Page 51 - Star Wars Insider #195

until we’d built it to go in there
and program things. Thanks to
pre-visualization technology, we’ve
been able to actually experience it
with a VR headset on, to work it
out and program all of this stuff in
advance. For example, we might
ask, “Does it make sense to blow
out that hole in the wall before this
gunfire happens, and before this

character says this line?” Getting all
of that choreography done in VR
in advance has allowed us to pack
more stuff in and have enough
time to choreograph it perfectly
for our guests.”
And while all of the bells and
whistles are impressive, Larena
says the ultimate goal is to give
guests repeated experiences that
are forever illuminating. “A big
takeaway for me has always been
Pirates of the Caribbean,” he says
of the classic Disneyland attraction.
“It’s been around for quite a while.
People still love to ride it, and every
time I’ve ridden it, there’s always
at least one thing that I’ve never
noticed before. There are so many
elements in Pirates, and that’s
in that hangar bay, it’s always been the Star Destroyer, and how big 04 Two AT-ATs part of its allure. So, it was really
a dream of mine.” the room containing the AT-AT make their important for us to make Rise of
intimidating
From this point, Rise of the walkers is.” presence felt. the Resistance just as rich, with so
Resistance morphs into something many details in the sets, and in the
else again, moving away from Virtually Real 05 Rise of the dialogue and the special effects.
Resistance
the Resistance recruits traveling Another secret weapon for Rise takes guests There are so many things to see,
independently on foot and entering of the Resistance has been the into space on you will have to ride this again and
a dangerous
the second ride system portion of integration of virtual reality again and again. You’ll always be
mission.
the experience, which operates (VR) into the development picking up certain nuances of what
using a unique trackless system. and timing of the fi nal 06 There are happened. And depending on what
several story
“These are the fi rst trackless experience. “This attraction segments side of the vehicle you’re on, you’ll
vehicles to be so low to the ground, has an unprecedented amount during the go, ‘Oh wow, I never noticed that
experience .
and that’s a really big deal,” of triggered effects, triggered we were orbiting over this planet
Larena explains. “Up until now, animation, triggered media,” 07 Trackless and you can see it out the window
our trackless systems were built Larena discloses. “There are vehicles below you,’ or ‘I never noticed that
whizz guests
pretty high off the ground. So, so many things happening ship spiraled out of control and hit
through the
there’s this detachment of scale in every scene, and they’re adventure. that ship, which hit that ship, and
because you’re so much higher up. happening in quick succession. created this whole chain reaction.’”
You can’t imagine that you could In the past, we would have gone Larena says the greatest reward
ever mimic whizzing down the into these scenes and worked out is seeing the expressions on the
hallways of a Star Destroyer if your the timing while we’re in the scene. faces of guests after they fi nish their
vehicle puts your head 8 feet high. At most, there would be about fi ve Rise of the Resistance experience.
Nothing’s going to scale out right. to ten things to time in total.” “People are just blown away,” he
But, having a vehicle so low to the In contrast, Rise of the enthuses. “When I see their jaws
ground, like a go-kart almost, your Resistance has around thirty-fi ve drop in person, it feels really good.
feet are literally nine inches above to forty different events that have It’s just a wonderful feeling to see

the floor. That allowed us to bring to happen in quick succession that look in people’s eyes when
the scale, very, very close to reality during some sequences. “There’d they exit the attraction. That’s
of how big these corridors are on be no way that we could wait exactly the look I’m looking for.”

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