MUSEO DEL ACERO
MONTERREY, MEXICO

VISTA, producers of immersive storytelling experiences, recently completed the feature visitor experience for this museum. Unique special effects and mixed media brought a dormant iron foundry back to life. The theater itself is actually the former iron furnace, which sat rusting and abandoned for the last twenty years.

The story of the construction and operation of furnace number three is told through archival film footage (treated and enhanced to HD) on a seven metre rear projection screen together with the voices of actual workers of that era.

This emotional story relates the dangers faced daily by the workers and their sense of national pride in contributing to Mexico’s development. As these elderly men describe how they made liquid iron, the furnace slowly comes to life. With dynamic theatrical lighting, animated sets, and real flames, smoke, sparks and steam, the audience gets a you-are-there experience of the power and danger of a working iron foundry. The show finishes in a spectacular light show using the giant furnace, a dramatic and complex sculpture, as the canvas combined with an original, rich and uplifting musical score.

“The Sleeping Giant is amazingly spectacular!” exclaims Luis Lopez, the CEO of the Museo del Acero. “The show is truly excellent! The audience lives what they see! It is a deeply emotional experience for the people of Monterrey as this structure and this industry has been a part of their lives for generations.”

VISTA was invited by fellow TAA member Aldrich/Pears Associates to produce the attraction. Working closely with Ron Pears and Tim Lindsay of APA, Vista's Randy Ormston was the producer and Scott Weber was the director. Another TAA member Doug Welch of CD/M2 Lightworks Corp. designed the lighting. Other contributors included Chris Sia who designed the show control; Tim Archer of Masters Digital (Victoria) who designed the rich and complex soundscape; Graeme Coleman who composed the music; and John Laforette of Performance Solutions (Toronto) who developed the special effects and animated sets.

www.vista-arts.com