SSE descent star curtain

[The Empress Lilly]

Man, I'll freely admit that I had a strong, nostalgic tie to the Cronkite version, as that was the one I remember most, even though I've ridden every version. I just pulled up the Irons version from Martin's vids though, and MAN, I forgot how great that was.

Those are my feelings exactly. I grew up on Vic Perrin (or that other guy if rumours are to be believed) and Cronkite, so those two nestled themselves in my mind. I always considered each subsequent verison a dumbing down of the previous version, ever since 'celebrity voice' Cronkite took over.

But then last night I too watched Martin's video of the Iron version. And wow, how great that was. The music and imagery of the descent is really moving and rousing at the same time. Truly awe inspiring. EPCOT is so great when it dares to soar!
I cry at the thought of the other rides having had received the same inspired make-over in the nineties, the same loving modernisation. Instead of facing destruction. Imagine, if you will, an 'Irons' version of Horizons...

 

[SirNim]

SSE's final scenes consists of looking at yourself as a video projection plays tricks with a mugshot of you.
HM's final scenes consists of looking at yourself as a video projection plays tricks with a mugshot of you.

/devil's advocate

Well played sir, well played.

 

[marni1971]

SSE's final scenes consists of looking at yourself as a video projection plays tricks with a mugshot of you.
HM's final scenes consists of looking at yourself as a video projection plays tricks with a mugshot of you.

/devil's advocate

Technically, SSEs final is looking at a small TV screen inside of your vehicle with the physical ride space wasted. HMs is not.

 

[Polydweller]

That's absurd, Spaceship Earth 1994 could have been sponsored by virtually any major communications company, It was by no means a glorified AT&T commercial. I highly doubt AT&T had as much input into it's versions of SSE that Siemens apparently had on the 07 version. If Siemens indeed dictated the descent and dialouge it just shows how little they understand about the attraction.

Kind of strongly worded to call it absurd. But take a look at what the message was in 1994. It was communicating with people in different lands, communicating via fibre optics, families communicating when they are separated, and connected cities. That's AT&Ts business, not so much Siemens. Yep it was an ad, not in your face but an ad.

And you may doubt AT&T had input but look at Chevy's input into Test Track. They were paying and wanted Test Track their way. It's always been like that. Sponsors want the exhibit to express their main business, they pay for and they get it. The Land is another example. Nestlé took over from Kraft and the references to Keaft, even subtle ones disappeared. AT&T wanted the attraction to reflect them so it did and Siemens, like Nestlé before them wanted things removed and changed to reflect their main business.

 

[RSoxNo1]

But the video ties the ride in with the postshow, which in turn ties it in with our everyday life, as you set about communicating the SSE experience you just had with your personal global network. So very EPCOT-y!

/devil's advocate

If that's the goal, it fails.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

If that's the goal, it fails.

But why does it fail?

Me, I'd say that it did work, but got hopelessly outdated real soon, with depressing predictability. In 2006/7 it was fresh to have facial recognition software discover your face from a blurry picture, to have this face put in a video, and send it home by e-mail to your mum. In 2012, I take a pic of myself in SSE with my iPhone, process it, add it in a video on the internet, and instagram it to 200 of my friends before the ride is even over. My phone's got a much better touchscreen too. And resolution. And processing power.

Despite SSE's enormous size, what I've got in my pants is simply more impressive and puts up a better show in two minutes than SSE can in fifteen.

SSE 2007 is already obsolete. They added some longevity to the video by opting for a retro style, but otherwise everyday technology caught up with it much sooner than is excusable for a leading communication tech company not to have foreseen.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Technically, SSEs final is looking at a small TV screen inside of your vehicle with the physical ride space wasted. HMs is not.

Fair enough. Physical space it is then. So...what if SSE's ending consisted of projecting your chosen video on a screen that moved alongside your vehicle?

...just like Horizons?

 

[The Duck]

But why does it fail?



Despite SSE's enormous size, what I've got in my pants is simply more impressive and puts up a better show in two minutes than SSE can in fifteen.

If I could make that claim, I wouldn't have to work anymore.

 

[articos]

Fair enough. Physical space it is then. So...what if SSE's ending consisted of projecting your chosen video on a screen that moved alongside your vehicle?

...just like Horizons?

With today's technology, that's actually an intriguing idea. However, it's not just a money issue that hurts the descent, it's how to fit it in the space.

 

[articos]

I have something nagging at me, re: SSE, and the post above where it says "or that other guy if rumors are to be believed" just reminded me. I don't think SSE v1 was Perrin. I think it was Dobkin, who did actually do other voiceovers for the company around that time. I'm going to look into this further. I know Marty S. says Dobkin. He may (likely) be correct.

 

[MarkTwain]

But the video ties the ride in with the postshow, which in turn ties it in with our everyday life, as you set about communicating the SSE experience you just had with your personal global network. So very EPCOT-y!

/devil's advocate

This is part of the reason I will never truly criticize the current Spaceship Earth finale - and this is coming from someone who teared up during the Irons version. The current descent/post-show work exceptionally well together, and in many ways reach a level of personal connection that most of the rest of Epcot lacks. The Irons version had more grandeur, but the current version has more "intimacy", for lack of a better word.

I also know that for many guests I talk to, the finale is what completely makes the ride for them, and if it's that what is bringing the message of Spaceship Earth to more Epcot guests, than more power to it.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

This is part of the reason I will never truly criticize the current Spaceship Earth finale - and this is coming from someone who teared up during the Irons version. The current descent/post-show work exceptionally well together, and in many ways reach a level of personal connection that most of the rest of Epcot lacks. The Irons version had more grandeur, but the current version has more "intimacy", for lack of a better word.

