Handheld Multimedia Device
The judges said:
Innovative use of current technology along with a professionally developed and delivered content makes this multimedia production one of the very best. The overall
quality is outstanding and the VUEguide demonstrates how technology, arts, and humanities come together to deliver an informative, entertaining, and educational
experience.
The producers said:
The VUEguide at the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) is a handheld multimedia device with location-sensing capabilities that brings rich media interpretation — video,
audio, graphics and animation — to MOA's world-renowned collection of Northwest Coast art. The VUEguide by Ubiquity provides a new interactive user experience to
museum visitors. Placing this interactive device in the hands of visitors takes interpretive media from the realm of the static and general to the realm of the dynamic
and personal. Interpretation is customized, moving with visitors in real time as they move through the museum. Incorporating over 2 1/2 hours of interpretive content,
the VUEguide covers 100 + objects in MOA's collections with such features as 3D animations that explain artistic motifs and traditions, mini-documentaries that explore
the cultural traditions associated with the artifacts, archival photographs and footage, and expert commentary from curatorial staff.
Designing experiences for handheld devices is unlike designing for other interactive media. In the case of designing interpretive content for a handheld, the particular
object being viewed is the most important in the perception of the user. Related information or links to other ideas and concepts are less important to the choices
that people make in viewing the content. Whereas a user on the Web uses metaphors of surfing and traveling from site to site, users of mobile devices concern themselves
with the here and now.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/churchill/interactive
The judges said:
This is one of the best Web sites we have seen in a long time. The elegant and professional manner in which it is presented is outstanding. From the look-and-feel, the
content, the method of delivery, and the navigation, this Web site stands well above many in existence today. Very good job!
The producers said:
In the course of his long and momentous life, Sir Winston Spencer Churchill was connected to America by ties of family, as well as by those stemming from experience
and belief. Churchill and the Great Republic examines the life and career of Churchill and emphasizes his lifelong links with the United States—the
nation he called "the great Republic." The exhibition was organized by the Library of Congress in cooperation with the Churchill Archives Centre in Cambridge,
England, the repository for Winston Churchill's papers. On view at the Library in 2004, Churchill and the Great Republic is currently on a national tour.
The major goal of the online exhibition was to develop a presentation that captured the context of the actual exhibition and took full advantage of the digital medium
to allow visitors to chart their own interactive, multi-tiered exploration. Working closely with Terra Incognita, the core team of the online exhibition developed
self-directed, multi-layered paths to explore the story—a timeline offers a chronological look at Churchill's long life and career; major themes can be explored,
such as his relationship with American presidents and his commanding role in WWII; and finally, more than 200 items relating to Churchill can be examined including
letters, photographs, maps, speeches, and personal documents. The result is a unique presentation that appeals to audiences diverse in age, background and knowledge
of Churchill.
Touch-screen Multimedia Presentations
The judges said:
This is an excellent teaching tool that is handsomely designed, and both informative and interactive. It is made up of first-rate research, clarity of presentation, and
comprehension level appropriate to multiple age-levels. The interactives foster both learning and creativity. This is a wonderful application of technology to museum
learning.
This presentation includes engaging content with variety of activities with seamless meshing of multimedia tools. It has clear and concise explanations on a huge array
of topics related to single objects from the collection; great movement and effects, and lush video; very easy navigation, with lots of choices for exploration;
excellent, simple design with each element having a clear function; and skillful integration of video and flash. It is quick loading and very activity-centered
kiosk, allowing the user to personalize the information acquired, such as calculating one's age with Maya numbers and selecting an individual symbol. The way the
technology is used will keep children as well as adults interested.
The producers said:
The term "Collection Icons" refers to three different multimedia presentations projected onto 12 foot high, floor-to-ceiling glass panels in the Kimball
Education Gallery. These panels are touch-activated, allowing visitors to interact with the programs. Each presentation explores a particular work that is
representative of the museum's collection. The function of Collection Icons is to prepare audiences for the experience of looking critically at art and learning
about the rich cultural traditions represented by objects in the museum's collections. We partnered with three Bay Area firms: Without Walls, Rolling Orange, and
Propp+Guerin. Without Walls produced the video content, Rolling Orange the user interface, and Propp+Guerin the video and audio technology.
Although we faced the predictable challenges of managing a large and diverse group of creative personalities it proved well worth the effort and allowed each firm to
focus on their particular specialties, while engaging in constructive dialogue with the others. Wrestling with the huge body of knowledge and interpretation of the
three works of art was demanding. We are grateful for the generous supply of information and advice given by specialists around the world, and for the willingness
of our contractors to integrate new content as soon as it became available.
Kiosk
The judges said:
This kiosk program includes a moving assemblage of compelling images that document critical moments in history. Its intense focus on the direct experience of the
photographers effectively presents interviews with the photographers and enhances the users' understanding and appreciation of the still images. This was a powerful
and informative interactive, filled with stunning, dramatic images that are huge and explorable, better viewed here, perhaps, than in their original publications.
The program shows good use of high-tech back- and front-ends and lots of computing firepower. All aspects come together to create one of the most effective interactives
we have seen.
