XXIA Technology with Untapped Potential: The Use of Computer Animations in Cultural Institutions

  • Diego Mountin, The George Washington University

Everyone in our modern world is familiar with computer animation. Whether it is the movies of Pixar Studios, animated television programs, or videos posted on the internet by YouTubers, most people are intimately familiar with digital animation in one form or another. Increasingly computer animations are used in places like classrooms in order to teach students subjects such as science, math, and language studies. While not a place that the wider public traditionally imagines computer animations to be, the same is true of cultural institutions. For as long as they have existed, museums have been experimenting with new technologies in order to further their mission goals. This willingness of museums to innovate holds true with digital technology, for which computer animations are no exception. However, innovation has the ability to be found even in the most established of practices. Despite decades of their use within museums, it is my belief that computer animations, as educational and immersive tools, still have untapped potential within the museum context.

Before I dive deeper, I find it necessary to define some terms and narrow the scope of this discussion, as the forms in which computer-created visual imagery can manifest varies wildly. For instance, some of the common types of computer-generated imagery include: virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), digitization of real-world objects into 3D models, 2D visual graphics made in software, and classic computer animations built entirely within software. The differences between these types of computer images are relatively self-explanatory, though virtual and augmented reality are certainly the newest and most nuanced types in this list. Charlotte Coates provides a great working definition of augmented reality in an article on MuseumNext.com: “Augmented reality is the process of using technology to superimpose images, text or sounds on top of what a person can already see. It uses a [smart device] to alter the existing picture, via an app… [to show users] an altered version of reality.” Virtual reality, meanwhile, uses specialized goggles or headgear to project images and sounds directly to a user’s eyes and ears.1

For the sake of this paper’s frame of reference, I shall be limiting this discussion of animations in a museum context largely to conventional computer animations. I am defining “conventional” animations as virtual images created within computer software and intended to be displayed on two-dimensional screens installed within a gallery space. With this definition I am therefore excluding any computer imagery that necessitates the use of additional equipment (such as headsets or smartphones), but not computer imagery that happens to transform real physical objects into a virtual environment for a final visual. In my view, there are two main types of animation relevant to this discussion: educational animations (which primarily intend to relay factual information through graphics and voice narration) and narrative animations (which primarily use artistic style to tell a more visual story).

Finally, I want to make a distinction between two additional types of animations: those that were created by the museum for public educational or entertainment purposes and those that were created by outside artists and then brought into the museum as part of a display, such as they might be in an art museum. The Computer History Museum did exactly this earlier this year when it exhibited a gallery of early artistic computer animations from the 1960s and 1970s. 2To be clear, this paper is focusing on the former, not the latter. I only have an interest here in addressing animations as they pertain to their use as an educational or entertainment aid for the museum field.

In order to support proper grounds for comparison later in this paper when I lay-out how I believe the current use of animations in museums is lacking, it is necessary to establish the current uses of computer-generated imagery in museums. Firstly, a very common use of computer imagery in museums is in the creation of three-dimensional models of physical artifacts. The Smithsonian Institution is a very good case study of this ever-growing museum trend. Smithsonian 3D is the program and website that the Smithsonian uses to share with the world artifact digitization projects that the institution creates. One of the more famous examples in recent years of the Smithsonian’s digitization efforts is seen in the digital model that was created of the Neil Armstrong space suit which was used the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20th, 1969.3 In a similar vein, as explained by Zhen Guo of Shanghai University in China, artifact digitizations can act as surrogates for actual physical artifacts that are too fragile to display and are a great accessibility tool for audiences. Guo describes a series of Chinese historical murals that have been digitized by the university and are on display for the public through this digital medium for these exact reasons.4 Meanwhile, AR is being increasingly integrated into museum spaces. A great case study, also from the Smithsonian, is the Skin and Bones app that was developed by the National Museum of Natural History. The app utilizes the smart devices of museum visitors to add virtual skin and musculature to some of the fossil displays within the halls of the museum.5 Although these computer-generated images are fascinating and at times quite innovative, they do not fit my stated definition of a computer animation. In fact, I could find few true examples of animations in the way I have defined them for the purposes of this paper.

