Branded Attractions
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Angry Birds 4D Experience
The world’s first Angry Birds 4D cinema experience has opened as part of a transformed corner of Thorpe Park, Merlin Entertainments’ teen-friendly amusement park near London
Detonator
Angry Birds Land Thorpe Park ” Heavy Hitters
horpe Park is the UK’s thrill capital,” believes Mark Fisher, Merlin’s chief development officer. “Its edgy, fun and tongue in cheek atmosphere is perfect for Angry Birds; and the park’s young adult and family visitors are the core target audience for the franchise.” Developed with Rovio, the Finnish company behind the massively popular Angry Birds game/app, this is the first amusement park outlet for Angry Birds in the UK (Sundown Adventureland in Nottinghamshire and Lightwater Valley in Yorkshire each feature an Angry Birds Activity Park). It is, however, the only one to include large rides. As well as the aforementioned 4D cinema, the area features King Pig’s Wild Hog Dodgems, with bumper cars and track by Bertazzon, and Detonator: Bombs Away, a rethemed 30m (100ft) Fabbri drop tower. Showing up to four times an hour inside a 326-seat theatre, the Angry Birds 4D Experience was directed by Pure Imagination Studios of Hollywood for 3DBA and Simworx, who are now licensing it to other parks and attractions. Taking a break from the park’s high adrenaline rides and attractions, guests can sit back and enjoy this fast- paced 10-minute adventure as the Angry Birds attempt to get their precious eggs back from the dastardly King Pig. Timed air blasts, water jets, leg ticklers, flashing lights, bubbles and smoke blasts complement the action on screen and illicit plenty of laughs and screams from the audience. A new 4D effect that Simworx has implemented for the first time in this installation is a catapult movement, “launching” the
T seats back and forward at regular intervals throughout
the film – a catapult being integral to the Angry Birds storyline. Meanwhile two Christie Digital 2k projectors operating at 35,000 ansilumens each provide a remarkably sharp picture quality. “What we are doing here is placing our fans inside the world of the game so that they can experience it from, if you’ll excuse the pun, a bird’s eye view,” explains Dan Mitchell, director of location based entertainment at Rovio. “There are a bunch of great moments in there as the game jumps out of the screen at you.” The team from Rovio and Merlin Magic Making (the company’s creative arm) have clearly had a bitt of fun coming up with names for some of Angry Birds Land’s food, drink and merchandise outlets. Jacket potatoes and hot dogs are available from Peckish, while all manner of branded Angry Birds merchandise is on sale at Flock ‘n’ Shop. There’s also three additional pay-to- play games and activities available as part of the land, including a themed Elton Derby race game, Pigs & Ladders trick ladder and Heavy Hitters challenge. By being creative with what it’s already got, Merlin has created a new ‘land’ for less than £1 million ($1.7m/€1.2m) – but thanks to the power of the Angry Birds IP it’s likely to punch above its weight. Angry Birds Land opened to the public on 24 May, and the season continues at Thorpe Park until 9 November.
thorpepark.com
Caption 36
King Pig’s Wild Hog Dodgems, by Bertazzon
JULY 2014
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