This week, Lauren Haggerty and I had the pleasure of listening to the Museum of Science’s designers talk about “The Science Behind Pixar,” a traveling exhibit currently on display. The Museum of Science has spent the better part of the last few years collaborating with Pixar to accurately show the technical side of what goes into a Pixar movie. A requirement of the exhibit is that all of the Pixar movies are represented in one way or another so that visitors of all ages see and interact with their favorite characters in action.
The panel discussed all of the components that make the exhibit a success. This included many iterations of how the graphics would be displayed, the support structures, interactive displays, and how the story would unfold. All of the exhibit pieces had to be sturdy, easy to move, modular to fit into multiple spaces, and indestructible—it was created to outlast even the roughest of explorers for the next five years.
The exhibit designers explained that through the displays, visitors learn about the detail and coordination that go into making a single movie come together. These stories included: Dory, from Finding Nemo, demonstrating how lighting can make or break a scene; Monster Inc.’s Sulley on how a furry monster comes to life; and Jessie, from Toy Story 2, allows visitors to manipulate facial features to show how emotion is created. Children can also crawl into “A Bugs Life” and explore how scenes were created from the perspective of a tiny ant.
Thank you to SEGD and The Museum of Science for allowing us to get a behind the scenes look both into the Pixar process, as well as the exhibit design process. Make sure to go visit your favorite characters before the exhibit begins its cross-country expedition in 2016!