Candysmith Forge

A Portable Robot Cotton Candy Machine

Independent project: Britt McChesney (2nd Year MFA Candidate)
Project Origination: Small Project Studio – at UCF, for an MFA in Themed Experience
Website: www.bmccart.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brittmcchesney
Contact: brittmcchesney@gmail.com

The Big Idea

An original, portable attraction. This is an automated cotton candy machine brought to you by a fantastical confectionary smithy known as Candysmith Forge.

The Problem

While cotton candy designs have gotten more intricate over time, the experience of watching cotton candy be spun onto a stick has remained essentially the same. Modern robotic cotton candy machines operate with minimal human interference, including touch screens and a robotic arm that manages to execute the chosen design. While this update can be interesting to watch, it resembles a fancy vending machine at best, eliminating audience immersion.

This Attraction

Candysmith Forge expands on the modern cotton candy machine by situating it in an immersive fantasy environment.

The Story

The “brains” of the operation is the Candysmith, who figured out how to harness the smoke from her forge to satisfy her sweet tooth.

However, keeping the forge fires burning to generate the candy was a big task for her to manage alone, so she decided to forge an assistant…

As the “brawn” of the operation, Tinker ensures that the forge stays lit and the cotton candy keeps on spinning.

Operations

Candysmith Forge transports guests to the traveling workshop of the Candysmith and her trusted automaton, Tinker. Here, Tinker harnesses the forge’s sugary smoke and spins it into puffy treats. A typical customer experience involves stepping up to the forge and interacting with one of the Candysmith’s apprentices to choose a design for Tinker to generate. Examples of cotton candy designs include flowers, hearts, circles, and stars.

Attraction Design

Candysmith Forge’s design is rooted in steampunk and medieval imagery while also conveying the fun and vibrancy of confections. It is meant to balance grit and whimsy, finding a home in renaissance faires, steampunk conventions, carnivals, and more. The attraction is designed to fit into the average 14’x14′ vendor booth often made available at renaissance faires.

Attendants, taking on the role of Candysmith apprentices, have a variety of costumes to choose from that situate them within a blended fantasy/medieval/steampunk world. However, during their hard work on Candysmith Forge, they are not likely to attract soot on their clothes. They are more often seen dusted with colorful sugar spray.

There were several initial concepts for Candysmith Forge’s final design. Each one highlighted a specific flavor of the medieval/whimsical/steampunk mashup:

The final design render:

Cotton candy can be much more than a quick stop at the fairway vending machine. Families deserve an experience that engages the senses, demonstrates a story, and provides the perfect backdrop for them to capture their experience at the faire, park, or convention. Candysmith Forge exists within the context of a larger fantasy world, making it a unique experience that will live on long after its sugary treats have dissolved!

Go beyond the limits of the fairway and encounter cotton candy served in an experience as fantastic as the treat itself!