Making of: Alice 1958 Disneyland Dark Ride Recreation Don Carson 2021-01-01 | A lot of folks asked if we would do a "Making Of" video for how we were able to create a virtual version of the 1958 Alice in Wonderland dark ride at Disneyland. Here is a walk-through of the steps we took to bring this lost attraction back to life.Notes on the Project:This project recreates the original version of Disneyland’s “Alice in Wonderland” attraction, which opened in 1958. This unique show was destroyed in 1983 after 25 years, having been visited by millions of Disneyland guests.No film or video documentation was found and almost no clear photography, so we have taken creative liberties to fill in the gaps. Some of our efforts may have improved what was originally there. This is true of the soundtrack as well. Our goal was not to create a historical document but to preserve the impression and style of the original.The 1958 attraction’s lead designer, Claude Coats, was clearly influenced by carnival spook-house rides and “Tunnels of Love” popular at the time, where the experience was deliberately dark and frightening. The art direction was remarkably crude by today’s standards, which is why the show was gutted to make way for a new version in 1984, which more closely resembled the animated film.Our research revealed, for example, that the faces of the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat and Dormouse were repainted over the years to make them more recognizable and less threatening. The looming figures of a furious Mad Hatter and March Hare were completely replaced at one point to make them less terrorizing.Claude Coats’ vision suffered from limited space, budget, and technology, but was remarkable for many reasons and quite worth preserving. Please note that this version of the video does not allow for animated props to move or doors to swing open. The video includes the indoor portion only, as the final third of the ride—the descent down a winding vine of leaves—did not reenter the building for another scene as it does today.More information about the creation of this video follows at the end.CREDITS FOR THE ORIGINAL ATTRACTION:Bill Martin & Claude Coats: Scenic DesignUb Iwerks, Wathel Rogers & Roger Broggie: Mechanical Engineering, Animation & Scenic EffectsGrosh and Sons – Scenery & MuralsCREDITS FOR VIDEO RE-CREATION:Don Carson - Art DirectionDaniel Rover Singer - Art DirectionKaren Thompson - Flower Garden Color DesignerHeidi Hirsch - Tulgey Wood Color DesignerSpecial Thanks to Christopher Merritt & Jeffery Weissman*This project is not associated with the Walt Disney Co in any way but is a fan tribute to a much loved classic attraction. Please enjoy this video as a love letter to the Disney parks and the Imagineers that bring these stories to life.
WALKABOUT - ICE LAIR: Behind the Scenes Tour Don Carson 2024-03-16 | As a followup to the video tour of the in-progress Ice Lair (posted to my Patreon site), here is a quick trip through the finished course so you can compare the two. So much happens as a course goes through the production process with each person adding to the overall storytelling of the environment. You will likely see some of the differences but also note how much some of the environments stayed the same, only much refined in detail. Rough models can hold a huge amount of information that can later help guide the evolution of a project.
Bringing .PNG Textures into 3D & VR Don Carson 2024-03-04 | This is an addendum to my previous video called "Bringing 2D Images into 3D & VR". This describes how to bring transparent .PNG textures into SketchUp for us in your models, videos, and VR projects. This example model was created for a collaborative project with my friend Cullen Vance. You can see both the finished video and a behind-the-scenes video here:Collaboration "Fezziwig's Party" video:youtu.be/vXWj-kshRus?si=IPPcl_9XCGv4lCzzMaking Of the Fezziwig Project video:youtu.be/UMsx3tP026A?si=TrsHID3NehJtiun4
Bringing 2D Images into 3D & VR Don Carson 2024-03-03 | Answering a request from a Patron, I have put together a video that goes through the steps for quickly taking rough 2D concept sketches and bringing them into 3D using SketchUp. This is a way for artists that aren't familiar with 3D to be able to assemble their designs and potentially even experience them in VR without a lot of previous knowledge in these applications.This technique is especially helpful if you have built or you have been given a model of an interior space, say it is a theater stage, a ride building, or an empty museum gallery. Bringing flats like these into the space allows you to start placing the set or pictures around inside the scale model. This is quick way to layout an attraction or museum space. Later those elements that will ultimately be dimensional can be replaced by built models but for the purpose of rapidly laying out an environment this is something that nearly anyone can do and it communicates a lot that just 2D drawings can struggle to accomplish.
WDW Splash Mountain with Commentary Don Carson 2023-11-02 | A big thank you to the SoCal Attractions 360 folks for letting me use their video POV ride-through of Splash Mountain WDW. youtube.com/c/Attractions360With the soon-to-be-re-imagined Splash attraction coming in the near future I wanted to take an opportunity to ride you through the attraction as it was originally designed. All the best to the WDI team designing the next chapter in the history of this attraction!
Environmental Storytelling in the Physical & Virtual World Don Carson 2023-09-21 | This represents a presentations I have been wanting to do for ages that links the work I have done in the theme park industry with the virtual environment design work I am doing today for Walkabout Mini Golf. It is long winded but it hits on all aspects of our design and production process..
Walkabout Labyrinth Rough Model in Gravity Sketch Don Carson 2022-11-24 | We start out all of the Walkabout Mini Golf courses as a collaborative rough model using Gravity Sketch. This was the very first pass at creating the model that would become the Jim Henson's Labyrinth course.
Haunted Mansion Blueprint Walk-through Don Carson 2022-09-11 | I produced a ride-through video of Splash Mountain for my Patreon patrons several weeks back and they asked if I might do additional ride-through videos with commentary inside other existing attractions, even if I didn't work on these projects myself. I feel pretty shy about commenting on any attractions with any authority that I did not personally work on, but as a FAN I am happy to rattle on about rides I love and point out what I love about them.I have put together this virtual trip through the blueprints for Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. Here I describe why I love this attraction SO much and helpfully illustrate what makes it so special in the world of themed entertainment design. I am no authority on the Haunted Mansion, most of my observations come from educated guesses fueled by years of working in the theme park business. I hope you find helpful information in this little tour of this iconic masterpiece.
WALKABOUT MINI GOLF - Labyrinth EASY Don Carson 2022-07-29 | Here is a short tour through the newly released Walkabout Mini Golf "Jim Henson's LABYRINTH" course. This depicts the EASY course.
Placing Assets in Gravity Sketch Don Carson 2022-06-26 | I have imported the furniture assets into Blender for texturing and then I export them into Gravity Sketch for placement. There is the beginning of that process. Really, all the building and texturing are worth the fun and rewarding step of arranging the various assets into the environment.
Building Props in Google Blocks Don Carson 2022-06-15 | The next step is to start building out the furniture and props that will be used to decorate my little test scene. I have been a user of Google Blocks since it debuted in 2017. Sadly Google has lost interest in supporting many of its VR projects so the future of Google Blocks is unknown. For now, it is my go-to place for building very low poly objects. Although technically this work could be done in Gravity Sketch, Block forces me to keep my models as low poly as possible which is a limitation that makes me abbreviate my creations while I am building them.
Adding Details to VR Model Don Carson 2022-06-07 | My next step is to build and bring in 3D assets into Gravity Sketch to start adding details to the walls. In this example, I created base models for the doors and the wainscotting in another 3D application that I will be wrapping around the walls of this very organic corridor.
Walkabout Mini Golf - El Dorado Don Carson 2022-06-02 | The latest creation from the talented folks at Mighty Coconut... the lost city of El Dorado!
HORIZON Cast Shadows Tutorial Don Carson 2022-05-31 | This is a quick tutorial showing a method for creating the illusion of a cast shadow using geometry. Facebook HORIZON is currently in beta so this is mostly for those pioneering world builders constructing the early environments for this virtual community.
Exploring Your Plans in VR Don Carson 2022-05-14 | In response to a recent post by William David Homes, I decided to illustrate just how easy it is to jump into your plan drawings and explore them at the correct scale. These flat plan drawings can quickly turn into photo-real spaces using rendering software like Enscape and if you wish to be joined in the model by your colleagues you can do so using VR programs like VR Sketch on your Meta Quest headset.
Rough World Building in VR Don Carson 2022-05-09 | This is the first in a series of videos exploring how I quickly rough out a virtual environment while in VR. This is the "scribble phase" of the design as I explore options while not worrying so much about the aesthetics and focused more on the scale of the environment. Fine-tuning later will allow me to add details but this very rough first phase gives me all the information I need to start to understand where I could go with this themed space.
Closing Up the Model Don Carson 2022-05-09 | Now that we have everything roughed in now is the time to close up the model. This is still part of our rough pass but it will give us a much better idea about how these spaces are going to feel in the finished environment.
Pumpkintown Fair Mermaid in Gravity Sketch & SketchUp Don Carson 2022-05-02 | This is a quick introduction on how I use both Gravity Sketch and SketchUp with Enscape to both build and review character models in VR.
Realtime Concept Sketching in Procreate Don Carson 2022-04-25 | This is an additional example of real-time concept sketching, this time using the same SketchUp model as a base drawing but doing all of the linework and eventually the color on an Apple iPad Pro using the Procreate app.
Gravity Sketch - Precise Placement of Assets Don Carson 2022-04-22 | *Please forgive the choppy audio.This is a quick introduction to the precise placement of objects while working inside of Gravity Sketch in VR. Since Gravity Sketch is currently more of an industrial design tool for the creation of objects it can be a little frustrating when you are building architectural environments. This doesn't mean it isn't a fantastic and quick way to arrange elements within a setting, and there are ways to do this that ensure that the objects retain their relationship to the surfaces you are placing them onto.
Walkabout Mini Golf - Welcome Island Don Carson 2022-04-21 | The latest addition to Walkabout Mini Golf is an updated main menu environment that allows you to putt, drive, and hang out on a tropical island while you wait for your friends to join you. This is a free update to the popular VR game.
Realtime Concept Sketching Don Carson 2022-04-17 | To answer a question from a fellow designer, "What is the best way to depict an idea in a concept sketch?" Here is a realtime drawing session that talks about the tips and tricks for doing a rough concept sketch and the various ways you can represent the same subject. All of this is in service of doing the best you can to help communicate your idea to your client and fellow team members.
SWEETOPIA - Walkabout Mini Golf Don Carson 2022-03-19 | Here is a little fly-through of Walkabout Mini Golf's newest course Sweetopia.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2462678267173943#Walkaboutminigolf #Mightycoconut
Gravity Sketch Asset Placing Don Carson 2022-03-16 | In this Third Part of the Gravity Sketch series of videos, I want to talk about what could be the most powerful use for this intuitive VR application. Although you can build just about anything in GS, you can also bring in models that you can arrange, very much like you would place furniture inside of a toy dollhouse. Best of all these assets can be scaled relative to the users that will eventually experience these environments, whether they will ultimately be a video game, theme park attraction, or VR experience. This process is incredibly fun and it creates countless happy accidents that don't necessarily happy when placing assets inside a more conventional 2D screen-based 3D application.#GravitySketch
Gravity Sketch - Character Creation Don Carson 2022-03-16 | This is Part Two of my exploration of what Gravity Sketch can accomplish if you are wanting to start building 3D assets while inside VR. Although there are a variety of sculpting applications out there, Gravity Sketch is a quick way to build up simple shapes and then add complexity through their Sub Division feature. This allows you to build models that can be detailed enough for 3D printing while retaining a much lower poly version that would work better in applications like SketchUp or for the building of assets for video games.#GravitySketch
Introduction to Gravity Sketch - Shapes Creation Don Carson 2022-03-16 | One of Three... I have been wanting to do a series of videos that describe how I am using the VR modeling tool Gravity Sketch. There is an early introduction to some of the shape creations tools, more to come soon.#GravitySketch
VR Fieldtrip - A Tour of Virtual Places Don Carson 2022-02-02 | I talk a lot about the advantages of VR as an art creation tool but I don't often show off some of the diverse experiences you can have right now in virtual reality. Here is a short tour of just a few favorite places but know this is only the beginning of what is out there now and it hints at what might be coming our way in the future.Here are links to the various experiences, in order::50 - 1:50 - OtherSight - Artist Studiooculus.com/experiences/quest/35896005111402681:50 - 2:30 - Mission: ISSoculus.com/experiences/rift/11784199755521872:30 - 3:50 - BBC 1943 Berlin Blitz VRoculus.com/experiences/rift/21788200588259413:50 - 6:30 - Museum of Other Realities (PC)oculus.com/experiences/rift/21221506445727626:30 - 7:13 - Alcove (double-decker bus tour)oculus.com/experiences/quest/38955282937948937:13 - 8:30 - Google Earth VR (PC)oculus.com/experiences/rift/15139953086738458:30 - 9:45 - Wander (street view app)oculus.com/experiences/quest/20783760055878599:45 - end - Maranga (PC)viveport.com/11d88119-dc22-435a-b000-c5989e33ef71
Walkabout Mini Golf Don Carson 2021-12-27 | Here are a few pan shots from inside Walkabout Mini Golf, the VR game now available on the Oculus Quest and in the Steam Store.
