Video/Film
The judges said:
This animated film presents an imaginatively conceived, clear and straightforward visual retelling of a compelling myth and important chapter in Native American history.
Style of illustrations, based on tribal art, was creative, handsome and stunning. Description of the theater in which DVD was presented—simulated tribal lodge with
planetarium-like view of stars—sounds effective, an experience that learners, regardless of age, will not soon forget. Beautifully conceived use of technology
to bring traditional storytelling to a larger audience.
The producers said:
The creation beliefs of the Anishinabe people revolve around a series of stories that are passed on through oral tradition. The greatest challenge we faced
as producers was to negotiate the details of the visual representation of these abstract, culturally specific oral traditions. Instead of making assumptions
about how a character might look or how an action might unfold, we involved members of the tribe's project team in lengthy conversations while developing our
storyboards. The process was well worth the effort. We produced most of the animation in Photoshop and AfterEffects, basing the animation style on
contemporary Ojibwe paintings and graphic arts.
Our greatest compliment came during the opening of the Ziibiwing Cultural Center when Native American writer/activist Winona LaDuke asked the Center's director
what Native artist had created the film.
Multi-Screen Video & 3D Icon Experience
The judges said:
This multimedia presentation constitutes an effectively organized, thorough treatment of African-American history within a well-scripted and finely-acted dramatic
framework. The program was notable for its objective approach, letting facts speak for themselves, with effective montages of sound, stills and clips. Illuminating
treatment of important subject, which is highly commendable for both content and presentation.
The producers said:
Race and the American Creed is the introductory orientation experience for the new Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. It communicates the themes
of resistance, education, war and national service, the origins and uses of the idea of race, and the Civil Rights movement to illuminate the struggle for racial
equality from the 1600s to the present.
In the 2500sq. ft. auditorium of the historic Monroe Elementary School in Topeka, Kansas, 7 video screens, choreographed theatrical lighting and thematic Icon
sculptures surround visitors. Extensive archival footage, stills, documents and artifacts evoke the dark atmospheres of the desegregation struggle in America to
its exultant resolution on the Supreme Court steps. This emotionally charged story is illuminated through the perspective of an inquisitive African American teen
girl and the strength and authority of her dad's friend. Visitors can experience the 25-minute full story or short 5 minute thematic 'chapters.'
Race and the American Creed is a compelling and coherent immersive theater experience for people who have little or no awareness of the history of race in the United
States, and provides additional evidence, artifacts and insights to people who have a life-long interest in the subject.
The historic significance of this subject and the continuing scholarly attention devoted to it, demanded of the site's creative team the highest standards of content
research and review. Hillmann & Carr led an extraordinary team of professionals including the National Park Service and its partner, The Brown Foundation, all
committed to doing justice to this powerful and important story.
DVD
The judges said:
This video production showed many engaging stories from Oregonians. The designers did a nice job in
recreating a small town cafe where folks would discuss events of the day, with video-interview selections chosen through a simulated jukebox. The most exciting part
of this program was the fact that it tackled contemporary issues. All too often these issues are ignored in museums as they may be too politically sensitive or too
recent for historians or museum administrators to see their relevance. Judges were pleased to see the museum willing to make this a priority in order to better
inform their citizens and to present opposing viewpoints on issues. Overall, it did a nice job in providing a diversity of opinions. Audio and image quality were
commendable.
The producers said:
Oregon My Oregon's primary goal is to encourage people to think about history, not by telling them what to think, but by inviting them to come to their own conclusions.
The lunch counter allows for the introduction of controversial issues in an entertainingly easy way, as museum visitors select a topic from vintage jukeboxes
featuring Oregonians commenting on a catalog of contemporary issues. It allows us to more fully develop powerful issues that are threaded throughout the exhibit.
