The most dazzling high-tech spectacle ever produced by Disney is described by Disney World lighting director John Haupt.
IllumiNations, the most recent and most dazzling lighting spectacle ever produced by Walt Disney World, opened earlier this year at the EPCOT Centre in Florida. The show takes place every evening around the World Showcase Lagoon and transforms the World Showcase Pavilions into a new visual and sensory experience.
The event blends a lush orchestral score with high intensity xenon ray lights, building wash lighting, animated images created with small incandescant lamps, lasers, fountains, fireworks, rim lighting and projected images on pavilions to create a new visual experience for the park guests. Presentation IS built around international travel, and uses classical themes to evoke locale and period, and specific and abstract images help to create the illusion of a journey around the world.
IllumiNations actually began nine months prior to opening from a concept developed by John Haupt, Disney World lighting director, who also functioned as producer for the spectacular. "The concept was to provide the guest with a 'Kiss Goodnight; for the majority of visitors in the park it is their last experience prior to leaving and we want them to exit with a pleasant experience fresh in their minds," John Haupt told L+SI.
The new project was developed from several elements. Lasers located on three of the pavilions Canada, American Adventure and Mexico provide 28 Argon lasers for beam work and scanning effects in the sky above the lagoon. New laser images and patterns were digitized by Brian Samuels under the direction of Adam Bezark and Don Dorsey.'
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