ledsham. “The Chinese can ride roller coasters in should simplify retail displays, Ledsham noted. “Have Singapore without flying all the way to California. They

74 inparkmagazine.com can see alligators by the Yangtse River, which is closer than The last of a system linking countries north to south, Florida. To reach this consumer, tell a story so you stand out. and east and west, will be completed this year, according to “China’s High-Speed Trains Are Taking on More Operators should set up great photo ops that travelers will Passengers in Chinese New Year Massive Migration,” a share on social media. “The Chinese believe in word of February 2018 Forbes article. Another 24,000 miles will mouth, from both peers and influencers,” said Ledsham. likely be added by 2025. In fact, existing and new rail is expected to host 3.25 billion passenger trips this year, Keeping up with trends – as they change at lightning nearly 7 percent more than a year earlier, according to speed – will be worth it to attraction operators, as Chinese China Daily in “Rail System to Grow by 4,000 km in continue to acquire passports and head for the road, the 2018,” a January 2018 story. train or the skies. Once they get used to leaving home, though, those How the Chinese tourist chooses where to go with means quickly grow ready to leave the country for In addition to preferring natural scenic sites and theme vacation. “Domestic travel is growing, and as people parks, this group cares about experience more than price, become more comfortable with travel they will then go to Nielsen reported. nearby countries first,” Yoshii said. “Then they are global travelers. But it happens very fast with a large number Their top five priorities are beauty or uniqueness of that are really free independent travelers looking for very tourist attractions (56 percent), safety (47 percent), ease unique places and experiences.” • • • of visa procedures (45 percent), friendliness of locals to tourists (35 percent) and affordability (34 percent). All others, collectively, followed beauty and uniqueness with affordability, safety, vacation time constraints and alignment with their schedules.

Once the decision is made, Mainland Chinese tourists visit an eclectic group of sites, although theme parks are popular. Here are some top choices according to Nielsen: Providing a measure of safety on water rides worldwide. • Hong Kong: Hong Kong Disneyland • South Korea: Chejudo (Jeju Island) • Taiwan: Riyuetan Pool •Meet manufacturer’s weight requirements • Japan: Tokyo Disneyland •Move riders quickly and safely with • United States: Disneyland Go or No Go light system • Australia: Sydney Opera House • Thailand: Phuket Island •Platforms for 1 to 6 riders • France: Louvre Museum •Freestanding or flush mount scales In-country rail travel expands •Scales can accomodate two different Mainland Chinese tourists aren’t going straight from the weight ranges for multiple rides local theme park to a country half a globe away. They start by traveling within China, and more each year are doing that thanks to regular and high-speed train lines that were recently built – a big change from the buses that have long served this purpose.

“The high-speed rail system growth is phenomenal and all mid-size cities in China will be linked,” said Chris Yoshii of AECOM. “In addition, intercity and metro line systems are being built in and between major cities, and inner-city transit systems link in, forming a comprehensive network.” SR Instruments, Inc. These systems are being extended close to theme parks’ 716-693-5977 / +1-800-654-6360 front gates. “The impact is a greater proportion of theme www.srscales.com / [email protected] park attendance by domestic tourists,” he added.

75 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Project management methodology nFusion asks the hard questions and guards the vision with a program management process designed for success By Rona Gindin

his is how it starts: a developer has land, money, and Nassal umbrella also encompasses Lexington, a scenic Ta vision. A team is formed; a theme park project is fabricator focusing on museums, casinos and hospitality, launched. What could go wrong? complimenting Nassal’s specialization in theme parks, zoos and aquariums. nFusion operates independently, As anyone with project experience in this industry knows and in fact mostly works on projects with which its sister all too well, many things can go wrong, and many worthy companies have no involvement. projects don’t make it to the finish line. When a project bubble pops, time and money are wasted. Expected Key members of the nFusion team are Martin Zurauskas, economic benefits and tourism are lost. Companies lose Managing Director, and Program Directors John Lindsay, financial footing, reputations are tarnished. Ultimately, Gina Yu, John Dreher, Daryl Parker, and Robert Wyatt. such failures are bad for the whole industry. The larger the (See sidebar for details.) The relationships that led to the project scale, the greater the impact. formation of Nassal ACM grew out of a fast-tracked LEGOLAND project in Germany, where Zurauskas, then What goes wrong? The big-picture perspective, according Head of Development for LEGOLAND, brought Nassal to the team of project management specialists at nFusion, on as construction manager. is that projects get out of alignment due to an imbalance in the development efforts. Armed with formidable expertise and a detailed methodology based on many years of experience in entertainment project management, they’re working to change that.

nFusion is one of three of The Companies of Nassal brands – Nassal has been a well- established, Orlando-based firm serving the visitor attractions industry with fabrication and production. nFusion, which was born out of a series of project management services The Nassal Company was asked to perform in the mid-1990s, launched in 2014 as Nassal ACM (Attractions Construction Management). It is an independent program management (aka project management) consulting firm based in the Los Angeles area. Today, The Companies of Image courtesy of nFusion

76 inparkmagazine.com Project Management Q&A with nFusion

How would you summarize the practice of program management?

Programs may be one or multiple projects. Program managers maintain alignment of the project(s) team(s) through a pragmatic process that grounds the team while addressing the development challenges against the baseline.

What are some of the important ways The project managers are responsible for delivering that destination entertainment program specific scopes with the overall program. management is unique? Why is program management an essential Traditional development projects have 30+ divisions role in entertainment development? Don’t of work. Destination entertainment projects have 100+ some projects go forward without a project divisions of work. Our program managers span both manager? traditional and specialty disciplines and are alert to the interfaces between these divisions of work. The Program Director is responsible for aggregation and integration of the work streams and resources. Is a program manager the same thing as an When projects move forward without such overall owner’s rep? leadership an area of expertise / scope of work will be developed ahead of the balance of the project. This Owner’s rep acts on behalf of the Owner, whereby the introduces significant risk into the development, often program management consultancy facilitates the work requiring rework of design or construction scope which in place of the Owner. The Owner’s Rep is in contrast wastes time and money. to a Program Management Office approach which is a blended team of the Owner and the Program Manager to Should a project owner look for a program holistically manage the project delivery. manager first, before assembling the design team? How does the overall program manager interface with the individual project managers Yes. The Program Manager listens to the Owner, of the different disciplines? developing the brief against which the talent to perform the work is cast. Casting without a brief will The overall program manager is the Program Director lead to misaligned resources and potential for work responsible for the integration of the project managers. which is not needed. •

The nFusion team represents substantial collective history which makes economic sense? Is the team aligned with a developing attractions and entire parks for top developers common understanding of ‘why’ the project is appropriate and operators around the world (including Disney and (vision), as well as ‘what’ (scope), ‘how’ (delivery), and Universal, as well as LEGOLAND, SeaWorld, and many finally the ‘protocol’ of implementing the work?” others) and extensive knowledge of the myriad disciplines involved in creating such projects. Their nFusion codified Building a multi-faceted attraction (on time and on process of “Project Gates” is designed to minimize budget, of course) involves thousands more elements avoidable risks and usher more projects to completion and than the average construction project. All the elements of success. designing and building an attraction are combined with the process of housing it – of permanent construction Asking the right questions – and optimizing it for viable and lucrative operations. “We bring focus and efficiencies with the pragmatic side,” Planning and creating the attraction must be woven into said Lindsay. “How will you build, operate and manage the fabric of the construction process, from early concept your entertainment destination? Is there a qualified market development to schematics to budgets to turning on the

77 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com electricity for the first time. Otherwise, it’s all too easy formulate and formalize an industry-specific, program to fall into the kinds of costly mistakes that can send management plan based on what they’ve seen work in the even the most promising concept into the theme park field. Together they came up with a series of steps they graveyard. call Project Gates. The point of Project Gates is to keep the project and the process on track and in sync, so each Dreher, nFusion’s Program Director over project controls, element is done correctly the first time in alignment with said, “Knowledge of all of the elements and their the development process, thus minimizing the number of component parts is critical for success. Forecasting the costly re-do’s. Communication, scheduling and budgeting capital required for the vision, dissecting the program and are all key. As a basis of best practices, Zurauskas cited leveraging our database of historical costs enables us to a paper presented in 2000 at the Project Management provide the team a robust framework that we then use to Institute Annual Seminars & Symposium in Houston, monitor design to budget.” TX, “Accelerating product developments via phase-gate processes,” by H.J. Thamhain. “What we advocate is discipline,” said Zurauskas. “We balance all the areas involved to keep the project on track.” Essentially, Project Gates are well-defined, incremental building blocks and checkpoints that maintain alignment Project Gates of the flow of the development process. The procedure Having spent many years developing successful attractions involves looking at all pertinent elements at once and for the industry’s big players, nFusion’s executives decided keeping their costs in line. Otherwise, a project might to build upon best project management practices to derail because too much money is spent in one area before assessing what obstacles might demand that element be changed to make it viable.

nFusion outlines four major stages to a project: Definition, Master Plan, Design and Implementation. At the corresponding completion of each stage, before passing through the Gate to the next stage, key questions must be asked and answered: Is the project feasible, deliverable, buildable? And finally, is it operable?

From one Gate to another are many steps to execute and checkpoints to fulfill before going to the next. “We continually revisit the big questions,” said Zurauskas. “When is the attraction buildable? Are things at the point of readiness for the client to spend the big money required to take it to opening day? Is the client ready to make the hard commitments necessary to get ride suppliers, technology experts and such on board? We make sure clients pace what they’re doing and when they’re doing it. We see the vision, the ambition, but also understand the economics involved. At a certain point, one can say with confidence, ‘This is a deliverable idea; now you can hit the big green GO button to go forward and execute the idea. Now we can move into more detailed design, including all the planning necessary to understand the procurement details.”

Throughout all steps, Zurauskas noted, it is critical to keep the vision consistent, and to maintain the respect of all the professionals

78 inparkmagazine.com Who’s Who at nFusion

nFusion is staffed by attractions-industry Gina Yu, Program Director - For more than 20 veterans who have been through the years, Gina Yu has led and managed the creation development process repeatedly and learned of themed environments in the entertainment, from their mistakes and successes along the way. leisure and mixed-use sectors. Her portfolio Here are key players. includes projects such as Universal Studios Hollywood, Disney’s California Adventure and Martin Zurauskas, Managing Director – a two LEGOLAND Parks. 25-year industry veteran who joined Nassal in 2014 to build the program management business. John Dreher, Program Director - A budgeting Martin has worked with multiple studios and expert, Dreher plied his trade with Walt Disney IPs on projects in Asia, Europe and the Middle Imagineering for 27 years. He was executive East. He has had stints at Chimera Design LCC, director of project controls for which he founded and served as CEO, and and handled budgeting for Shanghai Disneyland. The Lego Company, where he helped develop LEGOLAND parks. Robert Wyatt, Program Director - After a quarter century at top theme park and resort John Lindsay, Program Director - Lindsay groups, Robert Wyatt brings his project executive joined nFusion in 2018, shortly after serving expertise to nFusion. Past responsibilities as Vice President, Project Management for have involved NASA, Disney, Universal and Shanghai Disneyland, a role he began back in Dubailand. 2010. Over the years, he has worked on four Disney theme parks, projects at three World Daryl Parker, Program Director - An ace Expos, and with multiple Studios (Universal, at construction management, before joining Sony, MGM, and the like) on destination nFusion – where he’s currently working on entertainment projects. In 2018 he was honored ’s Doha Oasis Theme Park – Daryl Parker by the Themed Entertainment Association as was a key player in building Universal Studios an inaugural “TEA Master” in the discipline of Hollywood attractions including the Wizarding Project Management. World of Harry Potter. •

The nFusion team Courtesy nFusion

79 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com involved. A common pitfall to be avoided is spending too process begins in the Los Angeles area, which is a hub of much money in one area and compensating by pulling industry expertise including designers, concept architects, from another. “That ultimately results in chiseling away land use planners, show designers, animators and others. at ideas,” he said. “We are deliberate, and conscious, While a new attraction is still simply an idea, those behind throughout the process of staying true to the vision. We it talk with the nFusion team. “Early stages of attraction do that by being respectful of and collaborative with all design - in particular, show and ride design - happens the players, whether the design company, a ride maker, a stateside, while local team members provide the code contractor, an architect or an operations group.” and statutory requirements inputs that are specific to the region,” said Yu. “We lead the integration of art Solid foundations and science of show and facility design to create an The nFusion team advocates implementing their system at unforgettable guest experience.” As planning progresses the very beginning of the attraction-development process toward constructing, the geographic circle starts to widen. for it to be most effective. “It’s all about the foundation,” “Then we have workshops here and on the client’s site, as said Lindsay. “If the beginning of a project is weak, the necessary. That works until we reach the strategic point execution is weak. We make sure that as a project goes where we hand off the project to the production team, through each of the gates, from inception on, we’re understanding that they’ll use local labor. That’s where the building on progressively and always tying back to the pendulum swings.” foundation: the goals, strategies, economic model and creative visions, as well as what the intellectual property nFusion mavens are sent to the construction site, vision is against that. We keep on top of the means and building begins, and ultimately a thoughtfully planned, methods the client needs to think about. Each step has to knowledgeably budgeted attraction starts to evolve, be considered holistically as you pass through each gate.” infused with nFusion pragmatism.

