July 7, 2009
Vancouver Aquarium’s brand new 4D Experience provides an immersive experience for visitors, the only one in Western Canada
4D ENGAGES, AMAZES AND DELIGHTS
VANCOUVER, BC – Youth from the Ocean Explorers Summer Camp and the Kids Up Front Foundation were all smiles at the official unveiling of the Vancouver Aquarium’s newest attraction, the only 4D Experience in Western Canada! The kids were the first official audience enjoying an extraordinary cinematic adventure complete with stunning visuals and sensory effects such as wind, mist, scents and dramatic lighting.
“The 4D Experience is a first for the Vancouver Aquarium and adds a whole new dimension to an Aquarium visit,” said Mike Satterfield, Marketing Communications Chair of the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Aquarium. “This one-of-a-kind experience offers a high definition digital 3D film and immersive 5.1 surround sound combined with special sensory surprises. It’s a fun and unique way to engage visitors and deliver on our mission of connecting people to our natural world. You have to see it to believe it. The 4D Experience is included in general admission and provides another avenue to help guests learn about our oceans and ultimately inspire them to protect them.”
The first film the Vancouver Aquarium is running is first film Planet Earth: Shallow Seas* which explores some of the world's richest coral reefs and shallow coastal waters. Descend beneath the surface of the ocean into our brand new 4D Experience. Experience the drama with special effects such as wind, mist, scents, and dramatic lighting, Meet fantastic creatures like the unique pygmy seahorse and giant sun stars. Hunt alongside bands of sea snakes as they use cunning strategy to lure unsuspecting prey. Hear the power of the ocean's waves as they crash along the shoreline and feel the salty spray as you surf the coast with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in search of food. Glide alongside a cast of balletic sea lions as they dive through vast swirling bait balls of anchovy, and track a mother humpback whale and her calf as they navigate from their tropical nursery to the Arctic Circle. Experience the greatest gathering of seabirds and whales ever captured in Digital HD.
“The Aquarium’s education will be enhanced with the arrival of 4D,” said Eric Solomon, Vancouver Aquarium’s VP Education, Conservation and Research, “It’s a rich asset we can now include in our Summer Camp and Aqua School programs. Young minds identify easily with this form of entertainment that can make learning fun while focusing on conservation issues and marine science.”
Kids Up Front Foundation is a charitable organization that provides access to arts, culture, sport and recreation for children who otherwise do not have the opportunity. The Aquarium’s Ocean Explorers summer camp teaches youth to become ocean experts through hands-on activities and games while studying whales, researching sea lions and gaining insight into ocean ecosystems.
What is 4D?
It is High Definition Digital 3D and immersive Surround Sound with full sensory effects like wind, water and bubbles.
The curved 3D screen is crystal clear HD Digital, drawing you visually onto the screen and into the movie along with an utterly amazing audio system. The 4D Experience also features special in-theater FX to completely immerse viewers in the action like bubble FX, in-theatre snow, theatrical lighting including strobe, special floor lighting and eight hurricane-force wind machines. Viewers can expect the unexpected.
4D also offers totally unique in-seat effects, like a water squirt, leg tickler, seat vibration, face air, neck air, seat poke and scent. The Vancouver Aquarium’s 4D Theatre has 126 seats. Entry to the 4D Experience is included in the general admission price.
About the Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium is a global leader in connecting people to our natural world, and a self-supporting, non-profit association dedicated to effecting the conservation of aquatic life through display and interpretation, conservation practices, education, research, and direct action. Learn more at
www.vanaqua.org
Media Contacts:
Helen Lee
Public Relations Coordinator
Vancouver Aquarium
helen.lee@vanaqua.org
604.659.3775
Sarah Kirby Yung
VP, Marketing & Communications
Vancouver Aquarium
sarah.kirbyyung@vanaqua.org
604.659.3438
*Planet Earth: Shallow Seas is a BBC/Discovery Channel/NHK co-production in association with the CBC.