InPark Magazine

SMPTE to Honor George Lucas and Other Leaders in Motion-Imaging at the 2014 Honors & Awards Ceremony

August 29, 2014

White Plains, NY, USA — The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®), the worldwide leader in motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries, today revealed the outstanding industry members who will be recognized Thursday, Oct. 23, at the SMPTE 2014 Honors & Awards Ceremony.

The SMPTE 2014 Honors & Awards Ceremony, supported by IMAX, is being held in conjunction with the SMPTE 2014 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Those registering for SMPTE 2014 may elect to purchase awards ceremony tickets with their conference package. A limited number of tables are also available for purchase. Further details about the event are available at www.smpte2014.org.

Honorary Membership in the Society recognizes individuals who have performed eminent service in the advancement of engineering in motion pictures, television, or in the allied arts and sciences. It is the Society’s highest accolade. This year, SMPTE honors three technologists for their innovations, which have left a lasting impression on the industry.

George Lucas is best known as a writer, director, and producer responsible for iconic American films, but Lucas is also a pioneer in the adoption of new technologies for motion picture production and exhibition. Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) in 1975, and it has gone on to produce visual effects (VFX) for nearly 300 films. Among many other innovations, ILM invented the OpenEXR file format in 2000 to support high dynamic range (HDR) imaging. The animation studio Pixar was founded as the Graphix Group of Lucasfilm in 1979. In 1981, Lucas co-founded the sound company THX to advance the quality of theatrical sound systems. In 2002, “Star Wars: Episode II-Attack of the Clones” was the first major Hollywood feature to be captured digitally, on 24p high-definition (HD) video cameras. In his determination to push the medium of cinema with new technologies and techniques, Lucas encountered both support and skepticism. It is now clear that his perseverance and vision were key factors in the eventual widespread adoption of digital cinematography in motion picture production. Photo Credit – Bloomberg via Getty Images

Leonardo Chiariglione is generally considered to be the driving force behind the development of the MPEG set of standards that underpin today’s many digital moving pictures applications. Chiariglione’s constant push for a simple, standardized moving pictures toolbox began in 1988 with the founding of the International Standards Organization (ISO) Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) group, and it continues to the present day. Chiariglione has forcefully maintained focus on timely standardization, technical simplicity, and efficiency. The wide adoption of MPEG-2 to MPEG-4, in particular, is apt testimony to the contribution Chiariglione and the MPEG group has made to date.

The Honor Roll posthumously recognizes individuals who were not awarded Honorary Membership during their lifetimes but whose contributions would have been sufficient to warrant such an honor.

John Logie Baird (1888-1946) is inducted into the SMPTE Honor Roll in recognition of his lifelong contributions as a pioneer in television technology. His accomplishments include the first live television demonstration (in 1925), the first publicly shown color television system (1928), and the first fully electronic color television picture tube. The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) began transmitting with the Baird system in 1929. Baird continued to develop new technology including a mechanical color system in 1939 (adopted by CBS/RCA); a 500-line 3-D system in 1941; and an electronic 600-line color display in 1944. Baird lobbied for post-war standardization of his 1,000-line electronic color television system. Photo Credit – The LIFE Picture Collection, Getty Images

The Progress Medal is the highest SMPTE medal award, and it recognizes outstanding technical contributions to the progress of engineering phases of the motion picture, television, or motion imaging industries. Ioan Allen has earned the 2014 Progress Medal Award in recognition of his many contributions to the motion picture and television industry, specifically his innovations in sound research and development programs at Dolby Laboratories, including Dolby Stereo®, Dolby Spectral Recording (SR), and Dolby Digital, as well as his ongoing contributions to worldwide standards organizations.

The Archival Technology Medal recognizes significant technical advancements or contributions related to the invention or development of technology, techniques, workflows, or infrastructure for the long-term storage, archive, or preservation of media content essence. The 2014 award will be presented to Neil Beagrie in recognition of his long-term contributions to the research and implementation of strategies and solutions for digital preservation. Beagrie played a key role in the development of a collaborative approach to the study and dissemination of knowledge relating to research data management, digital preservation, digital curation, and data archive. He was responsible for establishing the Digital Preservation Coalition, with more than 35 major members from industry, national libraries, broadcasters, and archives. In addition, he was responsible for establishing the digital preservation program within the Joint Information Systems Committee. This program helped to create the Digital Curation Center, which seeks to actively manage, preserve, and curate digital data throughout the research life cycle.

The David Sarnoff Medal recognizes outstanding contributions to the development of new techniques or equipment that have contributed to the improvement of the engineering phases of television technology, including large-venue presentations. Clyde D. Smith Jr. will receive the 2014 award in recognition of his pioneering work in the application and deployment of digital technologies in the broadcast network environment, including the development of automated, server-based closed-captioning systems, as well as optimization of digital media to address the issue of audience disaggregation and to provide the capability to seek out viewers on their preferred platform and make a rich selection of programming available to them in their preferred environment. Smith’s experiences, contributions, and support have provided critical guidance to the development of a meaningful educational experience for local broadcast engineers.

The Digital Processing Medal recognizes significant technical achievements related to the development of digital processing of content for cinema, television, games, or other related media. The 2014 award will be presented to Barry Haskellfor his contributions to the digital transmission and coding of images over a 44-year career. Haskell has published more than 70 technical papers and holds more than 125 patents. He is the author or co-author of three books, including one of the foundational books on MPEG. Haskell managed the compression research group at Bell Labs, making major contributions to the MPEG standards, and followed that at Apple Computer, where his research team made significant contributions to the H.264/AVC standard.

The Kodak Educational Award honors an individual who advances the educational process at any level through innovative and inspirational methods, and it recognizes outstanding contributions in new or unique educational programs utilizing the technologies of film. Steve Wright will receive the 2014 award for his service in visual effects as an accomplished practitioner and master trainer. Wright’s specialization is in the digital domain, but he has long been an advocate for visual effects education in workflow for both film and digital intermediates. He has worked to perfect and to implement color management paradigms in compositing, cementing the place of film in digital postproduction and promoting stronger understanding of film’s value in digital compositing. Wright has been a master visual effects trainer since 2005, and his two books, “Compositing Visual Effects: Essentials for the Aspiring Artist” and “Digital Compositing for Film and Video,” are among the very few that actively instruct in film color science for digital intermediate and compositing.