Specifically, nFusion incorporates the vast array of Just as it functions separately from Nassal’s other arms, elements into each gate. “What makes the realm of what nFusion has no allegiance to any one subcontractor during we do different is that in addition to traditional and well- any given project. “We are independent of all the people understood disciplines, we look at areas like infrastructure, that are doing all the other things on the project, and that’s traffic, procurement and construction,” said Zurauskas. the incentive for a client to bring us to the table,” said “We consider additional elements such as ‘Can I get Zurauskas. “We don’t design the project. We don’t provide the land? Are there entitlements there? What does the the money. We’re not the fabricator. We’re not providing schematic design say? How will the specialty work be the intellectual property and we’re not providing the produced? Are there competitors?’ We believe we are construction.” unique in being discipline-agnostic. We focus on what needs to happen, in the right order, to ensure that clients nFusion’s specialties are fourfold: In addition to program have a balanced and complete view of the elements that management, the firm offers cost management, design need to be in place to move from one stage to the next management and specialty construction management, without excessive risk.” usually all at once. The offerings serve to make nFusion what Zurauskas and the team call “guardians of the Equality is part of the equation. “We keep everybody in vision.” Said Zurauskas, “That means we’re there to try lockstep as we move through the process,” Lindsay and guide this development process to better successful emphasized. “The operator sits shoulder to shoulder with outcomes. The word ‘fusion’ speaks to being a catalyst, to the economist, with the land planner who figures out how bringing diverse disciplines together to reach a successful the land works with adjacent land, with the infrastructure project conclusion.” • • • people to make sure highways, roads and rails are aligned, as well as architects and the creative vision. We ask if the utilities are a monopoly, and if the developer has Rona Gindin (rona@ronagindin. negotiated rates at the same time as government subsidies. com), joined the InPark community Power is very expensive and needs to be dealt with at that of contributors in November 2017. point in the process. All move in lockstep through Rona writes about tourism, business, completion.” travel, restaurant, lifestyle issues and the leisure industry. Her work has Global, impartial “guardians” appeared in Zagat, foodnetwork.com, Brides, Parenting, Ultimately nFusion needs its experts on the ground Endless Vacation and other publications and websites. wherever in the world a project is being built, yet the

80 inparkmagazine.com Congratulations Chishui Dinosaur Waterpark Splashing into China Soon!

Chishui Peninsula Resort, Changjiang Peninsula “We’re very proud that construction is now underway on a one-of-a-kind waterpark that will create an incredible themed adventure while celebrating our regional, natural beauty.” Mr. Qi, Chairman of Zhunyi Culture and Tourism Development (Group) Co., Ltd.

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81 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Giving back Michael Mercadante prepares to take the helm as TEA’s new president Interview by Joe Kleiman

ichael Mercadante, President of Main Street Design, MInc. and a Senior Exhibit Designer with the firm, was recently elected to serve as International Board President of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), effective November 2018. Michael will be officially installed at the TEA Members Meeting held annually during the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando. He succeeds David Willrich of DJ Willrich Ltd, who served for two one-year terms. In this exclusive interview, Michael talks about his firm’s work, his design background and business philosophy, and shares his perspectives on the attractions industry and the importance of giving back as a volunteer.

How did you enter the business?

To begin with, I’m a registered architect. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame (Indiana, US) I began my professional career in working as a Michael Mercadante junior designer at several architecture firms, including TAC (The Architects Collaborative), which was a Our staff includes several permanent members as well as fantastic talent incubator. Purely by chance, I picked up a cohort of long-term contract employees whom we enlist a freelance assignment with Joseph A. Wetzel Associates, for specific projects. Many work remotely from locations an interpretive planning and design firm in the city, throughout . We are very fortunate to have which introduced me to the world of exhibit design, this fantastic talent pool to draw on. This model allows and I’ve really never looked back. Two of the earliest us to ebb and flow with the constantly changing work projects I worked on were the Hall of Health at the environment and gives us the freedom to quickly adapt to California Museum of Science and Industry and the Frank workflow changes. Gehry-designed California Aerospace Museum, both of which were later integrated into the California Science What are some of the projects you’ve worked on that Center. I started Main Street Design in 1991 with Tevere you’re most proud of ? What makes them unique? MacFadyen, an interpretive planner whom I met at Wetzel. Our company is based in Cambridge, MA and works I worked on Think Tank at the National Zoo, which throughout North America and internationally. My role is explores issues of language and cognition in non-human to oversee our business operations and to lead the design animals – in particular orangutans – and received the top end of the process. exhibit from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) when it opened. I also worked on the McNeil How is Main Street Design set up? Avian Center at the Philadelphia Zoo which received an AZA award, as well as being the recipient of a TEA At Main Street we believe that content development, three Thea Award. Other projects that I am proud of include dimensional design, and graphic design are inextricably the renovation of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, our interconnected and equally critical to a project’s success. work for the National Park Service, including Zion and Our studio is organized to ensure that these three practice Everglades National Parks, and two recent zoo projects areas work collaboratively, and all three are represented in at Zoo New England’s Nature’s Neighborhoods and Zoo every project we do. We have a representative from each Miami’s Florida: Mission Everglades that were listed this discipline on the team, and they are encouraged to overlap past summer as two of the “15 Coolest Zoo Exhibits in and interact, sharing responsibility on the team. the U.S. for Families” on the blog mommynearest.com.

82 inparkmagazine.com done. Although zoo architects and landscape architects were doing groundbreaking work creating immersive, naturalistic habitats, interpretation was still mostly “a book on the wall.” The institutions and designers wouldn’t think about interpretation until right up to the moment they were ready to open. But these days, interpretive elements are integrated into all aspects of an exhibit. Through osmosis, visitors begin to discover things everywhere they look, not just off the graphic panels.

All of these business sectors are The McNeil Aviation Center at the Philadelphia Zoo about the visitor experience, so the connections between them are really about creating experiences that take visitors on a journey that tells a story. In the zoo and museum I feel that these are all unique in the ways they present worlds, that story is usually about environmental education complex information in an engaging and entertaining style, or cultural heritage; a “real” story, as opposed to the in a recreational setting. When we do our job well, our usually fictional story of a themed attraction, but with a guests don’t even realize how much they’re learning until similar objective: engaging and delighting our guests. they find themselves talking about it on the ride home. Has being part of TEA helped you as a designer? Specializing in museum, zoo, and aquarium design, What drew you to become involved in the what changes have you seen over the years? What are organization and to pursue a leadership track? the important connections between the business of zoo and museum design, and attraction design? Like many others, I got into this business because I went to Disneyland as a kid and was enchanted and amazed. We focus on natural history and cultural heritage, which Early in my design career I realized that I wanted to do over the past decade has taken us more towards natural more than just architecture. Ten or 12 years ago, I heard history and environmental education. In 1993 we were awarded an open term contract from the Smithsonian Institution, which led to work at the National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, and also to Think Tank, which brought us into the zoo and aquarium world. Winning the AZA’s top exhibit award gave us great visibility.

When we first started, the zoo and aquarium industry called all interpretation “graphics,” and that is mainly The entrance to Zoo Miami’s: Mission Everglades exhibit how interpretation was being All photos courtesy of Main Street Design

83 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com about the TEA Summit conference, and I discovered a I have tried to bridge the fine lines between these wonderful, creative, supportive group of peers. industry variations. TEA has enabled me to stay in touch with the parts of the industry that are more attraction Main Street has built its practice around delivering focused. As exhibit designers, we bring experience with effective and authentic content-based experiences. The exhibit development and authentic content. There are TEA straddles the visitor experience line, including opportunities to apply those capabilities in unexpected entertainment environments as well as more traditional ways, such as what Main Street has done working with interpretive settings like museums, zoos, and aquariums. Ripley Entertainment and Universal Creative. There are many ways to interface between the different sectors of our industry, bringing together entertainment Tell us about your commitment to volunteer service and education in our guest experiences, just as TEA does and why that is important to you. with its membership. There are crossovers. Many TEA members work in various peripheral industries such as I have always felt that volunteering is essential to living a zoos and museums. There are a lot of similarities between full and positive life. Giving back is important, whether exhibit and attraction development. to your community or to your industry. In the past, I have volunteered by tutoring at a local high school, and In particular, I feel that the TEA is really about all the for more than 20 years I have been a wish grantor for people that it takes to develop visitor experiences. I’ve the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In my professional life, found that every project involves collaborations – each I served on the AZA Conference Program Committee one is a team effort. The TEA helps connect designers before getting involved with TEA. Our industry and fabricators with one another, with other creative membership associations provide valuable professional partners, and with owners and operators. My own development and education, and opportunities to network company’s cross-disciplinary approach reflects this and meet others with similar interests, learn about what multifaceted philosophy. others are doing, share best practices, and find ways to collaborate. TEA’s programs also help to educate, grow and improve our industry overall. • • •

Creating magic with light Focusing attention on Mark Andrew and Remarkable Light By Philip Hernandez

During some 20 years as a lighting designer of themed State University and the attractions, Mark Andrew worked on some of the most Studio and Forum of influential projects in the industry. He recently founded his Stage Design in New own company, Remarkable Light. York City.

ighting and lighting design create a powerful effect on Mark explains the Lthe human psyche. The quality, intensity, placement, impact lighting design and color of light strongly affect mood - to the extent has on our experiences: that lighting can make us feel everything from infatuated “Initially, its purpose is to terrified. Despite this astonishing effect on our to guide the attention environment and our emotions, all too often lighting of the audience, add design can take a back seat to the overall process. dimension to scenes, and to work in tandem The glue with the story to create Mark Andrew “On any project, whether it’s a show or a ride, the lighting a fully realized experience. design is the glue that holds everything together - and Lighting design brings that intent into the physical realm. holds everything apart,” said Mark Andrew, founder and In theater - where the flat scenery is lit in a way to make it principal of Remarkable Light, based in Los Angeles. appear multi-dimensional (and backdrops provide depth, time of day, and create a mood) - the scenery is held Mark has been a lighting designer in themed entertainment away from the actor with backlight and sidelight. Light is for more than two decades. He trained at San Francisco also used to tell the audience exactly what to look at and

The Shuttle Launch Experience preshow area at the Kennedy Space Center Photo courtesy of Mark Andrew

86 inparkmagazine.com Universal Studios Singapore’s Special Effects Theater when—and, almost as important, especially in attractions, were Shuttle Launch Experience and Exploration Space what not to look at.” at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center (Orlando), the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Lighting an attraction for entertainment or education (Springfield, IL), The Ghost of the Castle at Louisiana’s has strong similarities and sharp differences to lighting Old State Capitol (Baton Rouge, LA), the Heineken for theater. Walking onto stage shatters the illusion. It’s Experience (Amsterdam), Story Garden by AmorePacific evident that everything isn’t at all as it appeared from (Korea) and two USA Pavilions at world expos: 2005 the spectator’s point of view, and much of that is due to (Aichi, Japan) and 2010 (Shanghai). Also for BRC, Mark lit the lighting. But in attractions, the space is configured exhibits at the Adler Planetarium and the Arizona Science differently, and the construction is usually permanent. “In Center. immersive spaces, you need to be able to create these same illusions in areas the audience inhabits,” said Mark. “In a During his years with Yeager Design, Mark also helped ride, for instance, a vehicle is used to direct the audience’s light rides and attractions that guests have enjoyed point of view. In other instances, guests may be left to at Universal Studios parks in Japan, Singapore and wander through an environment. Different equipment Hollywood, Disney’s , Fox Studios Australia and and techniques are used, but it all comes back to the core Lotte World (Mark did the lighting onboard the floats - telling the story - and that means setting the mood and for “Let’s Dream,” Lotte World’s 25th anniversary tone and making it seem real.” spectacular & parade). He also provided lighting design for BattleStations 21, a state-of-the-art disaster training facility Key projects and clients for the US Navy. Mark spent a good portion of his career at Yeager Design LLC, where as Associate Designer he was lighting Mark left Yeager in 2014 to join Rethink Leisure & theme park attractions, visitor centers, museum exhibits, Entertainment. “Rethink gave me the opportunity to be corporate theater projects and the occasional observation their in-house LD for Fox World Dubai,” he said. “I also deck. The primary client he served during that time was was allowed the opportunity to be a creative producer on a BRC Imagination Arts, providing lighting design on some dark ride. And while the project never materialized, I had a 20 projects, several of which were honored with TEA great time working on it.” Thea Awards. The most prominent of the BRC projects

87 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com The main theater of the USA Pavilion at the Shanghai 2010 World’s Fair Photo courtesy of BRC Imagination Arts. Prior to joining Yeager, one of his very first attraction For the National Parks Service, Mark designed exhibit projects was lighting Bugs Bunny shows for several Six lighting for the Manzanar National Historic Site, Badlands Flags parks, working for Gene Patrick Productions in the National Monument, Cabrillo National Monument, WWII late 1980s. Valor in The Pacific National Monument, Keweenaw National Historic Site, and Cave National Park. Observation decks and monuments Mark might be one of the few in his line of business The project process: Shuttle Launch with the distinction of having designed lighting for three We asked Mark to describe his project process for context, observation decks – something that should pique the and he used his work on Shuttle Launch Experience as an interest of operators in these days of sky-high attractions. example.

