Scene 3. "Crazy Time Dimension"/Castle Ruins

The main theme in this scene is time/time being different.

A huge, curved back projected screen plays an image an ever changing, time-lapsed sky;

The clocks you see are going haywire as part of the expression of time being different.

Significant theming/effects list

-The whole set is on a tilt (this is an old effect, but is CLASSIC so can be used time and again)

-Fog that blows across the front of the curved screen as a 4D effect 

-Quote on the front of the set about time

-Haywire clocks

-Glowing stained glass windows

Psychological Significance Of Darkness

Between the portal tunnel and the start of the Castle Ruins is our first block of significant darkness. It’s kind of powerful because in sufficient darkness, all of your black painted breeze blocks, girders and the walls of the warehouse go from being domestically recognizable to being one and the same, uncertain and unending blackness. Ride designers usually put a block of darkness at the start of a dark ride so that people’s eyes get used to darkness but I believe it also has an effect on our minds. Fear of darkness is the fear of not knowing; This fear, along with the slightly lowered state of consciousness caused by darkness makes people more suggestible and imaginative –and of course this is a great thing in context of a dark ride(!). One other thing it does is to conceal the imperfect (sometimes even laughable!) condition of props or other parts of the set.

Psychological Significance Of Doorways /Archways

Sometimes when you walk through a doorway and into a room you completely forget why you went there in the first place. This is because walking through a door is used by the brain as an “event boundary” to categorize things that happen. We can remember things better/ generally compute things better when we make associations for things.  Professor Gabriel Radvansky is the one who figure this out, this is what he said:

"Entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an 'event boundary' in the mind, which separates episodes of activity and files them away," Radvansky explains.

"Recalling the decision or activity that was made in a different room is difficult because it has been compartmentalized."

So this is why my ride and many existing dark rides have a lot of arch/doorways. It’s about information. You could call this “framing” and basically it helps people’s brains to break down and digest a different setting.