There is but one animation I can think of that fits my definition: the “St. Roch Wheelhouse Experience” exhibit at the Vancouver Maritime Museum (VMM). This exhibit, a collaboration of VMM with Haley Sharpe Design and Vancouver’s Centre for Digital Media, has visitors piloting a simulation of the famous ship St. Roch (the second ship to successful navigate the Northwest Passage) through an Arctic Sea pass. The St. Roch is a permanent exhibit at the VMM housed within its own purpose-made building. VMM visitors are able to enter the St. Roch and tour its rooms, including its wheelhouse where the captain once directed the vessel through artic waters. The Wheelhouse Experience is an exact replica of the wheelhouse, with five screens replacing the windows and displaying a CGI representation of the hull of St. Roch amidst the ice flows of the Arctic. Visitors are encouraged to take the wheel and navigate through this simulation of the sights, sounds, and wild animals of the Canadian Arctic. I got to experience this simulation and its computer animations myself when I visited the VMM in August 2019. What impressed me most about the exhibit is that the animations filled in a major immersive gap of the St. Roch exhibit: standing within the actual St. Roch wheelhouse, all I could see was the interior of the VMM building. However, the Wheelhouse Experience allowed me to truly picture the St. Roch in the Artic Sea, including the terror of bumping one’s ship into sea ice!6

While there are countless examples of museum exhibits containing short films that might feature a few animations, few utilize the full potential I see with animation technology for museums. For the rest of this paper, I would like to lay out the potential I see in animations for museums, using public research and real-world examples. By far one of the most obvious uses in this type of multimedia is in the improvement of engagement with museum visitors. Research done by the Department of Computer Science at the University of York has demonstrated this phenomenon. In their study they found that the use of multimedia was by far the most notable improved visitor experience metric when compared to exhibits that did not make use of any multimedia.7 In a different case, old physical dioramas at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History that were removed and replaced with digital surrogates. The dioramas were recreated as dynamic computer animations displayed on flat-screen televisions that could be interacted with by visitors through touch screens. As reported by Michael D. Cherney and Adam N. Rountrey in a blog on the website of the American Alliance of Museums, the new dioramas significantly reduced the footprint of the exhibit, saved a popular exhibit from permanent removal, and has, “…the potential for future enhancement with moving computer-generated elements, user-controlled interactivity, virtual reality experiences, and mobile manifestations.”8 A comparable promising development in the utilization of animation technology comes from Portuguese researchers at the University of Lisbon. They created a prototype museum interface system called “Open Sesame” that made use of touch technology on a console that visitors could interact with. Depending on the sequence, selection, and number of button presses, various interlinking animations would play on a unique timeline on large television screens to explain the history and process of sugar production in Madeira Islands. The researchers reported extremely positive reception of the system from participants in the study.9

This particular case study is much more in line with the vision I see of animations and their utilization within future museums. However, perhaps the most thought-provoking use of animations within a museum context I found comes from a conference talk given by Alison Green and Birgitta Hosea entitled, “Reanimating the Archives.” In short, they talk about their experience in creating an exhibition called CUT! at the Old Operating Theatre Museum in London. The museum collaborated with students from the University of the Art London and the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama on a semester-long project that saw students creating artistic narrative animations describing various stories of historical figures that worked in the hospital. In the talk, Hosea described the challenges and possibilities of this type of project for other museums considering such an exhibition. Hosea spoke about how these animations were a great creative outlet that enabled artistry in the exhibition space, how they expanded curatorial authority, and were a great way to introduce human elements into the storytelling process of the exhibit.10 From my standpoint this case study reflects the difficulty of harnessing the talent of what Green described as “creative practitioners,” in the same talk. In a word, this case study is a reflection of the difficulty of utilizing talents from across multiple disciplinary fields - commonplace in any industry. However, as demonstrated by the success of CUT!, the potential in combining these talents from across multiple disciplines has great promise for substantial rewards. Sometimes the extra effort is worth it for the results it brings.