“While I was with Yeager, I designed three observation “The preshow space is a large, oval-shaped room, very decks—The Sears Tower (now known as the Willis tall. It has three projection screens on the main wall Tower) in Chicago, New York City’s World Trade Center over an architectural grid that covers half the room (the original), and a design for the Empire State Building from floor to ceiling. I spent a long time with Chuck observation deck, which wasn’t realized,” he explained. Roberts (then Project Art Director at BRC) working on ways to incorporate the grid into the show. We ended up The Skydeck on the Willis Tower is on the Tower’s silhouetting it against acoustic panels mounted within and 103rd floor and is 1,353 feet high, making it the highest behind the squares, with LED wash fixtures from the top observation deck in the United States. Tourists can and bottom. I added an extra set at the bottom that grazed experience how the building sways on a windy day, and the middle. In this way, we had a ‘traditional’ cyclorama, see across Lake Michigan on a clear day. The observation with top and bottom washes, but also had intensity deck at the World Trade Center was on the top floor and and color control of each vertical column of squares,” featured a simulated helicopter ride around the city. explained Mark. Mark explained the special challenge of lighting this kind of attraction: “It’s always a balance between lighting Mark continued: “In the Simulator Capsules, it was about exhibits on the inner core, and the reflections of those stepping the lighting down from the load look, which exhibits in the windows as people are looking out.” was very bright, to the finale, where the shuttle bay doors He offered a design suggestion based on experience: open and you see this gorgeous projection of the earth “Although this isn’t always the case, the ideal setup from above you,” he said. “The step-down was deliberate and a lighting viewpoint would be to locate the exhibits in a coincided within the timeline of the show. First, it went pre-show area, and to have blank walls across from the from white light to blue light in the cabin as the activation windows. It would also increase capacity, as people would of the cabin systems at the show start. Then there’s a move through the space more quickly.” He added, “You slow decrease during the launch to help the viewer focus are selling them the view, not the exhibits. This approach on the screens. After that is a steep drop in intensity as a would greatly enhance the experience of looking out the simulated emergency alarm goes off. Lastly, there’s a slow windows, especially at night.” fade as the bay doors open. While the doors are open,

88 inparkmagazine.com the only light in the cabin is from the front video screens. doing it, and doing it correctly? Will it be maintainable? Is Once the bay doors close and the capsule repositions there enough budget?” itself, the cabin ‘wakes up’ again for the unload.” Attractions with theatrical flair How to optimize collaboration Mark’s passion is theatrical lighting - the art of with lighting designers controlling the audience’s attention with light. His unique What specifically does a lighting designer bring to the understanding of lighting as “glue” and as a means of team, and how is best to work with them? We don’t want guiding the audience’s attention applies to all his projects. too many cooks in the kitchen, after all. Mark explained. Mark’s background in themed experiences (shows, rides) and architainment (observation decks, etc.) provides him “Collaboration is such a key thing,” said Mark. “You have with a unique advantage in applying theatrical techniques to trust the creative director and art director, and it helps to rides and themed experiences. He’s followed this if they have the ego (or lack thereof) to let you jump in. intersection of lighting and theater throughout his career I always ask lots of questions. I challenge assumptions. I and continued to pursue his passion. His new company is look for opportunities where light or a character fixture the most recent manifestation of that. can help tell the story or light a graphic or direct the guest’s gaze and tell them, ‘Go this way.’ I also like having “I started Remarkable Light this year to pull all my work input on materials - especially for graphics - to minimize together under the same umbrella and create a design glare and reflections, which are the bane of a lighting identity for myself. Remarkable Light delivers dynamic designer’s existence.” lighting design for rides, attractions, themed restaurant, and retail spaces, corporate visitors’ centers, and both touring Mark continued, “It’s necessary to get a feel for the overall and permanent museum exhibits.” scope of the project. Who’s producing? Has the company done this kind of work before? Do they care about and Mark will be attending the IAAPA Attractions Expo in understand lighting, or do they consider it a necessary evil? Orlando in November 2018 and welcomes inquiries and Are the people building the project or event capable of meetings. Contact him at [email protected] or 310-993-8457. • • •

“Let’s Dream,” Lotte World’s 25th anniversary spectacular & parade Photo courtesy of Mark Andrew

89 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Photo printing snapshot How photo printing capability adds value for park guests: Conversation with Cliff Reeves of DNP DNP Imagingcomm America Corporation’s Photo Imaging Division delivers award-winning digital photo printing solutions that provide custom photo souvenirs. DNP is a leading supplier to amusement parks and attractions, and the company is a regular exhibitor at the IAAPA expos.

n today’s world of ubiquitous digital cameras, selfies Iand DIY photo-ops, how do entertainment operators create value with on-site photo printing, and market photo souvenirs to guests? Cliff Reeves, Director of Sales at DNP, answered some questions. Cliff Reeves Please explain the role of photo printers in the attractions industry. What are the advantages of dye-sublimation printers?

We have a strong foothold in this market. There are a There are a variety of advantages, but for a park lot of commonalities between the event photography operator, it often comes down to a much lower cost of market and the attractions industry; we both are selling ownership including the hardware, software and paper. experiences. Being able to merchandize a guest’s Dye-sublimation printing gives the user predictable experience with a printed photograph reinforces the costs. The price per print remains the same regardless of enjoyment they had at the property. content, and there are no expensive ink cartridges to refill. Additionally, unlike ink technologies, there is no smudging Everyone carries a phone with a camera, constantly or blotching because prints come out dry to the touch as capturing as many photos as they want. Does this soon as they leave the printer, and the prints are resistant minimize the demand of selling photography? to fingerprints, dust and fading.

The ability for anyone to take photos is greater than ever; Where are park operators having the most success however, consumers aren’t moving these images off with photo printers? their mobile devices and into their homes. This serves to increase the value proposition of printed photos. We are Park operators often tell us they have consistent success providing park operators with the ability to produce large with mascot photos and entry gate photography. For those quantities of high-quality images quickly and capture their that branch out and look to deploy photography in more guests in the moment. Because consumers are printing areas of their park, they have had success with haunted less themselves, these readily-available images have even attractions and seasonal events and even hiring a roaming greater value. photographer to capture photos of guests.

What types of photo printers are available for Do you find that most of your customers who amusement park operators? print on spec convert on a higher rate of sales opportunities? There are really two commonly used types of photo printers, inkjet and dye-sublimation. Inkjets spray drops A photo captures the emotion of a moment, and the of ink onto paper, whereas dye-sublimation use a dry park photo souvenir serves as a reminder of positive technique that diffuses dye onto paper. The dye comes in experiences and feelings. The photo souvenir package that the form of a ribbon, which is converted into a gas by a guests take home as a personal memento helps reinforce heated print head and absorbed by a special receiving layer the kind of emotional bond that can lead to repeat visits. on the paper. Just as a shopper might purchase a candy bar at the checkout aisle of a supermarket, park-goers will make

90 inparkmagazine.com spur-of-the-moment purchase decisions in theme parks. the highest level of print quality. This means we give Some parks find that it pays to print photos on spec. our customers the ability to print a range of print sizes They drive sales by having prints on display and ready for and finishes that can’t be duplicated by consumer ink- purchase immediately after the guest exits the ride. Short jet printers and would otherwise be hard to reproduce. wait times and easy traffic circulation in the retail area will Customers that are having the most success and getting increase the chances of a sale. higher margins are not just offering traditional 4 x 6 images. • • • Do larger venues tend to have more success with on- site photo printing? Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) was established in 1876 as the first full-scale printing company in Japan. Today, Not at all. Our systems are in large, well-known venues but the DNP Group is one of the largest printing/coating are just as commonly found in a range of smaller venues. technologies companies in the world. The company works The key is in the quality of the printer, and in having a with a variety of photo industry hardware and software quality camera for capture, but everything else is just extra. specialists to assemble customized solutions for the digital We have systems that start as low as $1,000 and a venue photo processing and printing space. only needs a camera to complete the system. At its 71 production plants around the world, DNP’s How are your most successful customers monetizing global operations include commercial printing, packaging, event photography at their properties? decorative materials, electronics, business forms and information media supplies. For more information on We believe there are two rules that apply to maximizing DNP’s professional photo printing solutions for the profitability. The first is to take a photo that is hard for attractions industry, please visit: www.dnpphoto.com people to take on their own, and the second is to provide

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InparkNovember_Complete.indd 2 10/22/2018 12:41:16 PM Looking back on looking forward Eight takeaways from eight years of ‘Design Trends’ presentations by George Walker

Shawn McCoy of JRA gave his first annual “Design creatively taking risks and Trends” presentation at IAAPA Orlando in 2011 and will trying something new.” He give his next of the series at the 2018 expo in November. explained that his hope In this article, fellow themed attraction designer George was that his presentations Walker analyzes and summarizes some of Shawn’s more of all those various trends, significant findings over the years, and the trends within technologies, and techniques the trends. George made a thorough review of the would inspire IAAPA presentations in addition to discussing them with Shawn. audiences themselves, as much as they had inspired him. Following 2018, Shawn has made the decision to take a Shawn McCoy break from hosting the Design Trends series in order to What is a “trend”? re-energize, and allow space for other voices to be heard, Trends, by definition, can be transitory. That’s why social with plans to refresh the series in the near future. The media can incessantly serve up breathless “trending now” industry has benefited from Shawn having shared these alerts. Such “trends” usually have a short shelf life and valuable insights, year after year. may more appropriately be defined as “fads.” But there are trends that can be far more deep-rooted, and therefore “2018 Emerging Trends in Immersive Design” takes place serve as a rich resource for those who create entertainment on Monday, November 12th, 2018 from 3:45-5:00pm and learning experiences for today’s audiences. in room S3330CD of the Orange County Convention Center. A recording of Shawn’s presentation will be In Shawn’s vocabulary, a trend is a “product, service, available on JRA’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/ technology, or technique that doesn’t represent a moment; jackrouse) in the week following the IAAPA Attractions it represents a movement.” By comparison, a fad is Expo. “present-looking” with “a quick adoption rate but also a quick drop rate.” It might as well stand for “Fleetingly very year for nearly a decade at the IAAPA Attractive Distraction. It doesn’t evolve or adapt; it EAttractions Expo in Orlando, one of the best minds provides short term value; it is a tactic; a moment.” Fidget in our industry – Shawn McCoy, Vice President of JRA spinners, for example, are a fad, not a trend. – has gifted us with his “Emerging Trends in Immersive Design” presentations. What do trends tell us? A great part of Shawn’s insight has been about the As a theme park designer challenged to bring outstanding meaning of specific trends, as well as the trends design to attractions, I have found my own, annual themselves. His reports on the technological, strategic, pilgrimage to the Orlando IAAPA Expo and Shawn and innovative design trends are, themselves, exciting McCoy’s presentations to be just the battery-rechargers and inspirational. It has been great fun to learn about I needed. I have found great value in contemplating the things that, the previous year, did not exist. But the world “keepers,” the insights into how the minds and hearts of of theme park, museum, and attraction design is always our industry’s audiences responded to those innovations. going to be about “What’s next?” “What’s new?” Shawn Among other things, it has been an opportunity to test provided insights into what any given year’s trends were my creative vision against how well it synced with Shawn’s telling us about our clients and the people our clients are astute observations about the way audiences were reacting trying to reach and motivate. The best trends will quickly to those trends. transition from momentarily unique to conventionally mainstream. Shawn’s explanations of what those trends As Shawn puts it: “It’s not about replicating something teach us are immutable. cool that you see. It’s about replicating that passion for

92 inparkmagazine.com Concept art from the new Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge land opening next year at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Photo © Disney

Have you experienced that moment when you are and rolling media clip. They enjoyed it, but they hadn’t working on a project and suddenly intuit exactly what is been engaged yet. Then, without warning, the classic going to happen next – how the audience will respond to bad guys show up both on the screen and as audio- what you are creating? These flashes of understanding animatronic figures dotted throughout the sets, complete are no accident. They are the reward of many years of with the dramatic underlying score. You, the audience engagement in our craft, which include the diligent study – or in this case the unexpecting workers – were under of emerging technology, cultural shifts, and evolving a surprise attack! I watched as they literally ducked for audiences. cover until their surprise turned to laughter and high- fives with one another. An immersive trend comes to life in the field The kind of inspiration Shawn hopes to convey in his Shawn’s advice guides us all to moments like these. Don’t IAAPA talks took form for me recently during the test- just give audiences something cool to look at anymore; and-adjust phase of the up-coming MISSION: Ferrari engage them directly and make them part of the story. attraction at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. I was deep in the weeds working with the artists to balance the light levels What matters most with the brightness of the paint colors so that they would Learning what Shawn McCoy found cool each year has match the integrated media that is cleverly projection- been fun. But understanding what those discoveries tell mapped into the show sets. As we experimented with us is what matters most. “The more presentations I did,” different combinations, the process required going to Shawn explains, “the more passionate I became about show conditions, which means turning off the lights not only finding the next cool project to talk about, but and firing up the projectors. As usual, there were several also understanding what makes a new attraction resonate general workers on site who were not privy to what the with audiences. What inspires them to think or to feel? point was of this tangle of steel track, show sets, and high- What makes an attraction stand out and set a new bar tech gear. for audience engagement? What social trend(s) is the attraction tapping into? What drives repeat visitation? This was the point when one of Shawn’s observations This constant exposure to the latest trends – and about the emerging trends of audiences truly kicked in perhaps more important, what makes these trends so for me. Show sets may look neat, and projection may look relevant to audiences – has also helped change my way cool, but audiences need to feel they are part of the story. of thinking when working with my colleagues on new They must feel engaged. concepts.”

When we turned the show conditions on for the first time, But Shawn has not limited his journey to explorations in I witnessed a moment of storytelling wonder first-hand. the attractions, theme park, and museum industries. He The crew on the scaffolding stopped to drink in the explains that “the other thing that’s been fun throughout environment, now fully enriched with the lighting, audio, the last few years of analyzing trends is incorporating

93 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com IAAPA Expo Booth 1351

tools, technologies, and techniques from outside the themed entertainment industry. Throughout the last nine years, I’ve included case studies from Apple and Mike’s Car Wash, as well as immersive design applications in the military, health, and educational fields. Even within the greater visitor experience industry, there have been lessons Your one stop shop The new generation track & trace visitor photo & that museums can learn from theme parks, and vice from start... video experience. versa. I think the basic principles of creating personalized experiences transcend industry and scale, and we can all More appealing than single attractions + More value for money = benefit from each other’s knowledge.” Universal Studios’ Hogsmeade is a prime example of how MORE REVENUES & PUBLICITY a park can create a fully immersive and entertaining land “Design Trends” Takeaways based on a popular IP Photo courtesy of Univeral Orlando Resort. From all of this research, Shawn has sorted out the TapeMyDay, Automatically films, edits end distributes detritus and provided us with his wisdom and perspective, a personalised guest video gained through years of hands-on experience with a top to look for new and exciting ways to ‘blur the ...to finish covering the entire visit design firm working on some of the most innovative lines’ between fantasy and reality. This not only means projects in the world, and thought leadership born from creating new ways to create stunningly immersive many hours of observation, consideration and insight. He environments through scenic, media, VR and AR, but has given the framework or bones to which we can add the also stretching that immersion into new areas. For flesh most appropriate to our individual projects. Among example, the planned immersive hotel experience at SNOW & ICE AMUSEMENT PARKS them: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening at Disneyland and Powered by Walt Disney World in 2019 promises to take story, MIXED-USE DESTINATIONS 1) The story is king. The most effective presentations, audience participation and immersion to a whole new whether in theme park attractions, museum exhibits, level by extending the guest experience outside the INDOOR WINTER SPORTS or other venues, will tell a story powerfully, and that borders of the theme park proper. means every detail – scenic, queue, technology – is WWW.SNOW.BIZ WWW.TAPEMYDAY.COM [email protected] [email protected] an essential component of the story. Shawn explains 3) Immersion requires guest participation. that “today’s audiences are constantly being barraged Today’s attraction guests want to be in the story, not by messaging and content – from their phones, their just passive audience members. Shawn says that tablets, their computer and their televisions. So, you he’s learned that “audiences want to be engaged in a have to craft your story in a way that cuts through personal and emotional manner. They really want to Nieuwe Gracht 11,2011NB Haarlem Netherlands the clutter, by surprising them; by telling them great become fully immersed within the story that you are Tel. +31 (0)20 4714640 [email protected] stories.” telling,” says Shawn. But, “they are no longer content WWW.UNLIMITEDLEISURE.COM to just observe - they want to become a part of the 2) Immersion is mandatory. Shawn reminds us that story, have an effect on it. They want the experience to attraction design has a short time window in which change over time, or every time, so that it feels fresh The Second Gate of Amsterdam to capture and hold the attention of guests. One way on every visit. It’s a concept The Void (a production next to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, to address that is for attraction creators to “continue company of whole-body fully immersive VR planned Opening April 2023. The all in one complete Ticketing and Queuing experiences) refers to as ‘Hyper-reality – the next stage System, Solving the No. 1 customer complaint beyond VR’ – where guests navigate their way through A non-gated themed park for 4 million by providing a unique absolutely queue free the rooms of a VR attraction yet have to open doors (inter)national tourists featuring: theme park experience for all guests! and manipulate other features physically.” • 4.000 Hotel Rooms * Conference Center * Casino * Retail * F&B • 20 Top Destination Icon Attractions 4) Technology alone is not enough. Audiences have become more sophisticated and demanding of quality experiences. They are used to getting a wide variety of high-quality content, when they want it, where they want it, and how they want it. They are used to cool technology in their daily lives, so you can’t trick them with the latest gadget – at least not for very long.

