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MOSI opens Animation exhibit
| Article published on Monday, June 29, 2009 |
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TAMPA – Museum of Science & Industry visitors step into the exciting and visually rich world of animation when the 6,000-square-foot, highly interactive exhibit Animation featuring Cartoon Network on display July 10-Sept. 7.
In the exhibit’s stimulating and fun environment, visitors explore animation from concept to finished product — from storyboarding, character design, and drawing techniques to movement, timing, filming, and sound. Larger-than-life graphics of popular Cartoon Network characters provide a colorful backdrop to the exhibit, which also explores the history of animation and features a screening room and a cartoon museum.
“In Animation, it’s about exploring, questioning and experimenting with the science behind the art of animation in a way that makes learning fun,” said Wit Ostrenko, MOSI president. “Animation has proven to be a powerful and effective tool for engaging and teaching people of all ages about science concepts such as perception, illusion, geometry, and measurement.”
The Animation exhibit was created in the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s internationally renowned exhibit production facility in Portland, Oregon.
“At OMSI, we know first-hand the effectiveness of using animation in teaching,” said Ray Vandiver, vice president of exhibits at OMSI. “For 10 years, OMSI has offered animation classes that really bring out the math and science behind the art. These classes are among our most popular.”
It was this increasing popularity and mass appeal, coupled with the idea to educate people about the science behind animation, that drove OMSI to develop the Animation exhibit. To further gauge visitor interest and appeal, OMSI approached animation powerhouse Cartoon Network with the idea of a partnership on the exhibit.
“Cartoon Network is one of the world’s most recognized animated networks. By including their cast of world-renowned characters in the exhibit, we believed visitors would really connect with it,” Vandiver said.
The creative team at Cartoon Network liked the idea of an exhibit that could teach people of all ages about the art and science behind animation.
“What this exhibit reveals in full interactive detail is the number of different skills involved in creating animation, from voice-acting and recording to computer programming and scoring, from screenwriting and storyboarding to sound-effects and editing,” said Dennis Adamovich, senior vice president of marketing, Cartoon Network. “There truly is a science to this colorful, engaging art form. ANIMATION will offer visitors a more complete understanding of it, and hopefully inspire young people to consider animation as a future career.”
The six thematic areas in the exhibit include:
– History: Visitors learn about early animation and apparent motion. They can try using a praxinoscope, manipulating and spinning three-dimensional objects to see them morph into a single animation. At the Penny Arcade, they can “crank” out animations with an old-fashioned mutoscope.
– Animation Studio: Visitors explore the process of animation, story creation, animator techniques and tools. Visitors can develop a storyboard from a series of picture cards, draw characters, enlarge drawings with a pantograph, and create scenes using layered cels and moving backgrounds.
– Art in Motion: With help from Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, visitors discover why art and math are important allies when creating characters, motion, and change. The illusion of movement will come alive as visitors magically “move” around a room without using their legs.
– Science Laboratory: In Dexter’s Laboratory, visitors can delve into the science and technology that make animation possible. They will create the illusion of a bouncing ball with the technique of “squash and stretch” and find out how the action slows down or speeds up with time-lapse videos. They can also see themselves “hover” while exploring visual effects in a full-body interactive experience.
– Sound and Stage: Visitors can discover the principles of sound and phonetics with the Kids Next Door. They will explore the complexity of matching phrases to different mouth shapes, add their own voice to a silent animation and set the mood of a film by selecting background music from a variety of soundtracks.
– Cartoon Museum: Visitors will take a seat in this intimate theater setting and view clips of popular animations while learning the secrets behind their production. They will examine artifacts such as cels, models, and storyboard drawings from classic and favorite animations such as Scooby-Doo, The Powerpuff Girls, and The Flintstones.
Several exhibit areas feature digital slide shows of real animators working in the Cartoon Network studios. Visitors will learn more about the skills and training needed to pursue an animation career. For more information, visit www.mosi.org/animation.html.
About MOSI
MOSI is a not-for-profit, community-based institution and educational resource dedicated to advancing public interest, knowledge, and understanding of science, industry, and technology. With a total size of over 400,000 square feet, MOSI is the largest science center in the southeastern United States, and home to the only IMAX® Dome Theatre in the state of Florida.
Kids In Charge! The Children’s Science Center at MOSI is the largest children’s science center in the nation. Disasterville, featuring WeatherQuest, combines education and 10,000 square feet of interactive exhibits on the science behind natural disasters. MOSI’s newest permanent exhibition, The Amazing You, explores the intricate world of the beginning of life, childhood, and adolescent developmental life stages.
For more information, visit www.mosi.org.
About Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network, currently seen in nearly 91 million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service offering the best in animated entertainment. Drawing from the world’s largest cartoon library, Cartoon Network showcases unique original series such as Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Camp Lazlo, Ed, Edd n Eddy and other exclusive programming.
For more information, visit www.CartoonNetwork.com.
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Article published on Monday, June 29, 2009
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