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Jena FullDome Festival Announces 2013 Awardees

Joe Kleiman
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Jena FullDome Festival Announces 2013 Awardees
Syncode 360
Syncode 360

Related stories from IPM: Supervolcanoes erupts into theaters – Ethan Bach talks fulldome – IMERSA and Dome Experiences –  2013 planetarium/giant screen market survey – Interview with Michael Daut of E&S – Global Immersion’s supercharged digital theater (Judith Rubin) – Fulldome and giant screen cinema markets converge (Joe Kleiman)

Jena, Germany – The seventh annual Jena FullDome Festival concluded June 1 at the Zeiss-Planetarium in Jena, Germany. The Festival highlights both professional work and the work of students from colleges and universities around the world.

Following is a list of awardees at the Festival:

The Janus Awardees
The Janus FullDome Awards have been presented to nine out of 87 FullDome Festival submissions.

First Year Students’ Award
Millivette González-De Jesús, Ringling College of Art and Design, Florida
for the first semester student contribution The Dreamer
decided by the FullDome Festival jury, endowed with 500 Euro, donated by the California Academy of Sciences.

Creative Award
Min-Kyung Ko, Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach
Sound design: Felix Deufel, Yannick Hofmann, Hochschule Darmstadt
for the student contribution Bon Voyage
decided by the FullDome Festival jury, endowed with 500 Euro, donated by ZEISS, Planetarium Division.

Performance Award
Jochen Isensee, Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig
for the student contribution Schrödinger’s Birds
decided by the FullDome Festival jury, endowed with 500 Euro, donated by ZEISS, Planetarium Division.

Audience Award
Karim Eich / Livius Pápay, Bauhaus Universität Weimar
for the student contribution In the Name of the King
voted by the audience of the Festival Gala, endowed with 500 Euro, donated by ZEISS, Planetarium Division.

Didactic Dome Award
Julia Wiesner, Fachhochschule Potsdam
for the student contribution The Five-Step Model of Vilém Flusser
decided by the FullDome Festival jury, endowed with 500 Euro, donated by the FullDome Festival.

Emphasis on Emotion Award
Daniel Weik / Moritz Degen, Fachhochschule Potsdam
for the short film Von Furcht und Freiheit (On Fear and Freedom)
decided by the FullDome Festival jury, endowed with 500 Euro, donated by Aqua Wellness Institute, Musia Heike Bus.

Spatial Sound Award
Aaron Bradbury, NSC Creative
for the short film VORTEX with Spatial Sound Wave soundtrack
decided by the the FullDome Festival jury, endowed with SHURE high fidelity headphones.

Innovative FullDome Production Award
Robin Sip, Mirage 3D
for the full-length feature show Dinosaurs at Dusk
decided by the FullDome Festival Directors, endowed with 500 Euro,
donated by Sky-Skan

Directors Award
Maciej Ligowski, Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw
for the full-length feature show Dream To Fly
decided by the Fulldome Festival Directors, endowed with 500 Euro,
donated by the FullDome Festival.

The Spatial Sound Recognition Awardees

Spatial Sound Recognition Award
Peter Popp, Softmachine Munich
for the full-length feature show The Life of Trees with Spatial Sound Wave soundtrack
decided by the the FullDome Festival jury, endowed with SHURE high fidelity headphones.

Spatial Sound Recognition Award
Planetarium Hamburg & bluphase.media
for the short film Precious Life with Spatial Sound Wave soundtrack
decided by the the FullDome Festival jury, endowed with SHURE high fidelity headphones.

Spatial Sound Recognition Award
Felix Deufel / Yannick Hofmann / Natascha Rehberg / Klaus Schüller, Soundscape & Environmental Media Lab, Hochschule Darmstadt
for the student contribution I, Water, a Spatial Sound Wave composition,
decided by the the FullDome Festival jury, endowed with SHURE high fidelity headphones.

The FullDome Festival Honorable Mentions for outstanding and innovative productions
In alphabetical order by titles:

NSC Creative
for the full-length feature show Cell! Cell! Cell!

Rocco Helmchen / Johannes Kraas
for the full-length feature show Chaos and Order

Parque de las Ciencias, Granada
for the full-length feature show Escher’s Universe

California Academy of Sciences
for the full-length feature show Earthquake: Evidence of a Restless Planet

Mariano Hernandez Rodilana
for the full-length feature show Leo

Carolyn Collins Petersen and Mark C. Petersen (Loch Ness Productions)
for the short film Losing the Dark

Johnny Ranger, Société des arts technologiques
for the full-length feature show Six Mil Antennas

Spitz Creative Media, Mirage 3D and Thomas Lucas Production
for the full-length feature show Supervolcanoes

Ralph Heinsohn
for the short film Syncode 360

Softmachine
for the full-length feature show The Life of Trees

UNC Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
for the full-length feature show The Longest Night

Sky-Skan in association with the Franklin Institute
for the full-length feature show To Space and Back

The FullDome Festival Finalists

The FullDome Festival Finalists have been selected by the jury and the Festival Directors in addition to the awarded contributions and have been shown at the FullDome Festival Gala. In alphabetical order by titles.

