tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317052042177627905.post6609799558169259424..comments2023-06-10T10:09:21.134-04:00Comments on ExhibiTricks: A Museum/Exhibit/Design Blog: "Book" That Exhibition! (But Only if There's a Movie or TV Tie-In.)POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05111591384018210698noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317052042177627905.post-44037746460981900582008-12-18T13:58:00.000-05:002008-12-18T13:58:00.000-05:00Having worked on my share of pop culture-related e...Having worked on my share of pop culture-related exhibitions, I'd like to reaffirm what others have said and amplify it. Pop culture is a great tool, but only a tool. You can use it to interest visitors in mission, or you can use it to generate revenue, or you can do both if you try really hard. <BR/><BR/>With our Star Wars exhibition, we worked long and hard to make the real world content as powerful as the movie content. Thus far, it's been successful, but it's been successful because we planned it that way from inception to opening. <BR/><BR/>If you've got a mission, and you develop a pop culture-inspired exhibition to serve that mission, it can be every bit as appealing, and immersive and (insert marketing buzzword here) as anything Premier or AEI or Becker Group is currently renting. The trouble is that it's a lot more work, and that means it costs a lot more. I don't think the big exhibit companies' business model can tolerate the added expense of developing the kinds of exhibitions we *want* to book, so they're left to try and find enough venues willing to gamble.<BR/><BR/>What I find discouraging is that companies continue to develop these gigantic exhibitions with no educational goals, and assume that museums will take them anyway, and either "add some content" to make them less inappropriate, or take them as is and hope the public doesn't mind. As long as enough institutions are willing to take the risk in the name of generating revenue that we will remain stuck in this dynamic.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06490800692200145594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317052042177627905.post-53447123384591033312008-12-16T22:51:00.000-05:002008-12-16T22:51:00.000-05:00Thanks for your comments!I love exhibits with pop ...Thanks for your comments!<BR/><BR/>I love exhibits with pop culture tie-ins that actually fit the museum and mission. (Star Wars and the science in it pleasantly surprised me.)<BR/><BR/>It's that aspect of "cheapening" the museum experience that Meg mentions that really gets my goat.POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05111591384018210698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317052042177627905.post-4713027145168312832008-12-16T12:12:00.000-05:002008-12-16T12:12:00.000-05:00I was never a fan of pop culture exhibits but afte...I was never a fan of pop culture exhibits but after having put up a few, it is amazing to see how much many visitors like them. Movie props look very cheap when you see them in person.<BR/><BR/>I was working in a history museum at the time and believed that many people confuse history with nostalgia. I still need to get my head around that. Nostalgia is warm and fuzzy, history is not. I am not sure if there is a parallel in the science world.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your blog Paul, its in my RSS reader even if I don't comment very often.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08208768184118116769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317052042177627905.post-44420962268359642482008-12-16T11:12:00.000-05:002008-12-16T11:12:00.000-05:00As I expect a lot of people do, I have really mixe...As I expect a lot of people do, I have really mixed feelings about tie-ins with popular culture and exhibits, especially when they are exhibits designed by for-profit companies with more marketing than education in their mission. (That doesn't mean I didn't visit and thoroughly enjoy the Lord of the Rings exhibit when it was at the Boston Museum of Science, or the Star Wars: Science Meets Imagination one, whose saving grace was that there actually was a lot of science in it.) If a popular set of references, including a fantasy universe, can actually inspire a dialogue about current events, scientific issues, or an interpretation of history, I'm all for it. But I think that tossing the mission of the museum out the window in favor of an irrelevant blockbuster cheapens the museum experience as a whole. Incorporating your own elements into the exhibit, programming, or associated exhibit halls that do support your mission could make the blockbuster a more rewarding experience for both staff and visitors.<BR/><BR/>On the more temporary side, I think doing pop-culture tie-ins for programming works very well, and have done it repeatedly. "Superhero Science" that uses Spiderman to talk about polymers, the Invisible Girl and Romulan cloaking devices to talk about invisibility and camouflage, or our upcoming "Discovery Wizards: Science of Harry Potter" festival are all ways to tap into a set of common references to bring new and exciting information to your audience in terms they already like and understand. Programs are also faster to develop and can tap more immediately into a wave of fan support, without the expense of developing an entire exhibit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com