Harkness Screens Dives into Another Dimension at National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium

Edwards Technologies, Inc. (ETI), a leader in 3D digital theatre installations at entertainment venues worldwide, was given the task of equipping the new 3D/4D theatre of the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium's $40-million expansion, they turned to Harkness Screens, the world's leading manufacturer of projection screens and its Spectral 240 3D presentation surface.

With a 38' wide by 21½' tall, curved Harkness spectral 240 3D screen, the new immersion large-format 3D/4D digital theatre, the first of its kind in the region features 134 stadium style seats, 3D images that jump off the screen and 4D special effects such as dramatic scent, wind, water mist, and seat movement to enhance the viewer experience.

"Harkness' combination of performance, price and customer service made them the obvious choice for this project," says Mitch Hartmann, technical director at ETI. "We have used Harkness Screens for many years and their 3D presentation surfaces consistently provide superior images."

The Harkness Spectral 240 3D screen is considered by cinema exhibitors and special venue operators worldwide to be the optimum 3D projection surface for systems using polarized light. The Spectral 240 features a high extinction ratio and provides spectacular 3D images. The surface also supports 2D images and can be used successfully in auditoriums where 2D and 3D are both shown. The intrinsically high gain (2.4) overcomes light losses in 3D systems.

"We like using Harkness' wraparound approach because they are able to create a screen that makes the image appear to float in space showing no discernable frame around it. The frame is completely concealed," adds Hartmann. "The films look amazing and we have received nothing but positive feedback from the client. Harkness does a great job listening to our needs and delivering a fantastic customized product."

The theatre presents two 4D films in rotation, The World of Sharks, an up-close look at a variety of shark species from the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and Turtle Vision, a fun and colorful 4D animated story of the adventures of Sammy, the sea turtle. The two features are shown in rotation with a new film screening every 45 minutes, giving guests as many opportunities as possible to catch a screening of either or both films.

In addition, the Spectral 240 will also be used for large format equivalent of 2D films in high-definition from Blu-ray, enabling the museum to host screenings of other films on a seasonal basis. "Our visitors are amazed at the quality of the 3D images coming off our screen," says John Sutter, director of marketing, National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.