In 2020 the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, which we better know as Qantas, turned 100. From its humble post-war beginnings in outback Australia to an internationally renowned airline and icon, there is quite a story to tell.
The Qantas Founders Museum, based at the epicentre of the airline’s history, needed a centrepiece for its new airpark development. Featuring 4 historically significant planes, the airpark became a canvas on which to tell not just the 100 year story of the airline, but of people and place as well.
Production designer
Director
Storyboarder
Researcher
Writer
Illustrator
Videographer
Video editor
Photographer
Architecture + design firm Buchan assembled a group of 10 creatives with skills ranging from 3D modelling and animation, to motion design, projection mapping and sound design. But it was critical to find the right story first, so my team worked initially on the research, scriptwriting, screenplay, and storyboarding aspects.
The format was entirely unique; 4 aircraft would serve as both characters and ‘screens’ for the story, and the mighty Boeing 747 would be the primary canvas. An act structure was developed to: break apart the story, help us transition between different styles and media, and clearly define different eras.
To keep everyone on the same page - I laid out a 2+ metre (6+ foot) storyboard structure in order to capture critical moments in the story and visually plan the process of developing visual and audio assets. This was done over 2 days. The storyboard became a keystone in the project, something that the group could refer to, and something that could be shown to the client to indicate progress and what was planned next. It was also used as an animatic, to time the early scripts and see if our target of 20 - 25 minutes was accurate.
Luminescent Longreach is a spectacular nighttime light and sound experience designed to delight, entertain, inform, and move. Stand amongst iconic aircraft as world class projection mapping and 360 degree immersive sound brings the 100 year story of Qantas to life, with the mighty Boeing 747 serving as the primary canvas. Told through 3D animation, traditional animation, and illustration, Luminescent Longreach weaves an unforgettable narrative through time; a story of the daring spirit of early aviation, of iconic planes, wars, distant places, and outback innovation.
Aboriginal people were the first astronomers and are custodians of the star and songline stories, and thusly our story begins with a welcome to country like no other, voiced by an Ininigai custodian.
Luminescent Longreach launched in 2020 and runs year-round.
With a truly apt name, Longreach is situated smack dab in the middle of Queensland. Endless sunsets and an undeniable feeling of space and slowness of time make it a truly magical place.
One of my favourite sequences in the show, and one that I got to personally illustrate, was A Brief History of Flight. Turns out people have been wanting to fly since day one, but our attempts haven’t quite been so majestic.
In 1783 the Montgolfier Brothers set out to test their hot air balloon technology. Unaware of what this might do to human physiology, they bravely selected a chicken, sheep, and a duck to be the first pilots. Somewhere along the journey the sheep kicked the duck, but all participants landed safely and a new mode of air transport was born.
A crew of 20 spent over 2,000 hours mounting and installing projectors, speakers, media servers, lights, and electrical systems on site at the Qantas Founders Museum. An immense amount of time was also spent on calibration, alignment, and colour correction for the 7 projectors, as well as running audio, power, and data cabling.
-2 custom built media servers with custom software and user interface that drives the projection, lighting, and sound.
-7 Christie DLP Laser projectors
-8 Moving head Gobos - IP67 rated
-26 RGBW DMX in-ground up-lights
-6 RGBW DMX floodlights
-Meyer Sound all weather speakers
-Meyer Sound Galaxy processors
-24 discreet audio channels
-6km of audio cabling
-2 DMG fog machines
A little tidbit uncovered during the research phase, and a favourite anecdote of mine. The famed Lockheed Constellation, commissioned by none other than Howard Hughes, featured 4 Wright Cyclone radial engines. These 18 cylinder supercharged beasts were known for their total loss oil systems, and spitting flames upon start-up. They were also temperamental: any airport that hosted Constellations needed to have backup engines available. Modern aviation has come a long way, it’s just not quite as nail biting as it used to be.