Lighting Design + Application • October 2003 - Illuminating ...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .COMMERCEsnowflakes to the facade of “It’s A Small World” for Christmas,has required stricter standards of construction,weather-proofing and structural stability than is necessaryat American theme parks. According to Thomas, “All themajor trees in both Tokyo Disneyland and TokyoDisneySea are guy-wired to the ground due to high winds,and we learn to overlook these visual annoyances in favorof safety.”Mark Dunlap, principal lighting designer, Walt DisneyImagineering, notes that fixtures and hardware concernsoften are problematic. “I was the principal lighting designerfor Splash Mountain, Tokyo. One of the hardest parts ofdesigning this attraction was determining fixture typesand learning their performance characteristics. In the early90s, not many of what we call ‘standard’ theatrical fixtureswere available and the architectural fixtures used very differentsources. I had to learn a whole new set of fixturephotometrics. Meetings were another challenge, as theyalways took twice as long because everything had to betranslated. As for codes and regulations, the project hadvery good Tokyo-based electrical engineers who were veryknowledgeable.”John Kavelin, director, design and production, WaltDisney Imagineering Japan, emphasizes quality as animportant factor in international work. “The Japanese loveour theme parks, so what we design for Tokyo DisneyResort reflects traditional Disney quality and styling. Theywant the ‘Disney’ look, not what they can find in othertheme parks around Japan, where the quality is often inferior.OLC is willing to pay for the best quality fixtures andsystems because they ‘can’t afford cheap things,’ knowingin the long run that quality equipment is cheaper to maintain.Tokyo DisneySea probably set a new standard inquantity and quality of themed lighting fixtures, customdesigned at Imagineering and fabricated around theworld. A newer trend is the effort to move more productionto Japan, when possible, since Japanese vendors arecapable of extraordinary quality and know the latest codesas well as the weather challenges of Tokyo’s distinct seasons.”The Meaning of LightMoreover, the cultural meaning of light—and darkness—toa particular society can become an issue. “Overthe years, there have been some cultural disconnects onstereotypical themes our U.S. audiences accept,” saysDunlap. “One great example is at the Haunted Mansionwhere, to most Americans, ghosts exist in dark places withfog and dead trees. The Japanese have a different view ofspirits in that they are light and airy. That is quite a differenceand puts a whole new spin on the attraction. In thefirst few years, many Tokyo guests thought the attractionwas fun, but didn’t understand all those figures wereghosts – not people dressed up. They couldn’t figure outwhy they were having a party in a graveyard.”Sometimes it’s not even the attraction itself that raisesquestions about the use of lighting. “From a lighting standpoint,it used to be more acceptable to have very darkspaces in queues,” says Dunlap. “The Splash Mountainqueue has a couple of places where youreally can’t see the floor. The cavernwalls are more visible that way, but itwould be considered too dark in a U.S.queue. Over the last decade, theJapanese philosophy has shifted moretowards the U.S. version; queues haveto be much brighter than before andmain walkways and steps must bemore visible at night.”Castle Mystery Tour is a walk-through attraction withmany stairs. Most of the walkways used to be almost pitchblack, which was acceptable to the guests and the themepark operators. In the past few years, lights have beenadded to make the tour a bit brighter and all walkwaysmore visible—which is still acceptable to today’s guests.On a more generalized note, the Japanese tend to likecool-white fluorescent lights more than the warm-white. Inthat culture, the higher color temperature provides a morecivilized look that is cleaner and brighter. Making facesand merchandise look more appealing does not factor intothe equation. Color rendition doesn’t matter as much asfeeling bright.A Bit of AdviceAccording to Dunlap, when taking on an internationalproject, “definitely learn the business customs of the hostcountry. It goes a long way with your overseas partners ifyou take the time to learn them. Also, budget for and takethe time to obtain samples of fixtures and lamps youmight use. Set up a room, with the proper power adapters,where you can turn them on and play. Knowing the limitationsof the fixtures before you get into the field will precludelots of headaches.Paul Gregory’s advice? “I advise that when people workoverseas, they connect with a good local distributor. Theyshould meet with a few local distributors to understand themethod of purchasing for that particular area. It might befactory supplies direct to project, distributor uses only hislines due to exclusivity agreements with factories or distributorcan give you the ‘as specified’ package. Eachmethod affects the final outcome of the project.”Take it from lighting designers who know.About the Author: Julie Leibowitz is a freelance writer and editor basedin New York City. She was formerly senior associate editor of FacilitiesDesign & Management magazine.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November . . . . . 2003 . . . LD+A . . . . 72. . www.iesna.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .