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Park News
www.parkworld-online.com
MERLIN ‘SPONSORS’ LONDON EYE
Leading UK attractions operator Merlin Entertainments has revealed the second part sorts, included as part of the standard £17.50
of its three-year upgrade plan for the London Eye. The attractions operator now ($29/Euro.18620) ticket price. The theatre was installed
lends its own name to the ride, which visitors can enjoy together with a by SimexIwerks and, refreshingly, the
complementary 4D cinema experience at County Hall. accompanying four-minute film features live
“For Merlin it makes perfect sense to raise our own profile by publicly linking action, rather than CGI, 3D footage. The 4D
ourselves with one of our key global attractions at this time,” says Merlin CEO Nick effects include wind, snow and smell (see below for
Varney. more details).
Now known as The Merlin Entertainments London Eye, the new identity will be Installing the 4D cinema in County Hall, a grade
backed up by the observation wheel’s first ever television commercial. Earlier this 3 listed building, presented several challenges for
Merlin also took out TV advertising for its new Annual Pass, as it seeks to build its Merlin, its architects and construction team.
brand in the mind of consumers familiar with its individual attractions but not the However, it used the opportunity to refurbish the
parent company. ticket hall and information area in the same building
British Airways, which sponsored the Eye since its unveiling in late 1999, withdrew at and highlight the ride’s new identity as The Merlin
the start of 2008 and since then Merlin has been seeking an alternative sponsor. The Entertainments London Eye. The improvements are
company says it is confident of finding a replacement in time for the 2012 Olympics in part of an ongoing three-year upgrade that will be
London, but in the meantime is comfortable using the ride to boost its own profile. finished in time for the Olympics. At present, each of
“Since Merlin acquired the London Eye in 2007 we have come to appreciate what the wheel’s capsules is being removed one at a time
4D
action
now
a powerful brand it is in its own right,” says a Merlin spokesperson. “We have and taken away for refurbishment.
awaits
London
therefore become very selective about the nature and kind of sponsorship we feel is
Eye
guests
appropriate for the brand, and while we have had many partnership offers none of
The making of…
them to date have reflected in our
opinion the unique opportunity the Eye
presents.”
London Eye 4D Experience
Now open alongside the Eye is a
Created at Pinewood Shepperton Studios, the 3D film now offered as an integral part
new £5 million ($8.2m/Euro.1865.8m) 4D
of the London Eye experience has been described by one of its creators as, “the most
cinematic experience, a pre-show of
significant live-action 3D movie produced in the UK to date.”
The four-minute production features the first ever real life 3D footage of London
landmarks such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and of course the Eye itself.
Guests can enjoy the film as a precursor to a ride on the Eye in a custom-built 4D
cinema next to the attraction in County Hall.
The movie was written and directed by Julian Napier and produced by Centre
Screen Productions in association with Principal Large Format (PLF) and Pablo Post.
Stereo 3D production was by PLF’s Phil Streather.
The storyline involves a young girl on a New Year’s Eve visit to the capital, whose
view of the city’s many tourist sites are constantly obscured by crowds, other buildings
and the general hubbub of the metropolis. Just when it seems her trip is destined to
end in disappointment, she is whisked away by a friendly seagull for a view like no
other – from The Merlin Entertainments London Eye.
“The story needed to be told very quickly and be non-dialogue dependent as many
of the Eye’s passengers are foreign tourists,” explains Napier. “It was also paramount
to set this apart from the typical adrenaline-pumping 4D theme park experience as the
Eye is visited by infants, pensioners and everyone in between.”
“Among the many firsts on this project,” he adds, “ are the amazing aerial views
over London. We worked with Jeremy Braben of Helicopter Film Services to design
and build the world’s first gyro-stabilised 3D helicopter camera mount, and we think
the results speak for themselves –simply breathtaking.”
Filming the live action footage
on the banks of the
River Thames








20
SEPTEMBER 2009
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