The Chicago History Museum recently utilized crowd 5) Attractions are an antidote to digital isolation. sourcing to determine the focus of their next exhibit Will video games and artificial intelligence (AI) Photo courtesy of The Chicago History Museum technologies enjoyed in one’s living room replace

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94 WWW.HOLLANDWORLD.NL WWW.THEEXPERIENCETICKET.COM inparkmagazine.com [email protected] [email protected] IAAPA Expo Booth 1351

Your one stop shop The new generation track & trace visitor photo & from start... video experience.

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The Second Gate of Amsterdam next to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, planned Opening April 2023. The all in one complete Ticketing and Queuing System, Solving the No. 1 customer complaint A non-gated themed park for 4 million by providing a unique absolutely queue free (inter)national tourists featuring: theme park experience for all guests! • 4.000 Hotel Rooms * Conference Center * Casino * Retail * F&B • 20 Top Destination Icon Attractions

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WWW.HOLLANDWORLD.NL WWW.THEEXPERIENCETICKET.COM95 inparkmagazine.com [email protected] inparkmagazine.com [email protected] creating content?” He quotes Darren David, Founder and CEO of interactive media firm Stimulant, who said: “The best experiences aren’t those that create magic, but those that create magicians.” inTHEMED ENTERTAINMENT Shawn tells of the introduction of crowd sourcing as a means of providing better insights into what our audiences want. For example, Chicago History Museum recently organized a crowd-sourced competition where the public could suggest themes for the museum’s next exhibition. Rather than planning exhibits based on what museum personnel thought people should learn, they asked demographic groups such as youth and blue collar The new MISSION: Ferrari ride at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi workers what they wanted to explore. Such interactions will blend an intense coaster experience with theming with potential and existing audiences can, Shawn enthuses, and storytelling elements Photo courtesy of George Walker “beautifully symbolize how exhibits and programs can break down social barriers and even barriers within inWATER PARKS oneself.” trips to physical attractions like theme parks and museums? Shawn doesn’t think so. In one of his In his 2017 IAAPA presentation, Shawn told his audience, past presentations, he suggested that you need to “This is a very exciting time to be in the design business, “disconnect to reconnect,” referring to simpler, and I hope I can feature one of your creations in the “analog attractions that replace ‘digital isolation’ with future.” At this writing, we are approaching the time human interaction.” for Shawn’s 2018 “Design Trends” presentation, which reportedly will be his last for a few years. He has showered 6) Theme parks and museums are not the only us with ideas, illustrations, and case studies. Even better, place to look. There is a gap in the market for indoor he has provided sage analysis and insight. urban attractions that attract both tourists and locals over the long term. For example, shopping malls are So here’s a big shout out to Shawn McCoy, and also a inMUSEUMS looking for ways to retain their current audiences and warning to him: We will remember and employ your attract new audiences, so more and more operators are “keepers,” and we’ll be back with such great ideas that looking for that themed anchor attraction. you’ll have to return soon to present them. Thanks, Shawn. We’ll see you then! • • • 7) The leading trend: World building. According to Shawn, the practice of “world building” results in George Walker, Senior Art and “a themed land that immerses its guests through its Production Director, Universal Creative maniacal focus on ensuring that every aspect of the - Having recently joined Universal guest experience – from the coasters to the retail to the Creative, George is helping tackle the restrooms – is designed as an ‘in world’ component exciting new developments at Universal of a larger narrative, within which guests become an Studios Japan. He has also nearly active participant.” He cites The Wizarding World of concluded his service as Creative Director for Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, where he oversaw the creation of eight inAMUSEMENT PARKS Harry Potter [Universal] and Pandora - The World of new attractions as well as restaurants, gift shops, and area Avatar [Disney] as strong benchmarks. “Both lands development, with the park expansion’s final E-ticket certainly have a rich foundation of stories, characters attraction, MISSION: Ferrari, opening soon. Overlapping and environments from which to draw, but it is their this role, George also spent three years developing new commitment to keeping the guest within these worlds attraction concepts as Senior Vice President of Dynamic at all times that really sets them apart.” Attractions, where the company earned three consecutive Brass Ring Awards for Best New Attraction Concept, 8) Create magicians. Shawn McCoy has talked about including the ground-breaking “All-Terrain Dark Ride” the value of crowd sourcing. We now live, Shawn last November. Referring to himself as a “Story Builder,” posits, “in a world where we can collaborate with our George is passionate about the integration of themed design into the destination resort industry, where his presentations customers about what they want. We’ve seen how have earned him a nod as a topic expert. the public can select exhibition themes and specific content in museums. What about the public actually

96 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com inTHEMED ENTERTAINMENT

inWATER PARKS

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inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com A Desperado, with pirates Benoit Cornet’s ride from corporate finance to Alterface and interactivity by Joe Kleiman

lterface Projects is a pioneering leader in media- Abased, interactive attractions, with installations throughout the US, Europe, Middle East, and China. Company founder Benoit Cornet had previously applied his business and financial acumen to a number of other industries until a chance encounter brought him into attractions.

“I started with a conventional career,” he says. “I graduated from Ichec Brussels Management School in 1988 with a Master of Science in Business Engineering; I also earned a post-graduate degree in business-to-business marketing 10 years later as a refresher.” Immediately after graduating from Ichec, he joined Procter & Gamble as a financial analyst.” But he soon realized that “conventional” was not for him. “I was part of a bigger jigsaw puzzle, and sought a more creative challenge.”

Benoit joined the European arm of Scitex, an Israeli printer company. Over time, he had the freedom to shape aspects of his position, becoming Sales Manager for After Sales Service. He could exercise creativity and become a productive interface. “Because I was in the after sales side, I saw where our technology and product could and should Benoit Cornet be improved to better serve the customers’ needs, and I brought that information to my employers.” magic mirror. “I had seen ‘The Matrix’ and I saw potential in this,” he says. The first “Matrix” movie was released Benoit moved on from Scitex when the opportunity arose in 1999, and life imitated art: “I helped transition this to co-found a tech startup, Paspartoo, with a colleague. from a research into a commercial product.” In 2001, “We embraced using the power of the Internet for printer Alterface was born. He created business models and technology. In 2000, we introduced a system to print over presented the concept to potential investors, which led the Internet. It was unique, but it was ready long before to a number of installations using the technology in the the infrastructure was.” The ambitious Paspartoo was form of an interactive game that uses a visual image of unfortunately ahead of its time, and paid the price. The the player on screen during play – an pioneering example company began running out of cash. It was time to move of gamification. “One of the very first of these exhibits is on again. still operating in Brussels, in Mini Europe,” reports Benoit. “I spent 5-6 years on that and brought in a few customers, The road to Desperado but determined it was too complicated, ultimately, to make Benoit set out to find a new position with the kind of a business out of. That’s when I transitioned to interactive interesting, creative and trans-cultural challenges that theaters.” motivated him. “All of my work since Scitex has had a trans-cultural dimension,” he says. “This is what I like so Alterface’s first interactive theater was the Desperado much at Alterface today.” theater, which opened in 2006 at a 56-seat installation at BobbejaanLand in Belgium and at a 36-seat installation at It was the post-Paspartoo exploration that set Benoit on Fraispertuis City, France. In the attraction, guests would a path to working in the attractions industry. By chance, sit on saddles while a 2D film played an engaging and he encountered two students working on an EU-financed funny Western story and visitors shot pistols at the screen university project, creating an augmented reality-type as if in a shooting gallery. Desperado would prove to be

98 inparkmagazine.com Maus au Chocolat at Phantasialand in Bruhl, Germany Photo courtesy of Alterface

a flagship, one of Alterface’s most enduring attractions. Over the years, Alterface grew to a staff of 30, but is now Benoit points out, “We have always marketed them as subcontracting what Benoit calls “the exoskeleton” of Interactive Theaters, yet people have been referring to the business. The company’s offices are now home to the them as ‘desperados,’ sometimes resulting in requests such animation computers and a small shop for the integration as, ‘I want a desperado with a Pirate Theme.’” of components, but it is the company’s partners who are bringing their tools and expertise to many key areas. This first attraction by the company was made through trial and error. “We pitched the idea to the customer NOMAD and Erratic without ultimately knowing what the end result would Throughout his career, Benoit has sought out the most be.” But Benoit’s vision was borne out in the Desperado. unique and promising technologies. The company’s newest He had found the direction he sought, and his customers products, NOMAD and Erratic, like Desperado before wanted it, too. it, are designed to be game changers in the world of interactive attractions. NOMAD is the fourth generation Throughout the years, Alterface has conducted extensive of the company’s interactive software, which began internal testing on potential projects, giving them an with tethered guns on Desperado and then moved on idea of what people enjoy and what doesn’t work. The to wireless weapons and tools for dark rides. NOMAD company also extensively analyzes the sense of humor in is completely wireless and self-powered and can be a market. After all, what works in Europe may not carry configured in a variety of shapes and sizes. It allows guests over well in Asia, and vice versa. to interact with screens, animatronic characters, or scenery on dark rides or even coasters. NOMAD uses a unique Once an attraction opens, engineers typically stay on ID system, relating specifically to its user. Benoit says, location for one to two weeks for fine tuning, as do “The possibilities are endless. You can impact a particular lighting and sound designers. Sometimes, minor changes scenario or even an entire attraction.” are needed, as with Maus au Chocolat at Germany’s Phantasialand. “We discovered a couple of weeks later that While NOMAD creates an interaction with the it would be better to add something engaging between the environment, Erratic enhances the experience from the show scenes. Our show control system allowed for a quick ride system point of view. Developed in conjunction with adjustment to the ride.” Alterface collaborator ETF, the ride system now becomes

99 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com an interactive element of the ride itself, with guests having in Belgium, the company has offices in the United States the ability to alter the trajectory based on their input. and Taiwan, with a fourth office in Beijing. China is an Erratic and NOMAD can be integrated individually into important growth market for the attractions industry an attraction or can be used together to create a one-of-a- and Benoit visits the country an entire week out of kind interactive ride experience. every month. “It’s very important that our attractions are culturally relevant in China,” he says. “That’s why we’re New company divisions, and international offices totally embracing the Chinese culture and the Chinese way Since its founding in 2001, Alterface has seen increasing of having fun.” demand for interactive theaters and dark rides worldwide. The company delivers both off-the-shelf and custom Benoit Cornet, who once saw the future in printing over products. the Internet, looks ahead at what the future has in store for the interactive attractions industry. “Interactivity will “More and more, we are seeing a trend for higher quality go out of building and will expand throughout the park. dark rides in the larger parks,” says Benoit. “To meet this Gamification will be the name of the game. Right now, demand, we’re introducing two new divisions. Alterface there are only a few large players in the industry, but Technologies will offer services for dark rides developed people will want an experience making sense that may by others [such as the Justice League: Battle for Metropolis change from one visit to another instead of just a group attractions at the Six Flags parks], while Alterface Creative of attractions. Because of this, entertainment will go will help customers develop their own original concepts. to shopping malls. This is already very strong in China, This is great for smaller regional parks.” because space is scarce. We’ll end up reverting to a more playful experience.” • • • To meet increased demand, Alterface has also brought in a new team of localized designers to come up with new track layouts and IP. In addition to its headquarters

The Basilisk ride at Poland’s Legendia park combines interactive gameplay with a richly themed dark ride Photo courtesy of Alterface

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USA - Germany - Finland - UK - Japan - Italy - China - UAE inparkmagazine.com w w w . w a r t s i l a . c o m / f u n a Cut the ribbon! Lexington, a Nassal company, employs its design-build process to bring Idaho’s past into the future By Joe Kleiman anet Gallimore, Executive Director of the Idaho State particular markets. Additionally, they commissioned Lord JHistorical Society, is very quick to point out, “The Cultural Services to conduct an evaluation for redoing the people of Idaho cherish our history. We became a territory Idaho State Museum. in 1863. In 1881, nine years before we became a state, the people of Idaho founded a historical society. That’s pretty Lexington, a Nassal Company, oversaw the design and forward thinking when you consider that Idaho would construction of the new exhibits that would bring the have been a lot of desert and not a lot of people back Idaho State Museum into the 21st century. Fabrication then.” was done in Lexington’s 52,000-square-foot shop in Los Angeles. Some of Lexington’s more recent museum credits In 1907, the historical society became a state agency, are “Science Storms” at MSI Chicago, and “Dinosaur what Gallimore calls “the steward of state history.” Hall” and “Nature Lab,” both at the Los Angeles County The Idaho State Museum, operated by the Idaho State Museum of Natural History. These projects have been Historical Society, was designed in the style of the Civilian recognized with awards from SEGD, ASTC, and the TEA. Conservation Corps of the 1930s and opened in the 1950s, with a small expansion in the 1980s. The museum Up, down, North, South featured traditional exhibits, which worked well for With an official public opening date of October 12, decades past, but with today’s visitors being more media- 2018, the refresh of the Idaho State Museum includes a and interactive-savvy, museum management realized it was redesigned entrance experience. Its exhibition space has time for a change. expanded from 10,000 to 15,000 square feet, and its new exhibits are media-rich, with 46 media-based experiences Gallimore and her team explored history museums of the throughout the museum. Northwest, primarily the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle and History Colorado in Denver. They examined Upon entering, visitors will find a large, interactive experience design, visitor services, rentals, and educational touchtable in the lobby, in the shape of the state. Visitors content and components, and what worked well in those proceed through the museum’s original 1950s Art Deco facade and head to either the upper or lower galleries. The Origins gallery at the Idaho State Museum From the Origins gallery, which showcases tales of Idaho’s All images courtesy of The Companies of Nassal Native Americans and indigenous wildlife and geology, they can journey with Lewis & Clark to the upper galleries, which showcase the three distinct regions of Idaho – the North, with its forests and lakes; Central Idaho, with its mountains and rivers; and the South, with its deserts and canyons. Each of these zones features multiple interactive media stations and scenery comprised of stylized geometric representations of natural elements, such as rocks and trees.

