Falcon's Creative Group has collaborated with the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C. to provide six multimedia experiences for the new Becoming Jane exhibition.
Inside the exhibition—which was produced with the support of the Jane Goodall Institute—visitors will become immersed in Jane Goodall’s remarkable story of becoming the first person to live among and study wild chimpanzees, humankind’s closest living relatives.
“Our mission with this legacy exhibition is to celebrate the extraordinary life and work of Jane Goodall, exploring her early years, her fascinating studies in Gombe, and her current environmental advocacy," said Alan Parente, vice president of creative at National Geographic. "With Falcon’s Creative Group, we have created engaging multimedia and interactive, hands-on experiences that will enhance the storytelling. Jane used unorthodox approaches to study chimpanzees, yielding extraordinary results. In a way, we’ve done the same thing with this exhibition."
[High Tech Storytelling: Museums, Exhibits, and AV]
A variety of storytelling techniques and new technology are showcased throughout the exhibition. An introductory film that is part CG, part historical footage, shares Goodall’s personal journey, beginning with her childhood desire for adventure. It eventually reveals how she made it to Gombe Stream National Park, the enchanting—but danger-filled—jungle in Tanzania, where she pioneered methods for studying animals in their natural habitat and discovered many surprising behaviors that changed the way the world viewed not only chimpanzees, but humans as well.
A stunning 3D, 10K theater experience offers a unique opportunity to truly feel what it was like to be Goodall as she trekked through the forest searching for the elusive chimpanzees. The film superimposes CG chimps into footage of Gombe Stream National Park that was shot with a virtual reality 360-degree 3D camera. The floor and walls serve as additional projection surfaces, further drawing the guest into Goodall’s narrative. Gombe’s natural sounds, produced in 7.1 surround sound, round out the authentic environment.
Another portion of the exhibition features a hologram of Goodall, standing under twinkling starlight, sharing her most memorable recollections. Her image is projected onto a custom, life-size mold to make it appear as if she is just a few steps away, enhancing the intimacy of the experience. In one of two interactive experiences, guests can learn to talk like a chimpanzee, mimicking their common vocalizations to elicit a positive or negative reaction from a CG chimp.
For the other interactive experience, Falcon’s Creative Group unveiled Falcon’s Vision, an augmented reality solution that empowers guests to interact and engage with a physical space in new ways. Becoming Jane visitors will be the first members of the public to use this custom device. They will use a Falcon’s Vision headset as binoculars, locking their focus on a target to trigger important findings from Goodall’s groundbreaking research. The engaging animations are accompanied by the voice of Bill Wallauer, a filmmaker with the Jane Goodall Institute who spent many years in Gombe Stream National Park recording the daily behavior of chimpanzees.
The exhibition closes with videos of Jane sharing powerful messages of hope and asking for individuals to pledge to make a positive impact in their world.
“The entire team at Falcon’s is honored to partner with National Geographic and the Jane Goodall Institute to bring Jane’s historic, significant, and impactful discoveries to brilliant life," concluded Jason Ambler, vice president and executive producer of Falcon's Digital Media. "Our creative intent is to invoke feelings of actually traveling with Jane in Gombe Stream National Park as she made history. Though several exciting forms of technology are used, the focus is on immersing visitors in Jane’s personal experiences and leaving them with a deeper appreciation and understanding of chimpanzees and their relationship to humans."
