DESIGN PROJECT PROFILE DR WHO EXPERIENCE
Within the Dalek spaceship, a large,
mechanical eye comes down, scans visitors with a radar and displays them on screen, fi rst as they are in the fl esh, then as skeletons. To create this, Sarner used a slit-scan gobo effect. During the scanning sequence, one Dalek comes up behind the visitors and another two at the front so guests are penned in. At 2m (6.5ft)-high and 1m-wide, they’re quite intimidating. Next, the view ports at the front of the
ship fade away, again using a transition gauze, to reveal a large space scene. Set against a 24m x 4m (79ft x 13ft) painted backdrop, a 7m (23ft) CGI animated
sequence of a battle scene is projected onto the centre. The last part of the show is a dramatic 3D fi lm showing the iconic Doctor Who monsters coming at the audi- ence. “There’s one moment when the huge eye of the Dalek comes out into the audi- ence,” says Magri. “It’s not dissimilar to a 3D fi lm you’d see at a theme park, so we’re really thrusting things forward in the world of show experiences.”
THE TECHNOLOGY With such a ground-breaking exhibition, it would be expected that Sarner had to design some ground-breaking technol- ogy, but this isn’t the case. “We haven’t invented anything new for the project,” says Magri. “What’s unique is the integra- tion of all the technologies to create this immersive experience.” Each element of the visitor attraction
is synchronised using a multiprocessor computer. “We’ve used very sophisticated control equipment so the show’s fully auto- mated,” Bennett explains. “It just needs a person to press the start button and it goes. It’s very important to use reliable, robust technology because the last thing we want is for the show to go down on a busy Saturday afternoon.”
Props used in the series include a Henry Moore-type sculpture featuring an animated human face
ABOUT DOCTOR WHO EXPERIENCE
■ The Doctor Who Experience will be at London Olympia Two for nine months. It’s the longest running show to be held at Olympia and will stay until November when it will move to a permanent home in Cardiff, Wales and open in 2012. ■ Tickets are priced from £15.50 (18, US$25) for adults, £12.50 (14, $20) for children and £46 (52, $73) for a family ticket. ■ The show element of the attraction is 23 minutes, but the whole exhibition is designed with a total visit time of 90 minutes. ■ The suppliers used are Artem, CTS Scenics, CUK Audio, Peavey, Panasonic, AV Stumpfl , Harkness Hall and Havells Sylvania.
38 Read Attractions Management online
attractionsmanagement.com/digital
FEEDBACK The Doctor Who Experience opened on February 20th and received 25,000 visi- tors in its fi rst month. The original running time of the show element was estimated at 30 minutes but has been reduced to 23 minutes, as visitors were travelling along
“Designers tend to go over the top with their visuals, but we went
over the top with the sets. They’re better than the illustrations, which is quite unusual”
the two walkways quicker than anticipated in their eagerness to get to the next stage.
“Feedback has been very positive. Even the real fans say it’s accurate,” says Magri.
“The BBC is delighted with it too,” adds Bennett. “It’s not unusual for the initial presentation of a project to be so impres- sive that it’s not possible to achieve as high a level in reality, but the BBC has said that the actual experience is better than the presentation. Designers tend to go over the top with their visuals, but we went over the top with the sets and they’re better than the illustrations, which is quite unusual. “So many projects get changed along
the way but our concept has come off the page and come to life,” Bennett continues.
“And of course it’s Doctor Who – such a great subject matter. Going into the Tardis and being involved in an adventure is something many people dream of. It’s a unique opportunity.”
The appearance of the Tardis, using a transition gauze effect, is among the highlights for fans of the programme
AM 2 2011 ©cybertrek 2011
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