AceAstro
Well-Known Member
It’s so. Long.
But outstanding so far so I can’t overly complain!
Will definitely have to buy a physical copy of an English translation!
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Team Prospero Brainstorming Thread - Project Ten: The Great Literature Ride
- Thread starter TheOriginalTiki
- Start date
But outstanding so far so I can’t overly complain!
Will definitely have to buy a physical copy of an English translation!
DashHaber
Well-Known Member
No worries, AceAstro. I was expecting a bit of radio silence at some point, as folks research and work on their sections. Can't wait to see what you come up with.
Speaking of, it's occurred to me that as we carry on course for this ride, we actually don't have a name for it. While I've been busy working on the queue, I've been thinking of potential names and one that's been rolling around my head is Legends of Literature. Do folks like that as a potential name for the ride?
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DashHaber
Well-Known Member
Alright, folks. Here is a rough copy of the queue and preshow for Legends of Literature.
Queue, Part One: Stepping in, guests find themselves in the entrance room of a library. A guestbook sits by on a nearby table, with a variety of names written on the page (keen eyes might notice the name Pharos among the entries). The walls have a sturdy marble look to them, while the floor is a wood brown with a plush green carpet. It is certainly a nicer looking entrance to a library than one would expect. Guests normally would pass straight through here, though the entrance room can be structured for a more “Cattle Pen”-style waiting area during busy days. In either case, guests will pass between two marble columns and enter the library proper.
Shelves upon shelves of books line the walls, sturdy shelves with golden accents. The shelves even create a maze-like pathway that guests wander through as they journey deeper. In addition to the books are depictions of authors who helped to contribute to these many works. Busts of writers like Homer and Charles Dickens rest upon some of the shelves, while portraits of others like Mark Twain and Murasaki Shikibu hang upon the walls. Eventually, the maze-like network of shelves brings guests to a set of doors labeled “Reading Room”. When the doors open and the library attendant gives the clear, guests enter this room.
Pre-Show: Entering the reading room, guests find a chamber that serves as a quiet space to read. Behind an L-shaped wooden gate are a few tables with books upon them. One wall is lined with shelves similar to those in the earlier portion of the library. Besides that is a wall painted in soft pastels, and the room’s most striking element: an elevated platform with a very luxurious chair, upon which sits the Chronicler (an animatronic figure). With his wizened thin frame, tweed suit, and spectacles, he looks almost perfectly like an archetypal librarian. Almost too perfect.
Once the guests are in and the entrance doors close, the Chronicler turns his gaze towards us. With a warm chuckle, he greets us, saying, “Welcome, travelers! It is always nice to see new faces enter this place. You may call me the Chronicler, for I watch over many a story here.” He leans forward slightly, as if trying to read us. He remarks, “I do say, it looks like a few of you might be lost. Perhaps you’re in need of a good word to help find your way?,” leaning back into his chair as he finishes his observation. He raises one hand, gesturing out as he continues, “Well, you shall certainly find it here! What better navigator is there for your inner compass than a good story?”
Bringing his hand back down, he says, “Why, stories can help to lift us up, transforming us into our better selves with the words they weave. For instance, a tale of adventure can help embolden our spirits!”. At that remark, a light encircles a book on one of the tables: The Three Musketeers. The light in the room changes to an afternoon sun and the sounds of swordfights fill the air. Eventually, three shadows appear on the wall, lifting their swords in triumph as they yell, “All for one, and one for all!”. The book appears even open and close as they say this, as if it were joining in.
The Chronicler leans forward in his chair as he remarks, “Of course, you can always face your fears with a story of horror!”. With that, the lights dim down to near darkness as a lightning flash reveals a book on another table: The Haunting of Hill House. In the dim light, a faint knocking sound appears to travel around the room. As guests pay attention to that sound, the book begins to hover on its own, until it falls back on the table with a heavy thud. The lights come up quickly after that small scare.
