3D Disnezens of the Deep
October 25, 2007 2:32 PM Subscribe
Disneyworld Epcot's "The Seas with Nemo & Friends" ride: Near the end of the ride, as we travel by in our clamshell wagons, we look through a large window to see various animated Nemo characters projected in 3D into an actual fishtank containing living, respiring denizens of the deep. How did they create that illusion? The illusion doesn't seem to falter with the changing viewing angle of the moving wagon.
I'm sure that's correct. Disney also uses that illusion in the "Haunted House".
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 3:13 PM on October 25, 2007
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 3:13 PM on October 25, 2007
I went on the ride a month or two ago and I don't recall the animated characters being 3D. They were 2D computer animation.
The Pepper's Ghost illusion used in the Haunted Mansion uses actual mannequins whose reflections you see, giving a real sense of depth. With "The Seas" my impression was that the animated characters were being projected using colour video projectors onto the glass of the fishtank.
Colour projectors were used throughout the ride: they had multiple projectors along the floor of the ride projecting onto the walls, all in sync so you didn't see the joins between one "screen" and another.
On the same trip I did the Seas Aqua tour, where you get to snorkel in the tank itself. I'm pretty sure from looking around that there was no special equipment in the tank. At the most there might be surfaces onto which they were projecting, but I don't recall even seeing these.
It's worth noting that Disneyland's newly-updated submarine ride also places computer-animated characters in the water, though from what I've heard this is uses screens (as well as/ instead of?) projection.
posted by skylar at 3:31 PM on October 25, 2007
The Pepper's Ghost illusion used in the Haunted Mansion uses actual mannequins whose reflections you see, giving a real sense of depth. With "The Seas" my impression was that the animated characters were being projected using colour video projectors onto the glass of the fishtank.
Colour projectors were used throughout the ride: they had multiple projectors along the floor of the ride projecting onto the walls, all in sync so you didn't see the joins between one "screen" and another.
On the same trip I did the Seas Aqua tour, where you get to snorkel in the tank itself. I'm pretty sure from looking around that there was no special equipment in the tank. At the most there might be surfaces onto which they were projecting, but I don't recall even seeing these.
It's worth noting that Disneyland's newly-updated submarine ride also places computer-animated characters in the water, though from what I've heard this is uses screens (as well as/ instead of?) projection.
posted by skylar at 3:31 PM on October 25, 2007
I rode it twice this year, and skylar seems to have it. Great ride, though I do miss the old Living Seas.
posted by cmgonzalez at 3:40 PM on October 25, 2007
posted by cmgonzalez at 3:40 PM on October 25, 2007
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posted by Mwongozi at 3:01 PM on October 25, 2007