One of the highlights of this area is a media presentation on the 1910 Big Burn, one of the biggest wildfires in US history, destroying more than three million acres. This area also houses several media-based attractions that the museum calls “virtual adventures.” In one, visitors sit in a chairlift, and on a multimedia screen unfolds the story of how Sun Valley became a hub for women’s competitive skiers and Olympic champions. A mural of Mt. Baldy behind the lift adds to the ambiance. In another experience, visitors pedal a bicycle as a screen in front of

102 inparkmagazine.com integrate multiple disciplines on the front end,” she says. “It was very effective from a cost control standpoint and added a richness to the project.”

“The key to this project is that Lexington was the client’s contractor on this, working closely with the client,” says Shearin. “We built the team and were able to keep cost drivers open to the client. We’re proud that we delivered on our promise made to the client early in the design phases, meeting and exceeding expectations.”

As the project lead, Lexington brought together a number of leading design firms and subcontractors to work on exhibit design, installation, and media integration. Exhibit design was provided by Santa Fe-based Andy Merriell & Associates, whose innovative work includes “The Daily Planet” at the Museum of Natural Design for the Southern Idaho exhibit created by Lexington Sciences and History Colorado’s “Time Machines,” both media-intensive exhibitions.

them matches their speed for a ride through downtown Merriell created a series of digital fly-throughs of the Boise or historic Pocatello. museum to pre-visualize what exhibits would look like at different price points. It was part of the cost control On the bottom floor is Boomtown, a children’s museum practices inherent in the design-build methodology. within the history museum. Boomtown caters to the age- seven-and-younger crowd and features colors and shapes The new exhibits underwent a 2-½ year design period, appealing to children. It is a play-oriented area designed during which master planning, conceptual design, and the to enhance tactile development, where children take on creation of schematics were undertaken. Once they had professions and trades found in the early days of the state. concluded the design phase, Lexington entered the next Also on the first floor is History Lab, where guests can phase - construction. participate in guided activities, such as designing a house or charting Lewis and Clark’s journey on a map. Michael In January 2017, about 70% of the way through the Shearin, Lexington’s Design Director, describes History process, during design development, came a new Lab as being very much a uniform style evocative of a lab challenge. Lexington was acquired by The Nassal or classroom, while other exhibits are much more stylized. Company, a leading fabrication and production company The freedom to move about between galleries allows for the attractions industry, headquartered in Orlando. visitors to choose their own paths. Michael Shearin points This naturally raised some concerns at the Historical out, “In terms of creating a nonlinear pathway, it’s the way Society, as to how a new owner of its project lead might museums have been doing it for the past decade: giving affect the project itself. Nassal management took steps visitors choices rather than the old museum ‘death march.’ to assuage those concerns and maintain the project It’s very appropriate - because history is not linear, and by and the relationship. They assured the museum Board doing this we can tell one of the museum’s big stories - that they had every intention to see the project through interconnectedness.” to completion with the same high level of quality and service. Gallimore says of the new partnership, “From Lexington and design-build the start, they have been transparent, fast, and extremely Design-build is not the typical approach taken by state-run responsive.” organizations. The traditional build-construct method is more likely to be adopted by museums and government A multi-party collaboration institutions. But throughout this process, Lexington’s Throughout the process, Shearin and his team worked collaborative role with the Historical Society was that of closely with Merriell, providing technical expertise about collaborative partner, rather than vendor. fabrication methodology and material selections so the designer could concentrate on overall look and form, Gallimore spoke of the benefits of taking this approach. how visitors would interact with a display, and the content “The design-build process allowed the team to successfully delivery system. This kind of close collaboration, with

103 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com some decisions being made in the field during production, Knowing that guests would touch the exhibits, materials is characteristic of the design-build process. were chosen that would reduce wear and tear over time. For long-term maintenance, many of the finishes are When the project switched from the design phase to single color, allowing the museum’s maintenance team to construction, Lexington created material samples to show easily maintain the look of the exhibits. the client and Merriell. According to Shearin, “The budget influenced our methodology. First, we had to have a sense When Lexington became part of the Nassal family, so of how things work, aligning the design with the budget, did its facilities, skilled artisans, and reputation for quality. which created the overall look for the final product. We With the backing of Nassal, Lexington was able to built mockups of the exhibit cases so the client could see successfully complete its extensive update of the Idaho how it would look, what the access was for curators, what State Museum within budget and on time. tools were required to enter the case.” Among those excited by the new design of the museum The exhibits were given a unique look – geometric is Idaho Governor Butch Otter. “I am big believer in the faceted rock formations that were all constructed out expression: ‘you can’t know where you are going, until you of fire-rated MDF and plywood with a scenic paint take a good look back at where you have been.’ Our newly finish - what Shearin calls “highly stylized, contemporary renovated and expanded historical museum will help give work.” A mockup was created of a stylized, geometric visitors that vital context in a bold new way. It will provide wall upon which images are displayed, so that media a dynamic link from the past to the exciting promise that producer Richard Lewis Media Group and AV integrator is Idaho’s future. As the fastest growing state in the nation, Electrosonic could test the video projection. it will help us tell the story of Idaho to a brand-new generation of citizens and tourists alike. The interactive In addition to designing and building all the static exhibits displays will enhance the visitor experience, provide throughout the museum, Lexington fabricated a half- teachers and students with a vibrant new educational dozen mechanical interactive elements throughout the resource, and help our state expand tourism. The First museum, several tied in with media. Lady and I can’t wait to cut the ribbon!” • • • semn x PLAY YOUR WAY

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by Jessica Mahoney, ADG

oday, the waterpark industry has new, exciting and provides a platform for guests to learn the basics, then Tinnovative alternatives to the waterslide to help return time and again to hone their skills and compete, bring guests in and keep them coming back. Advances in building park loyalty and repeat visitation. sheet wave technology, wave pool geometry, propulsion technology and other areas have enabled our team at ADG and FlowRider recently introduced a new option, Aquatic Development Group to introduce new options the LatiTube™, that provides a gentler, easier platform for for re-energizing standard offerings such as wave pools first-time wanna-be surfers, and non-surfers – including and lazy rivers, and creating new, wave-based attractions absolute beginners as well as those who simply want the that help get more people - of all ages and skill levels - off thrills without having to develop the skills. the lines and into the water. The LatiTube™ allows for the wave angle and speed to be This evolution has the potential to provide operators with manually controlled and fine-tuned in order to match the significantly increased rider throughput and capacity in rider’s skill. With minimal instruction, guests of all ages similar footprints to slide complexes. These new types of can start anywhere from a lying-down to standing position rides represent the kind of investment that can increase on a low, gentle wave that gradually increases in size length of stay and per cap spending, by helping to make a and shape until the rider is fully ensconced in a “tube,” waterpark into more of a full-on leisure destination. allowing them to experience the thrill of ocean surfing whatever their actual level of surfing ability. “No ocean required” surfing for everyone Over the past decade, sheet wave technology has been Boogie Boarding rides enthusiastically adopted within the waterpark industry. ADG created and recently introduced another twist in This technology offers a thrilling, real-world surfing the surfing arena - a Boogie Boarding surf ride, dubbed experience that can be provided to guests anywhere in Breaker Beach®. With large, repeatable, precisely timed, the world, allowing riders to enjoy the challenge of body breaking waves this attraction allows guests to launch and boarding and surfing with no ocean required! A skill- ride a boogie board the entire length of the pool, similar based, surf rider attraction such as ADG’s FlowRider® to the experience of catching waves out in the ocean and

ADG’s TwinTides pool at the H2OBX waterpark provides two entry points into the wave pool for increased capacity Photo courtesy ADG

106 inparkmagazine.com riding them in to shore. This is a skill-based attraction that supplies a different experience each time the guest rides it. Guests can ride repeatedly to perfect their skills. The industry saw the first of this type of ride installed at Water World just outside of Denver, CO in 2016. Water World adopted the ride as an opportunity to differentiate their waterpark from the competition, and, at the same time, revitalize an existing, traditional wave pool that was being under-utilized.

“Having a boogie boarding beach in a land-locked state has brought a unique experience to our guests, and they are loving it!” says Joann Cortez, Cowabunga Beach’s ADG’s Tidal River takes the “lazy” out of lazy rivers Photo courtesy ADG Communications Director.

A unique, peninsula-style dispatching port means multiple Lazy river, meet action river riders can launch at the same time, doubling throughput With the latest wave and propulsion technology, the lazy and lessening time spent on-line. The timing and pacing of river is lazy no more. With increased speed, exciting wave the waves allows for multiple people to be in the water at action, waterfalls, creative theming and grottos, action the same time, making this a sharable ride experience with rivers are taking center stage and transforming the typical increased overall capacity. The surrounding deck space, a river ride experience into a fast, fun and thrilling attraction suitable compliment to this type of pool-based water ride, that will motivate guests to ride again. easily expands overall park capacity, generating incidental revenue from cabana sales and food-and-beverage (F&B). Adding to the uniqueness and fun of the river itself we are starting to see more and more uniquely designed ports of Breaking waves entry and exit – features that utilize a river’s wave action Recent advancements in wave pool geometry and wave to create a wave pool, virtually eliminating the need for technology have led to ground-breaking twists on the any lines. ADG’s Tidal River® ride is one such example shape, size and usage of the traditional wave pool. ADG’s of innovative wave geometry that utilizes one system to new Dual Beach/Dual Entry Wave Pools are as unique create two experiences within the same attraction. in appearance as they are to experience. The shallower design and customized wave flow pattern allow guests of The first Tidal River ride by ADG debuted recently as part all ages to use the entire pool, traversing one end to the of a summer “sneak peek” day for friends and family, this other. This effectively doubles the capacity over that of past season at Canobie Lake Park (NH). The focal point a traditional wave pool, with no “dead space,” resulting of their new waterpark expansion, the Tidal River was in twice the usable area. And with the capability to be a tremendous success, creating not only an exciting ride designed into a smaller footprint, this attraction is a good option, but an entire destination setting. option for parks where space is at a premium. “Canobie Lake Park’s Tidal River has been a passion “Guest response to our Twin Tides® wave pool is project for our staff,” said Chris Nicoli, Brand Manager of astronomical,” says David Allacher, Aquatic Supervisor Canobie Lake Park. “ADG’s vision of how the Tidal River for Splash Cove in Shawnee, KS who built the first Twin ride and Castaway Island expansion would come together Tides wave pool in North America designed by ADG. was second to none. We couldn’t be happier with our new “They love this wave pool! They walk in, see the waves ride and can’t wait for our guests to experience it.” rolling and they are ready to go!” Toddler sized waves take center stage A second Twin Tides® wave pool opened in summer 2017 Even the youngest guests can now enjoy their own, at the new H2OBX waterpark in the Outer Banks region wave-powered water ride. Mini wave pools, specifically of North Carolina. “We chose this wave pool because designed for toddlers and the younger crowd, provide a of its uniqueness and marketability, as well as its ability fun yet gentle wave experience for the next generation to deliver us much more capacity in less space than the of waterpark guests. Incorporating wave action alongside traditional wave pool,” says Ken Ellis, Developer and Co- the traditional spray-and-play components and creative Owner of H2OBX. Additional Twin Tides pools are also theming, these mini wave attractions are designed in the works for 2019 and 2020 openings. specifically with the youngest guests in mind.

107 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Not to be forgotten, however, are the accompanying for optimal guest experience beyond the borders of the adults. ADG’s Mini Harbour® takes things a step forward ride. When packaged together these integrated attractions with extras such as side walls with built-in seating areas can generate strong market appeal and set a park apart that extend throughout the length of the attraction. This from its competition. provides an easy and comfortable setting for being near the children at multiple points thoughout the attraction, As we examine this new trend in wave-based water ride encouraging families to stay and play longer, with great attractions, one critical component that they all have in potential to enhance the overall experience and time common comes to the forefront. Each of these water spent on premises. Current examples of this ride - with rides can be enhanced to stand as a cohesive destination each installation featuring its own unique twist to fit in its own right. By integrating and building out the ride the operator’s specific needs - can be found at H2OBX with features such as ample deck space, shade areas, Waterpark, Water World, and Holiday World. landscaping and rental cabanas, the park encourages guests to spend more time on the property, with greater per-cap Evolving beyond slides, rides and lines to destinations spend. As parks look to the future, the question they must continually ask and answer is, “What type of attraction This kind of integrated development approach means that will generate crowd appeal and continue to bring in a new new water rides become home-base destination areas for generation of guests to my park?” families to comfortably spend their day at the park. And while slides are an essential component of any waterpark We believe the answer has gone far beyond dropping in – their thrill factor cannot be denied – wave-based rides a traditional slide complex. Park owners must address create the perfect complement and offer virtually no the growing desire of consumers who place a priority on wait, so guests enjoy more time in the water or relaxing the overall park experience alongside the latest thrill ride. nearby with food and drinks, rather than standing in a line. Water attractions in the future will need to effectively offer The park does much more than purchase another ride, a solution to both of these concerns, providing not only but rather invests in a family-friendly oasis and themed the thrill factor while in the water, but creating a setting experience. • • • YOU’VE ALREADY GOT A SLIDE.

