Panorama style Earth Theater shows life-sized animated T-Rex

The new overlapping multiple projection systems now available for presenting video programsm allow for filling a full or partial dome screens with imagery and immersing the audience in the scene. Typically used in the latest planetarium shows, The Carnegie Museum of Natural History decided to use the capability to create their "Earth Theater," 210 degree (partial dome) wrap-around experience to suppliment its internationally known dinosaur exhibit.

Multiple camera views are rendered and then "stitched" into a single image that is seamlessly projected with vignetted projectors, creating a panorama view. Surround sound audio completes the experience... watch out for that T-rex to your right!

In order to accurately create what would end up being viewed as a life-sized version of the extinct animals... Home Run Pictures' animators created bio-mechanically correct controls to "keyframe" the motion of the T-Rex... based on current research studies.

Over a GigaByte of hand painted imagery was used to color and texture the animals in what scientists today believe may have been a possible "look" for our big friend. During the motion test phase of the project, animators placed the T-Rex in present day scenes to better comprehend the scale of these now extinct creatures.

The sequences were used in the Carnegie's premier Earth Theater show and, in audience polls, they were sited as the most popular scenes by 80% of attendees.

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