The Samuel L. Warner Memorial Medal recognizes outstanding contributions in the design and development of new and improved methods and/or apparatus for motion picture sound, including any step in the process. Ville Pulkki will receive the 2014 award for his outstanding contributions in the field of spatial sound reproduction and multichannel audio rendering, including the two-dimensional and three-dimensional panning methods of vector-base amplitude panning (VBAP) and non-unitary vector-base amplitude panning (NVBAP). The value of Pulkki’s contributions is underscored by the emergence of immersive sound in the cinematic and broadcast arts.

The Technicolor/Herbert T. Kalmus Medal recognizes outstanding contributions that reflect a commitment to the highest standards of quality and innovation in motion picture postproduction and distribution services. The 2014 award will be presented to Jim Houston for his leadership and contributions in the application of digital technologies to motion picture production and postproduction processes. As an industry leader, he established a state-of-the-art digital finishing facility for a wide range of postproduction processes including digital intermediates, digital cinema mastering, and restoration. Houston has played a key role in the development of standards related to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Academy Color Encoding System (ACES), as well as various standards for video and motion picture mastering.

The Workflow Systems Medal recognizes outstanding contributions related to the development and integration of IT file-based systems and infrastructures into production processes. Philip Tudor will receive the 2014 award for his foundational contributions to professional media file formats and for early implementations of file-based workflows. Tudor has worked tirelessly in numerous SMPTE committees and in the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), focusing on developing standards and specifications for file-based essence and metadata interchange. His pioneering work on tapeless audio and video capture, Material eXchange Format (MXF), and the Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) led to the implementation of workflows at the BBC. Tudor continues file-based workflow innovation with the Digital Production Partnership (DPP) and IP Studio, which focuses on file-based workflows for live television production within an Internet protocol (IP) environment.

The Camera Origination and Imaging Medal honors the recipient by recognizing significant technical achievements related to invention or advances in imaging technology including sensors, imaging processing electronics, and the overall embodiment and application of image capture devices. Eric R. Fossum will receive the 2014 award in recognition of his leadership in the invention and development of the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensor (APS) technology. This advancement was first published in 1993 while Fossum worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Additionally, he promoted the new technology to a broad range of manufacturers as a new way of making camera image sensors. CMOS image sensor technology is now widely deployed in motion picture and television cameras, cell phones, medical devices, security systems, and many other professional and consumer applications.

Each year, one SMPTE Journal Award is presented to the author of the most outstanding paper originally published in the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal during the preceding calendar year. The 2014 SMPTE Journal Award will be presented to Andrew B. Watson for “High Frame Rates and Human Vision: A View Through the Window of Visibility,” published in the March 2013 issue of the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal. Journal Certificates of Merit will also be presented to Benjamin Bross, Heiko Schwarz, and Detlev Marpe for their May/June 2013 Journal article titled “The New High-Efficiency Video Coding Standard.”

The Citation for Outstanding Service to the Society, which recognizes individuals for dedicated service for the betterment of the Society over a sustained period of time, will be conferred upon five SMPTE members:

John Beckhaus, for his dedication and service to the Australia Section over the past decade. Beckhaus has served on the Section board since 2003, taking on the additional roles of membership chair, providing a contact point for queries from regional membership, and minute secretary, ensuring comprehensive reporting of both Section board and subcommittee meetings. He has also served six terms as audio visual (AV) chair for the biennial Australia Section conferences, managing the complex requirements of conference presenters. Beckhaus is a dedicated Section member, always working behind the scenes to ensure the success of the Australia Section meetings.

Siegfried G. Heep, for his contributions to the Hollywood Section, as well as his instrumental role in the reinvention of the Society’s annual Honors & Awards Ceremony. Heep has served as a role model for active involvement in SMPTE as both a Hollywood Section member and manager. In 2007, he was enlisted as the technical director for the newly reimagined Honors & Awards Ceremony, transforming the event from a small ceremony to the full-fledged, high-quality awards event that it has become today. Heep has reprised his role each year since, helping to improve the show in terms of technical production, quality, and prestige.

Federico Savina, for his leadership and support of the Italy Section over the past 25 years. As one of the original SMPTE Members who petitioned for the formation of the Italy Section in 1989, Savina has been a long-term contributor to the Section, serving the Section board for 10 years in the roles of secretary/treasurer and manager. Savina attends and contributes to all Section activities and was instrumental in bringing the SMPTE Regional Seminar to Rome in 2013. A professor at Roma University, Savina strives to raise the bar in digital cinema (D-Cinema) education, and he is working to provide his students with an introduction to the industry through participation in SMPTE.

T.J. Scott Jr. for his leadership and commitment to raising the standard of quality for Atlanta Section events. His close alignment with developing trends and innovative technologies, as well as his substantial contacts in the industry, have led to a collection of well-executed, technically inspired monthly meetings. Through Scott’s efforts, the Atlanta Section has seen growth in both its membership and meeting attendance. His contributions to the production of the Section’s 2007 “Video Over IP” seminar in particular set the bar for excellence in special event programming. All subsequent special events have been sold out, reinforcing SMPTE’s reputation for producing exceptional and inspired events.

Peter M. Weitzel for his instrumental role in re-establishing the SMPTE U.K. Section, and for his leadership in driving the growth of the Section and the quality of programming provided to its members. A driving force behind the U.K. Section, Weitzel’s enthusiasm, determination, and outreach, especially to students and universities, have contributed to the 200-percent increase in the Section’s membership during its first two years of operation. His passion for the Society’s core mission and goals is ever-present as he works to increase the visibility and impact of SMPTE at both a global and regional level.

The Excellence in Standards Award recognizes individuals or companies that have been actively involved in advancing the Society’s standards activities and processes. The 2014 award will be presented to John Hudson for his sustained efforts in the development and evolution of standards relating to real-time electrical and optical streaming media interfaces for video and D-Cinema production. Hudson authored the SMPTE 3Gb/s serial digital interface (SDI) standard in parallel with his work developing the necessary components, resulting in a rapid and successful adoption of the interface by the industry, and he is a key player in the development of 6Gb/s and 12Gb/s UHDTV SDI interfaces. Hudson’s SMPTE work is characterized by commitment and competence, combined with an attitude of cooperation and collegial relations with colleagues and competitors.

