New Surfers Paradise attraction Trick Pic to take selfies to another (interactive) dimension

A WORLD-FIRST attraction will take selfies to a whole new level when it opens in Surfers Paradise next year by giving visitors the chance to pose in amazing 3D interactive scenes.

Richard Macionis from Dracula's at the old Dracula's Haunted House in Surfers Paradise which is about to be demolished to make way for a new attraction where punters can take selfies with scary things. Photo: Richard Gosling

A NEW mobile-phone friendly Gold Coast tourist attraction is set to revolutionise the art of taking a selfie.

The creative dynamos behind Dracula’s, the Newman family, will unveil Trick Pic, a multimillion-dollar, world-first selfie-themed tourist attraction in the heart of Surfers Paradise.

The groundbreaking attraction, to open early next year, will give mobile-phone wielding visitors the opportunity to pose for photos and short videos in a series of amazing 3D interactive scenes.

The attraction, the brainchild of Newman Entertainment International (NEI), the company founded by entertainment gurus the Newman Family, will replace their Haunted House attraction at 3177 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, in Surfers.

Richard Macionis from Dracula's at the old Dracula's Haunted House in Surfers Paradise which is about to be demolished to make way for a new attraction where punters can take selfies with scary things. Photo: Richard Gosling

DRACULA’S SEVEN DEADLIEST HORROR SOUVENIRS

NEI CEO Alfie Schmid said while 3D photo opportunity attractions were already popular in Asia, Trick Pic would take the art of selfies to a new level.

He said the venue’s self-pose-in scenes would combine comedy, optical illusion, satire and drama to create a unique experience.

“The exhibits interact with the person posing, catering for Live Pics and Vimeo clips,” he said.

“This picks up on the latest Gen Y social media trends, like Vine, Instagram, Pintrest and Snapchat.”

NEI is making over the walk-through haunted house it opened in its purpose-built, five level building in Surfers eight years ago for Trick Pic, which will have an urban art feel and Australian pop culture theme.

The Haunted House attraction in Surfers Paradise.

“Dracula’s Theatre is still going gang busters however our Haunted House has been

a bit of a dilemma,” Mr Schmid said.

“It is too scary for families with younger kids and we found it is intimidating for Asian visitors.”

He said Trick Pic would be as much an art gallery as photo attraction.

“We are aiming to attract anyone with a mobile phone,” he said.

“That basically covers all demographics and nationalities. We want the attraction to gain attention on the world stage for its unique integration of special effects and optical illusion.”

Newman family patriarch and Dracula's founder John Newman, 86, at home in Melbourne, where he has been making paper mache models of scenes/scenarios for the Deadly Australian Animals section of Trick Pics.

The NEI attractions team recently unveiled its second installation in Singapore, Phobia Squared, at the Science Centre Singapore.

NEI hopes to use the science exhibit, the follow up to its popular Human Body Experience installation, to promote its Gold Coast ventures.

“This gives us a rare opportunity to promote Surfers Paradise as the home for our latest attraction,” Mr Schmid said.

“It’s about reinventing the visitor experience, as well as injecting the eccentric ideas of our creative team.”