Wednesday 1 October 1997

Prepare to explore the universe at Dreamworld

Dreamworld's Coca-Cola IMAX Theatre takes guests on a real-life exploration of the last frontier - outer space, during its latest film Destiny in Space.

Narrated by Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy, Destiny in Space takes audiences on a 40-minute awe-inspiring voyage into outer space as seen through the eyes of pioneering astronauts.

The film provides an eye-witness account of the thrilling departure of the Galileo probe to Jupiter, discovers amazing advances in robotic telescopes, and visualises a valley on Mars as it may look after it has been colonised successfully by future space explorers.

Destiny in Space was filmed over the course of nine space shuttle missions and moves easily from close-ups of the astronauts going about their daily work to the departure of the Galileo probe for Jupiter - a journey of five years and 390 million miles.

Footage also includes a night shuttle launch and the retrieval service and redeployment of the Hubble Telescope.

To give viewers a sense of exploring farther into space, computer imaging sequences soar over the rugged and colourful contours of Venus and Mars.

The film focuses on the future of human and robotic space exploration and is the result of a unique public-private partnership involving the IMAX Corporation, the Smithsonian Institute's National Air and Space Muserm and Lockheed Martin, in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Destiny in Space was five years in the making involving 43 astronauts. Each astronaut received 25 hours IMAX camera training and between 1989 and 1994, shot 44 rolls of film.

The film cost US$10 million to produce.

Dreamworld's Coca-Cola IMAX Theatre is one of only two of its kind in Australia and when built in 1981 was the first in the southern hemisphere. With a six storey high screen, a projection distance of 32 metres and a capacity for 400 people seated at a 25 degree angle to the screen, the IMAX Theatre provides a larger than life cinema experience for Dreamworld guests.

IMAX uses the largest film frame in motion picture history (ten times the size of conventional 35mm and three times the size of standard 70mm), together with state-of-the-art sound system and the most advanced projector ever built.

Destiny in Space screens daily at Dreamworld for 12 months and currently alternates with "Speed" an IMAX film which explores the role of speed in man's life since the dawn of time. Entry to both films is included in Dreamworld's one admission price.