As previously announced, eight new SMPTE Fellows also will be recognized during the event: Hanno Basse,Thomas G. Edwards, Joseph J. Kane, Jr., John McCoskey, Andrew Quested, Vince Roberts, Jim Starzynski, and Colin R. Wright. More information about Fellows inductions is available at: www.smpte.org/2014fellows.

SeaWorld San Antonio Announces Enhanced Habitats for Killer Whales, Dolphins, and Sea Lions

Joe Kleiman

August 28, 2014

SeaWorld San Antonio Announces Enhanced Habitats for Killer Whales, Dolphins, and Sea Lions

[quote]These enhanced habitats will allow our guests to have a greater connection to these animals, inspiring them to learn about and care for the natural world we share.” — Chris Bellows, Vice President of Zoological Operations.[/quote]

San Antonio, TX, USA — SeaWorld San Antonio has announced that unprecedented expansions will dramatically transform the park’s landscape over the next several years. Each of these future attractions involves state-of-the-art enhancements to animal exhibits.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has announced that it plans to build new,first-ever killer whale environments at all three SeaWorld parks. The enlarged environments will provide killer whales with even more dynamic opportunities for stimulation. It will support the whale’s broad range of behaviors and provide choices that can challenge the whales both physically and mentally. Among other things, it is planned to include a “fast water current” that allows whales to swim against moving water, thus functionally increasing speed and diversity. Innovative features focused on husbandry and animal care will offer SeaWorld’s animal health professionals and independent scientists unique access to the whales that can lead to a better understanding and care of the animals both in the parks and in the wild. The first of the expanded killer whale facilities will open in SeaWorld San Diego in 2018, and the parks in Orlando and San Antonio are planned to open similar facilities in the following few years.

Dolphins To Receive New Facilities in 2016

The San Antonio park will begin construction in spring 2015 on a significant addition that will open in 2016. This project, one of the largest capital investments in the park’s history, will include a revolutionary new area for dolphins located in the northern part of the park.

These changes will provide an enhanced natural environment that reflects a coastal themed home for the dolphins, as well as allow guests to experience these amazing mammals in new, more powerful ways.“For 50 years, SeaWorld has connected millions of guests to the natural world through our amazing animal attractions. As an accredited Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) facility and world leader in animal care, these future attractions will not only revolutionize the way our guests interact with our animals, but will allow us to continue SeaWorld’s excellent standard of care,” said Park President Dan Decker.

Major Renovations to Sea Lion Attraction To Open in 2015

In spring 2015, SeaWorld San Antonio will complete major renovations to its California sea lion attraction. The area surrounding the sea lion facilities will be reimagined as Pacific Point Preserve – an immersive experience that has the look and feel of a Pacific coast town where guests will make powerful connections with sea lions and other coastal wildlife. This new realm will not only include a brand-new show, but will also feature a significant transformation to the park’s sea lion exhibit that allows guests to experience a more enriching animal connection.

Pacific Point Preserve will also feature a new restaurant that’s unlike anything SeaWorld has offered before. The restaurant will feature food-court style service, giving guests the options to choose among up to four different styles of cuisine and allowing for quicker order delivery.

The park’s current sea lion show, “The Cannery Row Caper” – the longest-running show in SeaWorld San Antonio’s history – will end its nine-year run on Monday, Sept. 1. This popular production stars sea lions Clyde and Seamore in their hilarious attempt to solve the mystery of fish disappearing from a cannery.

seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-sanantonio

Six Flags Announces 2015 Lineup of Thrills and Memories

Joe Kleiman

August 28, 2014

Six Flags Announces 2015 Lineup of Thrills and Memories

[quote]News in every park has driven all-time-high guest satisfaction and record financial results over the last four years, and we are excited to build on our strong momentum.” — Jim Reid-Anderson, Chairman, President and CEO of Six Flags[/quote]

Grand Prairie, TX, USA (August 28, 2014) / PR Newswire / — Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX), the world’s largest regional theme park company, today announced thrilling new offerings for each of its 18 parks for 2015. The upcoming season will include unique, one-of-a-kind attractions, sophisticated new interactive dark rides and, in signature Six Flags fashion, a selection of world-record-breaking rides from coast to coast.“Innovation is part of our DNA and we look forward to introducing another exhilarating roster of rides and attractions for our guests in every park next season,” said Jim Reid-Anderson, Chairman, President and CEO. “Among the 2015 highlights announced today:

–Six Flags Magic Mountain, the Thrill Capital of the World, and recently voted by USA TODAY readers as America’s Best Theme Park, has unveiled plans for the highly-anticipated, world-record-breaking hybrid coaster, Twisted Colossus, an unprecedented, awe-inspiring four-minute journey through nearly 5,000 feet of track and two lift hills. Twisted Colossus, the next generation of the beloved wooden roller coaster that thrilled millions of guests in its 36-year reign at the park, will be a unique technological marvel combining an iconic wooden structure with state-of-the-art Iron Horse Track. The advanced technology, available exclusively at Six Flags, provides ride experiences never before possible on wooden coasters, such as over-banked turns and inversions. Twisted Colossus will feature numerous exciting components including a “Top Gun” element, the western hemisphere’s first “High Five” element, and a Zero G Roll.
–Six Flags New England, the Thrill Capital of New England, is introducing Wicked Cyclone, a new state-of-the-art roller coaster that integrates the latest in ride technology and innovation. The coaster will offer the ultimate in thrills and adrenaline by combining the extreme characteristics of steel and wood, and be the first hybrid roller coaster to hit the east coast.Wicked Cyclone’s steel track provides riders with a smoother and more thrilling ride along its 3,320 feet of track. The ride stands 10 stories in the sky and reaches speeds of up to 55 mph, providing riders with more airtime than any other coaster in New England.