The producers said:
The goal of this interactive exhibit was to create the most comprehensive collection of Pulitzer Prize winning photographs, and combine it with video interviews with
as many surviving winners as possible. We succeeded in interviewing 63 out of a possible 68 winners (not including staff awards) and assembling the most complete
collection of these photographs in the world. The kiosk offers visitors access to 12 hours of audio and video clips, more than 1000 photographs, and remarkable insight
into some of the most important and influential photographs ever taken. There will be four stations located in the Pulitzer Photography gallery in the new Newseum,
and portions of this content will be made available on the Web as part of a rotating online exhibit. This project was produced/curated by Ken Crawford, the kiosk was
designed by Libby Melton and programmed and developed by Harland Harris.
All of the video was shot in HD, and runs in the kiosk at 720x1280 pixels as a Windows Media file. We experimented with many bit rates to achieve maximum quality
without crashing the system and found that an 11 megabit stream was the most successful for the high end Dell computer we are using.
http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca
The judges said:
This production is an extravagant Web site that delivers a lot of information in various forms. The game titled Watch the Birdie was very entertaining,
humorous, and informative and it inspired us to explore other games on the site.
The producers said:
We developed the role-playing game Watch the Birdie as part of the virtual exhibition The Photographic Studio of William Notman, which was made possible
through the support of the Virtual Museum of Canada. In the game, the player alternately takes on the role of the photographer's client, or that of his
apprentice, in the renowned Notman studio in Montréal, around 1870. A great tool for learning about history, this game is a real teaser through which we
hoped to introduce some simple photographic notions relevant to the period, while presenting the general context in which these activities took place. Going for the
essentials without oversimplifying was quite a challenge! What we wanted most of all was to keep the experience light and fun, while maintaining its authenticity.
The historical content, including the use of original Notman photographic works coloured by the masterful designers of Pakobrats, is the central element of the game
and the inspiration for the animations as well as the role-play's humour. An interesting and unforeseen aspect of the game is that many players try harder to fail
than to win! By doing their best to avoid choosing correctly, they get to see the amusing animations that follow a wrong answer.
http://www.constitutioncenter.org/lincoln
The judges said:
This excellent presentation of a focused body of material was presented in an engaging interactive format—a game that truly teaches, keeping users fully involved
and leaving them informed. Very fine voices, and fun, effective animation of Lincoln's head. Really brings historical material alive. Its use of animation and 3D
software was very impressive. The talking Lincoln effect is super-cool; excellent subtle uses of icons and outside images; good-looking set backgrounds; and we loved
the spinning heads. Nice use of subtle humor to lighten the experience. Good use of audio and transcripts to allow access to a variety of users. This program works well
online—which can be tough when bringing together large files (audio, 3D, animations). The Internet is a good way to make this available to everyone.
The producers said:
"Abraham Lincoln's Crossroads" is an online exhibit designed as an educational companion to the traveling exhibition Lincoln: the Constitution and the
Civil War. Without mimicking the organization or structure of the physical exhibition, "Crossroads" engages an intended audience of teens and adults
with much of that exhibit's interpretive content. Both projects focus on Lincoln's presidential decision-making. The 13 chronological episodes in "Crossroads"
deal with many of the same issues raised in the thematically organized physical exhibition. But they present that content in a Web friendly format useful as both a
stand-alone experience or as a classroom extension of the physical exhibition. Three lessons stand out from developing the project: First, while the client is the
vision keeper for content messages and project goals, it pays to listen actively to the design team. The idea to use an animated Lincoln and invite users to stand in
his decision-making shoes was Night Kitchen Interactive's. Second, Night Kitchen involved an educational specialist as part of the design team, which was important for
achieving our pedagogical goals. Finally, it's important to seek content partners. Part of the website's success is the rich immersive visual environment it creates.
Almost all the imagery used was donated by the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History, whose support was crucial to the project's success.
Film
The judges said:
The storyline and delivery of this production exhibits a true and remarkable documentary leading to the development of the new wing of the Whaling Museum. Weaving
between personal interviews and historical artifacts, this film presents a nice balance about the story of a 47-foot sperm whale that washed up on a Nantucket beach
on New Year's Day 1998. Most importantly, this documentary provides a context to understand the historic importance of sperm whales to Nantucket Island and changing
perceptions of whales in modern days.
The producers said:
The staff working on the film and the adjacent exhibition of the 47-foot sperm whale skeleton saw the film as an opportunity to connect the dry bones of the whale
skeleton that hang above the screen with technology that would help "bring to life" the story of this majestic creature. Furthermore, through the use of a fairly
simple narrative that jumps back and forth from present day to the past, we attempted to examine that point between a powerful iconic symbol and history, and how our
notions of both change over time. It allowed us to better capture a moment in time (the whale's stranding and death) that somehow managed to transcend time and evoke
generations of Nantucket history. The medium of film allowed us to reach a wide audience while bringing more depth and information to our visitors than we otherwise
would have been able to do through traditional exhibition techniques.