Walkabout Mini Golf - Shangri-La Course Don Carson 2021-12-27 | A short clip of Walkabout Mini Golf's new DLC - Shangri-La, part of the Lost Cities collection.
Pumpkintown Paper Model Tour Don Carson 2021-12-27 | This is a video created in 2020 of the rough foam core model I built of the conceptual design of Pumpkintown.
Hunt for the Perfect VR Tool Don Carson 2021-08-12 | It is the wild west when it comes to creating content while inside VR. If we are waiting for someone to create that quintessential VR building tool we may have a while to wait. I decided to jump in and out of some of the tools I currently use to try and illustrate my own definition of the perfect VR creation tool I wish I had all in one place. Some of these applications are more powerful than others but none of them have everything I need in one place, which forces me to jump around to create what I want with the intuitive ease I believe we are all looking for in a VR creation tool.
HORIZON - Sandbox World Walk-through Don Carson 2021-08-03 | This is a short tour through a few experiments I did several months ago inside Facebook HORIZON (beta) to see just how much life I could suggest inside very simple vignette environments. What are the visual cues that make us know what a place is and how we should interact with it? Here are a handful of my tests.(*second post to fix a problem with the playback on the original)
HORIZON - Exploring How Object Placement Suggests a Narrative Don Carson 2021-07-06 | This is an experiment that I did using Facebook HORIZON to see if by the placement of objects whether the viewer can build their own narrative as to what this place is and who lives here. I then introduce an environment that is meant to change the way you originally saw those same objects as you exit the house.
HORIZON - Snapping Tool Tutorial Don Carson 2021-07-06 | I am sure there are lots more ways to use the creator Snapping tool but there are a few of the ways I use it to make modeling in Horizon faster and more accurate. #hcctutorials
HORIZON - Lighting Tips Don Carson 2021-06-14 | Although I am using Facebook HORIZON as the vehicle for these tutorials the concepts being explored in these example tutorials can be applied to theatrical, game, and theme park environments. The joys of working in HORIZON is that this process is so quick and intuitive, a way to "sketch" with light to later help describe the desired mood and concept to the lighting designers who will have the ultimate job of lighting these scenes.
HORIZON - Layout Tutorial Don Carson 2021-06-11 | This is a short video describing how the rules that help the design of things like theme park dark rides, video games, and museum exhibits can be used in the design of virtual worlds. Using Facebook HORIZON I show you how Points of Interest can draw your audience through your environment and help support the story you are trying to tell.
HORIZON Environmental Storytelling Museum Part II Don Carson 2021-05-27 | This is a little side project I am working on to try and illustrate as simply as possible the potential of influencing the experience of a visitor by how physical (in this case virtual) spaces are arranged. I am just starting out but I thought I would take you on a quick tour of what I have built so far. This is the second half of a two-part tour, this one showing the rest of the completed virtual museum.
HORIZON Environmental Storytelling Museum WIP - Part 1 Don Carson 2021-05-27 | This is a little side project I am working on to try and illustrate as simply as possible the potential of influencing the experience of a visitor by how physical (in this case virtual) spaces are arranged. I am just starting out but I thought I would take you on a quick tour of what I have built so far. More to come and lots more tweaking to be done.
Don Carson Travel Sketchbooks Don Carson 2021-05-13 | This is a quick tour through some of my travel sketchbooks. I will post a future video showing the process I go through sketching and painting in these books but for now here they are.
THEME PARK 101: Using 3D in Theme Park Design Don Carson 2021-04-01 | This is another in a series of lectures on designing for the themed entertainment industry, specifically on the increasing use of 3D models as part of the design process.
Travel Sketching Demonstration Don Carson 2021-03-28 | This is a video showing the steps I take when I am sketching while we are on vacation.
THEME PARK 101: Research & Reverse Engineering Don Carson 2021-03-26 | This is one of a series of lectures I was asked to give last year so I decided to record it for viewing by those folks who were unable to attend.On many Themed Entertainment projects, you are given a design assignment but not the much-needed reference or information to get started. This presentation gives you tips and tricks you can use to gather information even if your clients are unable to deliver this in a timely manner.
