Emil Radok

Who was Emil Radok?

Emil Radok was a Czech film director. He was co-inventor of the multi-media show Laterna Magika, which was a star attraction at the Czechoslovakia pavilion at Expo 67. In 1968 he left to exile to Canada and died there.

Probably Radok's most monumental project was the "kinetic mosaic" which he designed for the Universe of Energy Pavilion at Walt Disney World's EPCOT theme park, opening in 1982. Working with WED, Radok created a pre-show film projected on a 90-foot wide screen. The projection surface was composed of some 100 triangular revolving modules arrayed in four horizontal rows, 25 modules in each row. Each module had two white projection surfaces and one black surface, each 3 ½ feet square. Each module was revolved by its own interior servo-motor. Computerized, the modules could create one large flat screen, but were also programmed to revolve in a variety of displays, combining into patterns of triangular wedges, flat panels, and black panels, precisely coordinated with the changing film images. The rippling movement of the units gave a unique "third dimension" to the projection surface. The theater accommodated 580 spectators.