"Toruk : The First Flight" Cirque du Soleil Show Inspired by Avatar Debut in Montreal, - Video Review

"Toruk: The First Flight" is the awaited new Cirque du Soleil show inspired by James Cameron's Avatar. Described as "A live multimedia immersive spectacle that brings to the stage the breathtaking world of James Cameron’s Avatar like you have never seen before" the show include amazing projection effects as well as Cirque du Soleil signature stunning acrobatics sequences. 

Toruk : The First Flight envisions a world beyond imagination set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film. The word Toruk, in the Na’vi language, refers to the great leonopteryx, the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. Central in Na’vi lore and culture, this fascinating creature is crucial to the Na’vi clans’ sense of destiny and interconnectedness – and is about to be ridden for the very first time by a Na’vi.

The official site is HERE but i have plenty of great videos for you so let's start with the short official commercial.




The next videos below were shot during the media event or the Montreal premiere and shows a selection of scenes from the show.







The 8.30min video below shows apparently the first minutes the show.




Another 10min long video showing others scenes of the show.




A great 4K video of different scenes filmed in wide angle with a Go Pro.




More amazing projection effects and the end of the show.




This video shows the arrival of the guests on the red carpet and include more footage!




And what does James Cameron think about the Toruk show? Here is the answer.




Next video is an interview of the show directors with more footage.




Costumes were obviously an important part of the show and this is what this next short video is about.




This last video is about the acrobatics rehearsal for Toruk, World of Avatar!




Pictures: copyright Cirque du Soleil

World's First Cirque du Soleil Theme Park Resort to be build in Riviera Maya, Mexico,

Yesterday was a milestone day for the Goddard Group, as Founder & Chairman, Gary Goddard,  announced in Riviera Maya, Mexico, an incredible project - the world's first CIRQUE DU SOLEIL Theme Park Resort. According to Gary, this unprecedented collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, the Goddard Group, and Grupo Vidanta will be unlike anything else the world has seen before.

This first-of-its-kind immersive theme park experience in Nuevo Vallarta, still in development, will apparently include "water park and nature park elements and will feature an outdoor evening show accommodating as many as 3,000 to 5,000 spectators. Each experience within the entertainment park will be animated by Cirque du Soleil artists and follow a common storyline.”
 
“Grupo Vidanta is offering us an amazing sandbox in which we can unleash our creativity,” said Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil. “Both our groups strive for perfection. Grupo Vidanta is passionate and cares for the environment. We set ourselves the challenge of creating something unlike anything the world has seen before.”

Below, two more renderings showing areas of this Cirque du Soleil theme park.

The next artwork below is from the great John Horny.

The Goddard Group’s Facebook said to Screamscape asking if there will be rides at the park: “While there will be rides every single one will be a new creative experience never seen at any other park. And while we can't get into too much detail at this point, we can say that the "star" attractions here are completely new experiences that don't yet exist in the world.”

According to Screamscape "if you look at the artwork above at the various themed areas and spot you'll see what appear to be a number of small rides and attractions spread throughout the beautiful scenery, including a ferris wheel, train, and what had at first looked like a white coaster on the right side, is actually just waterslides for the waterpark next to the wave pool.
Lance also think that the project might include "some pretty big ideas planned for this park that could prove to be game changers for the future of the themed entertainment industry".

For sure, we'll keep an eye on this project!

Artwork: copyright Goddard Group, Grupo Vidanta

Watch This Magical Cirque du Soleil Drones Ballet To Undersrtand Why The WDI Drones Patent May Be More Important Than You Think

If you've read my update posted on August 24, one month ago, then you're probably aware of this new patent filed by WDI showing an amazing use of a fleet of drones, whether it would be in a show above the castle or as puppet masters during a parade - if you didn't read the article jump HERE first.

Although the idea looked impressive some had some doubts that it could become real, mainly because the patent described an outdoor use of the drones and unpredictable wind could create real problems due to the light weight of quadcopter drones.

But today, i've found these two videos released by the Cirque du Soleil - actually it was done by the C-Lab, the creative laboratory of the Cirque du Soleil. Although what they did here with drones is very different than the use intended by WDI, you must watch these videos to understand how it's possible to create something truly magical with a ballet of drones. It has the typical "spirit" of the Cirque du Soleil, and i think they did something truly great.

The first video below shows the short movie itself called "SPARKED: A Live Interaction Between Humans and Quadcopters" and watch it until the end credits...




And the other not-to-be-missed video is this one called "SPARKED: Behind the Technology" in which they speak about the different tests they did using these drones. I'm sure you'll envision what WDI could do with the same technology, including show effects not necessarily described in the WDI patent.




Picture and video: copyright Cirque du Soleil

Spain Port Aventura Announces Partnership with Cirque du Soleil !

