At the Audubon Nature Institute in the Crescent City, it’s out with the old and in with the new. The very new, and the very large, and we’re not talking about the animal residents.
On November 18th Audubon will officially debut a brand new, fully digital and immersive exhibition experience, one designed, specified and installed by ES&T cinema engineers (of course!).
“The digital transition allows us to continue to offer quality institutional movies, and maybe participate in alternative content such as live concert or theatrical events, speaking presentations, gaming events and movie festivals,” says Audubon Director of Theater Operations Rodney Daniels of the potential of the renovated Entergy Giant Screen Theater.
Throughout September and October, our team took on the challenge of converting the existing cinema space at the New Orleans zoo and aquarium, and outfitting it with a large format silver screen provided by Severtson Screens. The screen measures 46 feet tall and 74 feet wide, and is 4K resolution – the most advanced resolution available today.
Our team created an entirely state-of-the-art experience for Audubon, complete with Christie Duo 4K projection and Dolby ATMOS immersive sound. In a space as large as the Audubon’s auditorium, our installers were able to streamline speaker installation with the help of the StarGrid mounting and racking system by Adaptive Technologies Group.
After five weeks of renovation and installation the Audubon soft opened the space with Disney’s full-length feature The Little Mermaid in 3D. More than a month’s time may seem like a long stretch for one auditorium, but the Entergy Giant Screen Theater is located 30-feet underground, and required careful and creative logistics in order to safely and securely load in the screen, sound and projection equipment.
The grand opening for the $1.2 million Entergy Giant Screen Theater is planned for November 18th will feature the premiere of “Journey to Space,” a documentary on the ongoing mission to Mars, narrated by Patrick Stewart and presented by the theater’s sponsor, Giant Screen Films.