www.avinteractive.com: The multi-screen BEASTS experience – part of Chester Zoo’s Super-Natural Halloween event – deploys immersive floor projections and 360° visual displays to take visitors on a journey through a world inhabited by mythical creatures, as well as snakes, frogs, bugs and slugs.
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I won’t hide the fact that I’m somewhat of an 'anti-projection' advocate in theater production. Personally, I believe that one of the most essential elements of theater is its ability to immerse audiences using tangible, ‘real’ elements, rather than relying on projections or digital effects. Theater, at its core, is an art form rooted in the physicality of live performance, where the audience shares the same space as the actors and the set. This physical presence is a key aspect that differentiates theater from film, where special effects and projections are more naturally integrated and expected. When I think about experiences like going to a zoo or stepping into nature, the value lies in the sensory details. The feeling of the breeze on your skin, the smells of the environment, the textures you can reach out and touch. These elements create a connection that simply can’t be replicated on a screen or through artificial imagery. Trying to recreate that connection through projections or images, especially in a theatrical setting, feels like a complex and somewhat contradictory approach. Instead of bringing audiences closer to an experience, it risks pulling them into something fabricated, making it harder to truly connect with the atmosphere and emotion of the piece. To me, the magic of theater is found in its raw, ‘unfiltered’ experience. By relying on physical elements and real, live storytelling, we give audiences something special, something that can’t be reproduced or replayed. A moment that exists only in that time and space, felt, and experienced uniquely by each person present.
This is a really neat concept, which I think was implemented really well (at least from what I can tell from the photos). I really love the idea of incorporating representations of mythical creatures into zoo exhibits - especially through a more immersive type experience like this one. It’s also nice that in this case, it helps a good cause towards conservation. I think that projects and installations like this one that are designed to attract and cater to young families and people of all ages are invaluable, and really nice uses of technological advancements like this one. I know when I was younger I would have been obsessed with being able to see these creatures that I’d only ever read about in a 360 degree experience - even through screens. While I will never get to see this exhibit, I really do hope that people enjoy it and that it is received well.
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