Imagine being able to have your ultimate wish for a magical inflatable theatre prop come true? That is what ‘Wish’, a group acting under LACT Holdings, received when they approached us at Inflatable Anything to create an interactive Genie Bottle with walls for use at various shows and children’s parties throughout South Australia.
Bringing our client’s ideas to life in custom and bespoke inflatables is our primary intention, and we believe the only obstacle to our success in this is the limit of our imagination. The Genie Bottle with walls project offered our team at Inflatable Anything a creative challenge as the client was only able to supply a single photo of a bottle as inspiration for the artwork.
On first appearances, the client’s request seemed simple, but it required some imaginative design and manufacturing processes from our side. As is the case with all the projects we tackle, the Inflatable Anything team was ready to provide a bespoke inflatable theatre prop within the budget and on time, and one that would delight participants at our client’s shows and children’s parties.
Imagining the Impossible
Replicating the inflatable theatre prop from an image required a process of conceptualising and designing the custom shape from scratch. The image supplied by the client showed a solid bottle, without a tunnel or extra walls. It was up to our team at Inflatable Anything to integrate the appearance of the genie bottle with the client’s wishes for an inflatable theatre prop that children could walk through. A 3-D model was created to ensure consistency in appearance and establish the manufacturing requirements.
We pride ourselves on paying attention to detail, so the 3-D model showed an elaborate bottle neck with a sophisticated stopper to capture the features associated with a Genie Bottle. When our team was satisfied that the model represented the client’s image and initial brief, and the dimensions were suitable for an interactive inflatable, we set to work on manufacturing.
Staging the Possibilities
An important consideration in the design of any prop being used for travelling shows is that it is lightweight and quick to set up, but still sturdy. This is especially true for props that are handled regularly, as was going to be the case with this inflatable theatre prop. It was critical for us to meet this need by making the right recommendation for materials and construction methods.
Our years of experience creating inflatable stage props with diverse materials meant that we could quickly come up with a viable solution. We were pleased to produce an inflatable theatre prop with compact design and integrated blower making it possible for our client to set up in less than 15 minutes! Getting the show on the road and bringing magic to children around South Australia is now that much easier for our client to do.
Revealing the Magic
The first inflation of the product is always an exciting time for us. It is when we see what we have imagined and designed come to life – and whether it will stand the combined tests of pressure and gravity! The inflated Genie Bottle did not disappoint us – or our client.
In alignment with our design, the 4m high structure has the appearance of a bottle and functions as a tunnel, with one door at either end. The 1.8m high doors are attached to the main structure with Velcro, making them fully detachable. The bottle appears solid when the doors are attached and transforms into a tunnel when the doors are removed.
The purple, teal and gold colours of the bottle in our client’s original photo were replicated in the inflatable theatre prop to once again capture the magic associated with a genie bottle. The walls on the outside of the bottle, measuring 2.4m high by 2.4m wide, were purposefully left unprinted to maximize the special lighting effects that our client wanted to use during performances.
This unique feature of the design allowed LED lighting to illuminate the inflatable theatre prop from the inside. By leaving the walls white we were able to ensure that when the lights were adjusted during a show, this would be visible to the spectators, creating an atmosphere of dazzling delight.
Freeing the Genie
Satisfying our customers with bespoke inflatables is more than a job – it is our passion. The Genie Bottle with walls project offered our Inflatable Anything team a challenge that they couldn’t wait to tackle. If you are in the business of travelling shows, then give us a call – we look forward to creating your next inflatable theatre prop within your budget and time frame.
