Case Studies: AWS CO., LTD ADVENTURE WORLD
Interaction with the animals brings smiles for visiting guests
Shooting “Marine Live ‘Smiles’” with two AW-HR140s, one under the large graphic display, and one mounted on the ceiling
Profile
Interaction with the animals brings smiles for visiting guests
ADVENTURE WORLD, operated by AWS CO., LTD
In 2018, ADVENTURE WORLD celebrated 40 years since its opening. Aiming to be a park that is needed for a long time to come, they create opportunities for their visitors to look toward the future through people, animals and nature, with a presence that has a positive effect on the future of humanity under the theme, “a park for creating the future and putting a smile in your heart”. The approximately 800,000 square meters of this vast site house a zoo, an aquarium and an amusement park among other facilities. At “Marine Live ‘Smiles’”, the highlight of the stage unveiled before you is the laughter and emotion of the enjoyment encompassing the entire venue.
Adoption History
Pan, tilt and zoom performance that fully captures the fast movement of the dolphins and high-quality video that clearly portrays the expressions of the trainer
The AW-HR140 can be set up without housing and is installed under the large graphic display
ADVENTURE WORLD’s “Marine Live ‘Smiles’” is a production without any narration or commentary that allows viewers to simply enjoy the dolphin’s natural movement and the trainer’s performance to the fullest. A large graphic display has been set up on the stage that shows live images shot from various angles in the venue to add excitement to the show. Remote cameras were being used for shooting since before, but they were considering replacing them due to deterioration from salt damage and strong winds. We introduced two Outdoor Integrated Camera AW-HR140s, which are highly evaluated for rotating performance as well as heavy salt-damage and wind pressure resistance that enables the fast movement of the dolphins to be smoothly captured with high-quality images, making the cameras perfect for shooting environments that change with the weather. One is installed on the ceiling in order to cover the entire massive venue. The other is mounted directly below the large graphic display to enable the dolphins and trainers to be captured from the side of the stage. We spoke to Mr. Shota Nakano from the Administration Department, who is in charge of equipment selection.
“In the past, we had days where the images were blurry from the strong winds and the remote cameras could not be used. Plus, they were set up inside housing, so the day after it rained, when it cooled down, the glass would get foggy from condensation. The AW-HR140 can be installed without any housing, so now the video is never cloudy, no matter how bad the weather is. The blur correction is excellent, so the cameras can be used stably, even in strong winds.”
System Introduction
Ready for use both day and night thanks to the high-precision ND filter and intelligent functions
Whites tend to become blown out due to sun reflecting off the water in an outdoor pool environment. The AW-HR140 is equipped with a high-precision ND filter that reduces glare to enable clear video to be shot. This filter is removed during seasonal nighttime shows, and intelligent functions are used to automatically adjust the white balance, gain and make other alterations to brighten the image.
When asked about these functions, Mr. Nakano had this to say: “I used to feel like it was hard to look at the glare reflecting off the water, but now, that discomfort is gone. And when we shot a night show for the first time with these cameras, I was shocked by how beautiful the image was. Even places where it was too dark to capture anything came out bright and clear. These images bring to life the charm of the dolphins, both day and night.”
Cameras are operated from two AW-RP50 Remote Camera Controllers in the control room
The AW-HR140 installed on the ceiling enables the venue to be filmed from end to end
The AW-RP50 Remote Camera Controller enables simple camera control with the preset button
High-performance remote camera controller perfect for live production
At “Marine Live ‘Smiles’”, the spectators are shown on the large graphic display before the dolphin performance begins to let the guests join in together and make the production more exciting. On one day, for example, it was a guest’s birthday, so they were shot receiving a surprise birthday message and a big round of applause from the venue, and you could see each expression of surprise and happiness. This production is executed using the remote camera to locate the guest with the birthday badge, which they are given at the entrance. Locating the guest with the badge before the show starts is saved as a preset on the AW-RP50 Remote Camera Controller. When this preset is called during the show, a “Happy Birthday” message is displayed along with the guest at the exact same moment. Ms. Maika Shimizu, a member of the Administration Division who operates the controller, said, “It’s extremely convenient to have preset functions to shoot the guest’s birthday message or move up when the dolphin jumps. These functions have ensured we don’t miss anything we want to capture and really expand the scope of the production.”
The AW-HR140 installed on the ceiling enables the venue to be filmed from end to end
System configuration
Now that Adoption is Complete
Once we had changed the cameras, we realized that the amount of cheers and applause had changed
Interviewees
AWS CO., LTD Shirahama Office
Mr. Shota Nakano (left)
Ms. Maika Shimizu (right)
Operations Division, Administration Department
When we were selecting equipment, we learned about the AW-HR140’s resistance to salt damage and shooting functions for outdoor environments and Panasonic held a demonstration of an installed camera for us. We could see how easy it was to use, smoothly following the fast-moving dolphins with blur-free, high-quality video. After adoption, facial expressions of the performer and detailed movement of the dolphins were clearly shown in a way that guests had never been able to see before, to capture the enjoyment from many angles. During the show, there is a part where the dolphins and trainers swim together linked in a circle. The first time we displayed the overhead view from directly above captured by the AW-HR140 installed on the ceiling, I remember how the cheers and applause were different from the way they had been before. We knew we had truly conveyed the excitement.
Equipment Installed
Full-HD Outdoor
Integrated Camera
AW-HR140 x 2
Remote Camera Controller
AW-RP50 x 2
Location