–Six Flags Over Texas, the Thrill Capital of Texas, and Six Flags St. Louis, the Coaster Capital of Missouri – in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment – have announced the next generation of interactive thrills with the debut of an all-new 3D interactive dark ride attraction, JUSTICE LEAGUE: BATTLE FOR METROPOLIS. Slated to open at both parks in 2015, guests will become members of the JUSTICE LEAGUE Reserve Team and engage in a full-sensory journey as they battle alongside SUPERMAN, BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN and GREEN LANTERN against Lex Luthor, The Joker and his henchmen. Traveling in six-passenger vehicles, riders must outsmart Lex Luthor and The Joker to save the city of Metropolis.

–Six Flags Fiesta Texas has unveiled plans to debut the most exciting coaster in the park’s 22-year history – BATMAN: The Ride. Riders on this 4D Wing Coaster will “face their fear” as they flip head-over-heels at least six times along the weightless, tumbling journey. The ride features a massive, imposing, floating and twisting track frame in which ride vehicles begin their journey by traveling up a 120-foot elevator-type lift before being released for their highly unusual sensory journey…including two beyond-vertical free falls, in addition to the six head-over-heels spins. Not only is BATMAN: The Ride the most exciting thrill ride in Fiesta Texas history, it is currently not available anywhere else on the planet.

–Six Flags Great Adventure, the world’s largest theme park, is gearing up for more roller coaster thrills and Halloween scares in 2015. The 510-acre theme park, recently voted America’s second best theme park by USA TODAY readers, debuts the park’s 13th roller coaster Looping Dragon – a pendulum-style thrill ride that offers gut-wrenching loops with maximum “hang” time. The park is also expanding its notoriously scary Fright Fest Halloween festival in 2015 with two new indoor mazes – “Big Top Terror,” a 3-D, black light experience, and “Condemned,” which takes guests inside the walls of a prison. Next door, Hurricane Harbor introduces its first outdoor grill and new, luxury cabanas.

–Guests can rocket up seven stories in all directions – forward, backward and upside down – through a bedlam of loops on THE JOKER Chaos Coaster at the Thrill Capital of the South, Six Flags Over Georgia outside of Atlanta. In addition, guests can spin, twist and roll through a cycle of classic fun on Harley Quinn Spinsanity. Both new thrilling attractions will transform the park’s iconic Gotham City this coming spring. At the South’s Most Thrilling Water Park, Six Flags White Water in Marietta, Georgia, water park daredevils are invited to slip into a clear capsule with a trap door then plummet down more than 100 feet at nearly 90 degrees for a zero-gravity experience on the Dive Bomber water slide.

–Six Flags Great America, near Chicago, is proud to announce a celebration of 40 Seasons of Thrills in 2015. From its launch in 1976 to today Six Flags Great America has lead the way in innovation with the addition of world-class coasters, state-of-the-art shows and a massive 20-acre waterpark. Next season Six Flags Great America will upgrade the signature areas of the park, Carousel Plaza and Hometown Square, and re-introduce children’s rides for families to share with the next generation of thrill-seekers. Additionally, Six Flags Great America will host weekly celebrations, in-park festivities and events throughout the summer.

–Six Flags Great Escape near Lake George, NY will debut the newly renovated Buccaneer Beach in 2015. The restoration and transformation of a popular children’s area in Splashwater Kingdom makes way for this re-themed pirate adventure featuring children’s slides and interactive water elements offering endless water park fun. The expansion of the water park also includes new pool deck space and increased shaded water park seating.

–Bourbon Street Fireball, Six Flags America’s 10th roller coaster, is a chaotic looping coaster with a train that holds 24 riders seated in unique forward and backward, face-to-face positions. The full chaos of the ride is unleashed as the train swings pendulum style to a completely suspended position at the top of the loop, hanging guests momentarily upside down. In full motion, the coaster loops into a series of 360^° revolutions of pure adrenaline. Just as the riders think they know what to expect, the train reaches the top of the loop only to reverse direction for additional 360^° revolutions.

–Six Flags Mexico, the world-class theme park in Latin America, will add the tallest and most exciting spinning attraction in the country. Soaring an astounding 242 feet in the air,SkyScreamer will provide guests breathtaking, panoramic views as they spin high above the park and city below. The journey begins as 32 guests sit two across in open-air swings. At full swing, guests revolve in a 98-foot circle at speeds of 35 mph for a full two minutes. The Six Flags globe at the top of the tower will serve as a new icon drawing guests from near and far. It is time to fly and conquer the sky in the new SkyScreamer.

–La Ronde, Quebec’s leading destination for thrills and family entertainment, is turning up the fear factor in 2015 with the addition of an all-new, year-round haunted attraction. Guests will be terrified when walking through Maison Rouge – Labyrinth of Fear, a bone-chilling funhouse that will leave them screaming for their lives.

–Dare devils be on alert as Six Flags Discovery Kingdom opens Dare Devil Chaos Coaster in 2015, a single looping coaster that builds anticipation as riders seated back to back travel backward and forward until momentum takes them at top speed revolutions, only to stop upside down at 70 feet high, then reverse direction. It is a thrill ride guaranteed to get their adrenaline pumping.

This fall at all Six Flags parks, Fright Fest – the biggest Halloween event in America – keeps getting bigger, better and scarier with more zombies, ghouls and haunted mazes than ever before. Later this year, for the first time ever, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Over Georgia join several other Six Flags parks by ringing in the holidays with Holiday in the Park – a winter wonderland featuring all the familiar sights and sounds of the season along with roller coasters, rides and attractions.

For more information about upcoming 2015 Six Flags rides and attractions, including a video highlighting the new rides and attractions, visit www.sixflags.com/2015news.

High Rollers: Meet the theme park talent at the hub of Vegas’ new wheel

Martin Palicki

August 27, 2014

High Rollers: Meet the theme park talent at the hub of Vegas’ new wheel

Caesars Entertainment’s High Roller transforms the Las Vegas skyline and anchors the LINQ, a new 200,000 square-foot retail, dining and entertainment district on the Strip. Reaching 550 feet high, the High Roller is currently certified the tallest observation wheel in the word.

