Shedd Aquarium

Museum Exhibit Animation
2009

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Design, Media

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  • Shedd Aquarium Polar Playzone image 1The animated content fits snugly inside an uneven rock wall, which offered many fun video masking challenges.
  • Shedd Aquarium Polar Playzone image 2Nearly a dozen specific penguin behaviors—including preening, sliding, and nurturing young—are featured in the animation.
  • Shedd Aquarium Polar Playzone image 3The exhibit also features an 'ice slide' for kids to emulate one of many penguin behaviors shown in the animation.
  • Shedd Aquarium Polar Playzone image 4Two ginormous penguins.
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Caption

John G. Shedd Aquarium's Penguin Playscape features twelve looping minutes of animated, educational penguin behaviors.

When a museum like Shedd Aquarium undertakes a $50 million renovation to one of its most popular exhibits—the Oceanarium—there is no such thing as a small detail, a fact that rings true in the 25-foot wide by 15-foot tall animated 3D penguin habitat that Mightybytes created for them as part of the renovation in its Polar Play Zone.

OUR APPROACH

Pedagogical requirements to showcase a handful of specific penguin behaviors drove content for this project. These behaviors included:

  • Preening
  • Belly sliding
  • Making nests
  • Feeding young
  • Sunning
  • Huddling together
  • Swimming and diving

After several meetings it was decided that the location would be based on a South African penguin habitat and should be about twelve minutes in length. In addition to two penguin species, the animation also included orcas, albatross, and other wildlife as well as a realistic habitat that reflected the physical custom-built rock habitat in the Penguin Playscape, and even a short storm squall with sound effects.

IMPLEMENTATION

A prototype was developed using 2D artwork created in Illustrator and animated in After Effects while the habitat and creatures were being modeled in 3D Studio Max. This allowed everyone on the teams to offer feedback on behaviors being exhibited concurrently with textures, lighting, and so on. Once all models and textures were approved, we set to work animating behaviors.

The twelve minute-long looping 3D animation was projected onto a curved surface from three HD projectors and was nestled inside the curves of a man-made rock formation, which made for some challenging adventures in video masking. We used Dataton’s WatchOut software to sync playback of video files on multiple monitors along with sound effects and other audio cues.

THE RETURN

John G. Shedd Aquarium continues to be one of the most popular museum attractions in the midwest and drew record-breaking crowds when the new Oceanarium and Polar Playzone opened Memorial Day weekend of 2009. The Penguin Playscape is a favorite among young kids who attend.

Mightybytes also created two interactive kiosks as part of the Polar Play Zone update as well.