Friendship
Short Film by Toby Norman-Wright and Chris Vandyke, Encompass 360 Degree Digital Dance

Guardian Angel
Student contribution by Jeffrey Boos, Ringling College of Art and Design

Led Zeppelin
Short reel by Mike Murray, David Merrel – Clark Planetarium

Losing the Dark
Short Film by Carolyn Collins Petersen and Mark C. Petersen, Loch Ness Productions

Mnemnesia Visual Music Trailer
Student contribution by Florian Breuer, Sascha Schienmann, Roland Nebe, Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf

Shark Attack
Short Film by Emma Wolf and Diego de Anna

Striare
Student contribution by Christina Chang, Ringling College of Art and Design

Syncode 360
Short Film by Ralph Heinsohn

The Hollow Earth of Edmund Halley
Student contribution by Gentian Begolli, Bauhaus Universität Weimar

Venatio
Student contribution by Oliver Reichert, Hochschule Anhalt Dessau

Waltz of the Ocean
Student contribution by Anne-Marie Stöter, Hochschule Anhalt Dessau

Silver Dollar City Extends Hours for Outlaw Run Riders

Joe Kleiman
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Silver Dollar City Extends Hours for Outlaw Run Riders

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Branson, MO, USA — Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, a top vacation destination for families, launches its summer season with one of the world’s top rides as its centerpiece. One of the hottest thrill rides among the new ride offerings worldwide is the park’s new $10 million coaster Outlaw Run, a record-breaking wood coaster that has gathered national and international news coverage since its spring opening. The interest is expected to grow as summer travelers seek out this year’s top thrills, park managers say.

“We’ve had visitors from throughout the U.S. and beyond coming to Branson because of Outlaw Run,” said Silver Dollar City General Manager Brad Thomas. “We know that vacationers look for unique experiences, and Outlaw Run is unique on a global scale.”

Justin Garvanovic, founder of the European Coaster Club and editor of First Drop magazine, traveled to Branson from England to ride Outlaw Run. Garvanovic, who has ridden over 1500 coasters in 30 countries, said he was “blown away.” “There’s nothing like it anywhere. For Silver Dollar City to build a ride of this magnitude, and to put not one inversion in it, but three, has really caused a massive stir in the ride world,” he said. “It’s stratospheric.”

With its attributes as the world’s first and only double barrel roll on a wood coaster, the only wood coaster to twist upside down with a record-breaking three inversions, the world’s steepest drop on a wood coaster at 81 degrees; and the second fastest wood coaster in the world with a top speed of 68 miles per hour, Outlaw Run offers a new level of wood coaster thrills. The park collaborated with Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction on the innovative engineering, design and construction of the ride.

American Coaster Enthusiasts member and Amusement Today writer Tim Baldwin came from Texas for an event focused on Outlaw Run. “It’s phenomenal — coaster perfection,” said Baldwin, who has logged nearly 1,000 coasters. “With the number of coasters I’ve ridden, it is hard to dazzle me. I remember hitting the brake run, just screaming ‘Wow!’ That’s the sign of a totally amazing ride. Just watch any trainload of riders return to the station. It’s coaster euphoria.”

Outlaw Run is expected to draw 80,000 additional visitors to Silver Dollar City this year. The 1880s-style theme park features more than 30 rides and attractions, award-winning festivals and entertainment, and an authentic colony of demonstrating craftsmen. The park is the number one attraction in the family vacation destination of Branson.

Silver Dollar City is open daily through the summer, adding extended park hours and night rides on Outlaw Run July 20 – August 4.

www.silverdollarcity.com.

Classic 1939 Film “The Wizard of Oz” Being Remastered in IMAX 3D

Joe Kleiman
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Classic 1939 Film “The Wizard of Oz” Being Remastered in IMAX 3D

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Burbank, CA, USA (June 4, 2013) /BusinessWire/ — Marking the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, Warner Bros. has produced a 3D remastered version of the film which will launch a comprehensive, cross-divisional campaign encompassing theatrical, home entertainment, consumer products and a number of promotional partnerships.

Kicking off the celebration, The Wizard of Oz 3D will be presented in the immersive IMAX® 3D format and return to the big screen for an exclusive one-week engagement in IMAX® theatres across North America beginning September 20, 2013.

