LAS VEGAS – Adventure Combat Ops, one of Las Vegas’ newer attractions, invites participants to a 77,000 square foot former warehouse for an immersive adventure involving an invading army of zombies in an urban warfare setting. The lighting includes LED fixtures from Chauvet Professional, deftly deployed by Steve Hansel of XS Entertainment LLC.
More details from XS Entertainment LLC (www.xslv.com):
They say you can find anything you want in Las Vegas. Adventure Combat Ops, one of the city’s newest attractions falls into that category. Located in a 77,000 square foot former warehouse just off the famed Strip, this unique venue serves up a two hour adrenaline rush of non-stop action by enlisting customers to battle an invading army of zombies in a realistic urban warfare setting. The experience is, as its promotional literature proclaims, a “full sensory immersion.” A big part of that immersive sensation is created by an army of LED fixtures from Chauvet Professional, deftly deployed by Steve Hansel of XS Entertainment LLC.
Hansel has installed eight Strike 882 high output blinders, three Amhaze II water base haze machines, four Atmos voluminous fog machines and eight Vesuvio RGBA water based foggers with LED lights throughout the sprawling urban battle zone that makes up Adventure Combat Ops. When customers call for air strikes against the marauding zombies, the four CHAUVET Professional products spring into action.
The intensely bright Strike fixtures simulate the flash of a bomb hitting its target. This is followed in short order by haze from the Amhaze simulating smoke and copious volumes of fog from the Atmos signaling major explosions. The Vesuvio, which shots fog high in the air illuminated by the fixtures RGBA LEDs is used to represent smoke, and the red and orange glow of fires. Audio simulation of bomb impacts and shrapnel add to the realistic feeling of being in a war zone.
“This attraction is based on providing people with a unique and very realistic experience,” said Hansel. “It’s run by ex-combat ops military heroes and everything about it from the scenery design to the actors playing the zombies makes you feel like you’re immersed in a combat zone. Visitors are placed in teams and are led by a combat ops vet. Lighting is obviously a very big part of this experience. The intense flashes of the Strikes coupled with the audio effects really make you feel like bombs are going off and the LED-colored fog gives the impression of a smoldering battle scene.”
According to Hansel, the management of Adventure Combat Ops value the CHAUVET Professional products for their practical benefits as well as their scenic impact. “They were thrilled that with the realism obtainable through the Amhaze, Atmos and Vesuvio, because these products allowed them to create the effect they wanted without pyro,” he said. “If they had to use pyro, they may never have gotten approval. Also since the Strikes are LED fixtures, they’re resulting in less heat and lower energy costs.”
Hansel has also positioned 40 COLORdash Par-Quad 7 fixtures throughout the simulated urban battlefield to add to the eerie atmosphere and create an even more edgy experience for customers who have been flocking to Adventure Combat Ops since it opened in July 2015. The ultra-compact size of this RGBA par-style fixture has allowed it to be placed discretely in tights nooks and crannies throughout the combat zone, making its impact more realistic – and scary.
“The standards for realism were very high in this project,” said Hansel. “The people here really wanted to create something that transported people to another zone for two hours. I’m happy that our lighting design met these high standards and was able to contribute to the attraction. For us, this project was a lot of fun.”
