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THE KING IS ALIVE!
He's over 6m tall and weighs more than a tonne. He roars, he pounds, he fights and romances the woman of his dreams. He even bleeds for love.
Watch King Kong, the legendary silverback gorilla from Merian C. Cooper's 1933 film of the same name, now the lead actor in his own musical.
We find out how the '8th Wonder of the World' is brought to life in front of a live audience.
IT MADE its debut on June 15 at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. But King Kong the musical was the result of five years of development.
In 2008, Ms Carmen Pavlovic, CEO of Global Creatures, was looking at how to next use the company's animatronics technology, after its success with animatronics shows like Walking With Dinosaurs and How To Train Your Dragon.
Animatronics is the art of bringing different technologies together to create lifelike robots for entertainment purposes.
Together with production designer Peter England, she trawled through several creature stories.
Said Pavlovic: "As I really got to think about it, I became more and more captivated by the fact that it was a love story, and I could see musical possibilities in that very strongly."
After a series of engineering and control tests, Mr Sonny Tilders, the creature designer at Global Creature Technology, decided to proceed.
Four scaled models and two prototypes were built before the "sculptural" version of Kong was finalised. It would take a year and 50 specialists across the engineering, fabrication, electronics and digital departments to build this Kong.
But not everything was about Kong.
The musical required a crew of 76, to support a cast of 50 actors, singers, dancers, circus performers and puppeteers.
Due to the size of the production, the producers of King Kong have guaranteed the show will not be touring anywhere outside of Melbourne.
Looks like one will have to go Down Under to catch this Kong.
King Kong, the hybrid beast, is controlled by an integrated three-level process, combining animatronics with puppetry
ANIMATRONICS
Three off-stage puppeteers control the cylinders and actuators on broad Kong in real time with customised remote controls known as 'voodoo'. One operator controls his hips and facial expressions (eyebrows, nose, lips, jaw and eyelids) and one controls Kong's shoulders, chest and wrist. One of them also supplies the voice of Kong.
To raise Kong's arm, a puppeteer uses a pulley line to jump from a height, lifting the 60kg arm.
To simulate Kong sprinting, the King's Men raise and push the limbs forward in sync.
AUTOMATION
A steel-frame harness is built onto Kong's back, which enables him to be hoisted by a 22-tonne gantry crane via steel cables. Kong's major movements are pre-programmed, guiding him like a marionette.
KING'S MEN
A team of 17 puppeteers is involved in directly manipulating Kong's limbs. At any one time, 10 onstage King's Men move agilely in the shadows. animating Kong's limbs. They are former acrobats and circus artists now trained as puppeteers. The captain of the puppeteer team will call puppetry moves, drive the puppet's shoulders and wrists and instruct the King's Men via radio.
KONG ACTS
Inside the carbon-fibre head are 15 servo motors (the same type used in the Nasa Mars rovers) and two hydraulic cylinders.
KONG HURTS
The 'fabric' skin unzips to reveal red underlining, simulating the injuries Kong sustains
KONG, A LOVE STORY
Carl Denham, a Hollywood director, embarks on a perilous shooting expedition to the uncharted Skull Island, only to capture Kong, a huge prehistoric creature. A love triangle ensues, one involving Denham's starlet, Ann Darrow, the ship's first mate, Jack Driscoll, and Kong.
KONG LOVES ANN
Ann Darrow (Esther Hannaford) sharing an intimate moments with Kong.
KONG GOT MUSCLES!
Under Kong's chest and abdomen is a layer of 'air-powered muscles', formed by bags filled with polystyrene beans, extending and contracting as he moves.
KONG HOOKS UP
Within the steel-tube skeleton is a network of 300m of electrical cables and 16 microprocessors. Kong even has his own onboard hydraulic power with a liquid-cooled quiet pump.
KONG BEHAVES
For safety, no steel structure is constructed from the elbows down. Kong's forearm is a high-pressure inflatable tube that prevents him from accidentally smashing into the co-performers.
KONG NEEDS SUPPORT
Thirty tonnes of steel are used to rein-force the stage to accommodate Kong's weight and size. From sub-stage to gantry, the vertical height is 23m, of which the audience will see 8m.
KONG SHAVES
Unlike his predecessors, this Kong is hairless - exuding raw masculinity on stage. Its skin is made of hand-sewn, synthetic, stretch net fabric that wrinkles and moves to mimic the real thing.
KING KONG COMPARISON
Weight: 1.1 tonnes
Arm span: 8m
Axes of movement: 47
THE CURIOUS CASE OF KING KONG'S SIZE
We track the famous silverback's height through the years
KING KONG (1933)
Kong's height went from 5.4m on the Skull island to 7.3m while in New York
KING KONG VS GODZILLA (1962)
Kong was scaled to 45m tall
KING KONG ESCAPES (1967)
Kong was scaled to 20m tall
KING KONG (1976)
Kong was 13m tall on Skull Island and rescaled to 17m tall in New York
KING KONG LIVES (1986)
Kong was scaled to 18m tall
KONG KONG (2005)
This Kong shrank back to 7.6m tall
KING KONG THE MUSICAL (2013)
Kong stands over 6m tall in front of a live audience
"He's an Adonis, an image of power and strength."
- Sonny Tilders, creature designer on King Kong
For more information, visit: http://kingkongliveonstage.com/enjoy-melbourne
SOURCE: GLOBAL CREATURE TECHNOLOGY
He's over 6m tall and weighs more than a tonne. He roars, he pounds, he fights and romances the woman of his dreams. He even bleeds for love.
