Thursday, March 28, 2024

2015 Marked Banner Year for Thinkwell with Fourteen Projects Opened Worldwide

PHOTO courtesy Thinkwell Group
Los Angeles, CA, USA (March 1, 2016) — Thinkwell Group, a global experience design and production agency specializing in the creation of theme parks, major attractions, live events, and museum exhibits around the world, is celebrating a significant company milestone – opening 14 projects in ten cities in 2015. The projects, the most opened by Thinkwell in a single year, range from a huge indoor theme park in northern China to a traveling exhibition based on a blockbuster motion picture franchise to a new museum dedicated to the art of puppetry.
The remarkable year began with the January opening of the Thinkwell-designed Aquanaut Adventure: A Discovery Zone, an interactive educational exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. This exhibit encourages kids to discover and learn through a series of immersive environments where they can explore ocean life, sea creatures, and underwater habitats in this interactive journey through the aquarium.
In March, working in close partnership with Warner Bros., Thinkwell opened the first major expansion to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter. The 20,000-square-foot addition includes a recreation of the iconic Platform Nine and Three-Quarters set and features the Hogwarts Express, the original locomotive used throughout the Harry Potter film series.
In the spring, Thinkwell opened two projects in Harbin, in northern China, further expanding their foothold in the Asian entertainment market. Eontime World, an immersive 323,000-square-foot indoor theme park features brand new rides and live shows in a fantasy environment based on a Thinkwell-created intellectual property. SongSong Town, a multi-level entertainment village inside the LeSong Plaza mall, welcomes children and families to explore a brand new type of indoor entertainment project that Thinkwell calls an “activity park.”
In June, another Warner Bros. project opened to the public, Stage 48: Script to Screen, a highly interactive attraction at Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood. This finale to the studio backlot tour features a hands-on introduction to the television and film making process, from screenwriting and set design to visual effects and post-production. Also in June, Thinkwell produced, in conjunction with Universal Studios Hollywood, an explosive and exciting media event to celebrate the opening of Universal’s newest attraction at the movie theme park, Fast & Furious – Supercharged. The media event featured stars from the blockbuster motion picture series, live entertainment, pyrotechnics, dancers, and death-defying car jumps and precision stunts for the VIP guests, international media, and press.
Just before the Fourth of July weekend, Thinkwell worked with Lionsgate to open The Hunger Games: The Exhibition in New York City’s Discovery Times Square. This 12,000-square-foot touring exhibition features the costumes, props, and artifacts from Lionsgate’s blockbuster The Hunger Games motion pictures. The exhibit includes educational content that connects the books and films to the social and political themes found within the stories along with custom interactives and media experiences created and produced by Thinkwell.
November saw the opening of another unique museum project for Thinkwell, the Worlds of Puppetry Museum at the Center for Puppetry Artsin Atlanta, Georgia. This museum features the largest collection of Jim Henson puppets and artifacts in the world and also boasts an impressive collection of international puppets curated from cultures all over the globe.
At the close of the year, Thinkwell installed the first of a multi-project effort at the world famous San Diego Zoo. 2016 is the Zoo’s centennial and Thinkwell has been working with this prestigious institution for the past two years on strategy, concepts, and implementation of their centennial plan. In addition to providing strategic and creative development for the Zoo’s centennial celebration, Thinkwell also produced the San Diego Zoo Centennial film and other media that will be incorporated around the Zoo for use throughout the year.
“2015 was an incredible year for us,” said Joe Zenas, chief executive officer of Thinkwell Group. “To go from a major blockbuster museum exhibit to a huge indoor theme park in China to one of our most interactive attractions to date—all in one year—was an extraordinary feat and an incredible effort from studios and teams around the world. We are incredibly honored to have our clients partner with us to help develop and produce their successful projects.”
Joe Kleiman
Joe Kleimanhttp://wwww.themedreality.com
Raised in San Diego on theme parks, zoos, and IMAX films, InPark's Senior Correspondent Joe Kleiman would expand his childhood loves into two decades as a projectionist and theater director within the giant screen industry. In addition to his work in commercial and museum operations, Joe has volunteered his time to animal husbandry at leading facilities in California and Texas and has played a leading management role for a number of performing arts companies. Joe previously served as News Editor and has remained a contributing author to InPark Magazine since 2011. HIs writing has also appeared in Sound & Communications, LF Examiner, Jim Hill Media, The Planetarian, Behind the Thrills, and MiceChat His blog, ThemedReality.com takes an unconventional look at the attractions industry. Follow on twitter @ThemesRenewed Joe lives in Sacramento, California with his wife, dog, and a ghost.

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