That's a pretty good move for Spain theme park Port Aventura as the park announced that next summer world famous Cirque du Soleil will come at Port Aventura during summer season during with "Kooza", "a stunt show with a large dose of fantasy".

"Both parties have signed a partnership agreement and the Cirque du Soleil will be installed in the resort with a daily show for more than 2,400 spectators.

Kooza, a show which has been seen by more than 4 million viewers from different countries discusses the work of Innocent, a loner character who tries to find a place in the world. The Cirque du Soleil believes the show is a return to the origins of the company because it combines two circus traditions: the art of clowning and acrobatic performances.

Throughout his life journey Innocent will contact comic characters like a king, an obnoxious tourist and a pickpocket. Kooza explores through exotic visuals world issues such as fear, identity, recognition, boldness and power .

"It will be a synergy that will allow us to entertain and amuse the millions of visitors of the park and also reach our fans," said Finn Taylor, senior vice president of Cirque du Soleil. "This collaboration is definitely a step forward in the consolidation of PortAventura resort as a leader in Europe and one of the most valuable tourism industry family brands," concludes Sergio Feder, chairman of the executive committee of the Park attractions of the Costa Dorada."

Now, you may ask: "By the way, why don't they have a permanent Cirque du Soleil show at Disneyland Paris, like WDW have at Downtown Disney? " This would be a good question, and the truth is that DLP tried to have one but - and it's a big "but" - the problem was apparently the cost. From what i've been told the deal with the Cirque du Soleil wherever they create a new show is that a special theatre must be build for the show and the cost of it must be paid by the place where the show will be, whether it's a Las Vegas casino or a theme park resort. And the cost is supposed to be around... $100 Million! You better understand now why there is no Cirque du Soleil at DLP as the park simply couldn't afford it. Instead they choose the cheap option and built a small circus tent under which they had a show for a while but nothing comparable with the quality of the Cirque du Soleil shows. What they could do probably more easily is what Port  Aventura will do next year, i.e to have a temporary show which won't require a multi million dollar theater. That would be smart and we'll see if this will happen at DLP in the future. In the meantime have a look t the trailer below, and as i've said it's a very good move from Port Aventura which, with a brand new family ride also coming in 2014, should help the park to have an excellent 2014 season.

Pictures: copyright Cirque du Soleil

Michael is Back and "Immortal" at Cirque du Soleil - and in a brand new documentary, too !

Considering that Disney theme parks still have the Captain EO attraction playing and that the Cirque du Soleil shows also play permanently in two Disney resorts - at WDW and TDR - i think that this news about the new "Immortal" show designed by the Cirque du soleil in tribute to Michael Jackson finds naturally its place in D&M columns.

Let's begin by a good news: the new Immortal show will visit 60 North American cities! So, if you live in the U.S or Canada you won't have to go to Las Vegas to watch it as the show will be coming in a city near you! Once the tour will be over and if you didn't had the luck to see it then you'll have to go to Las Vegas as the show will take up residency at the Mandalay Bay Resort.

Described as "A riveting fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy that immerses audiences in Michael's creative world and literally turns his signature moves upside down, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour unfolds Michael Jackson's artistry before the eyes of the audience. Aimed at lifelong fans as well as those experiencing Michael's creative genius for the first time, the show captures the essence, soul and inspiration of the King of Pop, celebrating a legacy that continues to transcend generations.

THE IMMORTAL World Tour takes place in a fantastical realm where we discover Michael's inspirational Giving Tree - the wellspring of his creativity. The secrets of Michael's inner world are unlocked - his love of music and dance, fairy tale and magic, and the fragile beauty of nature. The underpinnings of THE IMMORTAL World Tour are Michael Jackson's powerful, inspirational music and lyrics - the driving force behind the show—brought to life with extraordinary power and breathless intensity. Through unforgettable performances Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour underscores Michael’s global messages of love, peace and unity".

The show began today Oct 26 at Winnipeg, CA, and as you may be curious to see more about "Immortal", here is a video showing some of the show.




Writer-director Jamie King who also worked with Madonna, Prince, Rihanna, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, the Spice Girls and others, told Billboard.com: "Everything about this project has felt large. Being around (Jackson), he always wanted everything larger, bigger — more confetti, more pyro, more magic. He wanted fans to feel like they were getting the best experience ever, so we started with that and moved forward. With every aspect of this show we’ve pushed the envelope — costumes, music, going above and beyond what Michael was as a star and really putting it on steroids, taking it to the next level.”