As far as we know this interactive method has not been used in a museum exhibit and offered many challenges. Because the lunch counter deals with contemporary issues,
designer, producer, and client need to have a clear understanding and agreement about the intent of the presentation. Choosing the right issues took time. (That
we chose correctly is borne out by the regular coverage of them in the local news media.) The award of multimedia projects should be based on quality of past
projects. The bid is important but success is dependent on the quality of the production. When interviewing real people, keeping the interviews open and giving
interviewees the opportunity to speak in their own words takes more time, but the effort is worth it. Ensuring that all sides of an issue are aired is extremely
important in this presentation.
Sign Language Guide
The judges said:
The Great Blacks in Wax Museum developed the Voices of History Tours, an interpretive program comprised of a traditional audio tour with a corresponding Sign
Language Guide (SLG) for the deaf or hard-of-hearing, presented on the screens of PDA's. The application appears to be very easy to use for visitors. It's the
first digital American Sign Language tour to be offered in a U.S. museum. A signed tour on hand-held digital display screens would seem to be a natural format
for to develop, but judges had yet to see it done elsewhere. The design of this application is not flashy, but in this context that's not the point. For a small
museum to take on such a project which impacts a relatively low number of visitors is commendable, especially since the small population in question is underserved.
Judges believe that the target audience will really appreciate the decision to use American Sign Language—a more expressive mode of
communication—rather than captions.
The producers said:
In 2004, The Great Blacks in Wax Museum, in collaboration with Antenna Audio, developed the Voices of History Tours, an interpretive program comprised of a traditional
audio tour with a corresponding Sign Language Guide (SLG) for the deaf or hard-of-hearing, the first digital American Sign Language (ASL) tour to be offered in a
U.S. museum.
The primary goal of the SLG was to give ASL users independent museum access in their first or preferred language. Equally important were the development of a logical
and easy-to-use interface and the selection of an ASL interpreter who could best communicate the Museum's compelling stories.
There were a few lessons learned during the development of this project. Casting the right ASL signer to "narrate" the program is key; the signer in this case
captured a level of nuance and expression that are key to the proper telling of the story. When crafting the script, the order and style of interpretation in
the original audio script had to be significantly altered for the purposes of ASL. The ASL visitor needed time to look at the screen to see the information and then
have time to stop and reflect on the subject. Timing key captions (for finger-spelled words and phrases) exactly with ASL hand gestures was very important too.
We worked closely with Gallaudet University for the Deaf and user groups to test the product. In the end, the ASL speakers greatly appreciate the equal access
provided by this kind of program.
Kiosk
The judges said:
The script, engaging and fun, left the judges excited about pirates. This program offers excellent audio and fine integration of high-end, 3D animation
techniques on a Flash kiosk platform. It was a nice blend of easily digestible information and interactive discovery. Page-turning sound effects were spot on.
In addition, because of the effective interface, visitors are engaged and drive their own discovery. The program was not at all unwieldy or difficult to use;
in fact, quite to the contrary. The design was very welcoming. And thanks to its structure as a "game," users are required to interact. This engaging media
project provides a "hook" which motivates museum visitors to want to learn more through viewing the exhibits.
The producers said:
Inside the Pirate Soul Museum in Key West, Florida, visitors meet twelve legendary pirates profiled in a mysterious interactive book that comes to life before them.
After visitors unlock the clasps that keep the tome shut, smoke and light radiate out as pages magically turn to reveal each pirate. Each unique spread in the book
is devoted to one of the legends. As visitors touch the pages they reveal hidden treasure maps that come to life, marking the territory where each pirate plundered.
A written account documents the exploits and eccentricities of each pirate and scrapbook elements—booklets, log books, scraps of paper and wheel charts—catalogue
their armory, crew and biographical facts. As visitors explore these enchanting elements they discover and collect pirate relics—six of which are required to
unlock the secret compartment and treasure map hidden within the book. Second Story developed the touch screen interactive stations with a blend of stop motion
photography and special effects. Spreads in the book were designed to reflect the unique personalities of each pirate, then printed, painted and pasted into
the antique book. Once the prop was photographed, post-production special effects including smoke, flames, morphs and sound effects were added.
