5th May 2009
The whisky experience
It didn't take a great deal of persuasion for our Scenic Solutions team to head north to The Scotch Whisky Experience. Working for production company, the Continuum Group, we were invited to the Edinburgh based attraction to provide all of the scenic and exhibition elements for the Experience's new Dark Ride installation.
Craig Hatto, Projects Director, Continnuum Group, said, "Stage One were the ideal choice. They undertook and immediately understood the inherent complexities in creating an experiential ride, taking ownership of the set elements and integrating with the other specialist contractors." He continued, "the team were courteous and sensitive to both the client and other contractors needs and with everything combined they made a complex and potentially high risk project appear to be a walk in the park."
Covering a 220m2 area, the eight minute long Dark Ride invites visitors, seated in an oak barrel carriage, on a journey through the whisky distillation process with the spirit of the distillery owner, Douglas McIntyre, as the guide. They experience 15 distinct areas of whisky production, from the barley field to the barrel, enhanced by dramatic sets works and impressive audio-visual techniques.
To produce the look and feel of each area we utilised a full range of scenic and interpretation skills, working with wood, steel, GRP, acrylic, polystyrene and paint to deliver sculptural pieces and scenic elements representative of the distillation process. In addition, our lighting department installed several lighting elements within the scenery to produce atmospheric effects at various points within the ride. This included a fibre optic rainstorm and 'intelligent' mirrored Gobo's.
"Ensuring smooth integration with the other sub-contractors was key for this project, as there were a great many elements to bring together," said Phil Green, Project Manager, Stage One. He continued, "but we worked hard to successfully achieve this and the Dark Ride is a quality attraction that compliments all the other offerings from the Scotch Whisky Experience."
The Scotch Whisky Experience, which is situated on the Royal Mile adjacent to Edinburgh Castle, has undergone a 3 million pound refurbishment. Alongside the Dark Ride it offers the Diageo Collection, which is now the largest collection of Scotch whisky in the world, an interactive traditional and cocktail bar where you can under take a master class in whisky based cocktail making, the amber restaurant, a whisky shop - stocking over 300 brands and conference facilities.