At this point I would like to highlight some historical animations from a variety of sources that I feel exemplify some of the hallmarks of good computer animation that I believe have the potential to transform future museum experiences.

https://youtu.be/FE6GZuUONmM
Figure 1: The History Channel: Battle 360: WWII Begins in the Pacific (S1, E1)

The first animation I have included here comes from an old History Channel program known as Battle 360. This documentary program, which lasted 10 episodes and was first aired in February 2008, follows the history of the ship USS Enterprise (CV-6) through the Pacific Theater of World War II. Battle 360 makes extensive use of computer animations to visual warships, planes, and their movements in historic naval engagements. The series also includes interviews from veterans of the Enterprise and WWII historians.11 Although the visuals of the animations are a bit dated, the clean aesthetic of the program still holds up well. Overall, the program tells its narrative very well and is reminiscent of in-gallery films, but utilizing animations to a high degree. I view this program as being a bridge between the strengths seen in documentary programs and the visual storytelling of computer animations.

https://youtu.be/61SYvhojGvg?start=1353s;
Figure 2: Epic History TV | HMS Victory: Total Guide

The next animation I would like to showcase comes from the YouTube channel Epic History TV, which focuses on historic battle programming, particularly on the Napoleonic Era and the World Wars. This mini-documentary teaches viewers the history, construction, and terminology of 19th century naval warfare and the famous ship-of-the-line HMS Victory. Epic History TV made their video in collaboration with the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. This documentary demonstrates the evolution that computer animation has undergone since Battle 360 was made 14 years ago; the animations in HMS Victory: Total Guide are far more sophisticated and visually appealing. Highlights of this animation are the incredible use of digital cross-sections to explore the ship’s construction and aid in the explanation of naval terminology. Other notable features of the animation are its extremely informative nature and its use of primary sources such as paintings and photographs between animations. The use of these traditional documentary resources is very reminiscent of the historical documentary film techniques of Ken Burns, with pans and zooms across the historic images.12 Although this video is a fantastic documentary, I see it as having limited potential in a walking gallery setting: it is far too long. However, I see a shorter version of it having a place within a mini-theater in a museum. This documentary distinguishes itself from many current in-gallery films, of the type Battle 360 is reminiscent of, with its smart use of animation. When HMS Victory: Total Guide utilizes animated visuals, it is to show and explain things that would be impossible through simple still images pulled from archives. The professional nature of this documentary and its impressive use of animations were, in fact, the inspiration for this paper. From my own experiences at maritime museums and as a naval history enthusiast, the potential for animations as educational tools were blatantly highlighted to me by Epic History TV.

https://youtu.be/ILbcWgP76vA
Figure 3: One World Trade Center: Elevator Ride

This animation does not actually come from a museum; it comes from One World Trade Center and is the animation played in the elevator ride from the ground floor up to the public viewing platform at the top of the skyscraper. The elevator animation is displayed on the walls of the elevator which are floor-to-ceiling screens and shows the transformation and industrialization of New York City from wilderness to a modern cityscape. There is no narration for this video animation and the only real quantitative information given to visitors is the year of the city as the virtual landscape transforms over time. Another element of the animation is the use[wc] of a couple of illusions; the animation portrays the construction of One World Trade Center around the elevator at it nears the peak of the skyscraper and, on the return trip, the elevator itself is shown as flying out from the skyscraper and circling around the tower before flying back into the elevator shaft as the elevator reaches ground level.13 The entire experience is very similar to what one might experience on a roller-coaster ride. What is striking to me about the animation is that it is a true augmentation of the physical space. It creates a “wow!” experience for guests that is incredibly memorable and unique. I see the potential here for similar animations to be used in historic structures and other similar spaces. An example, for instance, could be the demonstration of industrial processes in long dormant factories or then passage of people and vehicles that have long since left local streets. The possibilities to augment a physical space are endless.

https://youtu.be/1KIpXsesmSQ
Figure 4: MFA Boston: Athena Reveals Her True Colors

The final example of an animation I would like to highlight does actually come from a museum, specifically the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The animation, entitled Athena Reveals Her True Colors, is a reconstruction of how one of the marble statues in the MFA collection, a marble statue of the goddess Athena, would likely have looked back in antiquity with its full range of intact colored paints. The video is short, to the point, and beautifully rendered. This animation was a product of – and it itself helped facilitate – new research on the statue in question. The research included light and pigment analysis as well as historical investigation in order to get an initial 3D rendering, and then this animation, as accurate as possible.14 What stands out to me about this animation is that it not only contributed to historical research that might otherwise not have been done, but it transforms the visitor interpretation of the statue of those who view it. Although the animation currently only exists on the MFA Boston website, it strikes my mind as the perfect kind of animation for a simple video screen in an exhibit with the statue. Though the narrative for the animation would probably not be played audibly in an art gallery, it seems to me that subtitles or wireless headsets could easily resolve that issue. Athena Reveals Her True Colors is to me an almost perfect example of what animations can bring to museum in the near future.

