EFFECTDESIGN BRINGS SCIENCE FICTION TO LIFE IN SEATTLE
Lighting and Sound America magazine

The immersive exhibits at the new Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle are the creations of special-effects company EffectDesign, Inc. President and principal designer Geoff Puckett and his team brought the vision of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to life through a creative utilization of state-of-the-art software and projection technology.

"The spectacular EffectDesign media presentations of Spacedock and Cities of Tomorrow are everyone's favorites," said Donna Shirley, director of the Science Fiction Museum. "They are the highlights of the Museum."

At Spacedock, visitors can watch a continuous parade of space vessels visit a huge space station orbiting the Earth. The 20 computer-rendered space ships are an eclectic collection from the annals of science fiction, ranging from Star Trek's sleek 'U.S.S. Enterprise' to the whimsical 'Planet Express' ship from the popular cartoon series Futurama. An interactive display allows visitors to manipulate 3-D models of each space ship in "real time." EffectDesign also designed and produced the QuickTime 3D model computer files for the interactive exhibit.

In another section of the Museum, guests gaze through a nine-foot wide "window" at the Cities of Tomorrow. EffectDesign CGI artists rendered realistic images with such magnificent detail and depth they managed to create the illusion that visitors can step through the window and enter another world.

EffectDesign also created the spectacular three-dimensional display, "Amazing Places." Based on the creative concepts of writer Dan Molitor, concept designer Tim Kirk, and project producer Larry Gertz, EffectDesign created a 24" sphere which physically floats in mid-air and is viewable from far left and right, above and below. Seventy-five percent of the globe's surface is filled with original computer animated images of science fiction planets. Covering 270° of a spherical projection surface with crisp, detailed images using a single projector demanded a whole new technology. To meet the challenge, EffectDesign developed a wide angle lens which they nicknamed HAL, in homage to the see-all computer in the sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey.

But it takes more than technology to create a dynamic experience. "Technology is not the end-all. It is merely a means of interpreting a concept. The technology might be available, but that's not enough. It takes an innovative team of designers who understand how to manipulate the technology to create the guest experience envisioned by the concept designer and the client," explained Gertz. The technological demands of the Science Fiction Museum definitely required innovative solutions. It took a company like EffectDesign to do it. "Paul Allen chose to create a science fiction museum at the right time," said Puckett. "Only recently has the technology and the software reached the point where we can create a high quality visitor experience such as the Science Fiction Museum at an affordable cost. Effects once limited to big budget films and high-end theme parks are now available to museums and exhibitions to educate as well as entertain."

EffectDesign, Inc. is an award-winning special-effects studio known for innovative three-dimensional presentation solutions for museums, live events and exhibits. Founded in 1998 by effects industry veteran Geoff Puckett, the firm's credits include production design for New York City's Times Square 2000 Millennium event, projection design for The Lion King on Broadway, special effects concept design for Universal Studios Hollywood's 'Revenge of the Mummy', projection and set design for the American Ballet Theatre, and live events for major corporate clients such as MSNBC and Ford Motor Company.