There is no doubt that I have far too many fun projects on the go and even more in the dreaming stage. It is my hope this coming year to finish at least a few before I start some others. One of the projects that has been on the go for more than sixteen years is my first book project (of many). Who knew a book could take so long! Just before our first grandchild, Phoebe was born I began a journal which morphed into this book project. The book is called ‘Being a grampa is the most wonderful thing!’. My goal was to chronicle the first five years of the adventures that we enjoyed together. There were so many great adventures! I finished the basic writing when Phoebe turned five and since then I have worked on it as I had the time. There was no rush, for my plan was to finish it when Phoebe was old enough to appreciate it. Now that Phoebe, AKA Moth, is sixteen that time has come. A lot has changed in those sixteen years! I’ve done some research on self-publishing and have decided there will be two versions of the book. We’ll print only a few hard copies for members of our immediate family. We will then offer those who wish to purchase a digital copy the ability to download an e-book. All proceeds will go to Phoebe AKA Moth for an exciting project of theirs. I am now in the process of reformatting and proofing the book one last time before we send it to the printer. We’ll announce and release the digital copies shortly thereafter. Stay tuned…
Upcoming Webinar
I am truly honoured to have been asked to present a webinar later this summer for the Asia Pacific region of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. My presentation is called ’The Importance of Storytelling for Smaller Parks’.
The mantra we hear in the theme park industry is STORY, STORY, STORY. This will never go out of fashion or become untrue. It has become a popular trend for the larger theme parks to build their newest, biggest and best attractions using well known Intellectual Properties (IPs). The budgets for these projects, including the cost of the IP’s, are incredibly immense. These parks deservedly grab headlines and draw large crowds.
The question is, where does this leave the little parks — the small regional attractions who couldn’t possibly make sense of opening their wallets that wide? Uber-popular IPs and custom designed, mega rides are simply out of the question for smaller operators. The notion of investing in a second or third rate IP is not an appealing or sensible answer either. Many so called ‘mom and pop’ operations are inevitably bumped down to the status of flat, boring, ‘parking lots with rides’. The truth is that this style of park does not offer a whole lot of appeal. Theme parks at their hearts should be storytelling experiences. Thankfully, regional theme parks can have similar magic as their larger cousins… they just have to be creative to it!
One powerful solution is for the owners of these parks (or more often, the designers) to write their own stories and develop their own IP’s, custom tailored to the park’s needs and budget. Even though these projects (and their budgets) are smaller — quantity, not quality, is the only thing that needs to be cut.
Like the big guys with their mega budgets and super popular IP’s, it is critical that the little parks write a carefully crafted, original and timeless story. These stories needs to be well written, believable and rich with detail. Once the story has been crafted we, as designers and builders, have to stick to the story faithfully and flawlessly as we design build each attraction in the park.
Design is the first key to success. Every part of the park has to help the guest understand and enjoy the story. No matter the size of the project, it is critical that the story unfolds visually. We as designers need to capture the imagination of the guest and take them to a magical place far from the everyday world. This is story telling at it’s very best!
Some things absolutely are a must - no matter the size of the park nor the budget we are working with. First of all, we need to build a sense of anticipation as our guests approach the park. There should be an entrance portal, a physical doorway to the magical places we create. Inside the park, there should be a series of visual icons, ‘wienies’ as Walt Disney called them, to draw guests through park and into each area or attraction. Each guest should be able to feel and immerse themselves in the story — without reading it or being told verbally. There should be far more to look at than guests can possibly soak in during a single visit or even a single season. Most importantly, we should provide our guests with memories they will fondly carry for the rest of their lives.
My talk, along with accompanying photos of recent projects, will show how all of this is achievable for the smaller parks.
Startup grind
Life is full of so many wonderful opportunities. This week I was honoured to be asked to do a video interview with a studio audience. It was hosted by Tim McAlpine as part of Startup Grind #startupgrind , a local chapter of a much larger non-profit organization that encourages and helps small business owners. Tim is a good friend who I’ve admired for many years. He really did his homework (as he always does) and it was a pleasure to work with him and his team on this exciting project. It was filmed in his awesome studio in Chilliwack. Here’s the link to the video https://youtu.be/QQoYctAWF2U
