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the Geheimnis von Schloss Balathasar 4D experience within its Magic Cinema in 2011. Named in honour of the park’s historic Castle Balthasar, it features popular mascots Euromaus, Euromausi, Böckli and Louis, whose birthday celebrations descend into chaos beneath the building. Licensed later to other parks via nWave, the film was renamed simply Castle Secret. “Shortly after we did the deal for Arthur [Europa-Park’s heavily themed dark
ride/rollercoaster realised with French film director Luc Beeson], I did the maths,” explains Michael Mack. “I worked out it would be far more cost effective for us to produce our own 4D film; we would own the movie and we could re-licence it to other parks.” The further adventures of Euromaus and the gang are featured in the follow up
film The Time Carousel, released last year. Mack Media now completes around 40 productions a year, including also commercials and corporate videos, and its 4D films can be seen in 14 countries worldwide. Clearly other operators don’t object to having Europa-Park’s IP in their own park, but those that do may find the upcoming release Happy Family 4D a little more suitable. “There is a very subtle reference to Silver Star [Europa-Park’s hyper coaster] in
the background of one of the scenes together with a family coaster and a haunted house, but they could be generic attractions from any park,” explains Steffen Kottkamp, director of Mack Media/Mack Creative. Happy Family will be the company’s first feature-length 3D film, but theme park audiences will get to see it first in 4D. “When you have a new IP it makes sense to do it like this and build awareness ahead of the movie release,” says Kottkamp. “At Mack Media our goal is to make more of our content available outside of Europa-Park, but you can’t ignore the opportunity to make it available to our 5 million annual guests.” At the time of writing, several other parks had already signed up for Happy
Family 4D, and negotiations continue over which venues may licence this or other content as part of a VR Coaster experience. Mack Media also has agreements to publish on major gaming platforms. “We are convinced that it is not enough to develop a singular or format-
specific product; you have to create cross-format brands and cross-platform content,” adds Mack. While the initial VR Coaster trials were conducted on Europa-Park’s relatively
new Blue Fire and Pegasus coasters, this September the technology was introduced on the older Alpenexpress ride. As passengers experience the rushing air, centrifugal force and twists and turns of the real-life mine train, Mack Media’s virtual 3D world adds a new dimension to those wearing the VR headsets. The experience is available to riders in 10 seats on payment of a €4 fee. Mack acknowledges that the VR Coaster experience might not be for
everyone, but he’s keen to make it as accessible as possible. “Europa-Park has always been a family park, and what we really want to do it make the technology easy to use for the whole family in the same way that Disney has done so successfully with MyMagic.” The first few months of the Alpenexpress experiment proved successful and
Kottkamp reports that there has been “huge demand from parks all over the world” in the VR Coaster concept.
Coming soon to a park
or cinema near you… Happy Family will be Mack Media and Ambient Entertainment’s first full-length feature film together, released in late 2016 to movie theatres across mainland Europe after its spring preview as a 4D film at various parks including Europa-Park. A VR version is also planned for parks and attractions. Inspired by the Happy Family novel by David
Safier, which has been published in more than 30 countries and sold over half a million copies in Germany alone, audiences are promised a spooky adventure with the Wünschmann family. “The animation is done, we’re just doing the voice casting now,” reveals Michael Mack.
JANUARY 2016 43
Michael Mack with Søren Kragelund from Fårup Sommerland in Denmark, one of the parks signed up for Happy Family 4D in 2016
Having tried the technology ourselves on a suspended family coaster at Fun Spot in Orlando during IAAPA, we can confirm it does feel different to a simulator-based attraction. Contrary to Professor Wagner’s claims, we would argue there is some motion sickness, but not enough to turn it into an extreme experience that would alienate regular riders – and it may even encourage a few extra guests to give it a try. And that’s the point really; you wouldn’t spend 20 million on a big new coaster and then rob your guests of the experience by giving them all VR headsets, but for an older coaster with falling ridership it could just give it a new lease of life.
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