[Philip Lelyveld comment: this is a lengthy, well written story about their 3D process.  This website has many more case studies and tutorials.]

[3D Roundabout]

The Blackpool Tower is an iconic structure and long-standing visitor attraction in the seaside resort of Blackpool, England. It is now owned by the Merlin Entertainments Group, whose portfolio includes Tussauds, Sea Life, Alton Towers and the London Eye amongst others. In fact Merlin is the market leader in Europe for visitor attractions, and worldwide, is second only to Disney.

As part of the refurbishment and re-opening of the Blackpool Tower, in January 2011 Merlin commissioned production company and brand agency, Sharp Cookies, to provide an exciting 4D-experience film. This was to comprise a 3D film, 7.1 surround sound and physical effects such as snow, rain, smells, a vibrating floor and more, with a public opening date of the 1st September 2011.

The 4D experience is provided to visitors to the Tower immediately prior to their ascent to the Tower top. Sharp Cookies also provided several other 2D films for the attraction for screens situated in ‘front of house’, the 4D cinema waiting area and the queue area for the lifts to the top.

The brief

The original brief for the 4D film was to create a sophisticated yet fun 4D film that captures the essence of Blackpool and the northern coastline through aerial views and creative storytelling. The idea was to build on the success of the London Eye 4D film and create a more enhanced 4D visitor experience.

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Conclusion

The 4D Experience opened to unanimous approval on the 1st September 2011. The first showing was to invited members of the press, who ended the viewing with spontaneous applause.

The creative process was very easy between Merlin Studios and Sharp Cookies. Both teams had an open dialogue to help meet the brief and come up with new ideas to enhance the film. It was an excellent collaborative process, resulting in a film with its own original personality.  …