Glow Fest

 

Disney California Adventure

Anaheim, CA

 

Disney threw a summer dance party at Disney California Adventure called Glow Fest, and it quickly became one of the highest rated experiences at the Disneyland Parks for that year. 

 

The park’s Hollywood Backlot was transformed by neon lights, electronic music, and dancers. The centerpiece of the party was a giant projected image on the Hyperion Theatre façade.

 

Inspired by the dancing silhouettes of Apple’s iconic iPod commercials, Beaudry Interactive was brought in to create some interactive fun to be featured in the center of the 40' projection wall. We set up an array of infrared cameras and emitters that allowed us to capture guests' images in real-time as they danced in the streets.  There silhouettes were projected against the enormous background above using one of the several different looks that we designed for this experience. The Disney Techs watching over the dance floor could remotely control the projections and swap the looks in response to the levels of guests’ engagement. 

 

Implementing software-based filtering and processing to capture the guests’ movements in real-time was a complex job. Our cameras were set up at the end of Hollywood Boulevard, facing down the street toward the entrance of the backlot. No backdrop, lots of changing light sources, and giant set pieces in our camera image all presented challenges. It was all worth the effort once we saw the guests dancing in front the cameras for hours at a time.

 

Lots of guest-submitted video can also be found on YouTube.