Skramp

Ok, so I'm just going to say a little more because it seems like I offended some people. I was in no way, shape or form trying to say the videos were at all bad. I was simply stating that pure coaster footage isn't my "bag." There is endless amounts of footage out there to be seen. I like the more creative side and no, that can't be expected out of everyone and it shouldn't be. Like Robb said, everyone has their own style and as long as you make your style great, then you've made a great video. Reading back over my comments, I agree they may come across a little harsh and I'm sorry for anyone offended by them. I might have been a little over critical and I'm sorry. The videos this far have been really good, some more enjoyable than others, but that's my own opinion. I agree with everyone that it's all in fun, and it's just cool to make your own videos. I wasn't aware until recently that some of the past videos were made by "professionals" and that may be why they came across so slick. I really have enjoyed all the videos so far and each one has some great ideas. I guess my problem is being spoiled in the past some of the contest entries and kind of expecting them to be the same. For future rounds I'll keep my comments clean and digestible. Congrats to everyone so far and keep them coming. And remember, even if some people don't like your vid, there's many others out there who do. ~Skramp~

Ok, so onto the second round: Cody Kempema -Nice opening, like the staggering with the music. Video seems like a promo for Tatsu. It's much to long and just all coaster footage, no people or storyline. Not really sure about this one, just doesn't seem like it fits the contest this year, I mean it's just music and repetitive coaster shots. Kinds boring if you ask me. Justin -Good Dollywood video, nice to see Timber Tower running. Not a bad video, but again just seems like random footage thrown together. I liked that you involved your group in it. Jimmy Bo -Some good moments, loved the yellow hat brigade. Looked like a fun trip and nice how you involved everyone. Video showed how much fun you could have during a park visit. Matt T -Opening credits 15 secs? Nice all around shots of coasters and rides. Would make a nice promo video. Did the video keep breaking up for anyone else? The Kingda Ka fog shot was pretty cool, but nothing really of note here. Ryan V -Did you get permission to steal the opening sequence? Nice transition between Big Thunder and Space Mountain, that was cool. Nice over view of a couple parks. But again, falls into the promo category. Is it just me with these videos so far? Not trying to be harsh, but it seems that everything is just random footage thrown together to make a short video. Most of the videos so far seem just like what Robb posts as a TPR trip review or something. There doesn't seem to be a lot of thought put into the flow of the videos. I'll link to a video from 2005 that shows more of what I'd expect in the contest, Kevin Gillan's Floruba Video. Now a video like that has a theme, plot and some direction put into it. Most of the videos from years ago were the same. Now it seems the theme of most videos is "We went to a park, here's a 4 minute video of it." I'd personally like to see some more thought and creativity put into them. But that's just my two cents.

God, that commercial is awful. But gotta remember the time it's from. I kept waiting for the Brady Bunch to appear, but I think KI had a lock on them. Thanks again Shane!!

It looks less "loopish" and more "uphill curvy" then anything. It probably wouldn't be that bad, my question is though after the top of the loop/curve how do they keep your legs from jamming against the side and breaking anything or getting stuck? Almost seems like it would launch you off the top of the element and when you're enclosed in something, you really have no where to go. Would be interesting, but I highly doubt you'd ever see something like that in the US, not unless when you bought the slide they gave you 3 free lawyers for 10 years.

You would have thought that Arrow would have been able to tell from that prototype that the swinging on flat curves will kill the suspension systems very quickly. Not only a maintenance nightmare, but looks like it would have really hurt. Almost looks like being thrown against a wall as you went around the turn. I'm betting they rushed the first installation to get the recognition and product out without really doing much testing. If memory serves me right, there were a lot of amusement companies competing for parks business back in the early 80's so if you had something new and cool, you wanted the exposure as fast as you could. And without the internet, you had to rely on pictures and newspapers for word to get out about your product and how it was received. I can remember my one ride on The Bat at KI and it was really painful. But, in the end, Arrow did get it right after while.

This thread is incredible. Exactly what this site needs. Alpen, are you able to cover any other rides too? After doing some searching, I found these pics from the USC library archives showing a little bit of the construction. Was the Matterhorn track installed while they built the mountain? (like Everest) Or was the track installed after the mountain was built?

