AVATAR: The Exhibition Press Previews June 1-3

Posted on behalf of EMP.

MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Anita Woo

206.262.3245

anitaw@empsfm.org

EMP’S AVATAR: THE EXHIBITION OPEN FOR PRESS PREVIEWS JUNE 1-3

SEATTLE – EMP will host exclusive press tours of AVATAR: The Exhibition Wednesday, June 1 – Friday, June 3 with exhibition curator Brooks Peck.  AVATAR:  The Exhibition offers an unprecedented, first-hand look inside the highest-grossing film of all time.  Developed in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products and James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, AVATAR: The Exhibition dives deep into the world of Pandora, the culture of its Na’vi inhabitants, and the groundbreaking technology that brought the blockbuster film to life.  The exhibition features iconic props and costumes, concept models, drawings, and interactive installations that allow visitors to directly experience the creative world-building and innovative technical filmmaking processes of AVATAR.

AVATAR:  The Exhibition opens to the public Saturday, June 4 at noon.  To schedule a press tour, contact Anita Woo at anitaw@empsfm.org.

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS:

Interactive Installations:

·         Performance Capture:  Visitors perform actions in a scene and see themselves rendered as a CG character from AVATAR in real-time.

·         Virtual Camera:  Visitors direct a virtual scene from AVATAR using hand-held monitors with motion-sensors, similar to the virtual camera system used by James Cameron.

·         Pandoran Plant Builder:  Visitors learn how science informed the design of Pandora and create their own Pandoran plant using a kit of parts, colors, and textures based on AVATAR plant designs.

·         Sound Design Kiosk:  A multimedia touchscreen allows visitors to explore and isolate layers of sound used in AVATAR, and learn how sound design contributes to the reality and mood of a scene.

·         Na’vi Language Reading Rail:  Visitors push audio buttons on a reading rail to hear Na’vi words that are associated with artifacts on display.

·         Na’vi Cultural Videos:  Short films featuring topics about the culture and language of the Na’vi, and including original EMP interviews with cast and crew as well as science and cultural experts who consulted on the film.

·         Woodsprite Projection: As visitors approach a life-size projection of the Pandoran forest, animated woodsprites begin to appear, flock and land on the visitor’s shadow, dynamically moving in response to the visitor’s movements.

Artifacts:  Film Props, Concept Art, Production Tools

·         AMP Suit (Amplified Mobility Platform) prop

·         Cellular Ammunition Rifle Base (CARB) shotgun prop

·         Motion capture suit, helmet, and camera rig worn by actor Sam Worthington

·         Virtual camera used in the production of AVATAR

·         RDA (Resource Development Administration) Trooper costume

·         Na’vi phrasebook

·         Busts of Jake Sully’s avatar, Neytiri and Mo’at

·         Maquettes of Pandoran creatures including the Hammerhead and Banshee

·         Neytiri’s arrow prop

·         Handmade artist’s reference for Neytiri’s willow glade necklace and Jake Sully’s warrior headdress 

ABOUT EMP

EMP is a non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in music, science fiction, and popular culture. EMP combines interpretative, interactive exhibitions with state-of-the-art technologies, and educational programming to offer visitors of all ages a first-hand, multi-dimensional experience of the creative and artistic process.

EMP is housed in a 140,000 square foot Frank O. Gehry-designed building. This spectacular, prominently visible structure has the presence of a monumental sculpture set amid the backdrop of the Seattle Center.

EMP Museum Hours
Summer: May 27, 2011 - September 5, 2011, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Winter:  September 6, 2011 – May 25, 2012, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

EMP General Information
325 5^th Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
206-770-2700, main line
206-770-2702, box office
1-877-EMP-SFM1, toll-freewww.empmuseum.org

ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX CONSUMER PRODUCTS

A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.