Wings and Wizards
Creating a magical immersive walkthrough experience using touchless technology.
Background
Wings and Wizards was a magic-themed, immersive walkthrough experience installed at BC Place in 2021. Equipped with a light emitting wand, guests would enter a whimsical world that they must navigate to achieve the quest of locating the last dragon egg on Earth.
Wings and Wizards was designed as a touchless walkthrough, compliant with BC’s Covid-19 health orders at the time. Each new room utilized sensing technology to drive the interactivity of the experience, and created a narrative pathway for guests to follow.
Studio
Go2 Productions
Innovation Lighting
Spectra Event Group
Pixomondo (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Partners
A/V Technician
Touchdesigner Developer
Computer Vision Developer
Embedded Development (Arduino)
User Testing
Projection Mapping Specialist
Roles
Timeline
Design/Development - 3 Mo. (Feb - Apr 2021)
Installation/Testing - 1 Mo. (May 2021)
Location
BC Place
We got 20,000 wands!..
The wand is used as the centerpiece for design, guiding patrons through this magic-themed, walkthrough experience in a linear fashion. Guests are given light emitting wands which act as the centerpiece for all interactivity and narrative progression to occur.
Design
A quest based narrative was created to guide guests through 10 magic themed experience rooms. Guests are tasked with located the last existing dragon egg in existence, and must use their wand to overcome several obstacles encountered on the journey. Each room incorporates 1 of 3 wand interactive systems I helped to develop.
Trigger Boxes
Light sensing boxes that reveal magical effects
Development
Lighting, video, and sound effects were used to progress each rooms narrative. To let guests activate this, ‘magic’ boxes were placed in strategically along walking paths. Each box has a light sensor on an external face that sends a DMX signal to the A/V controller. Guests learn they can interact with them during a wand tutorial in the first room of the walkthrough.
Potion Game
Find the correct sequence of potions before time runs out!
Development
Similar to a trigger box, the potion puzzle sends out a midi signal to the A/V controller when a guest points the tip of their wand near it. This time, however, the signal is intercepted by a microcontroller programmed to recognize an order in which the 5 bottles potions are activated.
Guests must correctly guess the order within 1 minute to reveal the path to the next room. Failure to do so will result in guests having to search the room for an exit key.
Classroom Chalkboard
Draw the spells with your wand to earn a certificate in wizardry
Development
Combining computer vision technology with Touchdesigner, guests wave their want to match spell symbols drawn on a projected chalkboard. A 4K camera is hidden behind the chalkboard, with a smaller open allowing the lens to see outward.
When all 3 spells are successfully complete, guests are directed to the next room. They also must remember these symbols as they are used later to open a portal door to access one of the final rooms.
