Some 250 media producers and others eager to learn more about creative opportunities for the planetarium market, and immersive digital dome theater ("fulldome") packed the house at Griffith Observatory on May 18, for a crash course. Fulldome is an internationally emerging, dome-specific video display medium with an expanding network currently numbering more than 500 theaters in planetariums, educational institutions and other venues around the world.

This educational fulldome showcase was an outreach to the production community by the nonprofit group IMERSA (Immersive Media, Entertainment, Research, Science & Arts) co-organized by the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA).

After an opening reception and opportunity to tour the new exhibits at Griffith Observatory (the facility completed an extensive expansion/renovation in 2006) guests attended a "Fulldome 101" presentation by IMERSA co-founder Ed Lantz in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater, followed, in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, by Griffith's in-house signature show "Centered in the Universe," a selection of clips and trailers from a variety of fulldome video shows and a Q&A session.

"This was the first significant outreach event for IMERSA since our organization officially launched in July 2008," said IMERSA co-founder Dan Neafus of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. "We are especially grateful to Griffith Observatory - with special thanks to curator Dr. Laura Danly, facility director Dr. E.C. Krupp and director of exhibits Mark Pine - for opening the doors of this landmark educational venue to our group. Thanks also to Michael Daut of Evans & Sutherland for his hard work putting together the production showcase and making sure the Griffith fulldome theater system was running at its very best."

"It was a truly remarkable night," said Dina Benadon of Super 78, who as a Board member of the PGA New Media Council and former Board member of TEA, was instrumental in organizing the event. "This joint effort combining the resources of IMERSA with those of PGA and TEA represents a synergy that we are all striving for - namely, to find and foster creative business opportunities for the members of our respective associations in the education and entertainment markets."

Speakers included Dr Laura Danly, Ed Lantz, Dina Benadon, Michael Daut, PGA New Media Council chair Alison Savitch, Griffith art director Don Dixon, Griffith theater manager Patrick So and TEA membership coordinator Brian Szaks.

Fulldome show trailers presented were "Astronaut" (National Space Center), "Seven Wonders" (E&S Digital Theater), "Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure" (National Geographic), "Sonic Vision" (American Museum of Natural History). Fulldome clips included "Zula Patrol" (Zula LLC, Spitz Inc.), "Fly Me to the Moon" (nWave Pictures) "Sonic Vision" (American Museum of Natural History), and "Our Turn to Dance" (Hue Walker, UNM ARTS Lab).

Sponsorship support came from Evans & Sutherland (E&S), Dome 3D, Mousetrappe, nWave Pictures, Super 78 and Mad Systems.

Support team members in addition to those mentioned above included Judith Rubin (IMERSA communications director and TEA publications editor), Martin Howe of Global Immersion, Mike Bruno of Spitz Inc., TEA associate member rep Lynn Allmandinger of Wells Fargo Bank Insurance Services, TEA Western Division president Daren Ulmer of Mousetrappe, and PGA's Paul Waterman of Cosmic Screen, James Fino of 23D Films and Kyle Katz.

About fulldome digital video

There are currently more than 500 fulldome theaters around the world. Most are in planetariums (including portable systems) and educational institutions. The total is expected to reach about 800 in the next two years, and the type of venue is diversifying. Prominent locations include the American Museum of Natural History (Hayden Planetarium, New York), Griffith Observatory (Los Angeles), Planetarium Hamburg, Adler Planetarium (Chicago), Gates Planetarium (Denver Museum of Nature & Science) and Morrison Planetarium (California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco).

In addition to members of the planetarium and science center communities, fulldome is drawing the interest of filmmakers, digital artists and other content creators interested in exploring the new medium, theater consultants and system designers/integrators interested in knowing about its possibilities for future projects, and museum operators looking for a unique new attraction. Entertainment operators, houses of worship, corporate marketers, special event producers, video game developers and casinos are all showing interest in fulldome.

About IMERSA
(Immersive Media, Entertainment, Research, Science & Arts)

IMERSA is an international non-profit professional organization that celebrates and promotes immersive and full-dome media for education and entertainment in planetariums, schools, museums, cinemas, events and attractions. IMERSA is mandated to raise the profile and the reach of its corporate for-profit, non-profit and individual members whose fields span a broad range of disciplines including: research, art, education, entertainment, science, production, operations, manufacturing and technology.. IMERSA is a driver and nexus for communication, collaboration, experimentation, education and promotion of digital immersive media in a variety of formats and functions.

About PGA/NMC
(Producers Guild Of America, New Media Council)

The PGA is a non-profit organization that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team. There are currently over 4,000 members world-wide.
With the new century upon us, new media is here to stay. Both creatively and from a business perspective, new media content and planning must be made part of traditional production cycles, budgets and marketing and not considered an after-thought. To address this inevitability, the PGA New Media Council is comprised of highly qualified experts in every aspect of new media production-including DVD, Mobile, Broadband, Interactive, Visual Effects, Animation, 3-D, PC Gaming, and most recently Special Venue.

About TEA
(Themed Entertainment Association)

Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) is a nonprofit trade alliance of international scope, founded in 1991 to represent the world's leading creators, designers and producers of compelling places and experiences for museums, science centers, theme parks, zoos, aquariums, visitors centers and retail, dining and entertainment destinations. The organization represents some 6,500 creative specialists, from architects to designers technical specialists to master planners, scenic fabricators and artists, builders to feasibility analysts, working in more than 630 firms from 38 different nations and 39 US states with project experience in some 125 countries. www.TEAconnect.org

About Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory is an icon of Los Angeles, a national leader in public astronomy, a beloved civic gathering place, and one of southern California's most popular attractions. The Observatory is located on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, just above the Los Feliz neighborhood. It is 1,134 feet above sea level and is visible from many parts of the Los Angeles basin. Admission to the Observatory building and grounds is free. There is a nominal charge to see shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. Griffith Observatory is owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks. The Director of Griffith Observatory is Dr. E. C. Krupp. www.griffithobs.org.