This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
RIDES


THE RIDE MAKERS DARK RIDES PART 1


Four companies at the leading edge of technology shine a light on the demand for ever more convincing and compelling dark rides


Jason Holland, journalist, Attractions Management


Interactivity enables riders to play a different game every time, Holovis says


HOLOVIS


STUART HETHERINGTON CEO


What’s your most recent dark ride? We have just delivered a dark ride called the Forbidden Caves for Bobbejaanland. It’s Belgium’s fi rst immersive tunnel


attraction and the latest version of the original U-shaped immersive tunnel that we designed for Cinecittà World in Italy. A key element of our brief was ensuring that the operational aspects of the ride were suitable for a family attraction, accommodating riders from ages eight to 80. The experience features highly organic motion which when synchronised with the visuals creates the illusion of travelling further and faster than people actually are.


94 attractionsmanagement.com


Have you made any engineering, design or manufacturing breakthroughs or advancements? The Forbidden Caves is the world’s fi rst all-electric immersive tunnel, transitioning away from conventional hydraulic systems to improve the safety and longevity of the ride by removing potentially hazardous challenges, increasing operational effi ciency, reducing maintenance and delivering a much more sustainable attraction.


What are the current trends in creating a dark ride? Dark rides need to be truly immersive to engage audiences and put them at the heart of the story. This is achieved by media that completely engulfs the peripheral vision with 180° or 360° screens, spatial audio and a full suite of SFX effects. Once these elements have been achieved, the solution must be scalable for attrac- tions of all sizes and budgets, from fl agship experiences at theme parks through to adrenaline-fi lled games within FECs. Interactivity allows real-time engagement via the latest gaming technology ensuring


guest control and decision-making, as the game can be different each time, increas- ing repeatability and the operator’s ROI.


How does Holovis work? In some cases we’ve seen a disconnect between ride development teams and creative story teams, with technology and effects being applied as a separate part of the contract rather than being embedded in the narrative. This is due to different third-party suppliers taking responsibility for their element of the attraction rather than looking at the project as a whole and story being the driving factor. But we offer a turnkey solution: our in-house team works with clients from the initial design phases through to delivery, covering all aspects from motion vehicles and ride systems to CGI media development, show production and game development, offering clients one point of contact to project manage the solution. We understand the whole process, and our approach is to put the story at the heart of the attraction and use the right scalable technology to facilitate, not overpower, this.


AM 3 2015 ©CYBERTREK 2015


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104