FINAL_FW2607-08_DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 66
SYDNEY ZOO
KNOXVILLE ZOO
Luminiscence productions are held in heritage venues like
cathedrals and basilicas, which were not designed to host highend video projection or modern show infrastructure, explains
Leboucher. “Power supply, rigging points and equipment routing
need to be engineered from scratch on each site, while preserving
the architectural and historical integrity of the building,” he says.
“Every alignment, every sightline, and every projector position is
custom.”
Zoos and other facilities that feature animals need careful
planning and consideration to ensure the animals’ comfort and
safety. For example, at Sydney Zoo Glow, the animals have
access to back-of-house and retreat spaces so that they can move
away from activity, explains Michael Kelly, CEO at Sydney Zoo.
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Funworld | JULY/AUGUST 2026 | IAAPA.org/Funworld
“This is consistent with how we manage
all aspects of the zoo environment and
ensures animals maintain control over
their space," Kelly says.
To create Smoky Night Lights at
Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee, the facility
hired Moment Factory, an entertainment
studio, to partner with their director of
animal care, conservation, and education
so the program would remain harmonious
with the zoo environment.
“To ensure we didn’t introduce undue
stress, we measured the baseline audio
floor of the zoo,” says Mathieu Grainger,
producer at Moment Factory. “By working
with the existing ‘noise floor’ of the area,
we used slow fades and gradual builds to
bring intensity while ensuring the transitions for the animals were seamless rather
than startling.”
The red wolves were the only animals
in close proximity of Smoky Night Lights,
so they worked with the zoo to install
natural baffling and fencing to minimize
any sensory intrusion. The zoo team then
monitored these animals for weeks leading
up to the grand opening to ensure they
showed no signs of anxiety, confirming
that the natural amphitheater was as
effective a barrier as it was a performance
space.
At Night Safari Singapore, the Safari
Tram Adventure is a fully electric fleet,
which reduces noise. “This allows the
tram to move closer to the animals and lets
guests hear the park’s natural soundscape,”
