4DX cinemas have been around for a while now and the technology and inner workings of them have always been a keen interest to me, and hopefully you, so strap yourselves in, we’re in for an educational ride!
So before we dive into 4DX cinemas let’s start at the beginning (naturally).
What is a 4DX Cinema?
A 4DX cinema is defined as a combination of a 2D or 3D film with physical effects that occur in sync with images that appear on screen.
1984 saw the first 4DX movie debut at Baltimore’s Six Flags theme park.
It’s a multi-sensory experience where you live out the scenes of your favourite films rather than just watching them on the static 2D / 3D film screens.
Combining seat movements, atmosphere effects, scents and more 4DX is a way to feel the film, rather than just watch it.
Let’s dive into some of the various technologies used within a 4DX auditorium to bring those feature films to life.
4DX Seats
The 4DX seats have been specifically designed to harness 8 key movements that will be orchestrated with software to the film you are watching.
4DX motion chairs are equipped with the AC Servo Motor, which allows for precise movement and speed control.
The result is that the motion system is able to sync with a variety of movies without any lag in movement caused by the hydraulic system.
The 4DX seat movements consist of:
Roll – Left and Right movement
Sway and Twist – Side to Side movement
Pitch – Forward and backwards movement
Heave – Up and down movement
Back Shaker – Back vibration
Bottom Shaker – Bottom vibration
Back Tickler (Does what it says on the tin)
Bottom Tickler (If you need it)
There are some 4DX cinemas that also include leg ticklers which are small flexible pieces of material that flap against the back of your legs. Perfect for a horror movie jump scare or leg grab.
4DX Atmospherics
4DX effects don’t just stop at movements, atmospherics are included in a 4DX cinema to simulate various weather conditions happening on screen.
Using a variety of sprays, fans and even bubbles numerous weather conditions can be replicated.
The following atmospherics are catered for by 4DX technology.
Rain – This consists of a light mist exiting from the back of the seat in front of you. There is also a RainStorm setting where mist is sent out into the cinema under the fans so it falls down on you rather than rises up in front of you.
Air – Blasts of air can come at your face from a valve in the back of the seat in front of you (or a device in front of you if you’re on the front row). An air shot is also a little valve behind your head that will certainly make you jump a mile when they go off!
Water – Water sprays are built into a valve of the seat in front of you. Imagine a kill sequence where someone has been shot and there’s a blood splatter. You will certainly get a face full of a small mist of water to simulate that kill.
Sun – Depending on which 4DX cinema you attend there will be a heater built into your seat that can warm up to simulate sunny climates. Not all 4DX seats have these as there are various models catered for different cinema budgets which we will discuss later.
Wind – Fans will simulate various degrees of wind but maintenance is key to make sure these fans don’t become noisier than the film on the screen. I’ve been inside a 4DX cinema showing a tornado sequence and those fans can really kick up to an impressive speed!
Snow – A device will launch actual snow into the auditorium when needed and combined with a fan the cinema now has its very own snowstorm!
Lightning – A strobe is used to simulate lightning and combined with the fans and other effects it can be incredibly immersive.
Fog – Smoke machines under the cinema screen will release fog into the auditorium. For me, this is one effect that doesn’t really sell me during its execution as you don’t want a whole cinema of smoke but it does certainly leave an eerie flurry of smoke under the screen which looks rather cool!
Bubbles – A bubble machine completes our atmospheric 4DX orchestra and watching kid’s faces light up when these are introduced (usually during a Disney 4DX screening) is a joy to behold.
4DX Scents
From an ocean breeze to a fresh cut grass smell and even coffee there are a multitude of scents that can be used within a 4DX screening.
1000 to be exact.
Well, so they say. Every 4DX screening I’ve ever been to only seems to have those 3 aforementioned smells.
This could be a case of cinemas only ordering certain scents which was definitely the case when a cinema in Birmingham suddenly sprayed fresh cut grass into the air with every single scent opportunity it could get.
Or it could be something else entirely.
Not many details have been released in regards to the 4DX scent machines so it’s hard to know just what kind of installation they require and how many pre-loaded scents come with each package.
4DX Programming
Teams of people will meticulously craft all 4DX movements, scent releases and atmospheric effects to what you are seeing on screen.
4DX has its own patented 4D editing software which allows professional 4DX editors to create precise synchronicity between 4D effects and movie scenes, and seamlessly deliver content to audiences around the globe.
What a cool job that must be as like an artist you can craft the immersive experience your audience is about to receieve.
You can tailor an experience but you have to be careful not to overload it as imagine a long car chase sequence and your seat is going absolutely crazy for 20 minutes, you don’t want to make your audience sick.
It has to be well crafted and well-executed and from all the 4DX films I’ve seen, they certainly do an incredible job.
4DX Cinema Variety
Working with so many cinemas around the world 4DX is currently located in 755 theatres across the world in 65 countries.
Budgets can restrict a 4DX experience that is why 4DX has created four different packages for cinema owners to choose each with their own tiered system of what effects / movements are included in each particular package.
Prime
Ignore the screens on the side of the cinema (that’s Superscreen another cinema tech entirely) the 4DX Prime is all the bells and whistles with absolutely zero limitations of effects, movements and more. The Prime version includes the brand new Sway and Twist movement.
This is the top tier and obviously the most expensive.
Pro 4DX
Pro 4DX consists of all the Prime features minus the Sway and Twist movement. It’s only a very slight step down and is barely noticeable in the grand scheme of things if you compare the features.
Standard 4DX
Standard 4DX sees our first step-down in terms of atmospheric restrictions. Standard 4DX does not possess the Face Air, Air Shot, Rain, Back Tickler. Bottom Tickler and Warm Air feature.
There is also no Water feature on the standard version.
Economy 4DX
The most restricted 4DX experience as motions such as Heave are not present in this model. There are no Back Shakers, Air Shots, Face Air, ticklers of any kind.
Warm Air, Water and Rain effects are also vacant but the Rain Storm effect (mist underneath the fans) remains.
So that’s just about everything on 4DX cinemas that you need to know!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and if you’ve missed our 4DX Vs IMAX battle of the technologies article then please do CLICK HERE.
