Circle-Vision 360°
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A Circle-Vision 360° camera on display at the Walt Disney Family Museum
Circle-Vision 360° is a film technique, refined by The Walt Disney Company, that uses nine cameras for nine big screens arranged in a circle. The cameras are usually mounted on top of an automobile for scenes through cities and highways, while films such as The Timekeeper (1992 Disney attraction) use a static camera and many CGI effects. The first film was America the Beautiful (1955 version) in the Circarama theater, which had 11 projectors using 16mm film. And would become Circle-Vision in 1967, which has 9 projectors using 35mm film.
It is used for a few attractions at Disney theme parks, such as Epcot's O Canada!, Reflections of China, and Disneyland's defunct America the Beautiful (1967 version), Wonders of China, and American Journeys, which were housed in the Circle-Vision theater in Tomorrowland. At the 2011 D23 Expo, Disneyland Resort President George Kalogridis announced that CircleVision would be making a return to Disneyland Park with a new presentation of America the Beautiful in CircleVision 360, though it is not currently known where the film will be presented (as the original theater was replaced with another attraction), and whether this will be a version of the original film or a new film with the same name and concept.
By using an odd number of screens, and a small space between them, a projector may be placed in each gap, projecting across the space to a screen. The screens and projectors are arranged above head level, and lean rails may be provided for viewers to hold or to lean against while standing and viewing the film.
Parks that use Circle-Vision technologyEdit
Disneyland ParkEdit
Grand opening: 1955
Closed: 1997 (as a standalone attraction); 2000 (as a segment of the Rocket Rods preshow)
Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering
Location: Tomorrowland
Formal Names of Attraction
Circarama
Circle-Vision 360
World Premiere Circle-Vision
List of Films Shown
A Tour of the West
Wonders of China
American Journeys
Former Sponsors
American Motors (1950s)
Bell System (1960s)
AT&T/ Bell System (1970s)
Pacific Southwest Airlines (1980s)
Delta Air Lines (1990s)
Rocket Rods
Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters
Magic KingdomEdit
Grand opening: November 25, 1971 (America The Beautiful)
Closing Date: February 26, 2006 (The Timekeeper)
Metropolis Science Center
America the Beautiful (1971-1974, 1975-1979)
Magic Carpet 'Round the World (1974-1975, 1979-1984)
American Journeys (September 15, 1984 – January 9, 1994)
The Timekeeper (November 21, 1994 – February 26, 2006)
Monsanto (Carpets)
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
EpcotEdit
Grand opening: October 1, 1982
Location: World Showcase
Canada Pavilion
O Canada! (1982 version)
Current Films
Reflections of China
O Canada! (2007 – an updated version with 50% new footage, new soundtrack and narration)
Tokyo DisneylandEdit
Grand opening: April 15, 1983
Closed: September 1, 2002
Visionarium
Magic Carpet 'Round the World
Visionarium (From Time to Time)
Disneyland ParisEdit
Closed: September 2004
Location: Discoveryland
Formal Name of Attraction
Le Visionarium
Renault (1992-2002)
Other usesEdit
Expo 64Edit
Closed: October 25, 1964
Designer: Ernst A. Heiniger
Location: Transportation Pavilion, Expo 64, Lausanne
"Magic of the rails, magie du rail, Zauber der Schiene"
Swiss Federal Railways
Notes: It has been unseen since 1964.
The Expo 67 Telephone Pavilion
Location: Telephone Pavilion, Expo 67, Montreal
"Canada 67"
"Canada '67" – Directed by Robert Barclay. Description from the Expo'67 Guide book: "You're on centre stage for the RCMP Musical Ride... on centre ice for hockey... on the track at the Stampede! CIRCLE-VISION 360° surrounds you with all the fun and excitement of Canada's most thrilling events and its scenic beauty. And then, take your children to the Enchanted Forest...see exciting new communication services for the future... all in the Telephone Pavilion!"[1]
The Telephone Association of Canada
Notes: The "B-25" airplane was used to film the aerial shots.[2]
This is one of the rarest Circle-Vision movies, for except for a brief appearance in January 1974 at Magic Kingdom during their "Salute to Canada", it has been unseen since 1967. The film was the inspiration for the original "O Canada!" film that played at Epcot from 1982-2007.
Man and His World – after Expo 67 In 1970 this theater became the USA Pavilion, presenting the film "America the Beautiful", with a post-show exhibit of Americana including a well-guarded Moon rock.
Grand opening: May 2, 1986
Designer: ??
Location: Telecom Canada Pavilion, Expo 86, Vancouver
"Telecom Canada"
Film Shown
"Portraits of Canada/Images du Canada"
Telecom Canada
Notes – Following Expo, the movie played temporarily at the Canada pavilion at EPCOT Center.
OtherEdit
French cinematic pioneers toyed with the technology from 1884, leading to Cinéorama. Another system (developed in the 21st century) substantially similar is in use at the site of the Terracotta Army exhibit at Xian, China. The Badaling Great Wall near Beijing, China has a Circle-Vision theater featuring scenes from the Great Wall of China.
List of film formats
Bell Canada Pavilion (Expo 67)
^ Official Expo 67 guide book, page 178. Toronto: Maclean-Hunter Publishing Co. Ltd., 1967.
^ "Expo 67 - Plane used to film "Canada 67" - Disney Circle Vision 360".
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