The High Roller and The LINQ are revitalizing the central Strip area. As Las Vegas continually reinvents itself, the new developments signal a renaissance of attraction entertainment, coupled with premium gaming and shopping experiences. And while the benefits of this rebirth are evident to all guests as they walk down Las Vegas Blvd, what isn’t as well known is the theme park talent that helped bring the High Roller to life.

These are top-tier leaders and consultants whose contributions over the years are significant in defining and redefining the theme park guest experience.

[Htab]
[tab title=”David Codiga”]

As executive project director for the High Roller and The LINQ, David Codiga has had a storied career in attractions and theme park development, having led Universal in the creation of the Jurassic Park, Terminator 2: 3D, Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Earthquake: The Big One attractions as well as heading the design and development of Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

[/tab]
[tab title=”Greg Miller”]

Greg Miller oversaw design and construction of High Roller and The LINQ. Prior to joining Caesars in 2004, he spent eight years at Universal Studios Parks and Resorts group, including President of Spain’s Port Aventura. While at Universal, Miller was involved in the development of Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Japan.

[/tab]
[tab title=”Eric Eberhart”]

Eric Eberhart, GM of High Roller and The LINQ, helped to choreograph the pre- and post-ride experience, staffed the operation, selected the purchasing system, oversaw the design of the uniform, and developed and managed the master schedule. Eric started as a ride operator at Disney, working his way up in the company, even helping to build another iconic tall attraction: Disney’s Tower of Terror.[/tab]

[tab title=”Steve Alcorn”]

Alcorn McBride’s equipment is at the heart of High Roller’s control and playback systems. Prior to founding Alcorn McBride, Steve Alcorn helped create control systems for Epcot’s The American Adventure and Journey Into Imagination attractions. His company’s first show controller was used in Epcot’s Wonders of Life pavilion.[/tab]

[tab title=”Phil Hettema”]

Phil Hettema developed the concept design and produced High Roller. At Universal Creative, he directed the expansion of Universal’s theme parks in Hollywood, Orlando, Spain and Japan, and was one of the primary forces behind Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando. Now his own company, The Hettema Group, helps design parks and attractions around the world.[/tab]

[tab title=”Lisa Passamonte Green”]

Lisa provided initial lighting design concepts for the project. Lisa’s career spans nearly a quarter decade and her work can be seen in theme parks around the world. She and her team at Visual Terrain, Inc. have provided the lighting concept, design specs, procurement and show control integration for lighting projects in just about every architectural setting imaginable.

[/tab]
[tab title=”Frank Wiegand”]

Frank Weigand provided engineering consulting services for High Roller. Frank has been involved with some of themed entertainment’s signature attractions. After a successful career as a sought-after consultant and as top mechanical engineer at Walt Disney, Weigand formed the TWT Group, a collaboration of many former Disney and Universal engineers.

[/tab]
[tab title=”Randy Printz”]

Before being High Roller’s Wheel Project Manager, Randy started at Walt Disney Imagineering as an economic planner for Epcot and Tokyo Disneyland. In 1994 Universal Studios recruited him to join as Senior Vice President for Universal’s $1.1 billion Islands of Adventure. He subsequently went on to executive manage Universal Studios Japan during the concept and planning phase.

[/tab]
[tab title=”Abigail Rosen Holmes”]

Abigail, wheel lighting designer who owns NYX Design, is a former Disney Imagineer who worked on projects including Rock N’ Rollercoaster at Disneyland Paris. Her designs can be found in the world of art, music, culture and commerce and is on display in museums, in TV productions, on concert stages and in major themed retail developments.

[/tab]
[tab title=”Kevin Ruud”]

Kevin Ruud designed show control and AV systems for High Roller. In earlier days as a partner at Thoughtful Design, he worked on projects for Disney, Landmark Entertainment, Sea World, Bremen Space Park, The Star Trek Experience, MGM Grand Adventures, and many others.

[/tab]

[tab title=”John Kasperowicz”]

John Kasperowicz, AIA was High Roller’s design architect. As an Imagineer with the Walt Disney Company, John was one of the original master planners and designers of EPCOT Center, World Showcase and Tokyo Disneyland. After establishing his own firm, XPA Experiential Architecture, John developed concepts for Disney’s Pleasure Island in Orlando and Disneyland’s ToonTown. [/tab]

[/Htab]

High Roller photo courtesy Nate Stiller, Wikimedia Commons

Saving the World: one interactive dark ride at a time

Joe Kleiman

August 27, 2014

Saving the World: one interactive dark ride at a time

Triotech, Sally Corporation, and Alterface Projects each bring something to the art of virtual shoot-em-up

by Joe Kleiman

Dark rides have been around as long as the amusement park industry. Over the years, a variety of elements have been added to enhance the guest experience – animatronic characters, 3D film, and finally, interactivity. Each element makes the ride more like being inside a video game.

As the dark ride continues to be reinvented for new generations of theme park fans, scenarios where the rider/player saves the world (or perhaps the bakery) are popular as ever. Three suppliers each bring something special to the medium: Wonder Mountain’s Guardian, supplied by Triotech, engages riders with the world’s longest interactive screens. For Justice League Invasion 3D at Warner Bros. Movie World, Sally Corp. combined interactive video with physical targets and animatronics. And for the Rabbids product offering, Alterface Projects utilizes an innovative interface to determine where players’ artillery would actually land.

Wonder Mountain’s Guardian

A rollercoaster transitions into a journey inside the mountain

Montreal-based Triotech entered the 4D market with the Typhoon coin-op motion simulator. The company went on to develop 4D theaters equipped with motion seats and interactive target shooting.

For the Cedar Fair-owned Canada’s Wonderland near Toronto, Triotech designed the interactive elements, media content and 4D effects for the park’s $10 million attraction for 2014, Wonder Mountain’s Guardian, the first attraction to be built inside the park’s iconic manmade mountain. According to Christian Martin, Triotech’s Vice President of Marketing, “Canada’s Wonderland is always wanting to do new stuff and they always wanted to do something with that space. There had already been a coaster going around the outside of the mountain, so that’s how they wanted to start this ride. There were really three partners – the park, us, and ART Engineering, which built the coaster.”

The ride begins with a preshow video, designed as an old storybook on worn parchment, which gives the backstory of how the King fought a dragon and lost his crown in the depths of the mountain. It is the mission of the riders to head off and retrieve it. The preshow is hosted by a ranger character, who appears again throughout the interactive portion of the ride. Boarding two car trains, with passengers facing both front and back, riders are sent up a roller coaster lift hill and swoop around the mountain while rising and dipping on the new coaster track. Finally, the train enters an opening in the side of the mountain. As a gate closes behind riders to keep out natural light, the ride vehicles rotate 90 degrees, facing the world’s longest interactive screens, measuring 500 feet in total length.

Having such long screens gives the effect that the riders are continually moving and descending into the depths of the mountain. This effect is maintained through the video image, as the ride vehicle maintains a steady elevation and speed during the dark ride segment. Distractions from surroundings and other vehicles are minimized by creating a halo effect around the real time 3D graphics, where the periphery of the immediate viewing area is blacked out. The entire experience is progressed down the screen through a continuous series of dual 3D projectors.

Triotech’s setup at Canada’s Wonderland supports interchangeability. With the need to only change the program inside the mountain and the preshow video, multiple shows can be presented. There are already plans for Wonder Mountain’s Guardian to take up a different storyline for Halloween. Martin notes that even more than one show can be programmed for the same date. He says, “The tradeoff is theming. But the general effects are there that can be used for a show – sound injection for feedback, force feedback in the guns, light, heat, wind, and smoke as our 4D effects. We don’t currently have water effects on this attraction but they could be added.”

What makes this unique over other dark ride adventures is, as Martin puts it, “Who saved the world? The people are in the game on this ride rather than just watching the game.”

Justice League Invasion 3D

Battling Starro the Conqueror alongside superheroes

Another place riders can save the world is at Warner Bros. Movie World on Australia’s Gold Coast. In Justice League, Alien Invasion 3D, an AUS$9 million attraction that opened in 2012, they join the DC superheroes in battling a menace from outer space. Designed by Sally Corporation of Jacksonville, FL, Justice League represents the latest in a long line of licensed attractions from Warner Bros.

Founded in 1977, Sally began by manufacturing audio animatronic figures. By the late 1980s, it had expanded into designing and manufacturing dark rides. Sally has manufactured dark rides with shooting elements for a number of years and has even retrofitted a number of conventional dark rides into shooters.

Working with the park, Warner Bros, and DC Comics, Sally set out to replace a Batman simulator with something unique and interactive. The simulator attraction and theming were removed and the show was redesigned. According to Sally Chairman and CEO John Wood, the villain of Starro the Conqueror, was suggested for the attraction by DC. “He proved perfect as the starfish made perfect targets.” One of Sally’s most advanced animatronic characters, Cyborg, resides in the queue. After that, a number of simple animations exist on the ride.

Throughout the queue, a preshow video comprised of television news stories gives the background to the ride’s story. A scanner showing a negative image indicates that riders in the queue have not been infected by Starro’s spores. Finally, Batman appears on a screen speaking with Cyborg as riders board their cars.

Throughout the adventure, citizens have been infected by Starro’s starfish and they are also thrown at riders on 3D video screens. Every starfish target gives a score. In the video portion, the starfish can be blown up. When physical targets are hit, the gun vibrates and the lights on the starfish go out.

Rabbids Invasion

Multi-stage wrangle with unruly critters

Although the guns on Justice League were designed by Sally, the system they run on was developed by Belgian company Alterface, which is currently creating an interactive dark ride based on French videogame company Ubisoft’s popular characters the Rabbids, a group of crazy rabbit-type creatures with an anything goes attitude.

Since 2001, Alterface has been manufacturing interactive rides and theaters using both physical and media interfaces. The company is currently in talks with a number of operators for the Rabbids Invasion attraction. The cost and footprint of the attraction will vary depending on the individual needs and availability of the location.

Rabbids will be similar to another next-generation interactive ride introduced by Alterface at Phantasialand in Germany. Called Maus au Chocolat, it tells a story of mice infesting a bakery and it’s up to the riders to kick them out. According to Alterface CEO Benoit Cornet, the ride runs three-car trains, each with two riders on each side facing in opposite directions. During interactive segments, the vehicles rotate to face six interactive screens, with two players shooting at each screen. Speakers at the height of the riders’ ears give personal messages related to their performance.

Cornet says that storytelling is important in telling riders what the mission is within the first five seconds. He adds, “Without that tool in hand, it’s just theoretical.” Alterface uses a combination of pre-rendered video, for scenes designed to be viewed, and real-time animation for strong action scenes. They have discovered that commercial game engines tend to work best. For the Rabbids rides, Ubisoft itself will handle the animation.

On Rabbids, a standard formula will be used for the ride. The gun will be a plunger, which fits in with the humor of the franchise. The first scene will be designed to be both fun and funny, and will give be used to instruct riders how to use the plunger. They get their first feedback and then move on to the second scene, where they will spend more time getting used to the shooting device. After that, scenes become more difficult.

There is no standardized attraction format set for Rabbids, other than it will combine physical sets with target screens. The storyline has broad appeal, and, as Rabbids don’t talk, there’s no need for regional dubbing.

Alterface developed a system called “Head Detection,” which tracks riders’ head movements. This allows the show system to determine where they’re looking and make adjustments as to where their projectiles will fall behind the screen. This technology is currently in use in both Maus au Chocolat and Sally’s Justice League and will be incorporated into Rabbids. • • •

Deep inside the Lost Temple: Movie Park Germany delivers media-based thrills

Martin Palicki

August 27, 2014

Deep inside the Lost Temple: Movie Park Germany delivers media-based thrills

interview by Judith Rubin

Tram cars are virtually swamped by dinosaurs in Bottrop-Kirchhellen, where Movie Park Germany has just launched “The Lost Temple.” This new, immersive media-based, stereo 3D motion simulation attraction exemplifies how today’s sophisticated digital tools are advancing the art, shortening the production timeline and bringing higher-end attractions within reach of regional parks’ budgets.

“The Lost Temple” takes guests on a simulated journey through a forgotten, unexplored world with prehistoric animals, temples and dinosaurs. The backstory is that the world was discovered below the Movie Park site. Part of the preshow is an elevator simulation that takes guests far underground.

Movie Park Germany tapped Riva Digital and sister company Riva Creative to develop the “Lost Temple” story, script and graphics and produce the media, scenic installation and queue areas. Riva Digital co-owns the film with the park, and Riva’s senior producer on the project was John Kokum. Brent Young of Riva Digital was contracted in the role of media creative director, and Super 78 provided editorial, technical previsualization and development support while Tau Studios did the creative pre-visulization and the CG animation on the project and Yessian did the audio.

Interview with Brent Young

“The Lost Temple” took slightly less than a year from concept to completion. How did digital tools help streamline its production?

We used digital pre-visualization instead of building a physical mockup, which saved both time and money. The client and all the creatives were able to experience the ride in development by viewing it in 360 on Oculus Rift headsets. Super 78 developed software along with the help of David Sliviak from Riva Digital to create a virtual mockup that was extraordinarily accurate and incorporated all the CAD designs for the building.

What is the technical configuration for the motion simulation?

It uses tram vehicles on a rail, and on that rail is a motion simulation platform that takes you down into a locked position and then lifts you up to be surrounded by the near-wraparound screen. There are 7 pairs of Christie projectors. The audio system was designed with sixteen channel audio, each capable of being controlled individually for discreet audio mapping.

What else is in the attraction?

There are about a dozen themed spaces including 7 preshow rooms, an elevator experience and many special and unexpected effects such as fireballs in the queue.

Tell us about the show control.

Movie Park brought in the company Night Life, who are excellent programmers, to create a really slick, intuitive, Medialon-based control system. Movie Park general manager Wouter Dekkers can control the fireballs in the preshow, and even run through full show programs using his custom-programmed iPhone.

How did the installation process go?

The World Cup was going on during installation, so that added a unique background element to our experience – and an especially intense moment of celebration when Germany won. It was great to be on the spot for that.

S78 reveals their Oculus-based attraction visualization tool: Mushroom™

“The Lost Temple” Creative Director Brent Young developed the attraction’s storyboards, oversaw the media production, and harnessed Super 78 to provide technical solutions for the ride’s complex projection scheme. Young said, “The Lost Temple illustrates perfectly that exceptional creative and media paired with bold leadership, like Wouter Dekkers of Movie Park Germany, can produce an ‘E-ticket’ attraction that regional parks can afford. That’s what we want to deliver to parks everywhere.”

Super 78 contributed significant technological innovation to the pre-viz process with their new Mushroom™ attraction development tools. Using the Oculus Rift VR headset and proprietary software developed by Super 78, Mushroom virtually transports the viewer into a fully developed 3D space. They can then move through the space and experience every detail, including projected media, in realtime.

The Lost Temple’s projected 3D imagery is displayed on an enormous, curved screen that wraps almost completely around the ride vehicles. Normally, the only way to check the stereo, scale and perspective for every rider position would be to build a full-size mock-up, at huge expense in time and cost. “With Mushroom, we saved a significant amount of time and money by virtually putting everyone into The Lost Temple theater, allowing them to sit in any seat, in any row, and accurately experience the attraction from start to finish,” as Michael “Oz” Smith, Super 78’s Technical Director explained. “No matter where they were, anywhere in the world, every stakeholder could ride The Lost Temple before any construction began.”

Dina Benadon, Super 78’s CEO, added, “We are thrilled that the promise of virtual reality is finally being realized and that Mushroom is at the forefront of this revolution in the themed entertainment industry. We look forward to sharing Mushroom with all our clients. And wait until Oculus releases its consumer product; we have some big things planned!”

Credits (provided by Riva Digital)

Wiebe Damstra – Project Manager Movie Park Germany

John Kokum – Attraction Sr. Producer – Riva Digital

Brent Young – Attraction Creative Director / Film Director – Riva Digital

Steve Rosolio – Project Coordinator – Riva Digital

Riva Digital – Motion Graphics and Pre Show

Riva Digital / Riva Creative – Script

Riva Creative – Graphics and Story

Creative Design Services – Attraction Layout and Concept art

Super 78 – Animatics, technical previsualisation, Editorial, Media Installation

Yessian – Attraction Music and Sound

Tau Films- CGI/Animation and creative previsualisation

Rocas – Theming and Scenic

Simworx- Ride and A/V

Lost Temple Graphic Logo: By Riva Creative

Photos by Brent Young

• • •

Cloud-based curation: Mixby, museums and mobile

Martin Palicki

August 27, 2014

Cloud-based curation: Mixby, museums and mobile

by Joe Kleiman

Museums continue to pursue new ways to integrate smartphones and tablets into their exhibits and venues. Techniques have ranged from static podcast tours to QR codes on exhibit signage. Seattle-based Artifact Technologies has met the challenge from a different angle. Its Mixby platform alerts the mobile device, delivering location relevant content. We talked to Artifact CEO Greg Heuss about how Mixby operates.

Mixby uses digitally ‘fenced’ areas to identify the user’s real-world location. Built-in GPS is an option to build area networks; however, it is not accurate when mapping small, precise locations or reliable when users are inside buildings.

Heuss explained that Mixby supplements GPS with BLE beacons. They are comprised of small modules about the size of an egg, a small battery and a low energy Bluetooth (BLE) transmitter. Once the transmitter detects a Bluetooth signal from a mobile device running Mixby, data is sent to the phone using either cellular or WiFi signals.

The first museum application of Mixby is now active at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington. As visitors enter a particular exhibit, the beacon notifications alert patrons that additional content is available. For example, in the museum’s Butterfly House, a Mixby beacon engages visitors with butterfly background information, a content scavenger hunt, and a coupon for merchandise in the gift shop.

To populate content inside the app, a browser-based, administrative control panel enables the Museum to create these beacon experiences. They can change exhibit information, view and publish user-submitted photos (a photo-submission option for visitors lives inside the app), and create new exhibits and places.

Heuss cited an example of Mixby supporting attendance for the Pacific Science Center’s IMAX theaters. “If tickets are limited or a show has sold out, the Museum can send an immediate notification to all their visitors using Mixby.” Special announcements can be sent for events, and a feature coming soon will allow visitors to purchase tickets directly from their devices. Mixby updates can be done on the fly using the control panel.

