Ben 10 5D Hero Time delivers a fully immersive, multi-sensory, theater experience that gives guests the ability to save the day.
Client: IMG Group
Services: Attraction Design, Media Production, Sound Production, Art Direction
Location: Dubai, U.A.E.
Falcon’s Creative Group brought Ben 10: Omniverse to life inside a 240-seat theater located within the Cartoon Network zone at IMG Worlds of Adventure.
Ben 10: Omniverse is the fourth installment in the award-winning Ben 10 animated television series. The show successfully blends science-fiction, adventure, comedy, drama, and of course, a heavy dose of superhero action, which are all present in the attraction as well.
Falcon’s master planned the entire 1.5 million square foot indoor theme park in Dubai. For Ben 10 5D Hero Time, the creative studio juggled multiple design and media services, including attraction concept, schematic and detail design, project management, art direction, animation, sound design, music, and onsite mixing.
Falcon’s Digital Media created the 2D animated two-minute pre-show video as well as the 3D animated ten-minute main show video. Careful attention had to be paid to the characters’ movements, facial expressions, dialogue, and interaction with one another because the content was based on an existing IP.
The design, equipment, and installation of the 5D theater was provided by Kraftwerk Living Technologies, Falcon’s AV partner for IMG Worlds of Adventure. The respected Austrian company used a wide array of the most cutting-edge special effects techniques to enhance the experience, such as leg ticklers, duel neck blast, poke effects, vibration, water spray, face blast, wind, and scent.
Thanks to these SFX, which are built into the seats, as the Ben 10 cast experiences thrilling moments in the film, the audience experiences surprising and entertaining sensations themselves. These features are complimented by real analog movement in the 4DOF seat system – pitch, heave, sway, and roll – which work together to fully immerse guests in the adventure playing out before them.
The Ben 10 5D attraction exterior was scenically designed to look like the Max’s Plumbing storefront in the TV show. After guests go through the queue line, they enter a room where the preshow video plays. They meet teenager Ben Tennyson and his pals, Rook, Blukik, and Driba.
The guests are greeted as trainees at Plumber Headquarters, the base of a secret organization that combats dangerous alien activity. Blukik and Driba demonstrate the power of the omniglasses, which the trainees will put on shortly. These are actually 3D glasses.
In the preshow video, guests learn that Ben has a watch-like device, known as the Omnitrix, that gives him the ability to quickly turn into one of several alien life-forms with special skills, which comes in handy later.
Things are feeling pretty casual until a blaring alarm reverses the mood. Grandpa Max appears on the monitor and announces that the base is under attack. The villainous Khyber cuts into the transmission, gleefully explaining his vile plans. Ben tells the trainees this is not a drill. He leads the way to the Proto-TRUK, Rook’s versatile spaceship that can disguise itself as a normal vehicle.
The main theater’s doors open, and guests grab their omniglasses, which will allow them to have an unfiltered and close-up view of the non-stop action. They’ll be along for the ride, and they might even be called upon to act.
Although the situation is tenuous and the ride a bit bumpy, it appears that Rook and Ben are in control. Rook is showing off his impressive piloting skills, deftly dodging Kyber’s heated onslaught. As he steers through danger, the theater’s seats react in various ways.
Kyber continues to throw everything he has at the good guys, but they are up to the challenge, thanks in no small part to Ben’s quick-change abilities. However, when the most formidable enemy of all is released, Tentaclaws, the script flips.
This eight-legged freak – using the term “legged” loosely – clasps the two heroes in a stranglehold, forcing Rook to play his wildcard. He asks Max, who is at the controls at Plumber Headquarters, to activate the Pyronite DNA on the omniglasses.
The trainees are given temporary Pyronite powers, essentially becoming the character Heatblast. They help subdue the enemy by discharging round after round of powerful fireballs until Ben and Rook are able to defeat the enemy through solid teamwork.
Max helps Ben transport the trainees back to base, where they thank them for their support. Max concludes by saying, “You all are welcome back here any time.”