“We couldn’t be happier to partner with IMAX® as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of this iconic film,” said Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. “The Wizard of Oz IMAX® 3D Experience is an integral part of our studio-wide anniversary initiative and we are excited to give fans the rare opportunity to see this stunning version on the big screen.”

“The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved films of all time and we are thrilled that our longtime partners at Warner Bros. have made IMAX® a part of this exciting milestone event,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX®Entertainment. “This film revolutionized the use of color and special effects in cinema, and we’re excited to add another ‘first’ – bringing this timeless classic to moviegoers through the power of The IMAX 3D Experience® for the very first time.”

The IMAX® release The Wizard of Oz will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX 3D Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX®‘s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

“Seventy-five years later, The Wizard of Oz continues its reign as a multi-generational favorite, with nearly 100 percent awareness among adults and more than 80 percent awareness among children,” said Jeff Baker, WBHE Executive Vice President and General Manager, Theatrical Catalog. “In this new 3D version, the film is bound to make history all over again—with both past and future fans.”

The 3D conversion was a long and complex project which Warner Bros. initiated with a very high resolution (8k) scanning of the original Technicolor camera negative. The restored 2D image was then transformed by creating a depth-map of each frame to construct 3D imagery and determine distances from the viewer’s vantage point. This was followed by the long process (with the use of a rotoscope) to further refine viewer distances and fully layer shapes and objects.

“People have asked for years about The Wizard of Oz 3D conversion. My answer was always, ‘We’re not doing it until it’s perfect.’ And now it is,” said Ned Price, Warner Technical Operations’ Vice President of Mastering. “As a kid, I was so enthralled by this film. Watching it, you just want to enter the frame, enter the Land of Oz. This new version will allow you to do just that.”

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz opened at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. DOROTHY™ was portrayed by a 4’11” sixteen-year-old girl who quickly earned her reputation as “the world’s greatest entertainer”—the incomparable Judy Garland. Ray Bolger appeared as the SCARECROW™; Bert Lahr as the COWARDLY LION™, Jack Haley as the TIN MAN™. Frank Morgan was seen in six different roles, including that of the wonderful “Wizard of Oz” himself.

The Wizard of Oz received five Academy Award® nominations1, including Best Picture (Outstanding Production), and captured two Oscars®—Best Song (“Over the Rainbow”) and Best Original Score — plus a special award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance by Judy Garland. The film was an overwhelmingly popular and critical success upon its initial release and repeated its ability to captivate audiences when M-G-M reissued the film in 1949 and 1955. The film made a new kind of history with its network television premiere in 1956 on CBS. Nearly 45 million people tuned in for this initial telecast, marking the beginning of an annual tradition. Ever since,The Wizard of Oz has been shown virtually annually on network (and then cable) television; its magical story and heartfelt performances have enabled it to grow from a perennial classic to its current status as a treasured icon of popular culture.

www.thewizardofoz.com

Reading between the lines: The 2012 global attractions attendance report

Martin Palicki
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Reading between the lines: The 2012 global attractions attendance report

by Martin Palicki

With the release of the 2012 Theme Park and Museum Index from TEA and AECOM, general global perceptions about the attractions market are now backed up with data. In broad strokes, it’s safe to say that the industry is continuing a steady upward trend , with nearly all markets showing increases in attendance, credited largely to continuing capital investments by major operators and an expanding (and fun-seeking) population with more disposable income in Asia.

[box type=”download”] 2012 Theme Park and Museum Index [/box]

Originally reporting only North American theme park numbers, the Index has expanded in the last ten years to cover global parks, the waterpark industry, and now the museum market. John Robinett, Senior Vice President of Economics at AECOM explains the addition of museum figures as being essential to understanding the overall health of the industry. “Museums represent a very important category of the leisure market with clear commonalities to commercial attractions,” says Robinett. “They compete for people’s time and money in similar markets; they cater to families; they help drive tourism; and they play a cultural and economic role in their communities.” The inclusion seems to help explain some of Europe’s relatively soft theme park figures. How many tourists, after all, plan a trip to France to visit Disneyland Paris but not the Louvre?

Theme Parks

The 2012 list of top global theme parks looks strikingly similar to the 2011 list, with most parks benefiting from a modest 2-6% increase in attendance. Even the largest movers such as Disney’s California Adventure (+22.6%), the beneficiary of the stunning CarsLand attractions, Universal Studios Hollywood (+15%), home to the new Transformers: the Ride 3D, only slightly changed their overall rankings, suggesting that it’s not easy to change public perception on where to spend their theme park dollars, and that there are significant “barriers to entry” to breaking in to the top 25. Even Disneyland, which suffered a slight 1.1% loss in attendance to all the excitement at California Adventure, still handily held on to its #2 spot.CrowdedWDW

The exception to all this, of course, lies in Asia. With a rapidly expanding base of tourists anxious to explore and play, there’s room for growth, and no clear winners have been picked, except in Japan, with its strong ties to Disney and Universal. Disney’s Shanghai park, still a couple of years away, will likely ignite Disney fever on mainland China, but the proof remains in the yet-to-be-seen Chinese pudding.

