There are lots of great-looking attractions including a big coaster, but one attraction that seems really cool from a film-tech standpoint is "Soarin' Over California," billed as an Omnimax flight experience.

You are belted into a row of seats, then lifted 50 feet and thrust into the "hollow" of a rounded 80-foot screen. Your feet are dangling free. The ride simulates a "hang gliding" tour of California, complete with wind effects, sea spray, etc.

The screen is dome-shaped. According to the article, "A flat screen didn't give us the realism we wanted, so we invented a dome screen" (Rick Rothschild, executive show director).

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

"They might want to consider replacing the film projection with digtal for a cleaner picture.
-- iharris1 (2/5/2001)"

Omnimax has a problem with light cross reflecting across the dome. But what makes this guy think that Digital will help? If the resolution of film is twice that of Digital and Imax is 10 times the resolution of 35 mm, can you imagine what digital would look like? There you are dodging huge pixels as they seem to bounce off of the screen. Let's say you could project it using 16 data projectors and a synced signal, maybe you could pull it off, but I doubt it.

I can just see the helecopter now, flying over Yosemite with 16 video cameras hanging off its belly, looking like some bugs eye from outer space.

1) "Soaring Over California": As mentioned above. You sit in a seat similar to a suspended rollar coaster where your feet indeed dangle. If you are in the front row, you will be hoisted 40 feet above the ground. The last row (there are only 4 rows) will be about 27 feet off the ground. Once everyone is seated-belted in, the lights go out and you feel movement, then the presentation begins with the film in your face and you way above the ground. The seats tilt back and turn slightly with the movement of the air vehicle shots. Its very cool. The only downside, its only 4 minutes long. Most people will stare at the screen, I of course leaned forward to take a quick look to see how high we were hoisted, and my thought was, "whoa."

2) It's Tough To Be a Bug": A ten minute 3-D movie short in a regular (non-standium) theater envorinment. This was fun fun fun. Its fast at ten minutes, but the 3-D effects were great as well as all the other special tricks they do--if I tell you what they are it will spoil the fun. But one little hint is there is a stink bug in the movie. The image looks good, but even more impressive is the sound--very punchy and lots of discreet sound effects.

3) "Muppet Vision 3-D": This is the same 10 minute 3-D short that is in Orlando. It is still fun. Good image and great sound.

I do belive the Bug and Muppet 3-D flicks are 70mm. Can anyone confirm this?

If you make a trip to the new Disney park, be sure to check-out these attractions. And do not be critical of them, just have fun and enjoy, you will like it that way much better.

Steve

I know wewere talking Disney here, but I was just curious about these- does anybody know where I could find info on these setups? I assume that all of these special venue attractions are fully automated on an endless loop system without operators?

BTTF are all Imax 1570, rolling-loop projection with loop cabinets.

Soarin' is an Imax 1570, 48fps with a loop cabinet projecting into what's basically an inverted dome.

Each screen of the three at Universal's Movie Magic is a Digital Projection Inc, DLP Projector. Video info is stored and played on QuVis QuBits.