Victory in Immersive Theater

victory in immersive theater new 4d cinematic experience at the national world war ii museum by David Paul Green eyond All Boundaries at the National year industry veteran Phil Hettema and the film goes beyond portraying the war, as so World War II Museum in New Orleans, The Hettema Group’s creative design team, many movies have done before it, and puts the BLouisiana is the latest in a series of star- that included media design and video viewer into the perspective of the combatants, powered projects related to World War II. production company Moustrappe, creative correspondents and civilians who experienced Movies like Defiance, Valkyrie, and Inglourious and technical production firm Audio By The it. Guests experience, as close to first-hand as Basterds, along with HBO’s upcoming TV series, Bay Entertainment Group, lighting design firm is possible in a theater, what it is like to be in The Pacific, have reinvigorated international Visual Terrain, and composers Tim Williams and the jungle, in the desert, in the forests and interest in WWII, and the Museum’s epic Bruce Broughton. trenches of the battles. presentation is yet another compelling example of the relevance of WWII today. “From the moment we became involved with At the same time, the museum and the this project, we knew it was a really important creative team wanted to make sure the realism The 4-D cinematic experience premiered story to tell,” says Phil Hettema, president of The of the effects did not overwhelm the factual November 6th, 2009, as a permanent Hettema Group, located in Pasadena, California. truth of the story itself. Not everything can be installation at The National World War II “Most of the team had personal connections to covered in a four-year conflict when distilling Museum’s new, $60 million Solomon Victory the war. My dad flew a B-17 over Germany and four years of global experience into a 37- Theater. practically everyone had a relative or friend minute presentation, but the film will leave who was involved in it. Beyond All Boundaries you wanting to find out more. The team was Executive-produced by actor Tom Hanks, is really the story of how America came of age determined to maintain an even hand, keeping Beyond All Boundaries plunges viewers into and became the nation we know today. It’s not just the emotional core, but the historical the 20th-century war whose human toll vital we make sure the story gets told in a way accuracy, intact. totaled 65 million. This is a multi-sensory that will live on for future generations.” cinematic journey that transports the audience Experts researched every aspect of the film around the globe, through the four years of In order to do so, the team didn’t just create a in an effort to maintain that accuracy. When America’s involvement in this global struggle, film, but incorporated props, effects, lighting, the film is over, viewers can head over to the starting with pre-Pearl Harbor United States motion and music, to appeal to the senses and main museum facility and do some additional and concluding with final victory, in the words immerse the viewer in the war experience. exploring on their own to answer questions of the U.S. soldiers, journalists and citizens the film brought to mind. who gave their all in the war that changed the The story begins with a pre-show that explores world. Mr. Hanks has been involved with this the era before Pearl Harbor, and leading up Museum President and CEO, Dr. Gordon H. project since the beginning due to his long to the attacks of December 7, 1943; the date “Nick” Mueller says, “Historians around the lasting relationship with the museum and President Franklin Roosevelt memorialized as, country, WWII historians, as well as people at his enthusiasm for the historic significance of “A day that will live in infamy.” the National WWII Museum, scrubbed every WWII. part of this script, assuring the accuracy of Once America enters the war, lives are every word in the entire show. I don’t think The National World War II Museum entrusted disrupted, a country transforms, and the world there’s ever been more attention given to a the concept, design and production to 30- itself changes. To emphasize the emotional script.” and historical impacts of this global transition, Scenes from the Beyond All Boundaries 4D cinematic experience. All photos courtesy of The National World War II Museum. The end results justify all the sweat: Museum Goodman, Emile Hirsch, Tobey Maguire, Brad Bay Entertainment Group, who also oversaw Senior Vice President Bob Farnsworth says, “Our Pitt, Giovanni Ribisi, Gary Sinise, Elijah Wood the sound design for the film, where every expectations were so high, we had set the bar and many others.” sound effect had