I also know that for many guests I talk to, the finale is what completely makes the ride for them, and if it's that what is bringing the message of Spaceship Earth to more Epcot guests, than more power to it.

Yes.

Personally, I prefer every older version over the current one. Yet, surpringly, all the more so considering my complete disdain for lower case Epcot, I do find myself at peace with the current SSE.
I think that they tried*, that they really made a sincere effort to make a good ride, a modernised version but with an understanding too of what made EPCOT great.

Alas, the 21st century is the ironic age, not well suited for Iron (which is ironic!). No more pathos and lyricism, both of which were so unapologetically employed in the Irons version, to great effect. It is greatly missed.
Still, together with perhaps The Land, in all of FW, is there another pavilion left that at least puts up an effort to maintain classic EPCOT values? For all the criticism that can be levelled at SSE, Under New Management or 'The Robinsons Communication Adventures' it is not.


*and cue Martin, to kindly inform us of the many last minute budget cuts that prevented the actual sincere effort and left us instead the bare bones kiddie version.

 

[cupanudles]

 

[misterID]

Yes.

Personally, I prefer every older version over the current one. Yet, surpringly, all the more so considering my complete disdain for lower case Epcot, I do find myself at peace with the current SSE.
I think that they tried*, that they really made a sincere effort to make a good ride, a modernised version but with an understanding too of what made EPCOT great.

Alas, the 21st century is the ironic age, not well suited for Iron (which is ironic!). No more pathos and lyricism, both of which were so unapologetically employed in the Irons version, to great effect. It is greatly missed.
Still, together with perhaps The Land, in all of FW, is there another pavilion left that at least puts up an effort to maintain classic EPCOT values? For all the criticism that can be levelled at SSE, Under New Management or 'The Robinsons Communication Adventures' it is not.


*and cue Martin, to kindly inform us of the many last minute budget cuts that prevented the actual sincere effort and left us instead the bare bones kiddie version.

I understand what you and Twain are saying, but they still dropped the ball. It's clear they were aiming at a different audiance than the crowd who loves the Irons version... What did they say, make it more fun? Did they succeed? Maybe for what they were aiming for, but that doesn't make it a better experience or a successful one, imho. What they were aiming for was the same thing they were aiming for with M:S and the Imagination redo. And they all failed ... Especially in the shadow of what they replaced.

Despite SSE's enormous size, what I've got in my pants is simply more impressive and puts up a better show in two minutes than SSE can in fifteen.

Trust me, this line never works.

 

[marni1971]

Fair enough. Physical space it is then. So...what if SSE's ending consisted of projecting your chosen video on a screen that moved alongside your vehicle?

...just like Horizons?

If they did, it'd be making good use of the physical space...
...apart from the fact it used to be dedicated to show scenes.

 

[marni1971]

I have something nagging at me, re: SSE, and the post above where it says "or that other guy if rumors are to be believed" just reminded me. I don't think SSE v1 was Perrin. I think it was Dobkin, who did actually do other voiceovers for the company around that time. I'm going to look into this further. I know Marty S. says Dobkin. He may (likely) be correct.

Please do. Everything Ive found so far still points to Perrin.

 

[RSoxNo1]

But why does it fail?

Me, I'd say that it did work, but got hopelessly outdated real soon, with depressing predictability. In 2006/7 it was fresh to have facial recognition software discover your face from a blurry picture, to have this face put in a video, and send it home by e-mail to your mum. In 2012, I take a pic of myself in SSE with my iPhone, process it, add it in a video on the internet, and instagram it to 200 of my friends before the ride is even over. My phone's got a much better touchscreen too. And resolution. And processing power.

Refurbishments shouldn't be made for an 18 month period, that's a battle that they won't win. If they want to continually update that video, fine, but they're not.

 

[wolf359]

I have something nagging at me, re: SSE, and the post above where it says "or that other guy if rumors are to be believed" just reminded me. I don't think SSE v1 was Perrin. I think it was Dobkin, who did actually do other voiceovers for the company around that time. I'm going to look into this further. I know Marty S. says Dobkin. He may (likely) be correct.

Vic Perrin did a voiceover for an early EPCOT Center TV special so he was certainly around Disney at the time SSE's recording would have been done. Spaceship Earth's narration sure sounds a whole lot more like Perrin than Dobkin to my ears too.

 

[Goofyernmost]

But why does it fail?

Me, I'd say that it did work, but got hopelessly outdated real soon, with depressing predictability. In 2006/7 it was fresh to have facial recognition software discover your face from a blurry picture, to have this face put in a video, and send it home by e-mail to your mum. In 2012, I take a pic of myself in SSE with my iPhone, process it, add it in a video on the internet, and instagram it to 200 of my friends before the ride is even over. My phone's got a much better touchscreen too. And resolution. And processing power.

Despite SSE's enormous size, what I've got in my pants is simply more impressive and puts up a better show in two minutes than SSE can in fifteen.

SSE 2007 is already obsolete. They added some longevity to the video by opting for a retro style, but otherwise everyday technology caught up with it much sooner than is excusable for a leading communication tech company not to have foreseen.

Nice to see that fantasy is still alive!

 

[joel_maxwell]

Nice to see that fantasy is still alive!

win.