Universal's Cinematic Celebration Night Show

[Imperius]

Live action looks terrible on water screens, it has a muddy look. That why World of Color (and Fantasmic) feature almost entirely animation, bright colors, more contrast easier to follow. I'm still against the format being to close to WOC even with fireworks added. But maybe i'll have to see it in person.

Why are you against that? There are only so many show types a theme park can do. It hasn’t been done in Orlando yet and is brand new for the area.

 

[krazykat]

Having just watched this on youtube, I think it's much better then I expected. Can't wait to see it in person which of course is always a different perspective.

 

[Jushin Thunder Liger]

Sing

The issue I take with Sing is that it's, quite honestly, a really forgettable film, yet Universal treats it as though it's a viable tentpole IP. It's like how WWE treats Roman Reigns; they want people to cheer for him and they act like he's a legend of wrestling, but if asked me if I'd rather watch Roman or Johnny Gargano, I'd always pick Johnny.

It's just that some people don't connect on an emotional level to Fast & Furious, Minions, Trolls, Transformers, and the like.

I kinda connect to Transformers. Throw together some clips from a bunch of different corners of the franchise (i.e. movies, cartoons, etc.), and add a really stirring orchestral score, I'd bet I'd smile and cry.

 

[Nick]

I got goosebumps watching the thing on YouTube, so I dunno. It's certainly got me by the throat. Maybe these people don't connect with the properties? Which is fine, but that doesn't really mean the show isn't well put together.



Personally (key word), I'd put this above RoL and Fantasmic even without the pyro. I haven't seen HEA, so I can't comment. But the only Disney night show I'd watch over this is IllumiNations, and god knows what's going to happen to that next year.

But again, the OG World of Color was my favorite nighttime show ever, and this hits a lot of the same buttons for me.

Oh it’s definitely better than RoL.

Fantasmic however is a theatrical spectacle that just has been running without an update for 20 years. If Disney brought the DL version over to DHS, I don’t know that you’d say it’s better.

Oh, and don’t expect Illuminations to be around in the fall. Martin is saying it will go away then with an interim show playing until 2020 for some reason.

Now now... RoL is by no means perfect... or even that entertaining... but we have to give Disney credit for taking a risk, creating something in theme with the park, and using innovative technology. I think once they eventually do a new version of the show people will be blown away.

Disney at least does take risks at times and innovates. When Disney created WoC no one else had ever done a fountain show like that.

This show is a HUGE step in the right direction for Universal, but it isn’t industry defining the ways Fantasmic, World of Color, or even Rivers of Light could one day be.

But I love this show also, and can’t wait to see it completed. Obviously not everything needs to change the industry.

I give them credit for that, but it was a big swing and miss and many show effects intended to be in the show never made it (even though they were built).

 

[Jushin Thunder Liger]

Oh, and don’t expect Illuminations to be around in the fall. Martin is saying it will go away then with an interim show playing until 2020 for some reason.

Why spend money doing an interim show when you could just wait until the 2020 show is ready?

 

[Nick]

Why spend money doing an interim show when you could just wait until the 2020 show is ready?

Because they probably want to reuse parts that are currently being used in Reflections of Earth. The barges have been in use since 1984.

 

[JungleSkip]

Fantasmic however is a theatrical spectacle that just has been running without an update for 20 years. If Disney brought the DL version over to DHS, I don’t know that you’d say it’s better

Fantasmic just ain’t for me. Doesn’t connect at all. Neat opening and closing, but basically everything in the middle is super dull (imo)

 

[Jwhee]

It also feels strange how there's no narrative throughout the whole show. At the end Gru says start the finale but that's about it. It's just blocks of music

 

[MrPipps]

Here's something that most of the fanbase watching don't exactly understand or consider when critiquing these kinds of shows:

Shows like this get critiqued as if the final product was all one unobstructed conscious choice on the creator's part. If a show has multiple IPs, that usually means that the creatives also had to run all of their concepts and ideas through multiple teams of IP holders and brand protection people who work for the production companies who own the films. At Disney, even though they own almost everything they use, they STILL have to run through teams at Pixar, Lucasfilm, and other third parties and partners to get ideas for show concepts approved. These people usually are marketing people that have a very hard time understanding theme park rides and shows and how they are different from film or tv. Every show I have worked on had a frustrating process of bouncing ideas back and forth until we got approval from all sides.

As an analogy, a show is like a new car you want to deliver, yet on the journey from the factory, it goes through several major hailstorms. Success is when if you get the car it still looks like.... a car.

Looking at this show, I see at least 6 different IP holders that all must have had to approve this. Most impressive to me is that they were even allowed to have a Harry Potter section in this show at all! Warner Bros. is notorious for being very protective of how that brand is used. Many IP holders don't want you to put their IP next to other brands, etc. The list of requirements almost makes it impossible.

