Upcoming Exhibits
MEGALODON: LARGEST SHARK THAT EVER LIVED
Oct 11, 2008 - January 11, 2009Castle Memorial Building
The Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, Florida, has created Megalodon: Largest Shark that Ever Lived, a new traveling exhibition that highlights the evolution, biology and misconceptions regarding giant prehistoric sharks. Related to the modern great white and mako sharks, the 60-foot-long Megalodon lived worldwide until it became extinct 2 million years ago. Megalodon’s beautiful fossil teeth are prized by collectors. This exhibit conveys current research findings of University of Florida paleontologists and showcases both fossil and modern shark specimens and full-scale models from several collections. Learn about the process of science and shark conservation. Walk through a sculpture of a 60-foot long Megalodon. Find out what they ate, its size and structure, how long it lived, who its neighbors were, how it evolved, and why it became extinct.
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2009
ANIMATION
Feb 14 to May 10, 2009
Castle Memorial
Building (This is tentative)
This exhibit is created by the Oregon Museum of
Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon in
collaboration with the Cartoon Network. Animation
is everywhere! Every time we turn on a TV set, go
to a movie, or surf the Internet, we see animated
segments. But how does animation really work? Get
ready to explore the science behind the art when
you visit Animation!
From concept to finished product, visitors will learn all about the intricacies of the art of animations. From storyboarding to character design and drawing techniques, to movement, timing, filming, and sound—come to Animation and see how it all works. Larger than life graphics of popular Cartoon Network characters provide a colorful backdrop to the exhibit, which also explores the history of Animation and features a screening room and a cartoon museum.
To illustrate convincing movement, animators apply
knowledge of the physics of motion, and the science
of human perception. Animators plot out a character’s
path of action on a grid before producing an animated
sequence. The animator creates characters in scale
with their environments through the use of basic
geometry and spatial sense.
Several of the exhibit areas feature digital slide shows of real animators working in the studios at Cartoon Network. Visitors will learn about the skills and training needed to pursue a career in animation.
Six thematic areas are explored in the Animation exhibit:
History: Learn about early animation and apparent motion. Visitors can try using a praxinoscope, posing a three-dimensional figure and spinning it to se the figures morph into a single animation. At the penny Arcade, you can “crank” out animations with an old-fashioned mutoscope.
Animation Studio: Explore the process of animation, story creation, and animator techniques and tools. You can develop a storyboard from a series of picture cards, design objects with a pantograph, and create scenes using layered cels and moving backgrounds.
Art in Motion: With help from the characters of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, discover why art and math are important allies when it comes to creating characters, motion, and change. The illusion of movement will come alive as you magically “move” around a room without using your legs.
Animation Laboratory: In Dexter’s Laboratory, you can delve into the science and technology that make animation possible. Create the illusion of a bouncing ball with the technique of ”squash and stretch” and find out how the action slows down or speeds up with time-lapse videos. You can also see yourself hover while exploring visual effects in a full-body interactive experience.
Sound and Stage: Discover the principles of sound and phonetics with the Kids Next Door, while exploring the complexity of matching phrases to different mouth shapes. You can add your own voice to a silent animation, and set the mood of the film by selecting background music from a variety of soundtracks.
Cartoon Museum: Take a seat in an intimate theater setting and view clips of popular animations while learning the secrets behind their production. Examine important artifacts such as cels, models, and storyboard drawings from classic and favorite animations such as Scooby-Doo, The Powerpuff Girls, and The Flintstones.