Mixby will first integrate Facebook and Twitter and then move on to add Pinterest and Instagram. It is designed to support on-location download of content such as videos that can later be viewed at home via Apple TV or Google Chromecast, and set up with iTunes or Google Play to support purchases being charged directly to a user’s existing account.

Greg Heuss shows one of the BLE Beacons at the Pacific Science Center (top) and an interactive message triggered during a guest’s visit. Photos courtesy geekwire

Artifact charges clients a one-time setup fee for the platform, based on the size of the venue, number of users, and number of beacons to be installed. There is also a hosting fee based on usage, plus a revenue share where applicable. Operators of the platform don’t need any additional hardware or infrastructure in deploying Mixby. Heuss says, “Everything runs on our back-end and is stored in the Amazon Cloud.”

Once museum visitors leave the Pacific Science network, they step into a larger Mixby network encompassing the entire Seattle Center complex the museum is part of. There, the user is presented with content and information pertinent to the other opportunities around them, such as the Space Needle, EMP and Chihuly Glass Museum, just to name a few. This “nested network” configuration can be applied to venues such as sports stadiums, music festivals or shopping districts. Mixby’s goal, said Heuss, is to “create a more curated experience. You can walk to an exhibit, or any point of interest in a location, and we can integrate audio, video, still images, any kind of media into an entire tour of that place.” • • •

more info: www.artifacttech.com

MyMagic+ technology changes Disney parks

Martin Palicki

August 27, 2014

MyMagic+ technology changes Disney parks

by Martin Palicki

According to Tom Staggs, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman, the company’s investment in MyMagic+ technology has been huge (see InPark Issue #48, Tickets to Ride for more on how ticketing technology is changing the guest experience): changing out turnstiles at all park entrances, retrofitting 28,000 hotel room door locks, increasing FastPass attractions from 28 to over 60 property wide, and installing stationary and mobile readers at countless retail locations.

[quote]As has become typical for Disney, MyMagic+ has raised the bar for the amusement park and themed entertainment industry. This is the forefront of entertainment technology and I imagine that we’ll see it permeate other segments of our lives very soon. -Dave Hutton, Diamond Ticketing[/quote]

At the heart of the experience is the Magic Band, a semi-rigid plastic wristband containing RFID technology encoded with guest information, hotel reservations, park tickets, Fast Pass reservations and more. WDW resort guests now receive a Magic Band for their visit, while visitors staying off-property receive an RFID-embedded ticket card that functions similarly. Those guests are also able to purchase a Magic Band for $12.95. All guests can adorn their bands with covers, attachments and decorations, available at multiple retail locations around the parks and resorts. The technology inside the band (referred to as “magic” by Disney staff) has an anticipated lifespan of several years, although it depends on usage.

Guests see the first change at the park entrance. Turnstiles are gone and guest simply wave their Magic Band (or ticket card) in front of the Mickey post, use their finger for biometric verification, Mickey turns green, and the guest enters the park. Disney has moved their guest relations staff to the entrance area, armed with iPads, standing ready to handle problems that arise on the spot. Approximately the same number of staff are required for the new system as was needed for the old turnstiles.

[quote]With MyMagic+, Disney is prompting attraction operators around the world to evaluate a range of technologies that can deliver similar guest improvements to their own operation. – Steve Brown, accesso[/quote]

Staggs says already 40% more park visitors are using the Magic Band’s FastPass+ system than the old ticket-based FastPass, which was a major breakthrough in queue management for parks when it debuted in 1999. The new program has been designed from the start to allow cast members to be more involved with guest interactions than with guest transactions.

FastPass+ is completely integrated into the Magic Bands, and can be set up in advance via the My Disney Experience website and smartphone app. Each guest is allowed three pre-reserved FastPass+ attractions per day and can then set up additional passes via in-park via kiosks (plans call for this functionality to move from kiosks onto guests’ phones in the future). When it is time to go on the attraction, guests wave their band by the Mickey post (similar to the front entrance) and a green light indicates it is OK to continue in the FastPass+ line. Each Mickey post also makes a welcoming sound upon entrance that, while hard to hear, is themed to each attraction.

[quote]Anyone of any age who sees a MagicBand is immediately intrigued and wants to know how it works and how they can get one…suddenly ticketing seems pretty cool! – Melinda Arvin, OmniTicket[/quote]

Guests can also use their bands to pay for virtually anything in the parks and resorts, including a special lunch at the Be Our Guest restaurant in Fantasyland. There, guests can pre-reserve a meal and dining time online. As they show up to the restaurant, RFID readers indicate to a cast member who they are. Once they enter the restaurant doors, their food order is transmitted to the kitchen. The guests choose their own table and within minutes their meal is “magically” delivered to them.

[quote]RFID is here to stay and MyMagic+ will help to make it more accepted and even desired by the customer base. – Mark Danemann, Siriusware[/quote]

The system is designed to evolve, and the capabilities are nearly endless. “[Our] vision is simple: To be the most trusted provider of shared family travel and leisure experiences throughout the world,” explains Staggs. “And with MyMagic+ we are taking that experience to a new level.” • • •

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InPark MagazineServing the themed entertainment industry

InPark MagazineServing the themed entertainment industry

InPark MagazineServing the themed entertainment industry

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Themed entertainment’s great new storytelling tools

Judith Rubin, IPM co-editor

Sin city: the remix

Martin Palicki, IPM editor

Triotech, Sally Corporation, and Alterface Projects each bring something to the art of virtual shoot-em-up

Wonder Mountain’s Guardian

A rollercoaster transitions into a journey inside the mountain

Justice League Invasion 3D

Battling Starro the Conqueror alongside superheroes

Rabbids Invasion

Multi-stage wrangle with unruly critters

Interview with Brent Young

“The Lost Temple” took slightly less than a year from concept to completion. How did digital tools help streamline its production?

What is the technical configuration for the motion simulation?

What else is in the attraction?

Tell us about the show control.

How did the installation process go?

S78 reveals their Oculus-based attraction visualization tool: Mushroom™

Credits (provided by Riva Digital)

InPark MagazineServing the themed entertainment industry