Attraction Design Services

ATTRACTION DESIGN SERVICES SPECIAL EFFECTS

Everybody appreciates the wonder and amazement that a well designed and executed special effect can bring to a themed attraction. In order for an effect to come across as conceived, a dedicated team with a wide range of creative and technical disciplines is required to ensure the very best results. We give several examples below of how ADS pulled off "the impossible" and why we are among the best in the business to make it happen for you!

What better team to lead the design and development of your special effects than Frank and Ken? One of Frank's college degrees is in Specialized Technologies from which he has applied his knowledge to produce effects for numerous attractions throughout the world. Ken worked with the famous Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development department assisting in the creation of many exciting special effects for the Disney parks. Add to that our incredible creative talents and experience and you have the perfect pair to lead any effects development project.

Goodness Gracious Great Balls Of Lava!

We truly possess a passion for our industry. An example of this was when our client asked us to create an effect simulating what we like to call, "lava balls," floating in mid-air.

We proposed a method that promised to place guests right in the middle of a "bullet time" effect - named after the famous scene in The Matrix® film where it appeard as though time stood still while all motion slowed, including the bullets suspended in mid-air.

We proposed several methods but no-one was convinced except us. Our client decided to cut this effect without cutting our budget. Instead of keeping the money we decided to take a chance and produce a mock-up to prove the concept. Once again, we are most interested in delivering above expectations and dazzling our clients and audience.

Our client was extremely impressed as well as surprised when we had the mock-up for them to see. They loved the effect so much they asked us to reinstate it. We went ahead and built two units with twenty-four luminescent "lava balls" and installed them into the ride.

Mystical Maiden

"We need the ride vehicle to glide directly through a video image floating in open space without using water particulate emitted by a fog screen."

Attraction Design Services Thermal Screen

How do you create a fog screen effect without using a fog screen? How do you project a magical image in mid-air that guests can ride through without having noticeable particulate? We figured it out! Although it's difficult to capture the result on camera, you can get an idea of how the effect looks by viewing the video below.

This system emits less than 10% of the moisture typically needed for a fog screen to work. The end result is an image displayed with no apparant projection surface.

Attraction Design Services 'thermal screen' system

Sixty-Five Foot Digital Projection Tunnel

This scene for the Nights In White Satin dark ride called for a "speed tunnel" effect similar to the Disney attractions "If You Had Wings" and "World of Motion." With the budget alloted not being as ambitious as the plans, this proved to be one of the biggest challenges of the ride.

The challenge started with the concept itself. The original design intent described the content as simply stars and "swirling cosmos." We proposed something much more engaging and also challenging- an abstract interpretation and visual journey of the song's narrative that was to be played during this scene. We prepared a series of storyboards to sell the idea. The project's creative director loved it! By selling this idea we had increased the difficulty for ourselves significantly, but the results were well worth the effort.

Attraction Design Services Digital Projection Tunnel

Rather than dealing with nondescript imagery we found ourselves grappling with shape, form, color, resolution and many other elements that were not so critical in the original design. Now our projection surface and tunnel construction had to be engineered with new innovations.

It was determined early on that we could not go with the standard 75 or 35 mm projection - this had to be digital. The problem however with moving through a sixty-five foot projection space is that the point of view will constantly change, distorting the image. A whole new method to produce and program digital media had to be developed.

In addition to all that we also had to manufacture a custom lens that cost over 40% of our budget. By the time we built the tunnel, produced and programmed the media, installed the projection and playback system and put everything else together we could then claim many "firsts" and one of the most innovative scenes in any ride.

Smoke Rings, Fiber Optics, Ghostly Images and Everything Else

One of the most popular show elements in our Hard Rock dark ride is the smoke ring. Just listen to the reactions of riders as they are blasted by our six-foot in diameter, high speed smoke effect!

We were faced with numerous challenges here including distance, speed, reliability, timing with two vehicles connected, smoke detection system etc. We met the challenges head on by developing a new control method, a new fog fluid dispenser and a unique actuated diaphragm system.

As mentioned at the beginning of this page, good special effects require not only technical know-how, but also creativity. To the right you can see a portrait that when approached squirts water, buzzes and says, "gotcha."

From large and elaborate special effects to modest show curiosities, ADS will deliver !

8297 ChampionsGate Blvd. Suite 306 ChampionsGate, Florida 33896 :: Phone: 888.823.4440
info@attractiondesignservices.com

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