4D film

4D film or 4-D film is a marketing term for an entertainment presentation system combining a 3D film with physical effects that occur in the theatre in synchronization with the film. (Note that 4D films are not actually four-dimensional in the geometric sense of the word.) Because physical effects can be expensive to install, 4D films are most often presented in custom-built theatres at special venues such as theme parks and amusement parks. However, some movie theatres have the ability to present 4D versions of wide-release 3D films. The films Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), and Avatar (2009) are among the films that have received a 4D treatment in certain theatres.

Effects simulated in a 4D film may include rain, wind, strobe lights, and vibration. Seats in 4D venues may vibrate or move a few inches during the presentation. Other common chair effects include air jets, water sprays, and leg and back ticklers. Hall effects may include smoke, rain, lightning, air bubbles, and special smells (for example, fireworks smells at the London Eye's Experience, and gassy smells when a stinkbug sprays it in It's Tough to Be a Bug).

4D films have occasionally been marketed as 5D, 6D, or 7D films in order to emphasize the variety or uniqueness of their theatre effects. However, there is no consistent standard among films for the application of these marketing labels.^{[citation needed]}

Notable formats for providing different aspects of a "fourth dimension" to films include Sensurround, Smell-O-Vision and 4DX.

Selected filmography

Title	Year	Release venue/ Country	Notes
The Sensorium	1984	Six Flags Power Plant, Baltimore, MD	The first 4D film
Captain EO	1986	Epcot, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland	Closed in the mid-late 1990s. Reopened in 2010 as a tribute to the late Michael Jackson, who stars in the film. Currently playing in all four Disney theme parks.
Muppet*Vision 3D	1991	Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure Park	Directed by Jim Henson
Terminator 2 3D: Battle Across Time	1996	Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan	Directed by James Cameron
It's Tough to Be a Bug!	1998	Disney's Animal Kingdom and Disney California Adventure Park	Based on the Pixar film A Bug's Life but made by Rhythm and Hues Studios
Pirates 4D	1999	Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, SeaWorld San Diego (seasonally), Noah's Ark Waterpark, Thorpe Park in the UK, Enchanted Kingdom in the Philippines, Sentosa Singapore and Phantasialand
PandaDroom	2002	The Efteling, Netherlands	Same film released in other parks sans 4D effects
Mickey's PhilharMagic	2003	Magic Kingdom, Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland	In collaboration with Walt Disney Feature Animation
SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D	2002, 2006	Six Flags over Texas, Moody Gardens, Shedd Aquarium, Adventure Dome, Six Flags Great Adventure, Movie Park Germany, Adventure Aquarium, Kings Dominion, (formerly at Paramount Parks), Pier 39, Indianapolis Zoo, Carowinds, Camden Aquarium (Camden, NJ), Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando, Florida, Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo and other locations
Haunted Lighthouse, (aka R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse 4-D)	2003	Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo
Shrek 4-D	2003	Universal Studios Florida, Warner Bros. Movie World, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Studios Singapore	Released in an anaglyph version as Shrek 3-D on DVD
Borg Invasion	2004	Star Trek: The Experience, at Las Vegas Hilton, USA	Closed in 2008, to be reopened in Neonopolis, Las Vegas
Fly Me to the Moon	2008	Six Flags over Texas
Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D Adventure	2008	Vibrant 5D, Raipur (Installed by Modern 5D, India) Stone Mountain Park, Dollywood, Warner Bros. Movie World
Pokemon 4-D: Pikachu's Ocean Adventure	2008	Comcast IMAX 3D Theater in Avon, Massachusetts, as well as in Japan	Produced by Shogakukan Production Co., Ltd. Distributed by Sarai Inc
Avatar in 4-D	2009	South Korea, Hong Kong
London Eye 4D Experience	2009	London Eye
Marvel Super Heroes 4D	2010	Madame Tussauds London
Rabid Rider	2010	Cincinnati Zoo
Star Tours II	2011	Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios
Shalem	2011?	Jerusalem Time Elevator, Jerusalem	A 3000-year-old guide to Jerusalem's history at the Jerusalem Time Elevator, Jerusalem
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World	2011	United States, India, Canada and UK	Smell was achieved by using scratch and sniff cards
Transformers: The Ride	2011	Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Hollywood
Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem	2012	Universal Studios Florida	14-minute simulator ride, starring Gru, Margo, Edith, Agnes and the Minions; setting is 1 year after the events of the original film in 2010.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs	2012	Shedd Aquarium, Warner Bros. Movie World and North Carolina Zoo	14 minute condensed version of the film.
Iron Man 3	2013	Korona World Theatre Nagoya, Japan, Seoul, South Korea	Labeled as 4DX featuring strobe lights, tilting seats, blowing wind and fog, and odor effects.

External links

• Are 4D movies the next big thing?
• High quality stereoscopic HFR 3D,4D,5D rides for cinema and attractions