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Media-based Attractions
Worlds without boundaries Park World hears from Simworx
W
e believe the appeal of media-based attractions lies in the fact that there are no boundaries to the worlds where we can take riders. By using media within our attractions, rather than
just traditional theming and props, we can extend the possibilities of the environment and characters which riders get to experience. Typically, we will use a combination of both to make the media feel less flat
and continue to make the experience engaging when moving between screens or during transitions. With the incorporation of IPs becoming more popular within rides, media is in turn required more and more to tell the stories with the authenticity of the original characters, and when working with the IP holders, it is the preferred method to keep things on brand. There is a definite trend towards integrating real-time content as real-time
engines are becoming more popular. A lot of animation that is integrated in these attractions is now veering towards real-time, due to its ability to be modified much more easily, especially when creating complex animations that may need to be adapted to work with the ride systems. Previously, these would have only been utilised for a gamified ride, but as
graphic capabilities continue to improve we’ve been involved in a few projects where the linear animated content is produced in real-time – such as Leicester Space Centre and Reodor Felgen’s Hyperakselerator. This can also add the ability to have different iterations of the story and include more interactivity. IP usage is huge at the moment and the creation of content and new IPs
is booming with the rise of streaming - and we are seeing much greater demand from the consumer to be immersed in these worlds. We’re also seeing specific IP-driven experiences pop up a lot in retail spaces and stand-alone spaces rather than just theme parks. With the improvement of projection technology, we’ve also seen a shift away from the use of 3D glasses in recent years; people prefer HD content over 3D and we expect this to be the direction media rides move towards as 3D is no longer necessary for creating immersion. Moreover, media-based attractions are becoming just as important to the
ride mix for regional parks as roller coasters or water rides as they see the success bigger parks have with them and how well they engage audiences in a story. Looking ahead, we predict that as real-time and AI technologies converge, we’ll see personalised experiences that explore our favourite characters
National Space Centre
interacting in real-time, with riders talking back to them and interacting with their responses. We’ll see experiences where a rider’s interaction with the content affects their overall experience, making it uniquely tailored to them. And with projection technology evolving rapidly, we’ll be able to integrate complex projection mapping into our rides, from mapping the appearance of a ride vehicle to immersing riders in a full 360-degree mapped surround environment that can switch in the blink of an eye. We’re looking at how we can essentially create more scalable, compact attractions by using projection mapping to transform scenes quickly and give riders the sense of moving into a brand new environment every time - even though they might simply be switching between two rooms. One of the greatest challenges we face is creating content in the right
format for the screens on which we want to project. Custom content is expensive, and clients often look to library content instead. However, as a lot of our rides have custom specifications, library content doesn’t always fit. This then requires working with the original animation company to have it amended and re-rendered for our needs. We also must consider our sightlines and projection distances, requiring projection studies and simulations of our ride layouts. As flying theatres have become more desirable, smaller venues are
looking for their version of a flying experience. We’ve had to adjust our product portfolio to encompass rides that are adaptable and scalable to fit the constraints of different building sizes – for example with our Pegasus Flying Theatre. In doing this we’ve made our product more customisable and desirable to a wider market, enabling us to win contracts due to our ability to fit into spaces where competitors cannot and give vendors the experiences they desire. Where we’ve seen expectations change is in how they want to integrate their
ride theming with the media as storytelling is of greater importance to parks. We’ve seen big success in our rides where our simulators can be themed heavily to the media content and act as an extension of the experience with a link between what riders sit on and what they see on the screen. An example of this is in our Reodor Felgen’s Hyperakselerator ride where our Stargazer vehicles were intricately themed to be identical to the main character’s vehicle on screen, helping riders feel a greater tie to the on-screen action.
Hyperakselerator
JULY 2023
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