In an extension of the ongoing partnership with Warner Bros. Entertainment and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, Thinkwell has returned to the world of Harry Potter to create a new studio tour experience in Tokyo for the beloved IP. Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter showcases the magic and artistry behind film production for fans around the world.
Working in close partnership with Warner Bros. and the original filmmakers who created the sets, props and costumes, Thinkwell led the design and production of the new attraction.
From the arrival exterior experience and the lobby’s seamless 270-degree, 80-meter wide 13K multi-projector screen with original animation, to engaging new interactives and stunning new galleries dedicated to the many filmmaking departments, the Tokyo Tour delivers a fan experience for the Harry Potter franchise like never before. Expected to welcome up to 9,000 visitors per day, the experience caters to local Japanese fans through custom media narrated by Kensho Ono, the Japanese dub voice of Harry Potter in the films, bilingual exhibit content with English, katakana, and kanji, plus localized food, merchandise options and more.
Thinkwell Media led the media development and production for all media throughout the Tour, with over 120 individual, original videos for a total of 195 pieces of content with a total runtime of almost 13 hours.
Thinkwell’s Montreal Studio crafted more than 10 immersive interactive exhibits that help seamlessly transport guests directly into the realm of the Wizarding World, including the Moving Stairs and Portraits interactive experience and the participatory audience-based Quidditch experience.
Thinkwell designed and produced the all-new Welcome Center arrival and finale experiences at Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood. This new addition to the Tour reshapes the guest experience for both first-time and repeat visitors with all-new interactive, explorable zones.
Guests begin in the Storytelling Showcase, which welcomes and orients them to the Studio, its history, and its tremendous breadth of work in film and television. With an aerial view of the studio lot as a printed floor graphic and a replica of WB’s iconic water tower for a unique photo op, this space uses media, images, artifacts, and audio to highlight stories from the Warner family to Friends, and from animation to innovation. Guests then enjoy the tour’s signature preshow film in new state-of-the-art theaters before heading out to discover the secrets of the lot.
From the introduction of Warner Bros.’ history to then experiencing the scale of the lot and learning how the studio’s iconic shows and films are made, guests return for the new finale experience: Action and Magic Made Here. Divided into two major areas of Warner Bros.’ most popular film franchises—one dedicated to the heroes and villains of DC Comics and the other showcasing the magic of the Wizarding World—guests are immersed into iconic moments, sets, and artifacts from their favorite DC and Harry Potter films. From a recreation of Batman’s Batcave to vignettes of each Justice League member, the DC superheroes are brought to life with custom media and interactives, unique photo ops, and never-before-displayed film artifacts, including the Batwing. In the neighboring Wizarding World area, visitors can link their online accounts and be sorted into their house with the Sorting Hat, test their potion-making skills with interactive cauldrons, or explore Newt’s shed and the magical creatures from the Fantastic Beasts films.
From an arrival space that connects guests with Warner Bros. as the maker of their favorite IPs to a finale that lets them step fully into the action and magic of the movies, the new Studio Tour Welcome Center is a landmark addition to the world-class Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood experience. This was the first expansion to the Tour since Stage 48: From Script to Screen opened in 2015.
Thinkwell Studio Montréal was asked to design and create a series of travelling installations for The One Drop Foundation. The educational interactive installations were set up in public areas, to explain the global freshwater crisis.
Visitors triggered off-screen sequences as they operated a touch screen, while the screen sent out virtual water projections on their hands and arms, flowing freely between screen and body to illustrate the perpetual cycle of life through water.
This project was completed prior to Thinkwell’s acquisition of Réalisations-Montréal in 2019. Réalisations-Montréal is now Thinkwell Studio Montréal.
The goal of this project was to introduce tourist train passengers on Le Train de Charlevoix to the culture and history of the Quebec region, without upstaging the 140km of breathtaking landscape. The experience enhances the gourmet on-board meal service with interactive tables and videos while the sound and light environment inside the train car changes in real time, according to the GPS position of the train.
Passengers can also view the video clips, photo galleries, and additional information on the train at any time using the tablets. In addition to 195 minutes of sonic landscapes and other audiovisual content, the team designed and produced the application and the ‘push’ technology for 144 tablets. The technology is discreetly integrated into the guest experience and magically lends a voice to the story of Le Train de Charlevoix.
Thinkwell Studio Montréal was asked to design, fabricate, and install two interactive experiences for children in Qatar’s Doha International Airport. Public traffic flow and “childproofing “ were considered in the development of a fully autonomous and animated experience that automatically self calibrates.
An interactive sphere was constructed, surrounded by candy dispensers. When one or more children touch the surface of the sphere, it reacts and changes with video and audio effects. Another aspect of the children’s area designed by the Montréal team is an interactive floor that displays video games and reacts to children’s movements.
Thinkwell Studio Montréal created several interactive features to enhance the guest experience in Manhattan’s first “living hotel.” The project included the design and development of an interactive virtual concierge alcove that showcases content from Time Out Magazine; an outdoor LED clock with changing imagery; and digital lobby art by Nicholas Ruel, all of which enhance the building’s signature and Renaissance brand both inside and out.
The team also created an ambient intelligence corridor for the hotel, complete with soundscape and reactive digital tapestry. The display responds to human movement using reflective wallpaper, motion detectors, projectors, and 3D cameras that capture and project data and movement occurring in the corridor. The interaction between guests and the wall creates a visual tapestry of subtle, organic graphics in this unexpected experience.
Thinkwell Studio Montréal is extremely proud to have created the HoloDEC’s 3D projection wall, in addition to providing the technical specifications and software for the projection’s auto-calibration.
HoloDEC is the first virtual prototype lab of its kind in Québec, inaugurated by INÉDI, “le Centre collégial de transfert de technologie (CCTT) en design industriel de Cégep régional de Lanaudière”. HoloDEC brought the classroom into the 21st century and will be an extremely valuable learning resource for the next generation of trade and industrial design students in Québec.
Thinkwell Studio Montréal designed an interactive trade show booth that was created for the ABB Customer World Tour. The booth allowed presenters to showcase a range of products in one demonstration, with the aim of growing client relations, brand recognition, and company reach within the professional communities.
The design included audio-visual materials that can be projected onto a regular wall or presented in any interior context by which the client desires.
Thinkwell Studio Montréal would like to thank Trafic Design for their help designing and constructing the trade show booth.
Thinkwell Studio Montréal developed the back-end programming for three touch-screen kiosks installed on Montreal’s Laurier West avenue during a period of construction in the community. The touch-screen kiosks provide a variety of information about the neighbourhood during the construction period including; notices, maps and other news. The final component is a departure from the information-based content, which invites users to have their photo taken.
Thinkwell Studio Montréal would like to thank Jackworld for the opportunity to collaborate on this project.