interactive multimedia
Auckland War Memorial Museum - City Gallery

The Complete Package staff completed the design, production and installation of all the audio, video, interactive and lighting exhibits for the City Gallery, Auckland War Memorial Museum. We produced the programmes for all the exhibits which included:

• 6 Video exhibits
• 6 Audio exhibits
• 1 Lighting exhibit
• 3 Interactive exhibits

The City Gallery tells the story of modern Auckland. All the AV equipment and even the velvet curtains were supplied as part of the job.

Mapping Growth

On entering the City Gallery, the first thing you'll see is a giant lighting exhibit illustrating Auckland's growth. This process is demonstrated by a series of lights, starting with one in 1840 when the first immigrants settled on the Auckland isthmus. More lights appear for every 10 years until hundreds of lights show on the display, representing growth from Warkworth to Pukekohe.

Shifting Gear

Three giant screens show simultaneously inside a custom-built replica tram. We took Belich's treatise on why the "Big Four Cities", Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin became the "Big One" - Auckland - and provided a vivid audiovisual mix of archival photos and footage. An original six track music score was composed by Romy Castles. We move from Auckland's natural benefits of sun, sea, surf and sand to glimpses of the city's gradual population explosion as growth creates more consumers: refrigerated shipping in 1882, Auckland's grasslands doubling when the rest of the country's stayed static, flat land for large factories, the harbour bridge opening in 1959, the jets of the 1960s, the drift to the cities including Maori, Pacific Islander, Dutch, 10 pound Pom immigrants.

Looking At Ourselves

Six radio exhibits from the archives take you back in time. These include Aunt Daisy, much loved radio host of the 1950s-1960s, the voice of politician-broadcaster "Uncle Scrim" and Prime Minister Michael Savage, current events such as the Queen's coronation and the Tangiwai disaster and the tumultuous birth of private radio in New Zealand (Radio Hauraki). We supplied state of the art audio handsets where the complete programme is recorded on a computer chip.

His Majesty's Theatre

The much lamented His Majesty's Theatre which succumbed to the developer's bulldozers has been recreated in part for a silent screen treatment of New Zealanders. We see the first moving pictures dating from 1896, King George V's welcome in 1926, the All Blacks return home in 1906, the arrival of the Great White US fleet of 1908, clips from veteran New Zealand cinematographer Rudall Hayward's 1926 film,The Last Stand.

Looking At Ourselves

The advent of television is shown with three programmes on original sets. "First Sight" is from the introduction of TV in New Zealand to the 1960's. "Marking Time", the mid-60s to mid-70s (shown in black and white) and "Full Colour" the great events and a look at ourselves on TV from the 70s to early eighties. With early TV commercials from Rinso, Chesdale and "That's Good Coffee"'. We see clips from dramas, game shows, sports and current events, events such as, President Johnston glad handing well wishers in 1966, Norman Kirk against nuclear weapons in 1973, the 1975 Maori land march and the 1981 Springbok tour.

City Futures

The contemporary story of Auckland from the mid-80s to the 90s and a projection into the future. The programme swings from very positive parts of Auckland to the more negative events in our recent past. Auckland's power crisis, Hero parade and America's cup are seen on the wide screen. Among the predictions for 2020: a harbour tunnel. The programme ends by taking a prediction of the gallery entry lighting display and looking where the population might be in 2040.

Pinball Properties

"Pinball Properties", an Auckland real-estate pinball game, was created by us and is played on a restored 1970's pinball machine. Lots of bells and whistles.

"Night Mayor" Touchscreen Game

You're in charge of the city and have to make the right decisions as a series of disasters strike. Can you save the city? If you can't, you'll be thrown out of office.

We wrote the story, designed and produced the touchscreen game "Night Mayor" for the City Gallery in Auckland Museum. This game allows you to be the mayor of greater Auckland for several minutes. Many disasters strike the city and action has to be taken to save the city. If you get a low score you lose the city and get thrown out of office.

Turnstiles

To exit the City Gallery, you must pass through the Turnstiles exhibit. Visitors are asked the question "Should greater Auckland be managed as four cities or one?" The results of previous visitors are displayed below the question.

We designed and built 3 customised data signs for this exhibit which we connected up to old turnstiles the Auckland Museum supplied. The question is easily changed with a remote portable keyboard and the scores set to zero for a new question.

Auckland Museum praises our production expertise

"The videos provide the perfect technological partners to the displays in the new gallery." - Auckland Museum Director Rodney Wilson

Our presentation of the growth of Auckland City from 1840 to the present day opened at the Auckland War Memorial Museum's new City Gallery on December 17, 1999. 

The gallery is the first stage of the museum's expansion programme and is a must-see event for all New Zealanders and overseas visitors who visit Auckland's magnificent museum building. This is the first time that the story of Auckland has been displayed in this form of information and images. 

Six DVD video programmes look at the making of modern Auckland, early cinema in New Zealand, the story of television in New Zealand and a look into the future. Our illustration of Auckland's explosive growth is ably interpreted by leading New Zealand historian Jamie Belich. "(The videos) provide meaningful background and context for the static exhibits." - NZ Infotech Weekly