sea world - leviathan load station
The Leviathan wooden rollercoaster is the heart of Sea World’s ‘The New Atlantis’ precinct. Our task was crafting content for the Load Station (where riders board and exit the rollercoaster carriages).
Inside the Station, riders discover an underwater cave, encircled by eight LED windows. Through these, they glimpse the ocean depths, teeming with sea life, the city of Atlantis, and the colossal Leviathan - all rendered in CG. We tailored thirteen animation phases for queueing, boarding, and seating, ensuring engagement for all passengers regardless of their seating location. These phases alternated between two trains running simultaneously on the same track.
This project was completed over a year while the coaster was being built. To assist in determining optimal viewing for riders at each stage, before animation blocking, we created a VR version of the load station.
The Process
Concepting and technical R&D
Camera layout and animation planning
Model refining
Phase animation
VR in-situ testing
Environment design and build
Simulations
Lighting
Compositing
Location testing and final grade
The team
Client: Earthstory
Post Production by Cutting Edge
Sound Designer: Mike Lange
Senior Producer: Samara Keune
VFX by SQUEAK
Creative Director/VFX Supervisor: Zenon Kohler
Animation Director/VFX Supervisor: Ian Anderson
Team: Rob Conn, Andrew Kimberley, Brendan Jacquin, Phil Jackson, Cam Wright, Martin Kindl, Bruno Ribeiro Profeta, Conrad Allen, Raoul Teague
VFX Producer: Jessica Vines