I would have to agree. Having ridden it for over 20 years, it scarred the crap out of me when I was younger. It was the most wild, crazy ride I'd been on. From the top of the first drop it was raw speed all the way up til the second lift. There really were no brakes between the two lifts and it felt like (especially at the sharp turn before the second lift) that the train was going to fly off the tracks. I agree you can't tear it down, it's an icon and what draws a lot of people to the park. What they should do is tear down everything from the first drop to second lift, expand it about 2000 ft, make flybys, use the tunnels and make it just incredibly long and leave off the brakes, let the terrain be your brakes. Then maybe they'd have "The Beast" back. The trees and surroundings do make it a great ride, but when you're going slow enough to tell what kind of tree you just passed, there's a problem. The one thing that still gets me is going into the double-helix, on the drop down everyone has their arms up, but jams them down right before the tunnel starts. The way they built the tunnel is a great visual effect as it seems so low.

Dave Thomas Seemed like a mix of promo/trip review video. Didn't really have a main theme to and a bit cut/pastey compared to the others that seem a tad more "professional". A decent vid with lots of coaster/ride footage but more of just a family vid than contest entry. Kevin Aglione Nice build up in the beginning, but then the slo-mo build up runs on too long. Very "artsy" with the different shots and black and white. I do like the way the slo-mop exposes some cool facets of the different rides (i.e. the water plume on the water ride). Complete difference in second half. Nice flow, but my question is Got Wood? I don't think there was a single shot of Gemini, Mean Streak or Blue Streak in the vid? If you're recaping a certain park, should you're vid contain pieces of each ride? Or should this vid be called, "Steel at the Point"? Darren Bailey Not quite sure what to make of this one. Lots of cut and paste with quick clips of rides and coasters. A good recap of all the parks the TPR crew visited on their trip, but no really theme or story to it. Everything seems really random and just thrown together. Nothing really stood out in this video, just seemed like your normal TPR recap vid that Robb would post. Barry Horn Well, except for the stalking of Elissa, video didn't really have any memorable moments. A great overview of Alton that included some great shots of not only the rides, but also the gardens (which most people never pay attention to.) A decent video though. Pam Brian Kanal Good video that showed alot of the park, I learned alot about a park that I'm not that familiar with. Good mix of rides, food, entertainment. I think it was a well done video Now, I'm not trying to be harsh, but it seems like the videos over the years have changed directions. I remember a few years ago where most videos had themes or "plot" lines. Like the "Floruba" video from a few years ago (which I still watch almost weekly). That was a cool, well-done video. A lot of the vids just come off as recaps which we get from Robb on like a weekly basis. I'd like to see some creativity, planning and work for a good video. Not saying the ones so far aren't good, just don't seem like vids of years past. Just my two cents.

Ahahahahaha, gotta love those cutting edge commercials!!!! It should have read "Take the journey.......of PAIN!!!" I hope they didn't spend too much money for advertising for that wonderful ride!

LMAO! I wonder how many other people get that reference? --Robb I wonder if he told them "Large Marge sent me!!"???

Guess I'm in the minority here, but I like the right side better. The pics don't look stretched out or anything, they look more realistic.

I think the front page looks pretty good. What I would suggest is leaving the pictures off of the "Announcements" part. It shifts the whole page down a few inches which could be used for other things. I would leave the column names as they are, they seem appropriate, but maybe shorten it to just "Forum Updates." As far as the "plastic surgery" some have said to cosmetically make the site look better, I wouldn't worry about that. A lot of sites are all fluff and no substance, like "Doesn't our site look good? Too bad half the links don't work!" Of course you can always make the site looker with Flash intros and crap like that, but I don't believe that people that come here are looking at the prettiness factor, they are more concerned with the nuts and bolts of the site working right and getting the info they want. Here's an idea, how about a "picture of the day" in the top left or right corner. Using scripts you could have it display a different pic from the galleries everyday or on every visit. Might be fun and let people put a face with all these silly names we call ourselves on the forums.

