For example, in 1988, Walt Disney Imagineers approached BRC to assist them in creating a tour through a working animation studio built at the Disney/MGM Studios theme park. Making the production experience accessible to viewers without disturbing the artists was the challenge.

"The first step in a project like this," says Carlin, "is to figure out just how long your experience wants to be. Then you figure out your capacity--how many people can and need to be moving through the experience based on the number of people in the park on a given day. Then you design an experience that can comfortably accommodate that many people."

For "The Magic of Disney Animation," BRC and the Disney Imagineers decided to move approximately 1000 guest through the exhibit per hour. The experience begins in a movie theater (each theater holds approximately 250 audience members), then moves through all the departments of an animation studio--storyboard, layout, character animation, etc.--in elevated tiered passageways that allow both the visitors to view the animators and the animators, if they desire, to view the visitors.

"We wanted the audience to have sort of an over-the-shoulder experience," says Carlin. "So we put several risers in front of the windows that look down on the animators. This made for better viewing but also allowed us to increase the number of people moving through."

After a demonstration in the camera department audience members queue up for their third and final film experience (the second is enjoyed while standing in line for the last theater) then move into a museum-like display of famous Disney animation projects.

Knott's Berry Farms Mystery Lodge, with special effects makes the tales of an Old Storyteller come alive. © BRC Imagination Arts.

Working closely with Imagineers, BRC artists developed, scripted and produced all the short films exhibited throughout the experience. To introduce newcomers to the animation process in a compelling fashion, BRC producers cast veteran newscaster Walter Cronkite as a host or straight-man to the energetic Robin Williams. In the film Back To Neverland, Cronkite turns Williams into an animated character--one of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan--and together they lead the audience through a very "animated" tour of the production process. The film, directed by Jerry Rees, (Brave Little Toaster) was created in-house at BRC by a crew of Los Angeles-based freelancers.

The other two media experiences BRC produced for "The Magic of Disney Animation" attraction did not require BRC's temporary animation studio, but did involve scripting and direction. One called "Animators on Animation" is an interview/documentary with famous Disney animators delving into the reasons why these artists chose animation as their life long careers. The other is a montage of classic Disney animation.

BRC delved into the realm of computer animation for its experience called "Space Center Houston." One element of this inspirational attraction, dedicated to "re-generating" interest in the Space Program, is a Space Shuttle Training Simulator ride called Land the Shuttle. Using IBM hardware and software, BRC artists and engineers mixed live action with real-time animation to create a ride that visitors could control. "We shot an astronaut character on a green screen stage so that his scenes could be composited with our animation," explains Carlin. "This character, named Chet, gives the player feedback on how he or she is doing; if the nose is down too far or the speed is too high. The shots of Chet were recorded on laserdisc and it became the computer software's job to sync up the frames of Chet with the real-time action of the animation. For instance if you crashed, then the computer would find the appropriate frame on the laserdisc and display a disheveled version of the astronaut."