The cataclysmic natural forces that shape the earth collided inBaton Rouge last weekend.
“Forces of Nature,” the newest large-format filmplaying at the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Artand Science Museum, explores these phenomena and the people whostudy them.
The planetarium had a premiere for “Forces ofNature” last week with three showings of the film and severalexhibits hosted by University professors and students from variousschools.
The large-format film is similar to an IMAX film, only with adifferent brand name and broadcast on a different type of screen,said Kendra Kimmons, the Marketing Public Relations Director of theplanetarium.
The film is broadcast onto the 60-foot dome of the planetariumand takes up nearly three-fourths of the ceiling.
“What I think is one of the benefits [is that]you’re almost completely surrounded by the images,”Kimmons said.
Kimmons said the planetarium staff looked at several movies tobring to Baton Rouge, but eventually chose “Forces ofNature” because it received acclaim from the Giant ScreenTheater Association.
The film had a “soft premiere” two weeks ago, but itwas not heavily promoted until last week for Friday’spremiere, Kimmons said.
Kimmons also said the film’s three showings on Fridaynight sold out.
This is the first big premiere that the planetarium has donesince opening in May 2003, Kimmons said.
“I think it will be embraced by the community,”Kimmons said.
While expectations were a little higher because of the hugebuildup from the planetarium, the film was interesting, said LauraFreeman, a secondary education biology senior.
“They did an excellent job promoting it,” Freemansaid. “It’s a really cool theater.”
The hurricane wind-tunnel demonstration set up by Universityengineering students, as part of the premiere’s festivities,also drew huge crowds.
“A lot of people participated and there was a lot offeedback from the crowd,” said Jonathon Bollinger, anelectrical engineering senior.
The wind tunnel is a mechanical engineering project that tookone semester to design and one semester to build, Bollingersaid.
The wind tunnel was set up to show people what high-speed windscan do to a home during hurricanes and what steps can help minimizedamage.
Dave Gilhousen, a meteorologist with the National Data BuoyCenter, also lectured on tornadoes, and set up a table-sizedtornado demonstration.
Gilhousen helped to design and develop a unit called the”Teaching Tornado,” which he uses to teach students andperform demonstrations on tornadoes.
“I think [being involved] helps students because theythink they’re actually doing science,” Gilhousensaid.
The “Forces of Nature” premiere stayed activethroughout the duration of the three showings, and audienceparticipation and response to the film was overwhelminglypositive.
Rebekah Blanchard, an elementary education junior, works at themuseum and worked a tornado demonstration at the premiere.
Blanchard said, the children have especially been really excitedand happy about the demos set up at the premiere, and the movieitself has received an abundance of positive feedback for itsrealism.
“I thought it was really good,” Blanchard said.”I even got a little motion sickness because it was a littletoo real.”