YOUR GUESTS WANT THE NEXT BIG THING. HAVE YOU LOOKED INTO ALL YOUR OPTIONS? When it comes to researching your next water ride attraction, make sure ADG is on your list. adgwaterrides.com Theming beyond the theme park Jumana Brodersen and JCO - 10 years of creating immersive environments Interview by Joe Kleiman

n 2008, Jumana Brodersen established her own, Another great project JCO worked on was Wild Wadi Iindependent design firm, JCO, LLC, after a decade as a waterpark in Dubai. We were contracted by the client creative executive with Busch Entertainment Corporation for a development plan. We assessed the park capacities (BEC, now SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment). JCO, and throughput. We conducted SWOT analysis and we based in St. Louis, MO, specializes in master planning and developed future attraction concepts [SWOT = strengths, attraction design for zoos, community and commercial weaknesses, opportunities, threats]. The ideas included enterprises and theme parks, and over the course of 10 major attraction ideas and general park enhancements. years in business has built a diverse, international portfolio. To celebrate JCO’s 10th anniversary, we asked Jumana 10 What other types of projects are you working on? questions about experience, achievements and insights gained since launching her own firm. JCO is engaged on several projects in China for Wanda Group: a waterpark and two marine mammal parks. We How did you get started in themed entertainment also do work with real estate developers, including Koch design? Development, the group that owns the Skywheel in Myrtle Beach. For Koch we develop a number of master plans. After a decade of designing conventional architecture, my experience in themed entertainment design started We’ve designed an observation wheel for them that at PGAV in 1989. At PGAV, I mostly worked on opened this year in Panama City Beach, FL – the Pier Park Busch Entertainment Corporation projects, as well SkyWheel. For clients in Myrtle Beach, SC, we have done as on PortAventura (Spain). In 1998, I joined Busch Entertainment, which was based in St. Louis at the time.

You’re known for your work on zoos and theme parks, but you also have designed some leading waterparks. How did you enter this field?

When I was with BEC, I was part of the team that worked on Aquatica Orlando, which opened in 2008. This property was unique, much different from the SeaWorld parks, which are about animal experiences, and from Discovery Cove, which is an upscale, intimate park. My role was to determine the criteria and character for the park.

We worked with the operations teams from all the BEC parks. It was an amazing learning experience. Creating the core product of a successful waterpark was just part of the formula; understanding the mindset of waterpark- goers was key to creating Aquatica. Guest comfort was crucial; so was ensuring that there was ample water surface area. Aquatica has a great mix of lazy rivers, wave pools and children’s activity pools – plus, of course, the water slides provide the “sizzle.” The SkyWheel at Panama City Beach

110 inparkmagazine.com JCO’s designs for the NAVYSEUM Exploration Center

master planning and design for a few buildings on Ocean audience and really immersing ourselves in their market, so Blvd, and Broadway at the Beach. These projects fit with we can set the guest experience accordingly. our core strengths. Our style tends to be more based in reality, more naturalistic. We enjoy waterfront tourist type What have you observed over the years with regard to projects. They are nature-based, thematic environments how the industry approaches design? that blend themed entertainment with beachside resorts and tourist destinations. There is a perception that if people have cool machines and software, they’re suddenly cool designers. Part of Tell us about working in the Midwest. this problem stems from there being an abundance of tools available, but design is much more than the tools of I live in St. Louis and my local clients include the St. Louis the trade, and it also goes beyond design skills per se. It Zoo, where I have done some projects that I’m very proud involves understanding demographics, psychology, and the of [see “Designing for bears, dogs, lemurs, humans and clients’ needs. We are in the service business. We create other living things,” InPark issue #54] and the Missouri innovative ideas and sound design vs a tangible product. Botanical Garden. We’re also currently working with a That’s the soul of the guest experience. couple of clients in Branson, MO and with Holiday World in Indiana. Tell us more about the criteria you consider when designing a park or attraction. I love working in this region, where I’m easily accessible to the clients and the projects. But we also do other Who are we designing for? Who will be the ultimate user work throughout the US and internationally, such as of the space? What’s their background and what will they our three large-scale projects in China, all now in design be looking for? What’s nearby; will it compete with, or development phase. augment the places we are designing? Once we answer these questions, we have the criteria established. That’s Tell us some lessons you’ve learned from running before pen hits paper. We then begin to create the big idea: your own firm. a master plan and thematic setting.

I’ve learned that it’s not just listening to what clients are What’s your relationship like with your clients? asking for but hearing what they need. That comes from learning about them, understanding the bigger picture Our goal is to make the client’s vision a reality. I’m not behind their goals, getting a finger on the pulse of their designing for myself. I always understand that I’m in the

111 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Tell us about some of your strategic partners.

I’ve learned from the owner’s side, especially Busch, the importance of marketing involvement, very early on in the project. One of JCO’s partners is Authentus Group, brand strategists that we work with during concept design phase of projects.

Another key group that we work with on zoological type projects are experts in animal behavior: Thad Lacinak and Angie Milwood of Precision Behavior bring experience from working with SeaWorld and Busch Gardens.

Tell us about some accomplishments that you’re especially proud of.

All of our projects respect the theme and the brand of where they’re going. That’s especially important when you’re putting IP [intellectual property] in a park. I learned this with Busch when we put Sesame Street into SeaWorld. It had to highlight the Sesame brand without The climbing structures and ziplines play area at overpowering SeaWorld and Busch Gardens brands. Busch Gardens Tampa’s Jungala were inspired by the Orangutans’ play habits and behavior My first project after I left Busch was the Klump Island © 2018 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. children’s area at Tivoli, which is based on a classic Danish comic strip. I made sure that it was true to the comic, but client’s sandbox, and we must respect the client’s time and it also had to feel like it was organically part of Tivoli. vision and everything they bring to the project. It is crucial to understand the clients’ expectations, and their definition Another one of the projects from SeaWorld days was the of success. This our aim for each project. Manta roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando. After riding Tatsu, the flying coaster at Magic Mountain, I felt a flying It’s key to dream big at the beginning, but just as coaster for SeaWorld would be a better fit than a hyper important is understanding how to dial back without coaster (which was also being considered as an option losing the original intent; how to maintain the essence of at that time). Riding a flying coaster felt unique to me the design. Two primary things clients like about JCO are: because the hardware mechanism is all behind you while 1) We listen to what they want; 2) Our design solutions riding. It truly simulates a flying experience. Another major include a designer’s as well as an operator’s point of view, reason for this being a favorite was because we were able as I and a number of my team members have experience to build it out as a realm of its own with aquariums and from both sides. Having extensive experience on the other elements that provided a quality themed experience owner/operator’s side as well as the creative side gives us and reinforced the park brand. perspective and understanding of marketing an attraction as well as creating a product that is achievable within the We were working with the animal folks on the project project budget and that can be maintained. and one of the curators suggested that the vehicle looked like a flying ray, and we had our name. This was a true What staff do you have working on projects? collaboration among the design team, animal care and the park’s operations team. JCO draws on a pool of trusted, freelance consultants, all project based and most of whom I’ve been collaborating Jungala at Busch Gardens Tampa was another project that with for years. This works very well for me. I have a full I am proud of. Jungala was a mix of multiple attractions portfolio of consultants. They include artists, graphic in one. It tied together the tigers and the orangutans designers, industrial designers, planners and architects. with rides, a three-story play area, and food and retail. I can put together a well-rounded mix of talent tailored All in one cool immersive environment. It was not the to a particular contract. I also have people that help with blockbuster attraction that would pull people into Busch detailed design drawings and CAD. Gardens like a new coaster, but it raised the bar overall for

112 inparkmagazine.com the entire park, and provides an engaging and fun guest experience.

Bonus question: What are some dream projects you hope to do over the next 10 years with JCO?

I hope that NAVYSEUM Exploration Center will gain enough momentum and financial backing to move forward. This all-family attraction based on the essence of the U.S. Navy was the brainchild of Founder’s Ron Lanz. JCO did all the planning, creative, scope definition and developed full content of the concept package including renderings. The project site is north of Chicago. I think that this project will be a great attraction and will provide a truly engaging and fun guest experience. • • •

For more information about JCO, or to set up a meeting with Jumana Brodersen during the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, email [email protected].

Manta: The Manta roller coaster conveys the feeling of flying with all hardware out of sight behind the guest © 2018 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.

inparkmagazine.com Miziker’s momentum Miziker Entertainment celebrates 35 years of showmanship By Freddy Martin

hemed entertainment design and production firm TMiziker Entertainment is celebrating 35 years in business, producing a vast body of memorable guest experiences for theme parks worldwide. Based in Los Angeles and with a global clientele, the company was founded in 1984 by Ron Miziker, co-creator of Disneyland’s fabled Main Street Electrical Parade, after a 16-year tenure at Disney (see sidebar). Ron “retired” in 2015 and today, the group continues to lead industry innovation in live shows, spectaculars, parades and media- based attractions under the leadership of Ryan Miziker Ryan Miziker Charlotte Huggins (CEO & Creative Director) and Charlotte Huggins (President and Producer). “Rhythms of Rio Parade” for Genting Malaysia and Fox, and “Chimelong Scare-adise” at and In the three years since Ryan and Charlotte stepped into Chimelong Waterpark (Guangzhou, China). The Miziker their leadership roles, the company has produced several team also produced the 24th Annual TEA Thea Awards high-impact shows and attractions, including the Journey gala in Anaheim (2018), where their project, Journey of Lights Parade at (, of Lights was one of the award recipients. In addition China), “House of Magic” at Studio City Macau, the to these projects, Miziker’s innovative design team has been called on to help create parkwide entertainment and recommend the necessary infrastructure to support the spectaculars and parades for which the company is renowned.

In short, the company is moving forward in ways that continue the Miziker legacy while setting new directions that reflect the strengths of its leadership and the evolution of the industry. “It’s an honor for Charlotte and me to continue Ron’s legacy of showmanship and innovation in live entertainment, parades and spectaculars and carry it into the future,” said Ryan. Ryan believes the success of Miziker Entertainment is built upon an unrelenting commitment to the creation of special, memorable moments. “That’s the value theme parks and special venues around the world recognized in Ron when he started this company,” said Ryan. “And that’s the starting point for what Miziker does today. We’re here to create those transcendent, Engineered for fun: Miziker-designed and fabricated kinetic magical moments that people can only figures for Princess Cruises Rhythm of the Caribbean Festival seen experience in a location based entertainment on Caribbean Princess All images courtesy of Miziker Entertainment. setting.”

114 inparkmagazine.com Echoing the sentiment, Charlotte said, “We create stories. ever permanent architectural projection mapping show in We create emotion. More than lights, music, media and the U.S.; a mascot character head with facial movements technology, we create opportunities for memories that in “An American Tale Live” (1990) at Universal Studios people cherish for a lifetime.” Hollywood; skydivers forming Olympic rings in the sky at the Summer Olympics in Seoul (1988); and a live, two- Then there’s the vital ingredient of showmanship. way satellite television transmission between the U.S. and “The thing that sets us apart is the long tradition then-U.S.S.R. at the Us Festival (1982). Many Super Bowl of showmanship that began with Ron. We bring Half-Time Spectaculars produced by Miziker incorporated showmanship to every one of our projects every day,” innovations that are now familiar, including stadium-wide Ryan stated. “That’s the goal.” audience card stunts, lighting effects in totally blacked-out stadiums, and animation alongside live-action performers. Miziker milestones During the last 35 busy years, Miziker Entertainment More recently, the Miziker team devised, designed and has produced more than 500 projects for more than 200 completed what they describe as the first-ever “Nighttime clients in television, theater, live productions, parades, and Parade Wide Event” in which every one of the 1-million- theme park attractions in 25 countries around the world, plus, color-changing LED lights on every float, cart, garnering multiple Thea Awards among other honors. kinetic figure, and costume in the Journey of Lights Parade at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom sparkles in sync to A number of Miziker milestones used technology, design the lively parade-wide sound track, creating the kind of and effects in ways that are industry-standard today. The magical moment that is a company signature. company’s pioneering achievements include “Lights of Liberty” (2000) in Philadelphia, PA, said to be the first-

Ron Miziker’s legacy

Ron began his career Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements (2015) as in television, producing well as five Thea-honored projects. Ron authored commercials, variety shows “Miziker’s Complete Event Planner’s Handbook,” and live, televised events. (2015) a compendium of resources for special events He was hired in 1969 by large and small, putting his lifetime of production then Disney president experience into the hands of event planners Card Walker, and soon everywhere. joined Disney creative director Robert Jani’s Ron draws great contentment from creating happy team to produce televised memories for guests. “It’s fun to watch the family spectaculars, including the interactions,” said Ron. “You see the parents and the opening of Walt Disney kids, and they’ve all got on a hat of some sort and an World in October 1971. Perhaps his most beloved ice cream or popcorn–and smiles! It’s very satisfying achievement was co-creating Disneyland’s Main to work in an industry where that’s the desired result. Street Electrical Parade, the nighttime spectacular Smiles! That’s the product. That’s what we’re working that brightened hearts for generations of guests for.” worldwide. Although he has stepped away from day-to-day studio Ron’s experience made him a sought-after producer operations, Ron is still excited to take part in the of live and televised entertainment events, leading development of certain projects and works closely him to form Miziker Entertainment in 1984 to with Ryan and Charlotte as needed. “I hope I’m meet the growing demand. His company produced remembered as a showman,” said Ron. “We’ve said in hundreds of acclaimed themed entertainment some of our marketing that we’re in the business of projects, parades, and shows for audiences worldwide. fun. And the more fun I can create for you, the more He is the recipient of multiple industry awards fun I have for myself, and the more successful our including the TEA’s Buzz Price Thea Award for a company becomes.” •

115 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Theme park kid becomes industry leader Due to Ron’s position at Disney, Ryan Miziker grew up a “theme park kid,” spending much of his childhood backstage at Disneyland witnessing theme park operations at work, attraction design and development, and costumed characters relaxing on break.

