First look: A new selfie-snapper’s paradise has quietly opened in the heart of Surfers Paradise

STEP inside the new multimillion-dollar selfie-snapper’s paradise that quietly opened its doors today in the heart of Surfers Paradise.

One of the 30 scenic artworks and interactive backdrops at the Newman family’s new attraction Trick Pic, in Surfers Paradise.

A MULTIMILLION—DOLLAR selfie-snapper’s paradise quietly opened its doors this afternoon in the heart of Surfers Paradise.

Trick Pic, an Australian-first attraction from Newman Entertainment International (NEI), the company founded by Dracula’s masterminds the Newman Family, revolutionises the art of taking a selfie.

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The first major new tourist attraction to open in Surfers Paradise in years, Trick Pic offers mobile-phone users the chance to pose for photos and videos against a backdrop of interactive 3D scenes — from giant snakes and insects to kangaroos and wombats.

Trick Pic’s scenes include Australiana-themed art designed to appeal to tourists.

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Creative director Marc Newman said the venue’s ‘soft opening’ was in line with “what entertainments tend to do these days”.

“Big musicals in Sydney or Brisbane will call it previews but what they’re actually doing is fine tuning it — you wait to see customers’ responses and adjust accordingly.

“The attraction is finished and ready to go but it will be a living organism that will be coming up with new scenes all the time.”

A giant, interactive Blue-ringed octopus at Trick Pic, a new Gold Coast attraction in the heart of Surfers Paradise. Picture: Supplied.

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The five-level gallery-style photo attraction occupies the 3177 Surfers Paradise Boulevard site that previously housed the now-defunct Haunted House attraction.

The venue is filled with 30 colourful exhibits that interact with people as they ham it up for photos and clips they can share on social media platforms such as Vine, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest and Vimeo.

A street art scene at Trick Pic in Surfers Paradise.

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Mr Newman said themed scenes would be added to coincide with special events.

“For example, when the Commonwealth Games were on, we would have been featuring scenes for people to pose with athletes,” he said.

Two years in the making, the attraction’s backdrops channel the Newman family’s signature blend of comedy, optical illusion, satire and drama.

The Trick Pic artists and designers are working on animatronic features to enhance the attraction’s interactive scenes.

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“We live to come up with stuff and pull down walls and build new ones,” Mr Newman said.

“During the installation we were saying ‘wouldn’t it be good if we had this or that — we’re already coming up with the next phases. There’s never a dull movement.

“We have another installation which is a jet ski and people get on the jet ski and the steering wheel moves from side to side and a giant tiger shark leaps out of the water.

The Kombie scene at Trick Pic in Surfers Paradise.

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“The next phase which we’re working on is adding animatronics — a sea monster attacking a submarine underwater.

“Then we though wouldn’t it be rad if we had octopus tentacles that jump down from the ceiling out through rusty pipes that retract — so we’re building them at the moment.

“That came out of building the scenic art.”

Trick Pic includes “a good dose of Australiana” for tourists.

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Mr Newman said Trick Pic covered all bases, with “a good dose of Australiana” to keep tourists happy.

“People can just look at the artwork without taking photos,” he said.

“Once they’re inside, they can stay as long as they want.”

Trick Pic is open from 11am to 9pm daily.