Half the work of a show like this is fighting to keep your creative ideas intact as it gets beaten to shreds by marketing people who just would rather you make an advertisement or movie trailer.

Looking through the lens of my past experience, I am blown away at how they got all of these properties to work together. The show flows together through the use of the music. While there isn't a narrative that ties it together, the way the music was strung together is pretty masterful. Getting the IPs to approve just that must have been a nightmare.

So if I had to guess, putting on my producer hat:

1. Jaws, BTTF, and Monsters weren't included because DreamWorks and Paramount didn't want their properties to be included next to "old" things.

2. HP couldn't tell a narrative story due to that being considered "lateral" content. They were most like pushed to make an overall brand statement or not get approval.

3. Illuminations and DreamWorks probably fought over how much their content was represented against each other.

4. There were probably one or two segments that didn't make the show due to lack of approval.

And finally 5. The lack of an overall narrative storyline is most likely due to the fact that these IPs would never let their properties blend with others in a new story that dillutes their original intent.

So look at it through that lens and this show is a pretty stellar feat of showmanship, artfully presented together with beautiful moments and some of the best music choices I've heard in a long time.

 

[JungleSkip]

It also feels strange how there's no narrative throughout the whole show. At the end Gru says start the finale but that's about it. It's just blocks of music

What's the narrative in World of Color?

 

[Teebin]

What's the narrative in World of Color?

That it’s a carousel.

 

[Jushin Thunder Liger]

Jaws, BTTF, and Monsters weren't included because DreamWorks and Paramount didn't want their properties to be included next to "old" things.

Which is a shame, because even though they're old, they're still the good kind of old. People still watch Jaws and BTTF, and I bet there's a good number of people who still get spooked by the Monsters.

Illuminations and DreamWorks probably fought over how much their content was represented against each other.

Dreamworks: "Mine's better."

 

[sparky]

It also feels strange how there's no narrative throughout the whole show. At the end Gru says start the finale but that's about it. It's just blocks of music

For me, the reason I connected to the castle lightshow was the narration from the sorting hat. He was revealing himself to the audience in a new way.

 

[Teebin]

Well, I just watched Brian’s video based on Mad Dog’s recommendation. It’s nicely condensed and punchy now as compared to previous offerings. I particularly loved when they send horizontal swooshes across multiple water screens. The added height of pyro should make it a pleasing affair.

I could get into the weeds of how various things were presented and edited... but I won’t.

 

[Viator]

That it’s a carousel.

Of Color?

 

[Frank Drackman]

I have not watched any videos, thinking about trying to save some surprise for when I see it for myself.

I've always felt the idea behind the show was around the IP's you experienced in your day at UNI (based on things folks have been saying around here for a real long time). When this thing started showing up in the lake, it seems folks mentioned it was pushed up due to the hurricane putting the prior show out of its misery.

From that context (add in the great info that @MrPipps has added about how long it takes to work through multiple IP interest), is it possible stuff like JW instead of JP, more DW...the lack of stuff like Jaws....could it just be that the show came to the water front a year or two prior than expected?

 

[Ryan]

The thing with me, the flaws the show has won't be helped by additional effects. Some badly need restaging, as the pacing is all over the place. WoC definitely has its tender moments, but just like UCC it's a clip show. So I have zero issue for how the show is, I just wish some of the individual segments were reworked to make for a more natural flow to the art its creating on the lagoon.

 

[shiekra38]

The thing with me, the flaws the show has won't be helped by additional effects. Some badly need restaging, as the pacing is all over the place. WoC definitely has its tender moments, but just like UCC it's a clip show. So I have zero issue for how the show is, I just wish some of the individual segments were reworked to make for a more natural flow to the art its creating on the lagoon.

Yes, the JW segment, for instance, could be the grand reveal for the projection mapping on the buildings...I feel this show has too much media in it...Sometimes less is more....Sometimes there was too much going on at once

Also, it helps to have the media on a black background so it fits in with the rest o f what is going on....The HTTYD scene, for instance, would have been nice to have Toothless flying around the fountains against a black background so it felt more natural

Buuuuut....Disney has an insane budget when it comes to nighttime shows, and everything else

 

[Teebin]

I will get into the weeds on the fountain nozzles however. Can anyone find me a picture of what the undulating fountain mechanism looks like? Are they servo motor controlled? Do they rotate in any direction or are they linear?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

From that context (add in the great info that @MrPipps has added about how long it takes to work through multiple IP interest), is it possible stuff like JW instead of JP, more DW...the lack of stuff like Jaws....could it just be that the show came to the water front a year or two prior than expected?

While I don't know about approvals, it is reported the show was planned for 2019 but moved up quickly after damage to the CineSpec show after the hurricane.