Google Blocks Exhibition - VR Tour with Commentary Don Carson 2021-02-19 | Here is an annotated VR walkthrough tour of the exhibit with me rambling on about the contents.
Google Blocks Exhibition - Virtual Fly-Through Don Carson 2021-02-18 | In 2017 Google's VR team released both Tilt Brush and Google Blocks, two VR creation tools. At the time I jumped into Blocks as a way to experience what it is like to build 3D models inside VR. I produced a hundred or more objects many of which were uploaded to Google's Poly.com website for viewing and sharing. In December Google announced that they would be closing down the Poly website in June '21 so this means that all of my 3D models would suddenly become orphans. So, over the weekend I decided to build a place where they could live on, and create an opportunity to talk about what I discovered while building in Google Blocks. Here is a short video fly-through of the virtual exhibit. The purpose of this exhibit is not to necessarily showcase the "art" created in Blocks, but the lessons learned from this early breakthrough in how we might approach creating content in the virtual world.
The Making Of - The Fezziwig Project Don Carson 2020-12-27 | Cullen Vance and Don Carson informally chat about the inspiration and work that went into their little holiday side project, a music-inspired trip through Fezziwig's Warehouse:Fezziwig's Party - A Collaborationyoutu.be/vXWj-kshRusCullen Vance and I were talking about “working on a project together” and Cullen suggested we start with the music first. Cullen wrote some musical sketches, I did some drawings inspired by his music, and it developed into the video you see here. We had help from Karen Thompson and Heidi Hirsch who graced us with their artistic talents to the color on some of our party attendees. Since we were unable to have our annual Holiday party this year, you are all invited to attend this one we are holding in Mr. Fezziwig’s Warehouse! Happy Holidays!
Fezziwigs Party - A Collaboration Don Carson 2020-12-21 | Collaboration is the spice of life. Cullen Vance and I were talking about “working on a project together” and Cullen suggested we start with the music first. Cullen wrote some musical sketches, I did some drawings inspired by his music, and it developed into the video you see here. We had help from Karen Thompson and Heidi Hirsch who graced us with their artistic talents to the color on some of our party attendees. Since we were unable to have our annual Holiday party this year, you are all invited to attend this one we are holding in Mr. Fezziwig’s Warehouse! Happy Holidays!
Facebook Horizon - Tarot Temple Flythrough Don Carson 2020-11-06 | I have been a beta tester on Facebook Horizon playing with their Creator tools to see if it is possible to sketch out dramatic and theatrical spaces that suggest a little awe and mystery. My latest experiment is the “Tarot Temple”. Fully fleshed out the idea was to create a physical version of a Tarot card draw. Rather than experiencing the pulled symbols as cards, you encounter them within a 3D space. This would be a way for you to contemplate the meaning of each card while wandering through a temple built for that purpose with each symbol having its own chamber for you to visit sequentially. It turns out HORIZON offers tools that allow you to very quickly “sketch out” a 3D space complete with dramatic lighting, sounds, and effects. Although I am slightly bummed that there is no way to export these environmental explorations I hope this will inspire future VR creative tool builders since I think these tools give us a glimpse at what the future of 3D space creation might be like. Bravo Horizon team, although simple on the surface you have come up with some elegant and intuitive solutions for creating immersive and interactive spaces for VR!
Horizon Tarot Temple Don Carson 2020-10-31 | HORIZON - Tarot TempleI have been a beta tester on Facebook Horizon playing with their Creator tools to see if it is possible to sketch out dramatic and theatrical spaces that suggest a little awe and mystery. My latest experiment is the “Tarot Temple”. Fully fleshed out the idea was to create a physical version of a Tarot card draw. Rather than experiencing the pulled symbols as cards, you encounter them within a 3D space. This would be a way for you to contemplate the meaning of each card while wandering through a temple built for that purpose with each symbol having its own chamber for you to visit sequentially. It turns out HORIZON offers tools that allow you to very quickly “sketch out” a 3D space complete with dramatic lighting, sounds, and effects. Although I am slightly bummed that there is no way to export these environmental explorations I hope this will inspire future VR creative tool builders since I think these tools give us a glimpse at what the future of 3D space creation might be like. Bravo Horizon team, although simple on the surface you have come up with some elegant and intuitive solutions for creating immersive and interactive spaces for VR!