Thanks to everyone so far for the great ideas. We live near KI and will be doing a van trip so it would have to be not too much of drive. I'm thinking the Dells sound great, lots of stuff to do there, plus none of us have ever been there.

Ok, I was wondering if anyone has been/knows of any one of a kind attractions out there that are a must "credit." I don't mean like anything normal. I would say something like the The Big Shot on top of the Stratosphere or something along those lines. I'm looking for vacation spots for my family and I for the summer and trying to find somewhere to go with some unique adventures. It doesn't have to be per se an amusement park attraction, just something that would be unique and different. Any ideas?

^So not to flame or argue, the reason that I said that TPR had lost it's sense of humor is because anytime anyone who is not well known or part of the "clique" post something slightly controversial, they get destroyed by everyone. It seems like their might be a slight elitist attitude among some members and that's cool, but leave that inside and don't bash everyone for what they say, it's makes some of the post that could be great discussions turn into complete crap because everyone jumps on the "bandwagon." Not so much that TPR has lost it's sense of humor, more like bullying of people for just expressing their idea whether others agree with it or not.

Ok, seeing as I'm the one who pissed off half of the forums with my comments about the Spain TPR, [sarcasm]I feel fully qualified to comment on this[/sarcasm] Yes, it may seem kind of creepy, but you did it when you were younger, and it was in fun. I couldn't see spending money like that on someone else, and yes I also agree that the forums have lost their sense of humor sometimes. I mean it's just a simple question, and people starting giving him a colonoscopy about it. Damn, while it may not be your cup of tea, no reason to crap on others. I'm sure all of us have some "skeletons" in our closets that would get blasted in here, at least he had the balls to post about his.

Quick links to good forums post, or recent TPR trips info. Too much to scroll through, might be nice to just have the "top 10" on it or something No, not really, the only thing I don't like is that when I try to click on the forums tab and accidently click on the main logo, it refreshes the page and I feel stupid. Since I read TPR everyday, usually not too far unless I'm looking for something I read before and want to check out again. Daily, if not semi-daily, quarter-daily, basically anywhere between 1-6 times a day Not so often, maybe once a week Maybe break it up between TRs, News, and Cool Stuff or something. Nah, not really, seems pretty cool already and with a little tweaking, could be extraordinary!!

Those are some amazing shots. I love the one below. Maybe we should start a poll and bet on whether she peed herself or not? Check out the girl in the second row in blue, that look just cracks me up!!! Haha!! Chick in blue in second row just wet herself. And guy in red shirt is like "I just got peed on!!"

I Wonder if they will play "That Thing You Do" in the que?

Dude, that was punny!!! Really punny!!

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!! I mean seriously, the last thing I would ever think about when going to a theme park is "Will they have cheerleaders?" Come on, get serious. I bet they could hire some more food people, character or service people for the price they are paying for this crap. And just when SF seem to be making good decisions for once.

Check out this site, Gone but not forgotten but you have to know what you're looking for. Some cool pics of old stuff like Dogpatch Amusement Park in Arkansas. Some finds: Chippewa Lake Surf Cincinnati Dogpatch Bushkill Park

Happy Birthday Elissa, hopes it's a great day and that Robb doesn't give you too much grief. This is always fun! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj6cbM-h8xg Someone else wanted to say Happy Birthday!! Not sure who that's supposed to be though.....

But what about rides like El Toro, Raging Bull, Kumba, Alpengeist? Can you just take those and drop them in a different park and they are the same ride? I guess it's more of a case of does the surrounding terrain or environment add to the ride experience? I guess in the case of Scream! all you need is a large open parking lot and you have the same experience, but what if you placed it in some dense wooded area? Does it become a crazy, cool ride? I think we'd all agree that you can't take The Beast, Boulder Dash, Steel Phantom or any other "terrain-designed" coaster and move it, but what about other coasters?

That "Bouncy Bouncy" looks insane!!! Best part of the vid though is Robb's "slam" into the plexiglass in the maze!!! I watched that over and over and over and over. The sound and then the laugh are hilarious! Thanks for a great vid Robb.