Themed Entertainment

Nowhere is the role of soundscape more important than it is for themed entertainment. Just as it does in traditional media entertainment, the visual guides the narrative, but it’s the soundscape that drives the guest’s experience, and conveys the story. The nature of themed entertainment demands specific, concise and creative approaches to creating the audio media for a fulfilling ride-experience that goes beyond the needs of conventional soundtracks. Music and sound are crucial elements that provide cues, reference points, and context to the story being created. When used to its fullest, within the ride itself, as well as queuing, pre-show and retail areas, the soundscape can elevate the medium beyond traditional-entertainment and transport guests to entirely new worlds, leaving them satisfied, fulfilled and connected to the intended take-away of the ride, or immersive experience.

My Audio Media Design One-Sheet CV


 

Themed Entertainment sizzle-reel

Dan Wool – Sound Design and Music
Tippett Studio – Visual Media

 

“Dream of Anhui” – Wanda Theme Park Flying Ride

Music and Sound Design by Dan Wool

Score performed by Magik*Magik Orchestra, conducted by Minna Choi
Featuring Melody of China Chinese Music Ensemble
Recorded at Fantasy Studios SF, engineer Adam Muñoz

This is an excerpt of a stereo down-mix of an immersive 20.1 channel sound installation using Barco/IOSONO’s 3D sound system. Mixed on-site in Hefei, China. 180º dome video projections 6K at 48fps

In addition to the flying ride I also created music and sound for the pre-show and ‘safety’ video as well as all the queuing common areas and retail space.

Produced by Tippett Studio, director Phil Tippett

 

“Fly Chongqing” – Sunac Theme Park Flying Ride

Music and Sound Design by Dan Wool*

This is a stereo fold-down mix of the 20.1 channel fly-ride installation currently running in Chongqing China. Mixed in collaboration with IOSONOS, using their 3D immersive-audio engine. The audio assets created include over 600 sound effects tracks for multi-layer surround backgrounds, point-source moving objects, as well as extensive discreet music stems.

Project deliverables included music and sound design for multi channel audio, immersive pre-show video environment, separate original music compositions (based on the ride’s themes) and mixes for all outer queuing and retail areas.

The video is a 16:9 crop of the 180º full-dome video projection media.

*Score includes an adaptation of the traditional Chinese melody “Picking Flowers”

Produced by Tippett Studio

 

“Fly Sichuan” – Sunac Theme Park Flying Ride

Music and Sound Design by Dan Wool

This is a stereo fold-down mix of the 20.1 channel fly-ride installation currently running in Tianfu, China. Mixed in collaboration with IOSONOS, using their 3D immersive-audio engine. The audio assets created include over 550 sound effects tracks for multi-layer surround backgrounds, point-source moving objects, as well as extensive discreet music stems.

Project deliverables included music and sound design for 2.1 channel pre-show video and separate original music compositions (based on the ride’s themes) and mixes for all outer queuing and retail areas.

The video is a 16:9 crop of the 180º full-dome video projection media.
Produced by Tippett Studio



Additional Themed Entertainment Work-Samples

 

WONDERS OF MARS – Flying Theatre EXCERPT “Craters to Home”

Sound design and music by Dan Wool

This is a stereo mix of a work-in-progress flying theatre experience excerpt. The round video, formatted for a 180º domed-theatre, is rough and in various states of unfinished. The VO (closed captioned) describing a Mars mission that showcases the planets landscapes, has not been recorded. The sound design and music is fully developed, and final as a demo.

Another excerpt “Dust & Meteors” is here
Video of WONDERS OF MARS full Ride is here

 

“Wormhole to Mars” (Work in Progress) – Dark Ride

Sound design and music by Dan Wool

This is an excerpt of a preliminary work-in-progress for what would have been a rather complicated dark ride, that is now indefinitely on hold. The visuals are all rough animatics. The client-approved score is more developed than the sound design for this now abandoned dark ride project. The voice recordings are all temp.

Video of the full ride is here.