Wild West Falls
Redefining theme park entertainment with Warner Bros. Movie World’s Wild West Falls Adventure Ride.
In a nutshell:
Challenges Addressed: Integrated lighting that enhanced the ride’s nighttime theme without affecting daytime aesthetics. Overcame the 100m limitation of copper technology for complex DMX lighting. Implemented durable, low-maintenance solutions suitable for outdoor environments with the ability for expansion.
Solution Highlights: Partnered with Dulio Design to strategically place over 60 external lighting fixtures for minimal visual impact. Employed advanced networking with SFP+ switches and fibre modules to extend DMX command range. Custom-engineered fixtures and UV-stabilised cables for reliable outdoor performance and durability. Developed facade lighting that operates independently of ride operations. Utilised an all-LED lighting design for longevity and minimal maintenance. Thoroughly programmed, tested, and documented the system for seamless implementation and maintenance.
Results Achieved: Warner Bros. Movie World praised the seamless and dramatic enhancement of the guest experience, creating a vibrant and immersive nighttime atmosphere that enables easy integrations into the future.
Introduction
Village Roadshow Theme Parks, the creators of Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast—Australia’s premiere theme park, partnered with Ampd to breathe new life into the nighttime ambience and experience of their Wild West Falls Adventure Ride.
Building on our recent successful implementation of Q-SYS processing, amplifiers, and loudspeakers for the iconic water ride, Warner Bros. enlisted Ampd to supply, install, program & commission a comprehensive external lighting package that would transform the ride for nighttime operations and dedicated events.
To ensure a seamless and impactful transformation, Ampd partnered with longtime collaborator, Dulio Design, for the concept & design work, promising an unforgettable enhancement to this beloved attraction.
The Challenge
One of the primary challenges this project faced was ensuring the new lighting design integrated with the existing Wild West Falls theme and infrastructure, without compromising the ride’s daytime look and feel. Integrating the new lighting system with the existing Beckoff Show PLC control system and Q-SYS controlled elements required balancing technical and creative demands to achieve a unified and immersive experience. Creating a cohesive look/feel and designing scene lighting that harmonised with the ride’s established theme demanded meticulous planning and execution.
Furthermore, it was crucial that the main facade lighting could operate independently from the ride itself. This would keep the ride’s location visually appealing and part of the holistic theme park experience even when the ride was not in operation. Likewise, it was essential that these systems adhere to Warner Bros. Movie World’s rigorous standards, maintaining robust and reliable backup systems that would keep the lighting operational under all circumstances.
Finally, the lighting solution had to be durable and low-maintenance, capable of withstanding outdoor conditions while requiring minimal upkeep. This was essential to ensure the longevity and sustainability of the installation. Likewise, flexibility was a key requirement for the park after being locked into set programming with systems that often require extensive call outs and equipment replacements to make minor changes or adjustments.
The Innovation
Ampd, in collaboration with Dulio Design, developed a comprehensive lighting solution that completely transforms the Wild West Falls Adventure Ride for nighttime operations and special events.
The system now features over 60 external LED lighting fixtures all mounted to maximise the efficiency and visual impact of the show lighting, with minimal visual distractions from equipment and cables. These lights were carefully selected and positioned to enhance the thematic elements of the ride without being obtrusive. The design ensures the lighting integrates with the iconic water ride’s aesthetic, both day and night, providing a dynamic and immersive experience for all park guests. Likewise, this area of the park remains vibrant and full of life even when the ride is not in operation as the main facade lighting functions independently. Additionally, the ride scene lighting is fitted with a switchable ‘evac mode’ to provide increased illumination and greater visibility throughout the attraction for emergencies.
The team successfully programmed & commissioned the grandMA3 onPC rack-unit to implement a new lighting design that works in step with the ride’s existing operations. The combination of complex theatrical style cue control, complete flexibility with overlapping sequences and extensive customisation and system integration made the grandMA3 the perfect choice for this project. This approach ensured that all scenes and lighting were perfectly timed and integrated with the ride’s established movements and effects. Likewise, the Q-SYS AV control system facilitated flexible and scalable management of the audio-visual elements, along with integration to the Beckoff Show Control PLC allowing precise control and customisation to meet the thematic requirements of the ride. This allows for seamless changeover of the entire lighting design for the ride on demand, with the team delivering completely different overlays of the entire theme depending on park seasonal events.
Additionally, to overcome the 100m limitation of traditional copper technology, we designed and implemented five weatherised field equipment racks equipped with industrial grade switches and fibre star network, enabling DMX data distribution and show control elements to reach the required scenes. These field racks served as distribution hubs and were placed throughout the attraction, enabling efficient and reliable control of the lighting system.
As a park like this is in operation 7 days a week, implementing a durable and low-maintenance solution is vital. Given the attraction is predominantly outdoors, fixture choice played a vital role in the design approach to ensure that trusted, high-quality equipment was chosen that would withstand the environment. UV-stabilised cables were used to withstand prolonged sun exposure, as well as custom engineered mounting solutions to provide robust support for the fixtures while remaining virtually invisible. The entire system was weatherised and ventilated where required to protect equipment from the elements, ensuring longevity and reducing the need for frequent maintenance.
The entire system was carefully programmed, tested, and commissioned to deliver an exceptional experience. Comprehensive documentation and labeling of all equipment facilitates quick and easy service and maintenance. This process ultimately ensures Warner Bros. Movie World receives a reliable, visually stunning, and future-proof solution. This upgrade not only improves the ride’s aesthetic appeal, but also increases operational flexibility and efficiency, setting a new standard for theme park attractions.
Equipment
- GrandMA3 on PC rack-unit & additional backup unit
- DMX King eDMX MAX DIN nodes
- Fibre network backbone and networking hardware
- EK Colour Ranger Q48’s
- Martin Exterior 200 Wash’s
- Studio Due Aria’s & Terra’s
- Studio Due PL-Max Spot
- ClayPaky Kreios Aqua Mini’s
- Gobotech Projectors
- Custom Flickering Flame Lanterns
- Custom LED Pixel Window Facade Lighting
- SMART 17’s with Snoots
The Color Ranger and Martin Exterior fixtures were chosen for the high output requirements of the main façade having proven themselves on previous high demand projects.
The main scenes of the attraction are lit with a combination of Studio Due Smart 17 RGBA and Aria L5 24v fixtures. The Smart 17 provides a compact, high output solution with great colours in an affordable package.
The Arial L5s greatly simplified the installation on this project due to their ELV power requirements, allowing for 24v combined power+dmx cabling to be run where it was not practical to bury mains voltage to their location. The Terra inground was the perfect partner to the Aria where set pieces called for a fixture to be recessed into the ground.
The Studio Due PL-Max spot, which is an ultra-narrow long throw fixture, was used to highlight a key set piece from over 60m away atop the attraction’s main façade.
All fixtures were fitted with anti-glare snoots to hide their presence from park guests.
The Results
The new lighting system at Wild West Falls has transformed the nighttime experience, providing a vibrant, immersive atmosphere that continues to captivate park-goers.
The flexible, reliable, and future-proof AV solution ensures minimal maintenance and seamless integration with the capacity for future enhancements. Warner Bros. Movie World praised the project for its lasting impact, delivering an unforgettable experience for their guests.
For inquiries regarding high-quality audio-visual design and installation you can contact us, or connect directly with our sales team today at sales@ampdelectronics.com.au or call 07 3311 6049.
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📧 sales@ampdelectronics.com.au 📞07 3311 6049