DreamPlay
Creative Technology Development
DreamWorks
The ultimate play space adorned with the DreamWorks Animation characters that people around the world cherish
DreamWorks DreamPlay was conceived as the ultimate play space adorned with the DreamWorks Animation characters and stories that people around the world cherish. The park contains 15 attractions - activities ranging from a hands-on cooking class to 4D movie theater.
As Creative Technologist on the project, as well as Interactive Creative and Technical Director, I developed these attractions - the UX, service design, visual design, and software development. I also directed a team of developers and designers to build-out two additional digital attractions, ensuring these were integrated into the achievement system I developed.
I wrote all these applications in C# and Unity3D, with additional Android asset development (for the Sphero API integration), Windows DLL development in C# (for integration into the park-wide guest engagement system), and JavaScript (for API testing).
Roles:
Interactive Creative Director, Interactive Technical Director, Creative Technologist
Locations:
Manila, Philippines
Client:
Pure Imagination Studios, Los Angeles
Launched:
2014
How do you take this coveted collection of characters and allow people to tell their own stories? That was the challenge that lead me to the design of DreamStudio, a themed guest experience that combines 30 high-end touch-screen PCs, a real-time render farm, massive projection wall, and a unique touch-based animation tool where guests have the freedom to create real 3D animated short stories with their favorite DreamWorks Animation characters.
Guests can choose Po the Kung Fu Panda, Poppy from Trolls, the Penguins of Madagascar, and many other characters along with props and backgrounds. Then, using simplified 3D animation tools, quickly create their scenes and play them back for the guests on the massive projection wall.
Overview:
15-minute, real-time 3D animation activity for 30 guests at a time. Ages 7 and up.
Roles:
Creative Direction, UX Design, UI Design, Technical Direction, Service Design, Room Design, Creative Technology.
Technology:
C#, Unity3D, RFID, Projection
Dinotrux was a not-yet-released IP for DreamWorks Animation when we began to design DreamWorks DreamPlay. This happens, and my job is to dive in deep, work with the partner (DreamWorks Animation), and figure out how to use these new characters in a way that honors the IP and lives well into the future, after the IP is released to the world.
I took the robot concept. particularly inspired by the tool characters in the Dinotrux stable, and worked with Orbotix to create special-edition, Dinotrux branded Sphero robots. I designed an obstacle course for the robot spheres, designed and built a touch-screen app to control them around the track, designed the theming, and directed to the build-out.
Overview:
12 guests control robotic spheres around a themed obstacle course. Ages 7 and up.
Roles:
Creative Direction, UX Design, UI Design, Technical Direction, Service Design, Software Development, 3D Modeling, Creative Technology
Technology:
C#, Unity3D, RFID, Orbotix Sphero, Bluetooth, Android Development
DreamWorks DreamPlay was designed around a simple and fun badge-collecting mechanic – as kid’s swiped their RFID wristbands at each of the 15 attractions and activities, they would be rewarded with Achievement Badges based on each of the different DreamWorks IPs and characters.
I designed the physical station, designed and developed the software, and the interface that guests used to check their totals, customize their avatars, nicknames, and more.
These stations became popular stops, as groups of kids competed for the most badges collected on their visit!
Overview:
A virtual achievement badge collection system based on points earned in each of the 15 park attractions. Ages 7 and up.
Roles:
Creative Direction, UX Design, UI Design, Technical Direction, Service Design, API Design, Software Development, Enclosure Design, Creative Technologist.
Technology:
C#, Unity3D, RFID, NFC Readers, Java Server API, Windows DLL Development
For me, this represented the first in a series of really fun projects in the themed-entertainment space - melding user-experience, design, digital technology, and physical environments