Water Parks

China’s Chimelong waterpark is in striking distance of unseating perennial favorite Typhoon Lagoon (Walt Disney World). It’s indicative of a trend that seems unstoppable. Asian waterpark attendance has now outpaced North America. Benefitting largely from massive population bases and more tropical climates, waterparks in China, Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia seem like good bets.pool

Interestingly, Wild Wadi Water Park in Dubai showed a small 3.4% loss in attendance, calling into question, perhaps, the long-term growth of the Middle Eastern waterpark market, particularly when compared with its Asian counterparts.

Museums

As expected, museum attendance reflects a clear dominance of tourist-popular Europe and the population-dense Eastern USA. Globally, the most popular museums appear to be those focused on art and history. The top spots in the USA, however, skew more to the science side, supporting the common-sense idea that locations with a longer history  might have more content with which to engage people in that history, and that the USA, with (until recently) its long commitment to research and technology, has more to showcase in that area.

The Index also tracks admission policies of museums and seems to indicate there is no significant benefit to having either a paid or free admission structure to attract visitors.Pyramid_at_Louvre_Museum_Paris_France1

Finally, Asian museums appear to have some catching up to do. Their top spots come in at barely half of Europe’s leaders. With distinctive and rich artistic and historical stories to tell, there’s big room for growth, particularly as Asia is seen as a more welcoming tourist destination.

The 2012 Theme Park and Museum Index is the result of a joint partnership between the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the Economics practice at AECOM.

Asia’s waterparks outperform North America’s; Louvre leads: 2012 TEA/AECOM Theme Park & Museum Index paints a bigger picture

Joe Kleiman
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Asia’s waterparks outperform North America’s; Louvre leads: 2012 TEA/AECOM Theme Park & Museum Index paints a bigger picture

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DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT (PDF) HERE FROM INPARK MAGAZINE:

[box type=”download”] 2012 Theme Park and Museum Index [/box]

What do the 2012 theme park and museum attendance numbers from TEA and AECOM reveal? In Europe, the top museums outperform the top theme parks; Asia’s waterparks have pulled ahead of North America’s; Disney parks have maintained their leading position. Merlin Entertainments shows the strength of a diversified attractions portfolio, and smart reinvestment brings guests, as exemplified by the strong performance of new attractions such as Transformers: The Ride 3-D and Cars Land. This is the first time that TEA/AECOM have added a Museum Index to their Theme Index collaboration and it will be interesting to see how these numbers shift from one year to the next, especially in light of Asia’s huge cultural initiative. Art museums are dominant in Europe and science museums lead in North America.

Los Angeles, CA, USA (June 4, 2013) /PRWEB/ — According to the annual TEA/AECOM Theme Index released today, attendance data for 2012 reveals increases nearly across the board at major theme parks/amusement parks, with strong performance in both North America and Asia. Attendance at the top 25 parks worldwide grew 5.2 percent, to 205,906,000 visits in 2012. Attendance at the top 20 water parks worldwide grew by 5.5 percent, to 25,100,000 visits in 2012. The top 20 museums worldwide received 98,486,000 visits. This year marks the debut of the Museum Index segment of the report, measuring the top attended museums in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and globally.

John Robinett, Senior Vice President, Economics, at AECOM, says, “The major operators in Europe, Asia and North America all had a successful year – but Asia is the really dramatic news. We forecast in last year’s Theme Index that the industry in Asia would begin to outpace the industry in North America, and the 2012 report contains the first clear sign of it: Our figures show that water park attendance totals in Asia have, for the first time, surpassed those of North America.”

The TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index is a collaboration of the Themed Entertainment Association(TEA) and the economics practice at AECOM, a global provider of technical-professional and management-support services. This calendar-year study of global attractions attendance is a free resource for park operators, land developers and the travel industry. Top worldwide theme parks, amusement parks, water parks, museums and theme park group operators are named, and industry trends are identified.

