Thursday, March 28, 2024
Array

Dynamic Earth Premieres at IMERSA in Denver

Denver, CO, USA (February 4, 2012) — Dynamic Earth is a new immersive digital dome (“fulldome”) show that explores the inner workings of Earth’s climate engine. Its world premiere today to the industry and the public at the Gates Planetarium in the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) ties into the annual conference of IMERSA, a professional trade group dedicated to promoting the creative applications of the digital dome for education, entertainment, research and art.

Dynamic Earth follows a trail of energy that flows from the Sun into the interlocking systems that shape Earth’s climate: the atmosphere, oceans, and the biosphere. Highlights include ultra-high-resolution visualizations of giant swirling eddies of the Gulf Stream, a re-creation of the anatomy of Hurricane Katrina, microscopic ocean creatures blown up to giant size, and the most detailed recreation of the surface and atmosphere of Venus ever produced.

Fulldome projection systems, which employ high-resolution digital cinema projection, are being widely adopted throughout the planetarium and science center community to replace older, optomechanical “starball” projectors and film-based systems. Systems range from a single fisheye unit to six or more edge-blended projectors. “It’s an underreported but very real cinema revolution,” commented Gates Planetarium director and Dynamic Earth executive producer Dan Neafus. “Some of the most sophisticated and stunning digital cinema experiences today can be found in your neighborhood planetarium.”

“The production community is still discovering the creative potential and versatility of fulldome,” added Dynamic Earth director Thomas Lucas. “In Dynamic Earth, thanks to intensive supercomputer-based modeling, the digital dome becomes a place to tell a story with intricate visuals and thrilling rides into real places that audiences have never visited.”

Dynamic Earth is the result of a two-year collaboration between Spitz Creative Media, the Advanced Visualization Lab at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (University of Illinois), NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio, and Thomas Lucas Productions, Inc., in association with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

Dynamic Earth explores concepts and terms essential to understanding the climate and fills in major gaps in the public’s understanding of climate change. In doing so, it enables audiences to gain perspective on one of the most important issues of our time: the question of how to balance the energy and resource needs of our populations with the need to safeguard Earth’s great life support system, the global climate.

“Dynamic Earth melds together the educational, scientific, and entertainment values that are the hallmarks of the planetarium community,” said the show’s co-producer, Mike Bruno of Spitz, Inc. “It’s especially great when an effort like this produces a program that is as beautiful as it is educational. This show is action-packed as well as visually stunning. You’ll never look at Earth the same way again.”

Dynamic Earth follows on another successful fulldome program by the collaborating teams. Their previous production, Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity, also narrated by Liam Neeson, is recognized as a block-buster in the fulldome community, with distribution to nearly 200 theaters around the world. Dynamic Earth will be distributed worldwide by Spitz, Inc. and Evans & Sutherland.

ABOUT SPITZ, INC.
Spitz is the world’s leading projection dome supplier, with more than 1,200 planetarium and dome theater installations since 1945. The company’s services include engineering, fabrication and installation of dome theaters, planetarium projection systems and components, as well as production and distribution of educational fulldome shows. Spitz’s base includes leading institutions and special venue operators around the world, including The Walt Disney Company, IMAX Corp and the Reuben H Fleet Science Center.
Spitz launched its proprietary digital planetarium SciDome in 2004 with close to 100 installations now operating around the world. The Spitz NanoSeam, introduced in 2006, provides a seamless dome projection surface for giant screen cinema and planetarium projection in numerous science institutions. Spitz Creative Media partnerships have produced or co-produced some of the most successful fulldome films in circulation, including Oasis in Space and The Zula Patrol (based on the award winning TV series, now running in 100+ theaters and in 16+ languages). The extensive Spitz fulldome content library also features such premium titles as Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity, seen by millions worldwide.
Spitz works actively to grow and nurture the fulldome community and be responsive to its customer base and the changing market – whether hosting its Digital Institute educational seminars for SciDome clients, or partnering with the best people and companies in the industry to produce great content. The company has earned a reputation for innovation, technical expertise and unparalleled customer service. Spitz is headquartered in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania USA, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Evans and Sutherland Computer Corporation. Visit www.spitzinc.com.
Joe Kleiman
Joe Kleimanhttp://wwww.themedreality.com
Raised in San Diego on theme parks, zoos, and IMAX films, InPark's Senior Correspondent Joe Kleiman would expand his childhood loves into two decades as a projectionist and theater director within the giant screen industry. In addition to his work in commercial and museum operations, Joe has volunteered his time to animal husbandry at leading facilities in California and Texas and has played a leading management role for a number of performing arts companies. Joe previously served as News Editor and has remained a contributing author to InPark Magazine since 2011. HIs writing has also appeared in Sound & Communications, LF Examiner, Jim Hill Media, The Planetarian, Behind the Thrills, and MiceChat His blog, ThemedReality.com takes an unconventional look at the attractions industry. Follow on twitter @ThemesRenewed Joe lives in Sacramento, California with his wife, dog, and a ghost.

Related Articles

Latest Articles