“Early on I got to see and hear what went on behind the scenes, all the components of attraction creation and production. I really had an appreciation for the work that went into it and how important the guest experience was to every aspect of the process. To me that was just as interesting as seeing the final result,” said Ryan.

He studied geography at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to his love for maps and topography, Ryan was fascinated by “cultural geography” – the festivals, food, art, environment, and products that make places unique. “Although it’s not an obvious course of Ron & Ryan work together in 2002 directing the first-ever study for a career in the arts and entertainment,” said digital puppet performance at Henson Creature Shop Ryan, “geography is important to me and informs the work I do here in Los Angeles and around the world.” always belonged. “The big draw of creating shows and After some time working in what he called “the normal entertainment for theme parks was always part of me,” he world,” Ryan’s love of the creative process eventually said. “The fact that our industry has become even more drew him to the family business where he felt he had global and inclusive of stories and visuals from cultures around the world makes it even more exciting for me.”

inparkmagazine.com Miziker 2.0 Ryan Miziker and Charlotte Huggins first met while working together on “Power of Nature,” a ride film project for Wanda Wuhan Movie Theme Park. Charlotte’s experience as a feature film and special format producer spans multiple formats, from television, documentary, animation, commercials, IMAX and feature films. Her features work includes the blockbuster, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” starring Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson, and its sequel, “Journey to the Mysterious Island,” starring Hutcherson and Dwayne Johnson, for New Line/ Warner Bros. Hula dancers perform every night at Chimelong’s Ocean Kingdom in illuminated costumes Charlotte’s specialty cinema designed by Miziker Entertainment as part of their Journey of Lights nighttime parade experience includes producing giant screen and attraction films with such companies as Culture of respect Boss Film Studios, Sony Pictures Imageworks, nWave From this new beginning, Ryan and Charlotte wanted Pictures, and Rhythm and Hues. Charlotte was a pioneer in Miziker’s corporate culture to be unique and dynamic. stereoscopic 3D media for specialty formats, including the “Early on, Ryan and I talked about the fact that Miziker 4D attraction “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” (Disney is a company of artists. We decided that our best chance parks) and the giant screen films “Metallica Through the to flourish would be to make respect the fundamental Never” (Picturehouse, 2013) and “Wings of Courage” characteristic for our company,” Charlotte said. “Respect (1995, Sony Pictures Classics). The latter is considered the for one another, respect for our clients, respect for the first feature-style, dramatic motion picture with Hollywood projects, stories and characters, and respect for the guests.” production values, filmed in IMAX 3D. They believe it is vitally important for companies like During the Wanda project, Ryan and Charlotte recognized Miziker to build unity and trust within the industry, that their combined expertise enhanced their ability to especially as it continues to expand around the world and create quality themed entertainment. Ryan’s experience into other cultures. “Clients are under a certain amount of and understanding of full attraction integration of media, pressure just as we are. Everyone is,” Charlotte said. “So ride systems, and theming paired well with Charlotte’s we make it a serious principle in our company to always talent for film and multi-media production. They shared respect our clients. That’s a super important value for us.” the belief that story and characters were paramount to creating emotional connection with the audience. When Miziker is a boutique firm that expands from 10 to 50 or the Wanda project came to an end, they decided to more staff as projects demand. The artists they employ continue to exploit their great professional chemistry and are diverse in their disciplines, talents, and backgrounds. keep working together. However, Ryan and Charlotte recognize this as an opportunity to help their creative team members achieve “It was a time of transition,” Charlotte said. “The Wanda their very best and flourish in their chosen fields – project was ending. Ron had been chosen to receive TEA’s character design, cosume design, scenic design, writing, Buzz Price Thea Award for lifetime achievement, and performance, choreography, music composition and he was retiring. The three of us agreed that we’d work recording, technology integration and programming, and together to reinvent Miziker Entertainment – a sort of more. Miziker 2.0.’” “Our job is to provide the best environment for artists to do their best work,” said Charlotte. “That doesn’t mean

117 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com The Journey of Lights Parade at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom

complete freedom to do whatever they want. Like every musical score that changes tone and style with each business, our industry has all sorts of constraints. But individualized, story-driven unit. as they say, ‘creativity loves constraints.’ So when you give clear constraints to your artists they often rise to the Ryan forecasts a promising time of discovery and challenge and achieve the highest level of success.” invention for the company. “We’re looking forward to solving problems that lead to creative and technical Journey of showmanship innovation for the whole industry,” he said. “There Miziker Entertainment sees their acclaimed project, the are several innovations I’m very excited about because Journey of Lights Parade for Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, they’re developing on completely different ends of the as a major milestone – recipient of the prestigious technological spectrum.” Thea Award and a significant step in Miziker’s journey toward future success due to its technical and storytelling One of these innovations involves large, human-powered innovations. kinetic sculptures developed through a new division of the company called “Mas Fiesta!” The eight-unit, half-mile long parade playfully highlights each of Ocean Kingdom’s themed lands, presenting a “We use performers inside intricately engineered, 35-minute musical illuminated show for viewers no matter oversized, and elaborately-costumed puppets for parades where they stand. The show was hailed for its innovative and spectaculars,” said Ryan. “We use current technology technological achievement as the first all-programmable such as carbon fiber to keep the kinetics light and RGB LED light parade. With precise synchronization and maneuverable, and innovative hardware and custom control over all one-million-plus lights, the parade can rigging systems, but they’re basically low tech. We’re really change colors at the same moment allowing storytelling having fun and loving the design challenges, performance flexibility across the entire parade route. They are also opportunities and audience reactions.” proud of the audience-pleasing, creative use of the

118 inparkmagazine.com Miziker Entertainment is currently completing a series respond to?’ and ‘How do we create those emotional of kinetics for Princess Cruises. “The interdisciplinary touchpoints that resonate deeply with guests?’ And I’m talents of design, engineering, sculpting, painting, costume convinced that Miziker does that better than anyone.” design, and fabrication all have played a part in creating these kinetics for use on the Princess Cruises ships,” Ryan Miziker Entertainment will be at the IAAPA Attractions explains. “It’s really a dream project for us.” Expo in Orlando in November 2018. To set up a business meeting or media interview contact Kenny Looking forward to the next 35 years, both Ryan and Zhou, [email protected]. • • • Charlotte express confidence in their team, the newer members as well as those of long standing – and the importance of upholding the standard of showmanship set by Ron. Charlotte mentioned project director Sean Freddy Martin (freddy@ Chung, who has been on board for five years now and themedattraction.com) is a writer, played an essential role on Journey of Lights. “Working storyteller, and independent closely with Sean, and with the other incredibly talented consultant. He began his theme and dedicated members of our team has been extremely park voyage as a skipper on the rewarding,” she said. “And getting to know Ron and at Disneyland. Freddy being part of that legacy is exciting. This really is show co-hosts the Themed Attraction business!” Podcast with Mel McGowan of Storyland Studios, is a contributing editor for ThemedAttraction.com and “When faced with a new challenge, I always have to step also blogs at FreddyMartin.net. back and look at it through the lens of showmanship,” Ryan said. “I ask myself, ‘What are people going to

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Barco Medialon 8.5x5.5 hor ad Sept18.indd 2 20/09/18 08:51 Inside the experience designer’s studio The Hettema Group keeps the creative spark alive Interviews by David Paul Green

uch has been written about The Hettema Group M(THG). Company founder Phil Hettema says the company’s mission is to, “Design innovative and immersive experiences worldwide.” THG’s people and projects have received numerous awards. Most recently came high honors from the Themed Entertainment Association: Phil received the Buzz Price Thea Award for a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements, and Art Director Nina Rae Vaughn was named a TEA Master.

Founded by Phil in 2002, The Hettema Group has gone on to become one of the premier companies creating immersive stories for guests around the world. Clients The High Roller observation wheel rises above the Las include DreamWorks, Universal Creative, SeaWorld Vegas strip, and thanks to a special lighting package, is Parks & Entertainment, MGM, The National WWII especially prominent at night All photos courtesy of The Hettema Group Museum, , Lotte World, AEG Live, Resorts World at Sentosa, and Legends Hospitality, LLC, among Anthony Pruett, Senior Vice President, oversees many others. The company is known for such projects as project production, business affairs and company One World Observatory (New York City), High Roller planning at THG. He came to the company with more Observation Wheel (Las Vegas), the USA Pavilion at than 20 years managing the design and construction Yeosu , Dragons Wild Shooting at Lotte World of tourism, hospitality and retail projects in Asia, the (Seoul), Beyond All Boundaries at the National World War Middle East and North America. II Museum (New Orleans), and much, much more. Jodi Roberdes, Director of Facility Design Services, With a staff of more than 70, in creative, media and has played a lead role in the exterior and interior architecture, The Hettema Group is in position to design of many THG projects, including One World tackle projects of any size, anywhere in the world. The Observatory and the High Roller observation wheel. credentials of the executives interviewed for this story Prior to joining THG she was Director of Design at shows the tip of the iceberg of the company’s deep bench Scenery West Design & Construction. in design and execution. Susan Spence, Senior Writer, develops content and For this article, Phil and six key team members respond to story treatments for THG’s attractions and exhibits. ten questions posed by InPark contributor David Green, She has more than 20 years of experience as a writer in the style of a Proust Questionnaire – a 19th-century and content developer for museums, visitor centers and interview technique intended to provoke introspection, theme parks around the world. popularized in the U.S. by “Inside the Actors Studio” host James Lipton. The interviewees: Scott Sinclair, Senior Creative Director, provides creative vision, designs and illustrations for many of Phil Hettema, Creative Executive, leads The Hettema THG’s major projects. He has played key roles on Group in the design of uniquely creative guest high-profile industry projects throughout his career, experiences. Phil established THG in 2002 after serving including Tokyo DisneySea and at Magic as Senior Vice President of Attraction Development for Kingdom Park. Universal Studios Theme Parks Worldwide for 14 years.

120 inparkmagazine.com Scott: I’ve always been a creative person. I can show you pictures my mom saved that I drew when I was four years old… When I was a teenager, I decided I didn’t want to do “let’s pretend” by myself. I found myself first in theater, then in theme parks.

Nina: I love what I do, creating; what could be cooler?

Don: In illustration school, I told the head of my department that I really didn’t like doing finished illustrations. What I really liked to do was rough sketches. Was there a job that allowed me to do roughs and get paid for it? She assured me that that did not exist. My entire One World Observatory guests enjoy an elevator ride career has been spent proving her wrong… surrounded by screens showing the development of Manhattan through the decades What life lessons do you bring to your work?

Nina Vaughn, Art Director and Illustrator, has been Phil: My first trip to Europe was absolutely life-changing a key creative on THG projects for DreamWorks, for me. There was a whole world that had been outside Chimelong Ocean Kingdom and other major theme my sphere of experience. That just opened so many park clients. She worked as an Imagineer for 20+ years doors. That ability as individuals to step out of who we and contributed to the design of iconic attractions such are, and try and put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, as Indiana Jones Adventure and Pooh’s Hunny Hunt. and see what that feels like is really important in creative experiences. Don Carson, Senior Art Director, is a legend in the theme park world for his exceptional work as a concept Anthony: 1. Being ethical is important. 2. It goes super- illustrator and designer. Prior to joining THG, Don fast. One day, you’re graduating from college; the next contributed to numerous projects for Disney such thing, you’re neck-deep in deadlines. You start to focus as , Blizzard Beach and Mickey’s more on relationships and people. The projects come and Toontown. go; people matter. 3. Good work is the best marketing you can have. What drives you personally and/or creatively? Jodi: Dealing with a large team and colleagues in different Phil: It all comes back to getting people’s attention. There types of disciplines, we all think very differently, whether is part of that little kid inside of me that just wants to be left brain or right brain. It’s important, when you’re seen. This may be surprising, but in reality I’m really shy collaborating, to make sure that what you’re trying to get and never felt comfortable drawing attention to myself across gets across in a way that somebody can understand. - so my way to get attention was always to do something that you have to look at. Susan: I’m always reminded of the importance of listening to people. Clients appreciate when they know Anthony: A quote by director Harold Ramis: “Find they’ve been heard. the smartest guy or gal in the room and go stand next to them.” We’re all here because we love this industry Scott: “It’s the people.” End of story. and love this work. Being humbly part of that group is awesome. Nina: The older and wiser you get, you realize it’s not about self, it’s about the project, the guests and the team. Jodi: There’s always lots of work to do. Just a passion for problem-solving. Being ahead of the game and trying to Don: As you get more years of experience, you’ve stood problem solve before it becomes an issue. on enough trolley tracks - and been hit by enough trolleys - that hopefully you know what not to stand on, more Susan: Learning. Discovering new things. I’ve always had than when you were starting out. Something that makes a passion for learning about topics I don’t know about. I that experience valuable – hopefully - is that we’ll call out have the perfect job in that way. when we see someone standing too close to the trolley on the trolley tracks and may not realize it.

121 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com What challenges are common to most or all has never done this sort of work: You’re doing a lot of projects? convincing them that these choices are good ones, and will save you money. Phil: There are always a million reasons not to do any project. If the vision for success is strong enough, it can What gives you joy? carry the project through those moments and take you to success. Phil: Three things: 1) I just love to experience creativity myself. I love to go to theater and nothing makes me Anthony: Design coordination… Coordinating all the happier than when I see something that truly takes me out elements of the project… It’s a lot of data to keep up of whatever mindset I had brought into the theater. 2) with. It may seem like Design Coordination 101, but Being able to work on a project and see that the audience execution matters. has a reaction that corresponds to what our hopes and aspirations were. 3) The satisfaction of assembling a Jodi: Budget, budget and budget. Schedule, schedule and team of people who can work to a common purpose and schedule… achieve a goal together.