The Immortal World Tour, also have 10 choreographers and a live band led by longtime Jackson keyboardist Gregg Phillinganes that will perform more than 60 songs from Jackson’s catalog — backing the late singer’s recorded vocals. “It was important to have a live band; Michael always had a live band in his show,” King notes. “You can imagine what it feels like to have people who actually played music with Michael there, playing it again.” King also said he directed musical designer Kevin Antunes to be as inventive as possible with arrangements and mash-ups and a soundtrack album from the Immortal World Tour will be released next month.

You can read more about the show and the tour dates on the official web site of Immortal HERE

But that's not all about Michael as a brand new documentary will also be released soon. Called "Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon" this new movie is not just another Michael Jackson movie and is the creation of MJ's friend David Gest, who produced and narrated the documentary with unprecedented access to Michael's inner family, including interviews with his mother, Katherine.

The documentary focuses on stories from the star's closest friends and family relaying public and private memories and stories from the entertainer's life including never-before-seen family photos and performance footage. The film also looks at the difficult times during Michael's life including the moment an arrest warrant was ordered and how the molestation trial impacted all their lives in 2005.

Michael's mother Katherine said, "Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon" is a truly remarkable film that captures the true character, wit and sensitivity of my son. Producer David Gest takes you on an emotional roller coaster that will bring people to tears as well as really understand who the man behind the music was and is."

Here is the trailer of "Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon"




Videos: copyright Cirque du Soleil or David Gest Production



Don't miss my new HKDL Wallpapers HD App for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch HERE !
Direct iTunes Appstore link to download the App is HERE.

The amazing accuracy of Walt Disney Imagineering Artwork

What always amazed me with Walt Disney Imagineering renderings is how accurate they are. I mean: when you look at the real thing, once it is built, it looks exactly like it was on the artwork, sometime released many years before.

That's what i like: WDI artwork never cheat. What you see is what you'll have once it will be built. It's not only remarkable but also WDI renderings are without a doubt the most accurate i've seen. Other theme parks - like Universal - also release artwork months before the opening of an attraction, but they're not as accurate.

May be there is a good reason why WDI artworks have this degree of accuracy: they're also done to show Disney executives how a project will look in real, and, as a budget - translate: lot of money - will be unfreeze for this particular project, the artwork better be accurate...

So, today we will have a look to some brilliant example of this "artwork accuracy" with both renderings and picture of the real thing. First example is with the above Blizzard Beach artwork - and below a photo of the park shot at the opening.



Same thing with the artwork of Tike's Peak, the kids "iceberg" zone...




Next example will be the Disney Institute - here is the artwork...



And here is a picture of the Institute in real.



Disney's Wide World of Sorts is another good example...




It's even more spectacular with the hotels. Here is the Boardwalk Hotel artwork...



And here are three pictures on different angles of the area shown on the rendering.





Same perfection in accuracy with the Wildeness Lodge DVC: the artwork...



And two pictures of the real thing.




Next one is the Coronado Springs Resort with its Spanish style...




...that we find in the final result.





The artwork of Downtown Disney's Cirque du Soleil is also a perfect example.




I will end with some artwork of Celebration campus and school...




And a picture of the campus entrance.



Hope you enjoyed this little demonstration of WDI artists talent!

All Artwork and pictures: copyright Disney

The amazing accuracy of Walt Disney Imagineering Artwork

What always amazed me with Walt Disney Imagineering renderings is how accurate they are. I mean: when you look at the real thing, once it is built, it looks exactly like it was on the artwork, sometime released many years before.

That's what i like: WDI artwork never cheat. What you see is what you'll have once it will be built. It's not only remarkable but also WDI renderings are without a doubt the most accurate i've seen. Other theme parks - like Universal - also release artwork months before the opening of an attraction, but they're not as accurate.

May be there is a good reason why WDI artworks have this degree of accuracy: they're also done to show Disney executives how a project will look in real, and, as a budget - translate: lot of money - will be unfreeze for this particular project, the artwork better be accurate...

So, today we will have a look to some brilliant example of this "artwork accuracy" with both renderings and picture of the real thing. First example is with the Blizzard Beach artwork above - and a photo of the park shoot at its opening.



Same thing with the artwork of Tike's Peak, the kids "iceberg" zone...




Next example will be the Disney Institute - here is the artwork...



And here is a picture of the Institute in real.



Disney's Wide World of Sorts is another good example...




It's even more spectacular with the hotels. Here is the Boardwalk Hotel artwork...



And here are three pictures on different angles of the area shown on the rendering.





Same perfection in accuracy with the Wildeness Lodge DVC: the artwork...



And two pictures of the real thing.




Next one is the Coronado Springs Resort with its Spanish style...




...that we find in the final result.





The artwork of Downtown Disney's Cirque du Soleil is also a perfect example.




I will end with some artwork of Celebration campus and school...




And a picture of the campus entrance.



Hope you enjoyed this little demonstration of WDI artists talent!

All Artwork and pictures: copyright Disney