The largest amusement/theme park market remained North America, with 131,555,000 visits to the continent’s 20 largest parks in 2012, up by 3.6 percent from 2011. Asia’s amusement/theme park market continues to grow rapidly, achieving 108,689,000 visits to its 20 largest parks in 2012, up 5.8 percent from 2011. Continuing to struggle with the effects of the Euro crisis, the top 20 amusement/theme parks in Europe saw attendance decline marginally to 57,954,000 visits in 2012, down 0.3 percent from 2011. Despite significant declines at a few of Latin America’s amusement/theme parks, the top 10 amusement/theme and water parks in the market grew by 2.6 percent to 13,199,000 visits in 2012.

The top 20 water parks in North America grew by 2.2 percent to reach 15,386,000 visits in 2012. The top 15 water parks in Asia grew significantly faster at 7.4 percent, achieving 15,999,000 visits in 2012.

The top 20 museums in Europe had 71,536,000 visits in 2012, followed by the top 20 museums in North America with 55,816,000 visits, and the top 20 museums in Asia with 41,568,000 visits. In contrast to the amusement/theme parks and water parks, all of which charge an entry fee, the museums include those with both paid and free entry.

The complete TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index examines attendance trends by geographic region and park type, and includes rankings of top attractions.

TEA president Christine Kerr of BaAM Productions says, “TEA is pleased to work with the economics practice at AECOM to deliver the annual TEA/AECOM Theme Index, and especially pleased to see that this year’s numbers reflect growth and recovery. This free resource is invaluable to monitoring the health and progress of the visitor attractions industry.”

Additional quotes – Americas, Asia-Pacific & Europe

Brian Sands, Vice President, Economics, Americas, AECOM
“Overall growth in the North America theme park market was substantial in 2012, with 131.6 million visits to the top 20 theme parks, equal to 4.6 million more visits or 3.6 percent higher than 2011. This is the second consecutive year of growth around three percent.”

“Latin America’s top theme/amusement and water parks saw 13.2 million visits in 2012, representing growth of 2.6 percent or 336,000 visits — a jump in comparison to 2011’s very modest growth.”

Chris Yoshii, Vice President, Economics, Asia-Pacific, AECOM
“Combined attendance at the Top 20 Asia theme parks increased by 5.8% overall in 2012 to a record 108.7 million visits. This solid growth was led by the post-tsunami recovery of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, as well as significant new attractions added to major parks.”

Natalia Bakhlina, Associate Director, Economics, Europe, AECOM
“Overall attendance at theme parks in Europe has been relatively static for two consecutive years, hovering around 58 million visits to the top 20 parks. The industry has suffered from the enduring recession climate, worsened by cold and rainy weather in Northern European countries.”

About TEA 
The TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) is an international nonprofit alliance founded in 1991 and based in Burbank, Calif. TEA represents some 7,000 creative specialists, from architects to designers, technical specialists to master planners, scenic fabricators to artists, and builders to feasibility analysts working in more than 900 firms in 40 different countries. TEA presents the annual Thea Awards and the TEA Summit and hosts the annual SATE conference (Story, Architecture, Technology, Experience). TEA produces a variety of print and electronic publications, including the annual TEA/AECOM Theme Index, TEA Annual & Directory and Thea Awards Program. Visit TEA on the web at http://www.TEAconnect.org.

About AECOM 
AECOM is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. With approximately 45,000 employees around the world, AECOM is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural, and social environments. A Fortune 500 company, AECOM serves clients in more than 140 countries and had revenue of $8.2 billion during the 12 months ended March 31, 2013. More information on AECOM and its services can be found at http://www.aecom.com.

For additional figures and analysis of global theme park attendance, previous editions are available in the TEA Publications Archive and on the TEA blog.

Attraktion!GmbH to Showcase PLAYOKE Dance at IAAPA Asian Attractions Expo

Joe Kleiman
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Attraktion!GmbH to Showcase PLAYOKE Dance at IAAPA Asian Attractions Expo

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Vienna, Austria — Markus Beyr and his company Attraktion! GmbH will showcase their latest product, called “PLAYOKE Dance,” at IAAPA’s Asian Attractions Expo (AAE) in Singapore on 5th-7th June 2013. PLAYOKE Dance is said to be the first interactive dance game using motion tracking that is designed specifically for out-of-home commercial use. Attraktion! will introduce PLAYOKE Dance at AAE (exhibit booth #1626) to show its applicability to theme parks, family entertainment centers, science centers and other leisure facilities.

PLAYOKE Dance image: Attraktion! GmbH. Click for more images.

“Hitherto, virtual games based on motion tracking have been playable only at home,” says Markus Beyr, who has been involved in the creation of some 200 media-based attractions around the world. “Since the emergence of PLAYOKE Dance, this motion tracking interface can be applied to large groups of participants, in a commercial leisure setting. PLAYOKE Dance is a tech-enhanced group experience and an entertaining game due to its real-time features, and is scalable and flexible in respect of size and content.”

