Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Studios Florida

Photo from cinesite.com who worked on the show

I’ve written a lot about the maturation of show technology (see articles linked here), and I think the Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Studios Florida is probably the best example of this yet. It’s a stunning integration of video, physical effects, and—what really makes it work—excellent lighting and sound integration. Spatial sound is used very effectively throughout, and it seems that the lighting options possible for the physical show were considered when the videos were produced. The timing of the sequences is incredibly precise. We were lucky to be at the park on a rainy, pre-Thanksgiving day and were so blown away by this that we went twice. The second time, the show actually had to be stopped due to someone not making a mark on time, but even this was handled well. This show opened in June 2020, and got lost in the pandemic and the (well deserved) hype around Disney’s incredible Rise of the Resistance, but this show alone makes it worth a visit to this otherwise not great park (it’s mostly dated attractions and motion-base rides that just don’t work for me). It really has to be experienced in person, but here’s a fan video: