Case Study title: Lights, Camera, Action! An Interactive Visitor Experience Using Film, Green Screen Technology and Social Media

Presenter: Adrienne Neszmelyi-Romano (Curator of Education, James A. Michener Art Museum)

Brief Abstract:

In early 2010, the Michener embarked on the museum’s first technology based interactive area in the museum, called “The Screen Test.” This area combined the use of green screen technology, film, and social media in conjunction with the special exhibition, Icons of Costume: Hollywood’s Golden Era and Beyond. In an effort to reach an younger demographic in the 20s-30s, this “The Screen Test” experience was developed which provided the opportunity to visitors to try on costumes, select scenes from iconic films that were represented in the exhibition, and perform them on a green screen stage. Visitors were also given the option to create their own scripts to perform. Following the visitor’s experience, films were later edited and uploaded to YouTube to the larger online community. This demo will present the goals, process, challenges, and outcomes of this interactive space, and assess its draw both onsite and online.

Abstract:

The James A. Michener Art Museum is a mid-sized regional art museum located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania which collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits American art, with a focus on art of the Bucks County region. In early 2010, the Michener embarked on the museum’s first technology based interactive area in the museum, called “The Screen Test.” This area combined the use of green screen technology, film, and social media in conjunction with the special exhibition, Icons of Costume: Hollywood’s Golden Era and Beyond that ran from April 17 to September 5, 2010. The exhibition, Icons of Costume: Hollywood's Golden Era and Beyond, featured the fashions and accessories worn by luminous film stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn, Warren Beatty, Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Kelly, Loretta Young, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many others. More than 50 costumes and objects presented the still-influential designs of celebrated fashion designers, from the 1940s through the 1990s, including Edith Head, Adrian, Walter Plunkett, Orry-Kelly, Bob Mackie and others of legendary renown. In an effort to reach an younger demographic in the 20s-30s, this “The Screen Test” experience was developed which provided the opportunity to visitors to try on costumes, select scenes from iconic films that were represented in the exhibition, and perform them on a green screen stage. Visitors were also given the option to create their own scripts to perform. Following the visitor’s experience, films were later edited and uploaded to YouTube to the larger online community. This demo will present the goals, process, challenges, and outcomes of the creation of this interactive space for visitors using limited resources. This presentation will also attempt to assess the components of this interactive space and its draw both onsite and online.

Session Info

• Type: Case Study
• Keywords: social media, green screens
• Relevance: This demo will tie into the theme of "Igniting the Imagination: building communities locally and globally, on-site and online" and will present a unique type of experience that seeks to build both the onsite and online community of the Michener. In addition, this presentation would be relevant for members of MCN coming from smaller to mid-size organizations that would like to
• hear about a special project utilizing green screen technology and limited funds. This presentation would also have relevance for members of the MCN community who are just beginning to really utilize social media and technology in their exhibition interpretation and what might be some of the challenges that are faced in exploring this new realm. 

Presenter Bio:

Adrienne Neszmelyi-Romano

Adrienne Neszmelyi-Romano is Curator of Education at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She develops, oversees and evaluates all K-12 programming for schools and teachers. She has over twelve years experience in managing museum education, including program development, community collaboration, and developing standards-based interdisciplinary education materials for a variety of platforms, abilities and learning styles. These include but are not limited to: web-based projects, CD-ROM, outreach traveling trunk programs, and curriculum guides. Adrienne was project manager for two web-based projects, including Michener Kids (2006) and Learn with the Michener, (launched in April 2010), and is lead writer for the Learn blog. In more recent efforts, Adrienne has curated interactive experiences for special exhibitions at the Michener involving technology, including a hands-on Resource Room for Jim Henson's Fantastic World and The Screen Test Experience for Icons of Costume. Adrienne holds a Masters in Art Education from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA and an K-12 Art Certification from Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia, PA.