PLAYOKE Dance is scalable for any size group. Image: Attraktion! GmbH.
 

Attraktion! will present additional products and current projects to operators, developers and leisure industry stakeholders at AAE, including the company’s latest project – the “Chariots of the Gods” Theme Parks – currently in development in Asia and Europe, and offering high-end, media-based visitor experiences.

Markus Beyr
Markus Beyr

Markus Beyr is available for meetings during AAE Singapore. Attraktion! is in exhibit booth #1626. Business and press inquiries are welcome at any time.“We invite all potential partners to contact us and find out what Attraktion! can do for them,” says Markus Beyr. He advocates a team-based model of project creation, saying, “The producer-driven team is the ideal approach in today’s global markets. Similar to the way movies are made, the producer recruits and manages the best possible team to fulfill the client’s vision.”

About Markus Beyr and Attraktion! Group
Markus Beyr of Attraktion! Group has played a key development and project production role on several unique, celebrated projects with high international profiles including Marvel Superheroes 4D at Madame Tussauds London; Arthur L’Aventure 4D at Futuroscope, France; Dragons Treasure at City of Dreams, Macau; the Aviation Pavilion at Expo 2010 Shanghai and many more. Digital dome “fulldome” experiences are one of the areas of specialization for the Attraktion! group, which is already involved in creating the next generation of these immersive theaters. Several of the above projects recently received the prestigious Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association.

Over the course of nearly 20 years as a creative executive in themed entertainment, Markus Beyr has demonstrated his ability to build and manage internationally known firms. Beyr’s Attraktion! portfolio already comprises several different companies, and Attraktion! is currently engaged on a dozen high-profile projects around the world, in a variety of roles from project management of media-based attractions to overseeing the full development of a branded destination theme park and resort.

Markus Beyr is currently active in several global industry associations. He is a member of the IAAPA European Committee and the Themed Entertainment Association, and sits on the IMERSA Board of Advisers.

Union Station Kansas City Hosting World Premiere of “Alien Worlds and Androids” Exhibit

Joe Kleiman
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Union Station Kansas City Hosting World Premiere of “Alien Worlds and Androids” Exhibit

entrance

Kansas City, MO, USA — Alien Worlds and Androids, an all-new touring museum exhibition featuring scientific and educational content from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and NASA, is opened at Kansas City’s Science Center, Science City, in Union Station Kansas City on Friday, May 24, 2013. In this 5,000-square-foot interactive exhibition, visitors join scientists in their search for alien life within and beyond our solar system, discover strange alien-like creatures found here on Earth, and learn about the technologies used to explore remote solar systems and extreme environments found on Earth.

ironman-2

Produced by Global Experience Specialists (GES), Alien Worlds and Androids addresses the question that has fascinated man for centuries: “Are We Alone?” Through the use of robots, telescopes, space probes and high-tech laboratories, scientists have been studying the possibility of life existing beyond Earth and what forms it may take depending on the environment.  This exhibition has nine areas highlighting their studies and findings: Are We Alone, Looking for Life in Space, Alien Life on Earth, Artificial Intelligence and Robots, Robot Space Explorers, Explore the Solar System, The Robotization of Planet Earth, I-Cyborg, and The Human Microbiome.

exterminator

“We are excited be the host site for the world premiere of an exhibition that provides our visitors the opportunity to experience STEM education in a fun, interactive manner. This limited engagement highlights the science center’s mission of serving as a scientific, educational and cultural resource to the community. We are dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of science, learning and discovery. Visitors will leave this exhibit inspired to further explore their natural curiosities,” says George Guastello, Union Station President & CEO.

alien-1

Entry to Science City, which includes admission to Alien Worlds and Androids, is $11.50 for children ages 3 to 12, $13.50 for adults (13 and older), and free for Union Station members.  For more information, please visit www.unionstation.org.

About Union Station Kansas City, Inc.

Union Station Kansas City is a historical landmark and civic asset renovated and reopened to the public in 1999. The organization, driven by its mission of science and history education and entertainment, features Kansas City’s science center, Science City; the popular Model Railroad Experience open year round; the new Gottlieb Planetarium, the Regnier Extreme Screen Theatre, the region’s largest screen movie theater; live theater, shops, restaurants and home to prominent area civic organizations and businesses.                                                   

About GES

Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES), a Viad Corp (NYSE: VVI) company, is a leading marketing agency that produces exhibitions, events, exhibits and retail environments. GES provides a wide range of services, including turnkey official show services, cutting-edge creative and design, marketing and measurement services—all with an unrivaled global reach. GES partners with leading shows and brands, including Spring Fair Birmingham, International Woodworking Fair, CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE, Bell Helicopter, L’Oreal, Warner Bros., and Simon Property Group. GES’ National Servicenter® has been recognized with certification under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program℠ for the past five years, and for the fourth year in a row Ad Age has named GES as one of the “World’s 50 Largest Agency Companies.” For more information, visit ges.com or the GES blog at defyingconvention.ges.com.

