The Making of a One-Shot Virtual Tour of the Museum
For immediate release ‐ August 19, 2021
Contact: Jon Pishney, 919.707.8083. Images available upon request
Inspired by their love of the natural sciences and their interest in drones, the Museum’s Digital Media team, along with colleagues from across the Museum, came together to produce a virtuoso one-shot video tour. The video flies guests virtually through NCMNS, zipping through whale skeletons, encountering dinosaurs, catching glimpses of signature exhibits and seeing researchers at work. The ~4.5-minute journey is accompanied by music and the sounds of the natural world, creating an immersive experience. While the end product looks seamless, the video was weeks in the making.
The team had initially planned to film later in the year, but the timeline was suddenly moved up due to the start of construction on the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit scheduled to open in 2023. The team recognized that if they didn’t move quickly, they’d lose their window of opportunity. The first step of the process was to plan the drone route — not an easy task, as the Museum’s downtown Raleigh location features two buildings with multiple floors of exhibits. After the flight path was established and the drone’s camera was specially modified, the team was ready to go. Videos like this are difficult to make because they are filmed in one continuous shot — there are no cuts or partial retakes. To complicate the process further, the drone’s path included some tight turns and close encounters with exhibits. Drone pilot Matt Jones navigated the route with the help of a colleague who pushed him through the Museum in a wheelchair, a stabilization method used for decades in movie making.
Watch the full one-shot video tour
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