In a town better known for sand and surf, the latest lure is celluloid. To prevent inflated expectations, the studio is taking pains to distinguish the park from bigger, more famous and ride-heavy cousins, such as Universal Studios.
Executives even hesitate to call it a theme park.
For lack of a better word, we're calling it a movie park, because it's about making movies. We're something completely different. A hands-on exhibit called Cinemagico, for example, gives away secrets of the film business, revealing how optical illusions, robotic machines and sound effects are employed. Jose Luis Manzano, a Tijuana construction worker, snapped pictures as his two sons and a nephew pretended to hoist themselves up the side of a skyscraper. But the trio appeared unfazed by that as they screeched while clamoring inside a fake airplane cockpit, their images projected on a television screen.