ILLUMINATE THE POSSIBILITIES
That castle just came alive . It ’ s a rumbling , whistling teapot now , and I ’ m all in . Wide-eyed and Mickey-eared , this 40-year-old lady mechanically eats popcorn in awe , then snaps into a flailing version of “ A Very Merry Unbirthday .”
That ’ s the kind of Bibbidi Bobbidi that I wonder about later . The type that spills my popcorn . A lot of Imagineering magic occurs at Walt Disney World , most of which is easy to understand — I get that Peter Pan ’ s Flight is suspended from the ceiling , and Disco Yeti is bolted to the rock .
But this ?
What absolute sorcery is Mickey up to when Cinderella Castle flashes into a neon-lit Genie cabaret , or when the Tree of Life glitters with an entire short story ? I may call it razzamatazz , but the technical name is projection mapping , and for that , Mickey has some help from Aaron Counterman .
HOW PROJECTION MAPPING BRINGS THE NIGHT TO LIFE
Ever After
If you are celebrating your wedding day at Walt Disney World , you know you will be in for one of the most magical experiences of your life . Disney World is known for “ plussing ” their guests ’ experiences , and a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding is no exception . One way you can plus your wedding is by adding a projection to your wedding cake . Cast some Disney magic on your plain , white wedding cake with a touch of pixie dust or Rapunzel ' s lanterns floating into the sky ..
BY RAIN BLANKEN
Counterman is the Principal Video Designer , Disney Live Entertainment , and he offered to shed some light on how projection mapping has elevated our nighttime spectaculars with park icons that appear to sing , explode , and dance with the crowd .
MAGIC , MEMORIES , AND MAPPING Those vibrant scenes are created via hidden high-powered projectors that have been carefully designed to play out scenes in perfect time to music and accompanying pyrotechnics . WDW guests were introduced to projection mapping in the 2011 Magic Kingdom show on Cinderella Castle , The Magic , The Memories and You ! It was the first time Counterman saw a projectionmapped performance on such a large scale .
He remembered via our email interview , “ Little did I know at that time , in a few more years , I ’ d be leading the team that designs the systems that bring those shows to life at Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line .”
And a lot changed since that night . Counterman said , “ We now have more than double the original number of
IMAGES COURTESY OF DISNEY ’ S FAIRY TALE WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS
projectors at the castle than we had with that first show . These types of systems were also expanded to our other park locations like the Tree of Life , Chinese Theater , and Hollywood Tower Hotel .”
HOW DOES IT WORK ? To complete the illusion , the team has to position animations perfectly over 3D models of each structure . This process is called “ alignment ” and involves field trips to the parks .
Counterman said , “ We go on-site and project a pattern onto the structure to create specific points on parts of the structure we know will not change . Once these points are set , we electronically shift the projector lenses as needed , along with adjusting settings within the content playback software to complete the alignment .”
Then the content creation teams come in for a drawing session . Counterman explained , “ Imagine being able to sit at a computer with a model of the castle on your screen and use your mouse to draw images or put color in real time on the physical castle in front of you .”
On our list of amazing jobs for artists , this has to be one of the best . It sounds like the ultimate coloring book , but for Counterman , it is a vital step in the accuracy of the projection : “ This allows them to double-check their content creation 3D model versus the ones our