Imagine the Palladium as a giant illuminated ice sculpture. That was the first step in
conjuring up the icy spectacular, Frost. How would it look? There is only one way to find out,
make an actual scaled model of the palladium out of ice. To do this the team at Blockhouse
Studios 3D printed a model of the palladium to cast a silicone mold, which was filled with water
and frozen to create an ice sculpture of the palladium. Then the team began projecting on this
ice model to gather ideas for the final aesthetic. In the end, the team was able to obtain a
much more consistent look using translucent 3D printed models while retaining the natural light
refractions that the real ice had. Once the initial concept was proven to work, it was time to
create the content.
With the main visual concept in place, it was time to elaborate on the idea. And what
better way to celebrate themes of winter than with an excerpt from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s
“The Snow Maiden Suite”. The song chosen, “Dance of the Tumblers” was the perfect choice
because of its up-tempo frosty charm. But of course, this couldn’t just be an ordinary
performance, it needed to embody the enchanting magic of wintertime. A performance that
prompts the viewer to imagine all the elements of winter being whipped up into an icy frenzy
and transforming into a winter symphony, conducted by none other than the father of winter
himself, Jack Frost.
The Blockhouse team first filmed members of a small orchestra one at a time to
composite them into the projection. Then the team began filming special effects. Much like
previous productions Blockhouse has done, they heavily relied on classic cinematography
techniques to achieve the chilly atmosphere that is pervasive throughout the show. The two
main ingredients for this arctic ambiance are artificial snow and dry ice. In true Blockhouse
fashion custom-made rigs needed to be assembled to control the movement of these organic
components intricately and musically. In the case of the snow effects, a snow cannon was
constructed to launch snow in bursts that corresponded to specific orchestral gestures. The
falling snow effects are the result of a large snow sifter being struck with hammers at various
intensities and speeds to correspond with specific sections of the score. A series of fans were
then implanted to create the snow flurry effects during the more intense moments of the song.
Fans were also a key component in the moving and swirling of the dry ice, which was essential
in creating the proper contrast between the characters and their backgrounds. Additional
special effects include the prism backgrounds which were created by filming light reflecting on
broken CDs, water, and holographic vinyl. Another effect that helps elevate this show is the 3-
dimensional crystalline structures that protrude from the model and help refract the projected
light. These were created in 3D modeling software and 3D printed onto the physical ice model.
From concept through completion, Blockhouse carefully handcrafted special effects
and costumes, while giving careful consideration to color tones and lighting to create this
delightful ice-themed extravaganza for the whole family.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Dance Of The Tumblers” comes to life in this wintery symphony
conducted by Jack Frost.
The Palladium, frozen like a sheet of Ice, comes to life with an enchanting one-of a-kind
orchestral spectacular conducted by none other than the father of winter himself, Jack Frost.
Visualize the dynamics and harmony of the orchestra, as conducted by world renowned
composer Jack Frost.
The conductor of winter itself, Jack Frost, is back with his world premier of Nikolai Rimsky-
Korsakov’s “Dance Of The Tumblers”.
Conducted by Jack Frost, this icy spectacular visualizes the elements of winter as a glorious
symphony set to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Dance Of The Tumblers”.