Susan: Phil is always pushing us to do something different Anthony: Personally: my kids, for sure. Professionally: that people haven’t seen before and experienced before. seeing the projects open to the public. You get a sense of It makes the work exciting, but it’s also intimidating and satisfaction. challenging. It’s ultimately a really good thing, because that driving force takes projects to new and exciting places. Jodi: Seeing a project all the way through from beginning to end. Being able to walk through that space and be Scott: Trying to understand what the client wants. Trying proud of it. Seeing the owner being satisfied and happy to educate the client about what will deliver that. with the final outcome of the project. Seeing the people who work for me achieve their goals and objectives, and Nina: The biggest challenge is, who do you answer to learning. I like a good sunset as well! (laughs). during the creative process? If it’s Phil, it’s easy. Answering to the client can be more challenging. Susan: I like working on projects that feel like they really have the potential to have an impact or have meaning for Don: Organizational structure and dynamics of the people. company or client you’re working for. Sometimes a client

Phil Hettema Anthony Pruett Jodi Roberdes

Susan Spence Scott Sinclair Nina Vaughn Don Carson

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123 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Scott: A lot of people have hobbies. My hobby is Jodi: Our design firm organization and structure, with designing stuff. creative, media, and architecture together, following a multidisciplinary approach and able to solve large, Nina: I love problem solving. complex problems in real time, is a key difference we have over other companies. Don: When I was young and eager, it was the idea that I was getting to work on something prestigious. Now, it is Susan: I would just reassure them that at THG, they will the joy of the process. be heard. It starts at the top, and Phil is a really good listener and respects our clients. How do you get excited for the next project, when the last project drained you? Scott: We happen to have a very strong team. If clients are able to internalize that, they can relax a little bit, in Phil: Finding the creative spark at the beginning of a terms of trusting us to watch ourselves and double-check project never gets old for me. ourselves.

Anthony: I go on reading binges. Vacations. In my 20s Nina: I think Phil is the person for that task, not me. and 30s, I didn’t do any of this stuff. It was like, “Give (laughs). me five projects, and I’ll ram through them.” Now I read more, exercise more, eat better. Don: Trust us. We really do know.

Jodi: I don’t think a project has yet drained me. I finish a Vendor relations: If you could meet with every project on a high, ready for a new challenge, a new puzzle vendor before THG hired them, and give them one to be solved. I just want to keep working on what I’m piece of wisdom or advice, what would it be? working on! Phil: Just be an honest partner. We have good Susan: A lot of my job is research; no matter what, it’s relationships with vendors. We have to be fair with them, always fun and interesting to start something new. and we expect them to be fair with us, and that includes saying, when necessary, “You’re asking for something Scott: What drains me is NOT starting over! that’s not possible.” The only time we have problems with vendors is when they over-promise or take on Nina: Once there is a set of parameters for me personally responsibilities that they’re not really equipped for. — when it’s too nebulous it’s difficult — but once somebody says “OK. It’s gotta be this, this, and this: Go Anthony: Tell the truth. If you don’t know, don’t fake it. for it.” I really am a person that likes parameters. You’re going to have bad days, as well as good days.

Don: Nothing will drain you faster than being asked to Jodi: It’s important to be thorough and transparent. Make design a project with no limits. Designing a product with sure we’re on the same page. Open communications. If limits is preferable by far! there are any assumptions, make sure those are clear. Bid estimates - some come in high, some come in low. Explain Client communications: If you could meet with the thought process instead of just looking at numbers. every client before they hired THG, and give them one piece of wisdom or advice, what would it be? Susan: THG looks for the same spirit of collaboration that we have internally. Take a chance. Don’t try to only Phil: No matter who you hire, you need to make sure give us exactly what we want. Show us what you can do you’re going to get two things: One: a project that is that will make the project even more compelling. different or unexpected in the way it achieves its ends. Two: Not just a concept, but a concept that can actually Scott: If we do not bring you on early in the process, it’s become reality. It’s those two things combined; without not because we don’t want to. We would really like to! It’s both, you’re not going to be successful. far less expensive to solve problems on paper than to do it with a jackhammer. Anthony: Listen to the people who have done it before. We know we can save our clients considerable time and Nina: Vendors need to be given the big picture. To money and hassle. understand where their role fits, where they fit, in this thing we’re going to do together.

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inparkmagazine.com Nina: You still have to have good skills to interact with people. The older you get, you really start to respect other people for what they do. Your respect for peers grows.

Don: The principles of good design or good storytelling still work.

Industry shifts: In your time in the industry, what HAS changed significantly?

Phil: By far, the scope and the playground that we get to play Dragons Wild Shooting is an interactive dark ride at Lotte World in South Korea in. Experience is something that’s really wanted in almost every sector. From retail to Don: Ask them, “What do you need from us?” That’s a food, to museums, to entertainment, branding, commercial question that no one ever asks them. If I know in advance, communications, even medical. I want to give it to them early. If there is anything in the process that is not going to work, I want to know it early. Anthony: Growth. Services our industry provide continue to cross over into other fields. It’s always been there, but it Industry constants: In your time in the industry, provides more opportunity; city planning, urban planning, what has NOT changed (good or bad)? social engineering issues.

Phil: The way people respond to creative stimuli doesn’t Jodi: When I got involved, I had no idea that change… a good creative idea is always a good creative entertainment design/architecture was an industry. I fell idea, and people will still respond to it the same way — it into it. Now, everything has that experiential element to it. goes back to the vision: The underlying principle of how we’re going to relate to the audience and create an Susan: Technology is changing, so rapidly. I think it’s experience for them is strong. exciting, but it makes it challenging to design projects that won’t open for a few years. Anthony: Monty Lunde! (laughs) He looks the same! [Monty Lunde of Technifex founded the Themed Scott: The things that change are the things that don’t Entertainment Association in 1991.] matter. Technology is not the show. It’s the way to tell the show. Jodi: The formula of the thing. You need to have the big idea. You need to have the story. You need to make Nina: The technology has changed. It’s made everything sure that all the practicalities are aligned: Programming, immediate. The good thing is, it forces people to make capacity, all the technical aspects of that, balanced. decisions; the bad thing is, there is not a lot of time for design details. Susan: Storytelling has always been important, although the way we tell stories has changed and the “language” we Don: The process, and the ability to produce art and use to tell a story is changing. models and stuff have accelerated to light-speed.

Scott: The challenges haven’t changed. The challenges What one word best describes what you love about are always going to be there, and the solutions are always this industry? going to be: shared vision, listen to your client, understand your client, working together, and listening to sometimes Phil: Creativity. I’m thinking about words ranging from dissenting voices. curiosity, discovery, joy, engagement, immersion, but ultimately it all comes from that creative spark.

126 inparkmagazine.com Anthony: Interdisciplinary: The creative and the technical. David Paul Green is president and Theatrical, with traditional building trades. COO of Los Angeles-based lighting design firm Visual Terrain, as well Jodi: Change. Every project that we work on is different. as a writer and photographer. After We never have the same project. What I love about this starting off in themed entertainment industry is change: It doesn’t get boring to me. It’s always at WED Enterprises (now WDI), exciting and fun. working on EPCOT, Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland, David went Susan: Awe. on to work with other divisions of The Walt Disney Company. As principal at consulting firm Monteverdi Scott: Challenge. You say to yourself, “That’s going to be Creative, David holds eight U.S. Patents for innovations really hard. I’ll do it!” in digital TV user interface design. In 2010, David joined his wife, Lisa Passamonte Green, at Visual Nina: Evolving. It’s something different every day. The Terrain. He is the co-author of “Building a Better process is the same, but the task is different. Mouse” with Steve Alcorn, and has written for InPark, Lighting&Sound America, and others. His photography Don: Collaboration. • • • is in the permanent collection of the California African American Museum, and is featured in the catalog for the exhibit, “Allensworth: A Place. A People. A Story.” David’s photo is courtesy of Josh Premako: www.joshpremako.com

www.lagotronicsprojects.com

Booth #5103 inparkmagazine.com Interactive Attractions • Show Experiences • Dark Rides Moving and grooving Dynamic Attractions: endless possibilities, pioneering rides by Cindy Emerick Whitson, Dynamic Attractions

s one of the leading innovators of the amusement Aindustry and pioneers of the flying theater genre, Dynamic Attractions has been setting new standards of thrills since the 1990s. Dynamic’s sophisticated ride systems and precision engineering have earned the company the IAAPA Brass Ring Award for Best New Attraction Concept for the past three years. In 2018 they are preparing to introduce yet another new concept in November at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando. With several one-of-a-kind ride openings and an evolved product line, Dynamic Attractions has proved that they are a current industry leader and will continue to surprise and delight the next generation.

“I’m incredibly excited about the growth of Dynamic Cindy Emerick Whitson Attractions and the value that we can bring to our customers,” said Hao Wang, President and COO. “Going forward, our vision and goals remain unchanged: to elements of a dark ride with the thrills of a high-speed design, develop, and build the most innovative, world- roller coaster and earning our first Brass Ring Award for class rides and attractions for the industry. Our clients are Best New Product Concept in 2015. This ride system our partners – we listen to them, we match their passion delivers an intense roller coaster experience and integrates and they help guide our product direction to meet their it with surprising track switches and state-of-the-art media. needs. Our focus is to develop ride solutions that exceed This product helped position Dynamic Attractions as an our customers’ expectations, delivered in a manner to innovator of new attractions in the industry. With the earn their trust, and help them achieve a competitive upcoming opening of MISSION: Ferrari at Ferrari World advantage.” the expectations of the industry and thrill seekers will be changed forever with this new Dynamic coaster. 2015: Dynamic SFX coaster Dynamic Attractions changed the face of roller coasters 2016: Dynamic Motion Theater with the introduction of the Dynamic SFX coaster, mixing The company continued to deliver in 2016, releasing the Dynamic Motion Theater. This ride puts guests in the center of the action and surrounds them with media, show sets and even live performances. By setting the riders on a platform with the ability to lift, tilt, spin, and drop they are able to lead guests along a story and deliver movement while immersing them in the full experience. The system is versatile and customizable, with capabilities of being full media, live entertainment or a mixture of both offering endless possibilities in terms of guest experience.

2017: Dynamic’s AGV line In 2017, Dynamic Attractions set out to wow the industry yet again with the introduction of their new line of Autonomous Guided Vehicles. This revolutionary line Hao Wang, COO and President of Dynamic of vehicles offers a highly advanced guidance system Attractions, at one of the company’s facilities that allows them to cross paths and interact with each

128 inparkmagazine.com Track is installed (L) on a Dynamic SFX coaster while guests experience a prototype (R) of a Dynamic AGV as it navigates a set of stairs All photos courtesy of Dynamic Attractions other and the environment around them. With this line controlled motor drive system and a Linear Synchronous of vehicles, the ride system is no longer tied to physical Motors (LSM) system, adding up to what we believe tracks, enabling the creative concept to develop with any will be heralded as the most versatile roller coaster ever environmental needs. Creative designers will no longer conceived, and launch a new era of creativity and guest have to worry about fog with laser-guided vehicles or experience. the expense of having to move embedded beacons and sensors when an attraction is reprogrammed. The In the Dual Power Coaster, Dynamic’s hidden, on-board advances in navigation have allowed Dynamic to truly drive system provides a fresh, new roller coaster thrill create a vehicle that provides an experience the guests and with a suite of innovative capabilities. The on-board clients have wanted for decades. drive allows for variable speed, on-board braking, and even reverse movements while teaming up with the LSM Dynamic’s AGV line has many stars in its array, however system to deliver higher accelerations and speed straight perhaps the most notable is the Dynamic All-Terrain out of the creative designer’s dreams. The vehicle is also Vehicle, another Brass Ring Award winner for Dynamic. capable of inversions and high banked turns so that every This ATV allows true creative freedom to take a ride imaginable feature can be delivered to match that favorite vehicle anywhere that can be imagined. With the ability gaming theme. Dynamic has also included options to to climb stairs and go through water, guided by a precise marry a four-DOF motion base to the vehicle to create navigation system, this ride vehicle offers virtually innovative and exciting movements. Imagine, for instance, unlimited possibilities. Why simulate going down stairs drifting through banks and turns and using heave to create when you can actually do it? That’s the question that a simulated airtime to make it feel that the car has come Dynamic has answered. No longer do we have to try to off the track! simulate movement. This vehicle is made to drive over bumps, pot holes, and stairs virtually doing all the show Ride openings programming with concrete, and with the ability to be The ride systems described above represent just a portion indoors or outdoors. of the Dynamic Attractions product line. And Dynamic is doing more than conceiving rides - they are seeing New for 2018: Dual Power Coaster them embraced by park operators, who are installing and What’s in store for 2018? Introducing a new game- opening them - around the world. New SFX Coasters, changing ride experience designed and built by Dynamic a Flying Theater, Dueling Power Coaster, and Robotic Attractions being unveiled at this year’s IAAPA, the Arm Ride are all to be opened by spring 2019, making Dual Power Coaster. This new, one-of-a-kind ride this an extremely thrilling time for the company as well system uniquely features a motion base coaster with as our creative partners, clients and the guests who will two propulsion methods: an on-board independently experience the new rides. We’re proud to say that Dynamic

129 inparkmagazine.com inparkmagazine.com Dynamic Attractions’ Motion Theater rides represent some of the most popular attractions in The entire amusement business has been and will always the parks where they are installed. We’re proud to continue be driven by innovation. The parks and guests are always to deliver on the promise of innovation and world class looking for new experiences, and Dynamic Attractions will attractions that our company is known for. continue to deliver long into the future. • • •

This is the mission of Dynamic Attractions, to be the Cindy Emerick Whitson, Senior Vice President of global leader in the development and provision of Business Development, Dynamic Attractions is expert innovative ride and attractions-related systems. The in roller coasters and world-class attractions, with more company does this through teamwork, trust, and respect than 22 years in the industry. Trained as a material science - with a focus on exceeding customer expectations. The engineer, with extensive project management experience, rides of the future are being designed today, and Dynamic she has served top clients around the world, including Attractions is surely a company to watch long into the Universal Studios, Disney, Paramount, Six Flags and future. Between ride openings and product developments, many more. Cindy’s love of meeting people and using they are fulfilling their mission and promise to bring the her creative side brings her full circle into the business industry much more in the years ahead. development arena to help create the most elaborate attractions in the world.

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