Audiovisual is an important part of an immersive interactive exhibition and we are producing more and more filmic works as part of our turnkey service. There are a number of advantages to commissioning film as part of an integrated approach.
Specification of film alongside hardware and software
By using one provider to design, film and edit content material and to specify the hardware and software used to display it, it is easier to ensure that the most appropriate solution will be used and the most effective end result achieved.
For example, at Luton Culture’s Wardown Park Museum, we are creating a “ghost” that appears and disappears whilst traversing a corridor, a restricted space that means careful planning of both the filmic material and the hardware installation that will be used to project it works most effectively when the two go hand in hand.
At York Castle Museum’s Shaping the Body exhibition, film brings characters to life through talking portraits triggered by a motion sensor as the visitor enters the room. An integrated approach to the format of the medium, the hardware it is used on, and the software that sparks the experience into action creates an exhibit that surprises, entertains and gives personalised insights into real lives across time.
An immersive experience
Film can be a powerful component of an immersive experience that also combines interactivity, lighting, soundscapes and other audio elements such as oral histories.
At Marwell Zoo’s Wild Explorers exhibit, lighting, audio soundscape, CCTV and video create an immersive experience of the savannah. Large format projection displays film footage of featured species, edited to create sequences synchronised across two large screens, each 3.5 metres wide, to enhance the experience of being amongst the roaming animals. Scripting video sequences for rhinos was an interesting challenge.
We used film to create a more intimate experience for the Daniel Adamson, the only surviving steam powered tug tender in the UK, with a bar tender reminiscing about the history of the vessel and sharing a little gossip about people who have travelled on it. Images of his memories are projected on a transparent rear projection screen to enhance the atmosphere in this most unusual space.
An accessible experience
Effective sub-titling should enhance the exhibit for every visitor, enabling the hard of hearing to enjoy the video content as well as supporting the experience for others. Good scripting, maybe combined with a soundscape, will ensure that a story can be fully understood even by those who are unable to enjoy the visual elements of an exhibit.
Economies of scale
Practically, the advantages of combining film production with software and hardware specification are that of efficiency and economy in client meetings, scripting sessions, and design and review meetings; and in the design and provision of an appropriate and integrated delivery solution. With a single point of contact, ongoing support and maintenance becomes more cost effective too.
Our experience in video
Wide Sky Design have experience in:
- Scripting
- Planning shoots
- Filming in green screen environments
- Sourcing and working with actors
- Sourcing and working with historic costumes and props
- Working with a wide variety of subject matter – adults, children and even those rhinos!
- Ensuring accessibility and subtitling
- Integrating video into a broader delivery system alongside interactivity, lighting and sound