to be researched to ensure so high. This is so important for this museum. authenticity. Then we sat down and we saw all the layers In addition to Pitt and Goodman, who have come together and it was the magic that we’d ties to New Orleans, actors Wendell Pierce Academy Award-nominated, Emmy Award- hoped for.” and Patricia Clarkson maintain residences in winning composer Bruce Broughton — known New Orleans and took particular interest in for his scores to Tombstone, Silverado, The Three participating in this project by lending their Musketeers and Harry and the Hendersons — Hollywood’s A-List Enlisted voices to the exhibit’s main film. composed the main themes for the film. “I think To tell the story of America’s passage through it’s particularly interesting because audiences “Beyond All Boundaries weaves a spectacular World War II, the main film features the voices will follow this enormous conflict across the tapestry of World War II – authentic, powerful of some of Hollywood’s biggest names, planet. At first there’s excitement – we’re going and inspiring,” says Tom Hanks. “I’m proud to portraying — in their own words — the to beat up the bullies!” says Broughton. “Then have served as executive producer of Beyond everyday soldiers and servicemen who fought we move into the awfulness of the war, its All Boundaries.” to preserve America’s and our allies’ freedom; savagery and the horror of invading Japan as well as the journalists who covered the war. which ends in the nuclear blast. Emotionally, Settling The Score it’s quite a journey.” The film’s director, David Briggs of Mousetrappe explains, “Tom Hanks gave us an offer we The film’s original score was completed by “There’s a wonderful scene where the couldn’t refuse. He said, ’Why don’t you come 2005 and 2008 Thea Award-winning feature audience is transported into a Belgian forest up with a wish list of who you would like to film, theater and spectacle composer, Tim and the snow is falling and the music is playing have voice the other speaking parts of the Williams, and recorded by a 60-piece orchestra Silent Night, which is also a German hymn,” he main show.’ And we ended up with an all-star in Los Angeles, at the Warner Brothers scoring continues. “Just as you get a feeling of relief, out cast that includes Tom Hanks as narrator, and studio. The score was produced by Paul of nowhere comes this massive Nazi attack. names like Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Garner, John Freeman and Bob Wackerman of Audio By The The audience is plunged into the situation. You are there.” Broughton’s father, Harold Broughton, now Principal Lighting Designer Lisa Passamonte physical set pieces lifted hydraulically from a 86, was an anti-aircraft gunner and veteran Green of Visual Terrain, credits senior lighting pit or dropped down from the 75-foot ceiling. at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Pacific. The designers Michael Mahlum and Steven Young, Motion is incorporated into the seats, allowing elder Broughton stood not more than ten and lighting programmer Jen Goldstein, with them to rumble when a tank comes through, feet away from MacArthur when the famous developing a lighting scheme that remained or react to explosions. Viewers also experience general waded ashore during his “return” to flexible until the last possible moment. “It gentle falling snow along with a lone soldier in the Philippines in 1944. Other members of the allowed for unexpected opportunities that the Belgian forest, and see the piercing glare production have had similar connections to arise when all members of the creative team of a searchlight from the concentration camp the Greatest Generation. Broughton believes are in the building assembling the show.” guard tower. those ties conspired to create a unique and powerful piece of cinematic history. Media Designer, Daren Ulmer, President and 4-D Experience Without CEO of Mousetrappe, explains, “Normally a “From the director to the producer I’ve rarely the Glasses screen this size is big enough for 1,000 to 1,200 seen so many people in a production on the people. There is an intimacy in this theater same page,” he says. “We all had the same goal: Seating 250, the Solomon Victory Theater where this screen is overwhelming, but it’s to tell the story of America in World War II. I features a 120-foot-wide, 30-foot-tall screen overwhelming in a way that makes you feel think we’ve done a great job.” that curves nearly 180 degrees around the immersed. audience. Images on the screen interact with The A-Team Behind the A-List The production team on the project begins with The Hettema Group, whose President, Phil Hettema, acted as Creative Director on the project.

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