“Kaluoka’hina, The Enchanted Reef” first film for the 360° dome format, premiered on Barco I-DomeTM projection system at Hamburg Planetarium
Hamburg, 11 October 2004 - How is a fish supposed to touch the moon? This is just one of the intriguing puzzles that Jake, a cool sawfish and his pal Shorty have to solve on their most exciting adventure ever: the quest to save their beloved reef. “Kaluoka'hina, The Enchanted Reef”, produced at “Softmachine” is the first feature family entertainment film originally produced for the 360° Dome Projection Format and premiered on Barco’s I-Dome full-dome projection system at the Hamburg Planetarium on Friday 8 October.
Mr. Eric Braux, Barco Edutainment product group manager, stated: “We were especially excited that the “Kaluoka’hina” premiered at the Hamburg Planetarium on the Barco I-Dome full-dome projection system. This advanced dome projection solution is a worldwide first and covers all needs for exciting full dome projection.”
At the Hamburg planetarium Barco’s ‘I-Dome Duo’ combines the benefits of CRT projection with the unique capabilities of DLP technology. Seven BarcoReality 909 high-resolution CRT projectors and seven Barco SIM 4 DLP projectors are spread over seven zones in the perimeter of the 21-meter diameter planetarium dome to project a huge single immersive image. To achieve the true black levels needed to project a starry sky, the BarcoReality 909 projectors deliver the absolute highest standard. While for bright video show scenes, the SIM 4’s provide the brightest images with breathtaking visual fidelity.
Hamburg planetarium Director Mr. Thomas W. Kraupe commented: “Kaluoka'hina is the most ambitious and professional production for the dome to date. This 360° production sets a new standard for full dome shows, and is as much a technological marvel as it is a wonderfully entertaining and visually captivating show. This show really deserves the best possible projection solution to fully immerse the audience. Our Barco I-Dome projection system splashed stunning space visualizations across the entire planetarium dome and created a sensation of movement for the audience.”
Kaluoka'hina, The Enchanted Reef is produced by the German-based company Softmachine and distributed in English and German by Sky-Skan Inc (www.skyskan.com). This new type of film experience for 360° Dome Projection theaters, pioneered by Softmachine, considerably widens the scope for planetariums towards exciting edutainment programs.
About Softmachine
Founded in 2001 by Peter Popp, Softmachine is a film production company that brings 3D-animation, filmed entertainment and cutting-edge technology together into a unique business concept revolving around the brand new 360° Dome Projection Format. Softmachine consists of a group of energetic and media-experienced individuals, mostly coming from film entertainment business backgrounds. More information on www.softmachine.de
About Barco
Barco, an international company headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium, provides visualization and display solutions for professional markets. Barco designs and develops solutions for large screen visualization, display solutions for life-critical applications, and systems for visual inspection. Barco has a network of subsidiaries, distributors and agents in almost 100 countries. Barco is quoted on Euronext Brussels and is a BEL 20 and a Next 150 company.
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