Digital fire pit at NMAI

National Museum of the American Indian Upgrades Immersive Video ExperienceThe 120-seat circular theater immerses visitors in an exclusive 13-minute presentation titled “Who We Are,” designed to portray the vibrancy and diversity of contemporary Native life—exploring the organic bond between communities and their land, religion, traditional knowledge, government and expression.

The 12-meter diameter theater recreates the traditional campfire, native folklore scene—featuring a concentric design with tiered bench seating located around three display systems. The digital full-dome configuration allows the audience to view the “sky” above, while a central “campfire” is simulated using a video projector positioned below the floor onto a screen representing the flaming fire around which Native Americans would tell stories. This digital “fire pit” is surrounded by four smaller screens in the center of the theater.Comment:  Too bad the NMAI was still working on the theater when I was there.

For more on the subject, see Native Documentaries and News.

Below:  "The Lelawi Theater at the National Museum of the American Indian."