Supplier Update
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Since it was released in 2009, Turtle Vision has become one of the most successful 3D/4D attraction films ever for distributor nWave Pictures. The adventures of Sammy
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and Ray have been licensed to more than 80 theme parks, amusement parks, aquariums and attractions worldwide, as well as enthralling movie-goers in two feature-length animated films. To celebrate the release of Turtle Vision 2 4D, nWave founder and Turtle Vision director Ben Stassen discusses the popularity of Sammy and friends
By
extracting all storylines, characters and other elements from the feature film we are able to create a very high quality attraction at a manageable cost
Turtly amazing! S
nWave celebrates Turtle Vision success
ince 1992, I have worked on 23 ride or attraction films and am now producing my sixth feature film. Turtle Vision was designed as a
follow up to Panda Vision/SOS Planet, which was released in 2002 and had previously been nWave’s most successful attraction film to date. Panda Vision was originally produced for Efteling as part of an attraction sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. Because of its roots, it had a strong conservation message, consisting of three scenes: the destruction of the underwater habitat, the melting of the polar ice caps, and the destruction of the rainforest. What it didn’t have was a common connecting element. When we created Turtle Vision, we used many of the same themes, but added Sammy the turtle to link it all together. It’s a good immersive theme park attraction, a coming of age story about life in the ocean, but still it has a message on top. I think having an iconic character that kids can relate to really gave it an added dimension and has been key to the film’s success. Ten years ago there were not that many high quality 3D films available for parks and attractions outside Disney and Universal. People don’t want to see a film in a theme park that is of lesser quality than what they see day in and day out at the multiplex; if anything they expect something more because it is a special day out and they might have waited hours in line for the attraction.
Ben Stassen
that first with Fly Me To The Moon, and then Sammy’s Adventures – which is based around the same story as Turtle Vision. In Sammy’s Adventures we had recognisable names providing the voices including Melanie Griffiths, Gemma Arterton and Dominic Cooper, however each territory usually re-voices the film using local talent. Some of these performers, who are used to creating characters and getting a good rhythm, provide some very professional results.
The cost to produce something of this quality is very high; it’s almost impossible to do it for less than
” NOVEMBER 2012
Raising the bar We have always tried to try and raise the bar with the quality of our attraction films at nWave, and in 2005 we decided that to achieve that it would make sense if we also starting producing 3D feature films. We did
€250,000 to €300,000 per minute. That’s not viable if you only doing an attraction film, but by extracting all storylines, characters and other elements from the feature film you are able create a very high quality attraction at a manageable cost. It’s a win-win situation for us and the customer. A lot of people think we did Turtle Vision and then decided to make a feature out of it, but it was all done at the same time. The feature was always part of the plan. As the production of the film takes abut two to two-and-a-half years, we concentrated first on the scenes that would be used in the attraction film, which is only 13 minutes long by comparison. Turtle Vision came out in spring 2009, followed by Sammy’s Adventures in August 2010.
Cross-promotion
Some attraction operators think it cannibalises the market having a feature film out there, but in fact you can use the attraction as an extended trailer for the film and we have done several cross-promotions between theme parks and local cinemas. And of course it works the other way round too – once you have seen the feature in the cinema you can go and experience it in the park with all the added 4D effects. We’ve actually produced two attraction versions of
nWave founder Ben Stassen has directed both Turtle Vision films
Turtle Vision 2. In the first, which is pretty much a mirror of Sammy’s Adventures 2, Sammy and Ray have been captured by some poachers and taken to a Middle East aquarium. The aquarium is really nice, they are well cared for, but still they want freedom. Then there is another version in which Sammy and
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