Cinema Spectacular Show at Warner Bros. World, Abu Dhabi

Lights, camera, action! Welcome to the biggest permanent indoor projection-mapped show in the world.

Download Profile

INTRODUCTION

The Warner Bros. Cinema Spectacular showcases the power and magic of projection mapping on an epic scale. This immersive experience captivates the audience with scenes from celebrated Warner Brothers movies. A full-sensory 360-degree canvas of mapped projection and lighting effects coupled with a multichannel symphonic soundtrack transforms Warner Bros. Plaza into a spectacle of light, movies, and magic.

Thirty-seven projectors cover the Art Deco facades and ceiling of the Plaza and over 160 speakers integrated in the buildings create this spectacular experience, believed to be the biggest indoor permanent projection-mapped show in the world. Precise projector placement, control and patented auto calibration are key to its success.

Electrosonic partnered with global design and production agency Thinkwell Group to provide full projection mapping, audio, video and show control support for the Plaza.

OVERVIEW

The Plaza of the world’s largest indoor theme park is the spectacular setting for a visually stunning show featuring favorite characters from more than 100 years of Warner Brothers cinematic legacy. Cinema Spectacular takes advantage of the indoor environment which allows the show to run day and night – a world-first for a major theme park light show.

Multimedia images are projected mapped onto ceilings, facades and buildings around the Plaza. To view correctly on so many complex, diverse surfaces requires precise positioning of 37 projectors, many fitted with custom lenses.

A dedicated team of Electrosonic engineers and programmers worked closely with the creative teams to design and implement precise timing, device functioning and triggering of every show cue. To ensure the smooth day-to-day operation of the show, Electrosonic trained local technicians on the use and maintenance of all systems.

The installation also incorporates a patented auto-calibrated projection system developed by Thinkwell that improves accuracy, quality and maintenance and enhances projection on 3D surfaces like the Plaza.

To maintain the magic of the experience, the technology is hidden, with more than 160 speakers integrated into the buildings in a large-scale fusion of architecture, storytelling and technology.

CHALLENGE

Creating an immersive multimedia projection-mapped experience that would run successfully on complex projection surfaces like the facades of a building was a major technical challenge. Images have to project perfectly onto the diverse surfaces of the facades from plain walls to groups of buildings, each with its own surface challenges.

Projector placement had to maintain a consistent pixel size of approximately 5mm over different distances and objects – and project clearly under both day and night conditions. To maintain pinpoint accuracy, the projectors also had to be easy to calibrate, a time-consuming task with 37 precisely positioned units.

SOLUTION

The success of this complex project was built on Electrosonic’s organizational skills in large-scale experiential projects, technical expertise in projection mapping and ability to translate creative visions into practical audiovisual solutions that create memorable experiences.

To simplify projector calibration, Electrosonic integrated Thinkwell’s patented markerless 2D self-calibration system. Twelve cameras were installed on-site, enabling the process of 3D self-calibration to be completed automatically in just 45 minutes.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

This award-winning project demonstrates Electrosonic’s ability to develop a large-scale projection-mapping experience on complex surfaces.

It was a true international collaborative effort. Partners from Europe and the UAE utilized all disciplines – technical design, engineering, installation, integration, commissioning and project management – to deliver a world-class projection-mapped cinematic experience that has helped establish Warner Bros. World, Abu Dhabi as a leading tourist destination.

Project Details

Client

Warner Bros. World, Abu Dhabi

Location

Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Size

1.65 million sq. ft. (full park)

Services

Facility Integration

Engineering

Fabrication & Installation Services

Audio, Video & Control Systems

Specialty Projection

Specialty Audio

Commissioning

Testing & Programming

Projection Mapping Validation

On a project the scale of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi it was essential to have a lot of resources that have handled projects of this type before, to organize and coordinate the incredible sequence of events that needed to happen in order to bring it to completion within the ambitious deadlines we were given.

Corrado Campanelli

Project Lead, Thinkwell