An AI-powered version of 1939 musical fantasy film The Wizard of Oz has launched at the Sphere entertainment destination in Las Vegas.
The Wizard of Oz at Sphere is a groundbreaking, immersive experience where audiences feel like they have stepped inside the classic film and are traveling down the yellow brick road alongside Dorothy and her friends.
Sphere has used cutting-edge technologies to enhance the original film, which fills the venue’s 160,000-square-foot interior display plane, wrapping up, over and around the audience.
To create the visuals for Sphere’s 16K resolution media plane, Sphere in collaboration with Google and Magnopus utilised generative AI technologies alongside traditional visual effects.
The AI models were fine-tuned on the original film, and on archival materials such as set pictures and production design schematics.
In total, the film experience features more than 1,800 unique AI elements.
Additionally, The Wizard of Oz at Sphere uses the venue’s haptic seats, environmental effects and custom scents to provide a truly immersive experience.
The tornado effects, for example, are created with three high-powered fans, 20 fog units, nine haze machines, and 18 GMEP machines.
4D elements include flying butterflies and giant Winged Monkeys, as well as more than 500 apples raining down on the audience from 33 hatches in the venue’s ceiling.
Additionally, 38 snow machines are used to create the effects in the poppy field scene, while flame effects are formed by eight flame units.
As for the music, the film’s songs have been remastered, and their orchestrations re-recorded for Sphere‘s 167,000 speakers.
For the new experience, the Sphere’s atrium has been completely transformed to immerse guests in the Land of Oz.
Highlights include a holographic wall where guests can interact with the Wizard of Oz, and 14 interactive AI photo kiosks where visitors can put themselves inside scenes like the Emerald City and Munchkinland.
Images courtesy of Sphere