With another warm chuckle, the Chronicler adds, “Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a rut, and just need a healthy dose of fantasy to see a new view,” as a light illuminates a copy of Jack and the Beanstalk near the wall. The lights shift to a warm blue with a shimmering effect, as the book begins to shake. It bursts open, as the image of a beanstalk crawls up the wall. Afterwards, guests hear the heavy thud of footsteps as a deep voice bellows, “Fee, fie, fo, fum!”. One more heavy stomp sends the beanstalk tumbling down, and the book closing as it disappears.
The Chronicler remarks with an air of mystery, “Whatever story you may need, you can find it here. Just turn to the books, and explore their many wondrous pages”. With that, he gestures towards the bookshelves near the guests. The bookshelves part open, a library attendant ready to help guide them to the next part of their journey.
Queue, Part Two: Leaving the reading room, guests head down a hallway lined with large pages from books. If the beginning portion of this building had been a mostly normal if grand library, then this area resembles a most extraordinary museum. Plenty of shelves and display cases line the areas around guests, but all of the items and images on display here come from stories. It is a veritable feast of references for bookworms and literary fans. Though there are a lot of items, most of them are of a smaller size which allows for them to share space. Among the many displays, guests can see:
Queue, Part One: Stepping in, guests find themselves in the entrance room of a library. A guestbook sits by on a nearby table, with a variety of names written on the page (keen eyes might notice the name Pharos among the entries). The walls have a sturdy marble look to them, while the floor is a wood brown with a plush green carpet. It is certainly a nicer looking entrance to a library than one would expect. Guests normally would pass straight through here, though the entrance room can be structured for a more “Cattle Pen”-style waiting area during busy days. In either case, guests will pass between two marble columns and enter the library proper.
Shelves upon shelves of books line the walls, sturdy shelves with golden accents. The shelves even create a maze-like pathway that guests wander through as they journey deeper. In addition to the books are depictions of authors who helped to contribute to these many works. Busts of writers like Homer and Charles Dickens rest upon some of the shelves, while portraits of others like Mark Twain and Murasaki Shikibu hang upon the walls. Eventually, the maze-like network of shelves brings guests to a set of doors labeled “Reading Room”. When the doors open and the library attendant gives the clear, guests enter this room.
Pre-Show: Entering the reading room, guests find a chamber that serves as a quiet space to read. Behind an L-shaped wooden gate are a few tables with books upon them. One wall is lined with shelves similar to those in the earlier portion of the library. Besides that is a wall painted in soft pastels, and the room’s most striking element: an elevated platform with a very luxurious chair, upon which sits the Chronicler (an animatronic figure). With his wizened thin frame, tweed suit, and spectacles, he looks almost perfectly like an archetypal librarian. Almost too perfect.
Once the guests are in and the entrance doors close, the Chronicler turns his gaze towards us. With a warm chuckle, he greets us, saying, “Welcome, travelers! It is always nice to see new faces enter this place. You may call me the Chronicler, for I watch over many a story here.” He leans forward slightly, as if trying to read us. He remarks, “I do say, it looks like a few of you might be lost. Perhaps you’re in need of a good word to help find your way?,” leaning back into his chair as he finishes his observation. He raises one hand, gesturing out as he continues, “Well, you shall certainly find it here! What better navigator is there for your inner compass than a good story?”
Bringing his hand back down, he says, “Why, stories can help to lift us up, transforming us into our better selves with the words they weave. For instance, a tale of adventure can help embolden our spirits!”. At that remark, a light encircles a book on one of the tables: The Three Musketeers. The light in the room changes to an afternoon sun and the sounds of swordfights fill the air. Eventually, three shadows appear on the wall, lifting their swords in triumph as they yell, “All for one, and one for all!”. The book appears even open and close as they say this, as if it were joining in.
The Chronicler leans forward in his chair as he remarks, “Of course, you can always face your fears with a story of horror!”. With that, the lights dim down to near darkness as a lightning flash reveals a book on another table: The Haunting of Hill House. In the dim light, a faint knocking sound appears to travel around the room. As guests pay attention to that sound, the book begins to hover on its own, until it falls back on the table with a heavy thud. The lights come up quickly after that small scare.
With another warm chuckle, the Chronicler adds, “Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a rut, and just need a healthy dose of fantasy to see a new view,” as a light illuminates a copy of Jack and the Beanstalk near the wall. The lights shift to a warm blue with a shimmering effect, as the book begins to shake. It bursts open, as the image of a beanstalk crawls up the wall. Afterwards, guests hear the heavy thud of footsteps as a deep voice bellows, “Fee, fie, fo, fum!”. One more heavy stomp sends the beanstalk tumbling down, and the book closing as it disappears.
The Chronicler remarks with an air of mystery, “Whatever story you may need, you can find it here. Just turn to the books, and explore their many wondrous pages”. With that, he gestures towards the bookshelves near the guests. The bookshelves part open, a library attendant ready to help guide them to the next part of their journey.
Queue, Part Two: Leaving the reading room, guests head down a hallway lined with large pages from books. If the beginning portion of this building had been a mostly normal if grand library, then this area resembles a most extraordinary museum. Plenty of shelves and display cases line the areas around guests, but all of the items and images on display here come from stories. It is a veritable feast of references for bookworms and literary fans. Though there are a lot of items, most of them are of a smaller size which allows for them to share space. Among the many displays, guests can see:
- A 3D model of Discworld
- The wardrobe to Narnia (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe)
- Phileas Fogg’s map, with route outlined (Around the World in Eighty Days)
- A poster with a stern face saying BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU (1984)
- Ruyi Jingu Bang (Journey to the West)
- A raven, resting atop a bust of Pallas, which occasionally says “Nevermore”
- Coraline’s doll
- A newspaper with a headline about Hercule Poirot
- Dracula’s locked coffin, which occasionally shakes
- The conch (Lord of the Flies)
- The axe (Crime and Punishment)
- Bixi (The Water Margin)
- A newspaper with headlines about Earth soon being demolished for a new hyperlane (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
- Masquerade ball masks (Romeo and Juliet)
- A scale model of Watership Down
- Holden Caulfield’s red hunting hat (The Catcher in the Rye)
- Shards of Narsil (Lord of the Rings)
- The Cryptex (The DaVinci Code)
- A poster for Cooger and Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show (Something Wicked This Way Comes)
- Dorothy’s silver slippers (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
- Sherlock Holmes’s violin
- A treasure chest (Treasure Island)
- Unfinished sheet music for Don Juan Triumphant (The Phantom of the Opera)
- A film canister labeled “Infinite Jest”
- A model of the House on the Rock (American Gods)
- Excalibur
- Slappy the Dummy, with his eyes occasionally moving side to side (Goosebumps)
- The ring of the jinni (Aladdin)
- The shield of the Redcrosse Knight (The Faerie Queene)
- A copy of The Neverending Story
- A Cosa Nostra Pizza delivery box (Snow Crash)
- Little Red Riding Hood’s basket
- Tiny Tim’s crutch (A Christmas Carol)
- A phonograph cylinder container labeled “The Hearse Song” (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark)
- A baseball bat (Casey at the Bat)
- Captain Ahab’s harpoon (Moby-Dick)
- A scale model of the Nautilus (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)
- The Pot of Wisdom (Anansi folklore)
- A meager food bowl (Oliver Twist)
- A whitewash bucket and brush (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)
- A pill bottle labeled “Soma” (Brave New World)
- A drawing of a snake which has eaten an elephant (The Little Prince)
- A heart-shaped box (Heart-Shaped Box)
- A ROM module of Dixie Flatline (Neuromancer)
- The Mechanical Hound (Fahrenheit 451)
Sharon&Susan
Well-Known Member
Quick sketch of the Adventure layout:
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DashHaber
Well-Known Member
Very nice logo work, there!
How is everyone doing? I know that we still have a few days before the project is due, but I thought it might not be bad to check in and see how people have been doing.
Outbound
Well-Known Member
The Backwater Bar writeup should be completed today. Will start on Pride and Prejudice after: shouldn't be too much to write, and my research is nearly complete.
@DashHaber , what are your thoughts on presentation? I think something book-related is a must.
NigelChanning
Well-Known Member
I’m almost finished with the Fantasy section and I’m about to start work on the gift shop.
