Q
& A Magic Man
Studio City ’ s House of Magic is expected to be one of its main attractions , curated by internationally acclaimed illusionist Franz Harary . He spoke with Casino Design Publisher Roger Gros on the creation of this unique show .
What is the attraction of magic ? It all starts as children . At that time a lightbulb is magic , an elevator is magic . But as you grow older , that sense of wonder is knocked out of you pretty quickly . I try to rekindle that need or desire for wonder . That need to believe is universal . Magic is really a looking glass into the hopes and dreams of each individual culture .
Why Macau ? Why Asia ? In the last 10 or 15 years , there has been such an explosion of technology that the sense of magic has disappeared . But that means that audiences are hungrier for good magic than ever before . Magic is more popular all over the world . In China , there ’ s a hunger for someone to come along and show them that there is something more .
How do you come up with the ideas for these illusions ? It ’ s that sense of wonder . I ’ ve always lived my life as a little kid , so I like to think I haven ’ t lost it . Magic is everywhere . Magicians see things a little differently . It ’ s not that I sit down and come up with something . For example , if you look at a body of water at night , something reflected in it looks larger than it really is . So there ’ s a trick there . I ’ ll put that in my pocket and maybe come back to it at some point .
How did you get involved in Studio City ? And did you work with Lawrence Ho on House of Magic ? Lawrence has become a friend . We did a show for him a few years ago and it all started there . Lawrence is the reason I ’ m here . He gets it . He loves magic . We had this immediate connection , so he was willing to make this amazing $ 40 million investment . These theaters were designed for this purpose . Each of them has different attributes and is designed for a different kind of magic . It allows each magician to show off his or her talents in the best possible way . And we ’ ve got all the toys — videos , lasers , whatever . There ’ s more technology in these shows than I ’ ve ever had before . It ’ s the coolest thing I ’ ve ever done . world ,” says Clayton . “ Towering 130 meters above Cotai , the Golden Reel is majestically located in the center point between the twin Art Deco towers , and will offer visitors a thrilling ride experience found only at Studio City .
“ The Golden Reel was formed in traditional Hollywood blockbuster movie fashion when not one but two flaming asteroids crash through the building in tandem to create an almost perfect figure 8 ( hole ). With the Industrial Revolution-themed loading platform 23 floors above the ground floor , the Golden Reel has a total of 17 ‘ steampunk ’ themed cabins each comfortably accommodating up to 10 people on the 15- minute jaw-dropping journey around the distinctive figure-8 track .
“ Blending the romance of the golden age of travel with Melco Crown Entertainment ’ s unprecedented ability to provide world-class entertainment experiences , the Golden Reel showcases the company ’ s commitment to leading the market with one-of-a-kind , industry-redefining attractions .”
Goddard says his company spent many hours and days concentrating on getting this element correct .
“ The Golden Reel was inspired by Lawrence Ho ’ s suggestion that a meteor might have crashed through the center of the towers creating an open space ,” he explains . “ From this idea we created the idea for an open space , and then , realizing the power of the number 8 throughout Asia , we doubled the opening and Mr . Ho immediately embraced the concept . We then suggested that activating the area with a Ferris wheel , creating what would be the world ’ s first figure-8 wheel Ferris wheel , could be quite spectacular . Mr . Ho agreed , and we set about designing what became the Golden Reel .
“ From that point on it was a team effort , with the internal Studio City entertainment team , and the ride manufacturing company , and the construction company , all working together to ensure the Golden Reel would be realized . Challenges included figuring out the styling of the cabs , the engineering of the structure and ride system ( carried out by Vekoma Rides ), and ultimately , the total guest experience from the time they purchase their ticket to the time they board , to the time they disembark .
“ As the creators and designers for this incredible achievement , our goal was to create something so incredible and so fantastic that it would inspire everyone who sees it — whether in the news , or social media , or photos online .”
32 CASINO DESIGN 2015