Disney California Adventure to Host Red Carpet World Premiere of “The Lone Ranger”

Joe Kleiman
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Disney California Adventure to Host Red Carpet World Premiere of “The Lone Ranger”

DIGITAL_LR_ALT_1-SHEET_Burbank, CA, USA /BusinessWire/ — Walt Disney Studios Chairman, Alan Horn, announced that ticket sales from the highly anticipated World Premiere of Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “The Lone Ranger” will benefit the American Indian College Fund. The event will take place on Saturday, June 22, at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California. A giant red carpet down the Park’s iconic Hollywood Boulevard will be lined with thousands of park guests cheering for the film’s stars, filmmakers and the many Hollywood celebrities in attendance. The Lone Ranger’s horse Silver will make an appearance and an actual train engine built for the film will be on display.

“We’ve had a terrific collaboration with the Native American community throughout the production of Disney’s ‘The Lone Ranger,’” said Alan Horn, Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. “With the world premiere of this exciting film at hand, we are pleased to commemorate the occasion by supporting the American Indian College Fund.”

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Academy Award® winner Gore Verbinski, “The Lone Ranger” is a thrilling adventure infused with action and humor, in which the famed masked hero is brought to life through new eyes. Johnny Depp stars as a newly imagined Tonto and Armie Hammer plays the masked lawman himself—the Lone Ranger.

Tickets for the premiere event have been donated by Disney to the American Indian College Fund, which will offer them for sale to the public; tickets will be available for purchase at https://community.collegefund.org/the-lone-ranger, starting today. Because Disney is also underwriting the entire cost of the premiere, 100% of the revenues received by the American Indian College Fund for the tickets will be used for scholarships and other support for Native American students. Tickets are priced at $1000.

Fund President, Cheryl Crazy Bull, stated: “The Fund is pleased to be the beneficiary of this event because our scholarships are an investment in a healthier, more prosperous future for tribal students and their families. We are poised to serve over 20,000 American Indian and Alaska Native students attending the tribal colleges across this country. Currently our scholarships serve less than 21% of those students so we appreciate any opportunity to bring resources into our scholarship program.”

Disney California Adventure Park will be hosting the premiere and sponsors will be offering opportunities for the guests in conjunction with the event. Commenting on the premiere event, Tom Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said, “All of us at Disney Parks are thrilled to host the world premiere of ‘The Lone Ranger’ at Disney California Adventure. Disney brings unforgettable stories and characters to life in our movies and in our parks and resorts, so there’s no better place than Disney California Adventure to start this trailblazing film on its journey.”

Time Warner Cable, a title sponsor of the world premiere of Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “The Lone Ranger,” will stream the event LIVE from Disney California Adventure Park.

Visa Signature, a premiere sponsor, will have a fan pen on the red carpet for the first 50 Visa Signature cardholders who show their card.

The Utah Office of Tourism and Film, a premiere sponsor, will provide an opportunity for guests of the park to enter to win a trip to Utah and premiere guests will enjoy a photo opportunity provided by the sponsor. Many of the movie’s memorable scenes were filmed in the Monument Valley area of southern Utah.

Christie Digital, a global visual technologies company with expertise in film projection since 1929, is providing all the projection for “The Lone Ranger” premiere.

A one-of-a-kind Lone Ranger Ninja motorcycle from Kawasaki, a sponsor of the premiere, will be displayed at the event and will be available for the stars in attendance to autograph. The bike will be auctioned off at a later date, with all proceeds going to the American Indian College Fund.

Subway is providing sandwiches for the premiere guests.

Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “The Lone Ranger” opens in theaters July 3, 2013.

From producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, the filmmaking team behind the blockbuster “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, comes Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ “The Lone Ranger,” a thrilling adventure infused with action and humor, in which the famed masked hero is brought to life through new eyes. Native American warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law, into a legend of justice—taking the audience on a runaway train of epic surprises and humorous friction as the two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption.

“The Lone Ranger” also stars Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter.

A Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films presentation, “The Lone Ranger” is directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Gore Verbinski, with screen story by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Justin Haythe and screenplay by Justin Haythe and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio. “The Lone Ranger” releases in U.S. theaters on July 3, 2013.

www.disney.com

Carowinds Turns 40

Joe Kleiman
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Carowinds Turns 40

CAROWINDS 40TH ANNIVERSARYCharlotte, NC, USA — On Saturday, June 1, 2013,  Carowinds kicked off their 40th anniversary summer celebration with a birthday party packed full of fun – and cake, the largest ever served on the state line.

