Responsibilities / Lead Artist. Earth. Sun. Satellites. Compositing
INITION was approached by Airbus Defence and Space UK to create an inspiring showstopper for the Space Arena at Farnborough International Airshow, July 2018.
The world-leading aerospace company wanted us to create an interactive experience that would uniquely showcase the organisation’s UK based cutting-edge space capabilities. The challenge was to tell this story through an outstanding piece of content that would engage both field experts and the public alike.
We launched Elev_8, a space elevator that takes visitors on an interactive trip into space, to find out more about Airbus’ latest satellites and science missions: Biomass, Inmarsat and Solar Orbiter. Passengers are rocketed into orbit, discovering the satellites’ journey from design, manufacture and launch.
Using the Airbus Portsmouth satellite manufacturing site as a key location, we filmed content in panoramic 360 to create an immersive experience. This depicted the innovative and technical skills that go into this form of advanced engineering, demonstrating that Airbus is a world-leader in providing geo-stationary telecommunications satellites, boasting 25% of market share in this sector.
The final piece was played back on 3 x 4k screens, synced with coloured lighting and force feedback to really give the users the feeling of being inside a space elevator.
The space elevator was launched at the Space zone of Farnborough International Airshow and was a huge success with more than 1250 visitors embarking upon the Elev_8 journey, from children through to trade professionals, including Major Tim Peake CMG, European Space Agency astronaut. Each experience lasted for 6.5 minutes and ran from 9-5pm over the full 7 days of the show. The 4D reality of the space elevator enabled everyone to experience Airbus’ ingenuity and manufacturing capabilities in the UK.