Video/film
The judges said:
This is a first-rate production. Image and audio quality are stunning and editing is precise. The story, while told concisely, expands where appropriate to the breadth
of the river, and flows just as smoothly. The presentation is innovative, blending the latest in video technology and in multi-sensory "special effects" for a
theatre setting. This is not just another slick video projected onto unused wall space, but a beautiful piece of filmmaking. Special sensory effects—shaking seats, fog
and other lighting effects—make for a positive learning experience. We felt as though we were experiencing our own boat trip down the Mississippi. This program was
truly an immersive, engaging, fun, and informative visitor experience.
The producers said:
Mississippi Journey is a fifteen-minute high definition immersive theater. It employs three screens, a theatrical lighting package, and a host of special effects to
create a unique portrait of the Mississippi River. The museum wanted a centerpiece- a big screen attraction - that would communicate the timeless grandeur of the
Mississippi river. But to succeed, the film also had to be intimate and emotionally rich.
We constructed a narrative tapestry; weaving personal anecdotes into a journey down the river. Real people tell their own river stories. They convey a deep love of
the Mississippi and make tangible connections to history. Whenever possible, we choose interviewees with strong local connections. The final product is a flow of
regional accents as the film moves from Northern Minnesota to Cajun country in Louisiana.
There were certainly production challenges in making a film that covers such a wide range of geography and topics. Rivers are an engine for humid gray days and the
Mississippi flyway is also bug heaven- the worst enemy of helicopter shoots. But that's documentary filmmaking. The unexpected is an opportunity for creativity.
A gorgeous plantation house that burned down between scouting and shooting became emblematic of the hardships of the post-civil war south. A squall while shooting
aboard a shrimp boat became a graceful link between scenes about flooding and fishing.
Audio Tour
The judges said:
Even without having seen the exhibition or artifacts, judges were immediately struck by the quality of the stories told by those Californians who lived through the
turbulent Vietnam period. Judges agreed that this was probably the most engaging audio tour they have ever heard. One of the judges commented, "Having
grown up in California, I know how contentious this issue was for Californians. I hope that a lot of visitors from outside the state are able to visit the exhibit
and use the Audio Tour to dispel the myth that California was entirely anti-war." Overall, this program is a wonderful production, offering engaging stories
accompanied by great musical selections.
The producers said:
What's Going On? -California and the Vietnam Era, an exhibition organized by the Oakland Museum of California, examined the effects of the Vietnam War on California
society. From the outset, the Museum's curators wanted to incorporate oral histories from a range of native Californians, Vietnamese refugees, veterans, anti-war
protestors and activists, in order to make the content relevant for local audiences and to represent as many perspectives as possible. Acoustiguide was hired to
transform hundreds of hours of raw tape into an audio documentary that brings together personal stories, memoirs, and politics for a kaleidoscope-like program.
The tour, which was produced in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, also includes period music to underscore themes and evoke the era.
The program owes its success to a close collaboration between the Oakland Museum of California and Acoustiguide that began over a year before the exhibition's
opening. Early in the process, Acoustiguide provided consultation and training on interview and audio recording techniques. Throughout project development,
Acoustiguide and the Museum met regularly to evaluate interviews for technical and content quality. Getting people to open up about emotionally charged personal
topics can be difficult. Equally challenging is the producer's job to distill highly charged content into meaningful but concise audio commentaries; however,
the result is incredibly rewarding because of the way it engages the listener. The What's Going On? - California and the Vietnam Era Audio Tour exposed visitors
to a well of conflicting emotion about the United States' participation in the war and challenged them to consider new points of view.
The judges said:
This Web site provided fine content, covering broad historic range, using a variety of visual and audio media. It also offered a nice collections search and excellent
game for young people. This site provided an almost immersive experience, and used Flash application where it helps—but not excessively. In general, the museum
took a complex subject and made it easy to navigate and assimilate.