Watch King Kong, the legendary silverback gorilla from Merian C. Cooper's 1933 film of the same name, now the lead actor in his own musical.
We find out how the '8th Wonder of the World' is brought to life in front of a live audience.
IT MADE its debut on June 15 at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. But King Kong the musical was the result of five years of development.
In 2008, Ms Carmen Pavlovic, CEO of Global Creatures, was looking at how to next use the company's animatronics technology, after its success with animatronics shows like Walking With Dinosaurs and How To Train Your Dragon.
Animatronics is the art of bringing different technologies together to create lifelike robots for entertainment purposes.
Together with production designer Peter England, she trawled through several creature stories.
Said Pavlovic: "As I really got to think about it, I became more and more captivated by the fact that it was a love story, and I could see musical possibilities in that very strongly."
After a series of engineering and control tests, Mr Sonny Tilders, the creature designer at Global Creature Technology, decided to proceed.
Four scaled models and two prototypes were built before the "sculptural" version of Kong was finalised. It would take a year and 50 specialists across the engineering, fabrication, electronics and digital departments to build this Kong.
But not everything was about Kong.
The musical required a crew of 76, to support a cast of 50 actors, singers, dancers, circus performers and puppeteers.
Due to the size of the production, the producers of King Kong have guaranteed the show will not be touring anywhere outside of Melbourne.
Looks like one will have to go Down Under to catch this Kong.
King Kong, the hybrid beast, is controlled by an integrated three-level process, combining animatronics with puppetry
ANIMATRONICS
Three off-stage puppeteers control the cylinders and actuators on broad Kong in real time with customised remote controls known as 'voodoo'. One operator controls his hips and facial expressions (eyebrows, nose, lips, jaw and eyelids) and one controls Kong's shoulders, chest and wrist. One of them also supplies the voice of Kong.
To raise Kong's arm, a puppeteer uses a pulley line to jump from a height, lifting the 60kg arm.
To simulate Kong sprinting, the King's Men raise and push the limbs forward in sync.
AUTOMATION
A steel-frame harness is built onto Kong's back, which enables him to be hoisted by a 22-tonne gantry crane via steel cables. Kong's major movements are pre-programmed, guiding him like a marionette.
KING'S MEN
A team of 17 puppeteers is involved in directly manipulating Kong's limbs. At any one time, 10 onstage King's Men move agilely in the shadows. animating Kong's limbs. They are former acrobats and circus artists now trained as puppeteers. The captain of the puppeteer team will call puppetry moves, drive the puppet's shoulders and wrists and instruct the King's Men via radio.
KONG ACTS
Inside the carbon-fibre head are 15 servo motors (the same type used in the Nasa Mars rovers) and two hydraulic cylinders.
KONG HURTS
The 'fabric' skin unzips to reveal red underlining, simulating the injuries Kong sustains
KONG, A LOVE STORY
Carl Denham, a Hollywood director, embarks on a perilous shooting expedition to the uncharted Skull Island, only to capture Kong, a huge prehistoric creature. A love triangle ensues, one involving Denham's starlet, Ann Darrow, the ship's first mate, Jack Driscoll, and Kong.
KONG LOVES ANN
Ann Darrow (Esther Hannaford) sharing an intimate moments with Kong.
KONG GOT MUSCLES!
Under Kong's chest and abdomen is a layer of 'air-powered muscles', formed by bags filled with polystyrene beans, extending and contracting as he moves.
KONG HOOKS UP
Within the steel-tube skeleton is a network of 300m of electrical cables and 16 microprocessors. Kong even has his own onboard hydraulic power with a liquid-cooled quiet pump.
KONG BEHAVES
For safety, no steel structure is constructed from the elbows down. Kong's forearm is a high-pressure inflatable tube that prevents him from accidentally smashing into the co-performers.
KONG NEEDS SUPPORT
Thirty tonnes of steel are used to rein-force the stage to accommodate Kong's weight and size. From sub-stage to gantry, the vertical height is 23m, of which the audience will see 8m.
KONG SHAVES
Unlike his predecessors, this Kong is hairless - exuding raw masculinity on stage. Its skin is made of hand-sewn, synthetic, stretch net fabric that wrinkles and moves to mimic the real thing.
KING KONG COMPARISON
Weight: 1.1 tonnes
Arm span: 8m
Axes of movement: 47
THE CURIOUS CASE OF KING KONG'S SIZE
We track the famous silverback's height through the years
KING KONG (1933)
Kong's height went from 5.4m on the Skull island to 7.3m while in New York
KING KONG VS GODZILLA (1962)
Kong was scaled to 45m tall
KING KONG ESCAPES (1967)
Kong was scaled to 20m tall
KING KONG (1976)
Kong was 13m tall on Skull Island and rescaled to 17m tall in New York
KING KONG LIVES (1986)
Kong was scaled to 18m tall
KONG KONG (2005)
This Kong shrank back to 7.6m tall
KING KONG THE MUSICAL (2013)
Kong stands over 6m tall in front of a live audience
"He's an Adonis, an image of power and strength."
- Sonny Tilders, creature designer on King Kong
For more information, visit: http://kingkongliveonstage.com/enjoy-melbourne
SOURCE: GLOBAL CREATURE TECHNOLOGY
