The 4D theater experience "Awards Night" created and produced by Super 78 is the showpiece of the new Audubon Insectarium, an educational venue recently named for a Thea Award, the themed entertainment industry's highest honor. The award will be presented to the Audubon Nature Institute March 7 in Anaheim, by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA).
Visit www.super78.com to view a video clip and stills from "Awards Night" (select Projects/Special Venue/Awards Night).
The 23,000-sq.-ft. Audubon Insectarium opened in spring 2008 as a new extension of the Audubon Nature Institute. The 8-minute "Awards Night" show with 5-minute preshow simulates an Oscars®-inspired awards gala for insects - billed as the "Tiniest Show on Earth." Supe
r 78 took charge of scripting, animating and producing the show, including designing the theater set, and casting Joan Rivers, Jay Leno and Brad Garrett to voice the main characters, respectively Joan Riversfly, Jay Lunamoth and The Cricket/Goliath Beetle.
"'Awards Night' is a very successful blend of education and entertainment," says Super 78 principal Dina Benadon.
"We really did our homework on the educational and scientific material, but we also gave it that showbiz touch," adds "Awards Night" director and Super 78 studio creative head, Brent Young. "We're overjoyed about the Thea award, which has special significance because it represents a major milestone in the city's and Audubon's recovery from Hurricane Katrina."
Visitors enter the 80-seat "Awards Night" theater, the curtains draw back and the multi-legged characters appear on three 50-inch HD plasma screens. Insects parade along the red carpet in a composited picture that integrates live action footage of real bugs with CGI animated counterparts. In-theater props, special effects and theatrical lighting, plus motion seats with ticklers, buzzers and misters add the extra dimension that makes it a "4D" experience.
Having created a set of branded insect characters, Super 78 has been busy developing a concept for a TV spinoff that would chronicle the ongoing lives of those characters - a backstage-at-the-awards-show story.
Super 78 is teamed with Nickelodeon and currently in production on "Dora and Diego: Catch that Robot Butterfly," a joint venture with SimEx-Iwerks to develop an educational and entertaining 4D experience for theme parks and museums, based on the hit shows "Dora the Explorer" and "Go Diego Go."
About Super 78
Hollywood based, award-winning studio Super 78 is a full-service "new media" production studio specializing in creating custom, branded entertainment for family audiences. Uniquely positioned to serve Hollywood and broadcast spheres as well as the museum and theme park markets, Super 78 creates and produces new media experiences from concept through installation. Visit www.super78.com.
About Audubon Nature Institute
Audubon Nature Institute is a New Orleans not-for-profit operating a family of nature-themed parks and attractions. With a rich and storied history woven into the very fabric
of New Orleans, Audubon Nature Institute consistently earns national and international
recognition as a leader among zoos and aquariums. Visit www.auduboninstitute.org.
About the Thea Awards and TEA
The 15th Annual Thea Awards Gala, open to the public, celebrates excellence in the creation of compelling experiences and places with a gala black-tie dinner and awards ceremony, sponsored by Economics Research Associates (ERA). Truly international in their recognition of outstanding productions, the Awards will be formally presented the evening of March 7, 2009 in the Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel. Tickets: http://www.teaconnect.org/boxoffice_2008-12.php. The TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) is an international nonprofit alliance founded in 1991 and based in Burbank, Calif.
Contacts:
Judith Rubin, rubin.judith@gmail.com
Dina Benadon, dina@super78.com
See also:
From Concept to Installation:The Wild Ride of Special Venue Media Production
'Flight of the Dragon' set for 4K