When it debuted in 1973, Carowinds was located in the small city of Charlotte and the smaller town of Fort Mill, SC.  In the last forty years as the metropolitan areas have grown and evolved, so has the park.  Its original size of 73 acres has grown to 398 of rides and attractions, including 13 world class coasters, most of which travel at speeds, heights and curves that were unimaginable back in 1973.  Four original rides continue to entertain visitors  today: The Scrambler, The Carolina Goldrusher coaster, Snoopy’s Junction train, and the iconic Carolina Skytower.

Carowinds opened for daily operation on June 2, 1973, to an enthusiastic crowd.  They enjoyed the day in their bellbottoms and mini skirts and have been coming to enjoy the park’s thrills, shows and attractions ever since.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON OPENING DAY:

  • Price of admission on this special 40th anniversary day?  $40.
  • Ceremonial ribbon cutting with two people who were at the park opening day- James Henderson, Carowinds’ first official visitor, and  Connie Dorn Rist, Ms. North Carolina 1972.
  • Fort Mill High School marching band opened the park and helped lead the crowd in singing happy birthday as the park cut and share their giant birthday cake.
  • Carowinds worked with Arcadia Publishing to commemorate their anniversary season with a beautiful book featuring a historical collection of photos documenting four decades of thrills.
  • The party kept going with the crew from V101.9 fm.  They led the evening portion of the birthday bash with a performance by the Purple All Star Steppers and a summertime dance party.
  • The World’s Largest Soul Train Line.
  • The park wraped up the celebration with fireworks coordinated to light up the night with the biggest hits of 1973.

THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES ALL SUMMER LONG:

  • Special next-day ticket price through the entire month of June.  Come back the next day for only $19.73.
  • The Marvelous Mutts, these talented canines will amaze  with their tricks and speed.
    June 10-16 at the Intimidator infield
  • King BMX Show, riders entertain audiences with their high-flying stunts, flips and power.
    June 27-30 in Cobra Plaza
  • Gradfest, a graduation celebration with dance parties, concerts and more June 14.
  • Return to Pirate Island.  Get ready to set forth with the little ones on a trip for buried treasure and more!  Boomerang Bay July 8-14,
  • Lunch with the Peanuts Gang, interactive character meal puts guests at the head of the table.
    In the Rose Room VIP venue July 15-19.

www.carowinds.com

nWave Pictures to Launch New 4D Experience “The Good, The Bad, and a Horse” at IAAPA Asian Attractions Expo

Joe Kleiman
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nWave Pictures to Launch New 4D Experience “The Good, The Bad, and a Horse” at IAAPA Asian Attractions Expo

NWPD_GBH_Poster_1000x1291

Brussels, Belgium and Singapore —  nWave Pictures Distribution is pleased to announce it will launch a new 4D/3D attraction film named “The Good, The Bad and A Horse” next week at IAAPA’s Asian Attractions Expo. Directed by Ben Smith, the film tells the story of a brave young sheriff and his horse as they track down the meanest, baddest and stinkiest bandit in the whole wide Wild West. The 11-minute 4D experience is available for distribution exclusively from nWave and will premiere at attractions and theme parks this summer.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with our production partner Red Star again, as we bring this exciting comic adventure to our clients,” said Eric Dillens, Chairman of nWave Studios. “The film offers a truly immersive attraction experience by taking full advantage of the potential of 4D effects such as 3D-stereoscopy, sound and special effects, smell, explosions and wind blasts.”

“Westerns have entertained audiences since the dawn of cinema and with nWave Pictures Distribution, we’re delighted to show this popular theme in an entirely new 4D format to family audiences worldwide,” said film director Ben Smith, who is also Red Star’s Creative  Director.

Attraction and theme park exhibitors can experience “The Good, The Bad and A Horse” in 4D in the company’s state-of-the-art screening room (Booth #427) during the IAAPA Asian Attraction Expo, which takes place next week, June 4-7, in Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Expo Convention Center.

The film depicts the tribulations of a plucky sheriff and his horse, the West’s most ornery, most reluctant and most apple-minded of steeds. When a bank robber evades capture by means of an unusual weapon and then escapes by train with the loot, our hero goes after him in hot pursuit, unfazed by the dangers posed by a deserted mine and a broken-down railway,

“The Good, The Bad and A Horse” is produced by British 3D animation studio Red Star. It marks the third collaboration between the two companies, which have already released two other 4D titles, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (2012) and “Sherlock Holmes” (2013).” nWave is the market leader for attraction and ride simulation films, maintaining a catalogue of 64 titles in distribution.

www.nwave.com

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