DashHaber
Well-Known Member
Oh, yeah. This definitely should have some book-related approach. At the very least, the different sections and elements of the ride separated into different chapters.
Perhaps a Google Doc? Anything you might suggest?
JokersWild
Well-Known Member
Portions are coming along. I hope to have them done tonight, hopefully with a map. I don't know if we want someone to do a complete track layout, but that might be something good to have for the presentation.
goofyyukyuk
Well-Known Member
I’ve been busy/trying to take my time on this project, so my stuff won’t be done until Monday/Tuesday morning, but it’s in progress 
DashHaber
Well-Known Member
Nice, nice. That is a good point, as well. It wouldn't hurt to potentially have a track layout to display the ride's route.
While folks are working on their sections, someone could gather together the rough info on the paths that they are planning on their sections and use that info to diagram the track layout.
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NigelChanning
Well-Known Member
Here’s the track layout for the Fantasy section. There’s no exact layout for the Chocolate room because of the randomized path I included.
Outbound
Well-Known Member
I'm wary of a Google Doc because we used it last round, but it would also work pretty well, especially if we emphasize the book structure to separate it from the more "Disney Website look" that the last one had.
I know most of you weren't a part of the Sorcerer's Apprentice Odyssey (a comp similar to this but earlier in the year) but one of the final projects (actually it was by @TheOriginalTiki) had a huge emphasis on prose. It was unlike any other project I'd ever seen. I think this project might be a good candidate with a more literary-style opening similar to that... I'll try writing something by tonight.
Outbound
Well-Known Member
Here is the Backwater Bar Writeup! I'm going to get to my introduction idea tomorrow morning... it's getting late...
docs.google.com
The Writer's Club
Authors at the Backwater Bar Right next to the entrance of the Great Literature Ride is the Backwater Bar, a seemingly insignificant establishment providing drinks and servings. What the public doesn't know is this is the meeting place of the Writers Club, twelve famous authors through history...
docs.google.com
DashHaber
Well-Known Member
Nice work, there. It will certainly make for a nice companion piece to the main ride.Here is the Backwater Bar Writeup! I'm going to get to my introduction idea tomorrow morning... it's getting late...
The Writer's Club
Authors at the Backwater Bar Right next to the entrance of the Great Literature Ride is the Backwater Bar, a seemingly insignificant establishment providing drinks and servings. What the public doesn't know is this is the meeting place of the Writers Club, twelve famous authors through history...
I can't wait for that, and also to see what you do with the Romance section of the ride.
AceAstro
Well-Known Member
Here’s the rough sketch of the map with point form descriptions of the scene (more will come soon):
Thoughts? Anything I should cut down? Make it longer?
- Les Mis Scene (ironically I haven’t fully locked this scene down. Picturing Valjean sewer scene)
- Battle of the Red Cliffs. The large iconic rocky cliffs are in either side of the vehicle. Swords/ spears can be seen falling off the top of the cliffs and one soil der can be seen falling over at the top.
- Liu Bei vs. Lu Xun. A major battle in the book, guests past the two of them going at it once again. As Lu Xun wins guests see Lu turn around to head into the Stone Sentinel Maze
- Stone Sentinel Maze. With the help of a trackless ride vehicle, guests get lost in the massive stone maze (taking a different route each time). They eventually get to the centre of the maze where Lu Xun is saying he finally found a way out. He points in the right way and the ride vehicles exit into the finale
Thoughts? Anything I should cut down? Make it longer?
DashHaber
Well-Known Member
I like it. It's a nice flow for Romance of the Three Kingdoms, taking us through an iconic setting, into a major battle, and then offering some trackless fun with the stone maze.
Pretty solid entry. Also, if you do stick with a Les Mis scene at the start, the sewer scene might not be a bad choice. Riders could start out in the dark surroundings as Valjean is carrying Marius, before riders then emerge into the light at the Battle of the Red Cliffs.
AceAstro
Well-Known Member
Thanks! I was just about to work on the Les Mis part! There are so many great parts from the book but it’s also so easy to just try and default to the musical.