Learning Social Media Secrets and Science at The Mix in July!
The Cal Academy TechTeens will be leading fun social media trainings and science discussions every Wednesday in July at The Mix youth media center at the San Francisco Public Library. All teens are welcome from 3-4pm to this free workshop. No prior experience or technology necessary, just enthusiasm and curiosity.
Here’s the official description of the workshop:
Learn the secrets of using social media tools like Instagram, Twitter and Vine from the California Academy of Sciences' TechTeens . Use your new social media skills to discuss and debate exciting sciences issues! No experience necessary - great for meeting other teens and learning real job and team skills! Drop ins welcome or register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/social-media-secrets-tickets-16721087222
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Through a Scientific Lens: The Morrison Planetarium
Step inside a dark room and see a wide panel screen displaying otherworldly landscapes. The narrator’s voice resonates inside you, and for a moment you forget where you are. You may feel as if you are falling out of your seat, immersed in the imagery. You are experiencing a planetarium show.
The nearly three-dimensional images accompanied with rich sounds reverberate within the largest all-digital planetarium dome in the world. The beauty of the Morrison Planetarium in the California Academy of Sciences inspired the TechTeens’ News Team to investigate how the most recent show, Habitat Earth, was created. With our newly found fascination with the planetarium, we set up an interview with the team behind the production of the latest planetarium exhibit.
Its producers introduced us to the general format, which we have outlined here in simple steps.
Step 1: Brainstorm an idea
Step 2: Create a storyboard
After choosing an idea, the visualization studio begins to create a general outline of the planetarium show.
Step 3: Consult with scientists or experts in a particular field
Step 4: Collect real data
Step 5: Edit and finalize the storyboard
Step 6: Make videos and take photographs
Step 7: Animate using computer graphic programs
Step 8: Consult with scientists or experts again
Step 9: Make any changes if necessary
Step 10: It’s finally done, after a whole year of hard work!
Although this is only a general outline on how the video studio creates their planetarium shows, it is apparent that scientific accuracy is very important. Many people may find this excessive, but to a science museum, it is a necessity. In order to verify accuracy, the Academy’s Visualization Studio consulted with scientists to confirm the authenticity of the animated flight of a bird. Although only 25 minutes, the making of such an in-depth show requires around a year of work. In fact, the animators become so attached to their work after such a long time, some of the animals in the show have been given names, like Emmett the otter, who was created by Ken Ackerman. In addition to the intensive research behind the show, the scientists in the Viz Studio have other projects to work on, such as the California Academy’s Science Today videos.
Ken Ackerman showing us Emmett the Otter’s animation rig
The Morrison Planetarium uses six projectors to present a digitally generated show based on a science topic. The panel screen covers the entire front wall of the dome, from ceiling to floor. Dim lights guide the way up the stairs for the audience to find a seat, creating a theater-like feel. The narration for Habitat Earth was outsourced, meaning the team sought out an outside member to be responsible for the voice-over.
Among the most interesting things we learned during our tour of the Viz Studio were the way Matt Blackwell programmed the kelp into software that randomized each individual kelp strand, the aerial shot of Earth, in which the team used real data to show salmon habitat, and the fact that all representations in the show were based on actual data.
Matt Blackwell showing us the computer view of a planetarium dome show
Habitat Earth, the current show airing at the Academy, is based on the Academy’s focus on biodiversity and marine life. The show was created solely by the Viz Studio in their cozy office below the Planetarium, hidden by a secret spiral staircase. With their group of 8 producers, animators, and writers, the Viz Studio created a brand new, original planetarium show that is currently airing at the Academy. And it is not their last: next year, an entirely new film will be shown, bringing viewers into space and beyond.
Check out audio clips of our Viz Studio tour: here!
And, if you think planetarium show production is as cool as we do, check out the following animation resources to learn more:
