Wonderworks was contracted by design consultancy, Designmap, who created the exhibition for English Heritage. The Darwin hologram is set in faithful recreation of his cabin on the Beagle. MDM Props (Designmap's build partner on the project) realised the cabin interior. Having partnered Wonderworks many times in the past, Paradigm AV was brought in to work on the elaborate fabrication.
It was at Down House that Darwin lived with his devoted family for 40 years, and it was here that he researched and wrote his most famous and seminal work, On the Origin of Species.
The new exhibition charts the progression of Darwin's ideas and the controversy they provoked. It includes interactive multimedia tours narrated by David Attenborough and Andrew Marr, an experience of what life at sea was like on Darwin's epic five-year voyage on board HMS Beagle, plus a virtual tour of Darwin's atmospheric study.
It is in the recreation of Darwin's cramped cabin aboard the Beagle that the hologram has been installed. Based on the Victorian 'Pepper's Ghost' principle, the system was carefully set up so that Darwin appeared to be sitting at the table in his cabin. An actor was filmed against a black background to get the required footage.
The assembly incorporates a Paradigm single mirror rig, designed around a Panasonic PT-DW7000 projector. Paradigm also supplied the rear projection screen material, cut to size, installing Wonderworks' own special gel mirror into the system.
The Darwin hologram sequence is replayed via an Electrosonics HD player. The player is on a loop and runs continuously all day.
(Jim Evans)
