|
It was a sweet deal for Medialon: playing a key
show-control role in the new Charlie and the Chocolate
FactoryTM: The Ride at Alton Towers, a member of the
Tussauds Group, set in Staffordshire, England. The
attraction, based on the classic Roald Dahl book and its
original illustrations, takes families on an
unforgettable adventure into the heart of Willie Wonka’s
wondrous world.
Medialon Manager controls all of the show and facilities
with the exception of the ride and motion controls. It
specifically controls animatronics, extensive special
effects, a CCTV system, projectors, motion-base show
trigger, DMX lighting, show power relays, video servers
and MP3 replay units. Two control PCs work together to
run the attraction.
For daily operation touchscreen user interfaces are
available at the unmanned AV equipment room, the ride
control room (a separate manned space in the middle of
the attraction) and the ride load point. Different
“screens” allow operation, monitoring, paging and
diagnostic tasks to be carried out.
“Medialon has been working very well for us,” says Gavin
Aldridge, project manager for Electrosonic Systems Ltd,
which handled the design and install. “I’ve found it
user friendly and easy to pick up and learn. Medialon
Paris has been very supportive in helping us through
some of the more complex applications of the system.”
The new attraction offers visitors an array of
multimedia adventures. It begins with a boat ride
through a succession of animated and dynamically-lit
scenes from the book, including the “Juicing Room,” the
“Chocolate Room,” “Candy Frenzy” and the “Inventing
Room.”
When visitors disembark they take a short walk through
another part of the factory then hop on one of two Great
Glass Elevators where they whiz through the heart of the
factory and beyond in an exhilarating virtual tour that
finds them gathering pink clouds in the sky to make
cotton candy before they conclude their ride. The
illusion is created using a “virtual environment”
consisting of a themed space with back projection
screens on all four walls and the ceiling displaying HD
content. The effect is augmented by a moving floor
system providing “heave,” “roll” and “forward/backward”
movements.
All source and control equipment is centrally sited in
an AV Equipment Room at the attraction.
Medialon Show control is also in charge of running the
pre-show and HD widescreen, immersive projection
post-show. |