From the examples highlighted in this paper the underutilized potential of computer animations in cultural institutions is evident. Animations have the power to show the impossible: vast stretches of time, internal cross-sections of large structures, or objects and people that have long vanished. It’s striking to me that so much of the animations that do exist are regulated purely to the online presence of museums or are simply displayed themselves as art pieces. As has been demonstrated by this exploration of museum animation, they have incredible capacity to act as educational and narrative devices in an exhibit setting. Computer animations have the power to grant visitors unforgettable experiences. Although museum professionals continue to innovate with digital technology, the modification of practices surrounding this pre-existing digital technology has the promise to transform museum practice as a whole.

Notes

  1. Coates, Charlotte. “How Museums Are Using Augmented Reality.” MuseumNext. MusuemNext, April 17, 2022. https://www.museumnext.com/article/how-museums-are-using-augmented-reality/. ↩︎

  2. Brock, David C. “Technology + Art.” Computer History Museum. Computer History Museum, May 28, 2022. https://computerhistory.org/blog/technology-and-art/. ↩︎

  3. “Smithsonian 3D.” Smithsonian 3D Digitization. Smithsonian Institution Digitization Program Office., 2022. https://3d.si.edu/. ↩︎

  4. Guo, Zhen. “Research on Application of Digital Interactive Display Technology in Digital Museum.” In 2020 International Conference on E-Commerce and Internet Technology (ECIT), 54–57. IEEE, 2020. ↩︎

  5. “Second Floor Exhibit: Bone Hall.” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian Institution, 2022. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/exhibits/bone-hall. ↩︎

  6. “St. Roch Wheelhouse Experience.” Vancouver Maritime Museum. Vancouver Maritime Museum, 2022. https://vanmaritime.com/st-roch-wheelhouse-experience/. ↩︎

  7. Othman, Mohd Kamal, Helen Petrie, and Christopher Power. “Engaging Visitors in Museums with Technology: Scales for the Measurement of Visitor and Multimedia Guide Experience.” In Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2011, 6949:92–99. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, n.d. ↩︎

  8. Cherney, Michael D, and Adam N Rountrey. “Making a Museum in the Age of 3D Digital Models.” American Alliance of Museums. American Alliance of Museums, October 11, 2022. https://www.aam-us.org/2019/12/23/making-a-museum-in-the-age-of-3d-digital-models/. ↩︎

  9. Rodrigues, Ana & Campos, Pedro & Cabral, Diogo. (2020). Increasing the Museum Visitor’s Engagement Through Compelling Storytelling Based on Interactive Explorations. 245-254. 10.1007/978-3-030-50267-6_19. ↩︎

  10. DCDC15 | Re-Animating the Archives - Alison Green & Birgitta Hosea, Central Saint Martins. YouTube. Research Libraries UK, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sms96HsjzQU. ↩︎

  11. Tarantino, Louis C, Douglas J Cohen, and Tony Long. Battle 360: WWII Begins in the Pacific (S1, E1) | Full Episode | History. YouTube. United States of America: The History Channel, 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE6GZuUONmM. ↩︎

  12. HMS Victory: Total Guide Part 1. YouTube. Epic History TV, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61SYvhojGvg&list=PLUOc2qodFHp9pGzixQDZDZELJ0hZ40t-J&index=1&t=1353s. ↩︎

  13. One World Observatory at World Trade Center - Elevator Ride. YouTube. New York Insights, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILbcWgP76vA. ↩︎

  14. “Athena Reveals Her True Colors.” Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Museum of Fine Arts Boston, 2022. https://www.mfa.org/video/athena-reveals-her-true-colors. ↩︎