The producers said:
NMAH and developer Second Story set ambitious goals for this project. We hoped to build on past projects we had done together to achieve an even tighter integration
of exhibit content with a collection database. We wanted the database to be able to stand on its own as a means of searching the military collections at the museum,
while integrating the object information into an exhibit experience that offers a more immersive approach to the content. The site is supported by a powerful and
elegant back-end administration tool that allows curators to easily add objects to the collection database and automatically generate Zoomify close-ups. For
the museum, the ability to seamlessly add content is nearly as important as the site's outreach capabilities—it creates a resource that can adapt and grow over
time, and puts power in the hands of curators to enhance the site without any specialized technical knowledge. The biggest lesson learned on this project—one
that we are repeatedly reminded of—is that content is key. Ultimately what makes this a great site is the research and writing that went into every page and
object description.
DVD
The judges said:
This is a simple, straightforward production but informative, with good blend of images and text, giving a well-balanced picture of past and present, and different
social strata. Varieties of topics were included, focusing on the personal and contemporary (bedrooms), as well as the broader social/historical context (jobs),
and a glimpse into history of education (clubs). Clubs, Bedrooms & Work deserves special recognition as a program dedicated to teen audiences in a very direct way—a claim that few museum Web programs can make. This
program builds a sense of community with viewers and trust with an age group that might be skeptical of "traditional" educational directives. Content
was oriented toward and has most meaning for local users and thus functions as a model for builders of sites on local or micro- historical material.
The producers said:
Tracing the teenage experience through the twentieth century, Silver Oaks created three interactive touchscreen interpretives for the Chicago Historical Society to be
displayed in the "Teen Chicago" exhibit. The interpretives explore the responsibilities and pastimes of generations of Chicagoan teenagers and provide glimpses of
their working, school and home lives. Structured as matching games, the interpretives invite visitors to select a photo of a person or group of people and
then try to match it to the appropriate job, school club or bedroom, respectively. Once a match is successfully made, a description highlighting the
relationship appears.
We used Flash MX 2004 for all the graphics, animations, loop screens, and transitions. All the programming to implement the results of the games was done
using DVD Studio Pro. The final product was displayed on 42" plasma screens with touch screen overlays, which interface with DVD players, rather than
computers.
The judges said:
This is a fine approach to a White House tour for young people. Flash animation of presidents provides a linear story for children while teaching about the
presidents, and background photos of rooms expose them to design history, with running eagle hunt a good interactive thread. It is amusing, diverting and educational
for both children and adults. Though the animation was not flashy, it was a nice attempt at bringing some fun to touring the White House—a good use of
combined animation and still images.
The producers said:
The White House Historical Association's Bird-Watching Expedition: A White House Tour for Children, is a multimedia presentation for young learners of a
type rarely seen on museum and historical Web sites. The "Expedition" combines traditional cel-animation techniques with the interactive power of
Macromedia Flash. This fusion of the traditional with cutting-edge software creates a sense of "old meets new," a suitable online environment for what is
America's most famous historic house. This light-hearted children's tour was designed to introduce two roles of the White House: museum and home of the first family.
Famous inhabitants serve as animated guides in the White House state rooms. George Washington, Dolley Madison, Harry Truman, and others share personal stories about
their lives there. In each room, children are invited to locate an American eagle, a decorative motif that is found throughout the President's House. Pointing and
clicking on the eagle produces hearty congratulations from the chief executive or first lady. This feature sought to engage students in primary grades in a lively
fashion. Locating and casting the voiceover talent for characters as diverse as Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt was made easier by working with one theatrical
company that had previously cast these figures in interpretive roles in live settings. In order to appreciate the accuracy of the art and artifacts, modern
photographs were used, rather than having the interiors drawn by artists. The tremendous number of hours required to produce traditional animation had to be
reconciled with constraints of time and budget for this project. We were able to minimize this impact by digitizing a majority of the inking, coloring and
"tweening" tasks required for smooth frame-by-frame animation within Macromedia Flash itself. A key to this optimization was pushing the "library"
facet of the program. We built an extensive catalogue of parts for each animated character prior to the actual production. These parts were then put in motion and
re-used in different static positions "on-stage," giving the illusion of each frame as a unique hand-drawn cel.
HONORABLE MENTION: Price of Freedom: Americans at War
HONORABLE MENTION: Birdwatching Expedition: White House Tour for Children