Week #8 - Ancient Grizzly Legend....

Back at Disneyland. I'm actually glad I went back because the first time I went and noticed lighting around the park there were so many things I wanted to post on here about. This is a view of the river rafting ride Grizzly River Run. Every attraction has a different story, and the lighting is definitely one of the main effects that Disney utilizes to fully transport the guest into whatever story they are trying to create in an environment. The setting for Grizzly River Run is a former mining operation turned thrill-seeker's rafting route running through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains (yes, it's really that specific). The mountain, which looks like a howling bear, comes with a legend which says that the great bear's spirit can still be heard roaring at those who dare to intrude upon the sacred mountain. This story-telling language, with words like "legend" and "sacred" and "spirit," is quite rich and descriptive, which I'm sure helped whoever did the lighting design for this attraction to bring the story to life. The use of the mist with the lighting, especially at night, as seen in this photo, helps to create the feeling of the "great bear's spirit" and an ancient legend surrounding the mountain and the river. Mlondi and I were actually just discussing something else in regards to mist and light onstage... It is difficult to actually see a "ray" of light or a strong "beam" of light coming across a stage, and a way to be able to see this is by using fog or mist or haze. So haze can be utilized to help the viewer see rays of light, or as an effect in themselves, to create a sense of mystery, or whatever feeling the piece is calling for.