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Squint/Opera delivers immersive media for new Oman Across Ages museum

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Oman Across the Ages Squint:Opera

Squint/Opera, the creative studio, has collaborated with a groundbreaking new national museum in Oman. Located in Nizwa, Oman Across Ages tells the story of the country’s rich history. It was envisioned by the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, and also celebrates the 50-year renaissance under his reign.

Over 50 media pieces, including interactive exhibitions, films, cartoons, and even a virtual reality experience, have been produced for the museum by Squint Opera over the course of five years, working closely with Omani experts.

Oman Across the Ages museum

The museum’s enormous scale is a result of its distinctive desert location, which provides an endless amount of space to tell the narrative of Oman. Two galleries make up the museum: the History Gallery, which explores the country’s varied topography and surroundings, and the Renaissance Gallery, which shows Oman’s dramatic renaissance over the previous five decades.

Unique media design

“An understanding of media design at an architectural scale and a commitment to a unique culture to tell its story are both essential to this project,” says Ben Townsend, project director at Squint/Opera.

Squint Opera produced a variety of media, including interactive games and exhibits as well as sophisticated linear media. For this project, it was essential to have the capacity to conceptualise, design, produce, and integrate media on an architectural scale. Not only are the canvases a playground for media, but the volume of media and depth of storytelling is huge. For this large array of interactives, VR experiences, films, and animations, there was also a requirement for some new tools and techniques.

Squint Opera Oman Across the Ages

For instance, the team pushed real-time software to operate at new resolutions for canvases as large as 20 metres. To pre-visualise drone flight routes, the firm employed LiDAR scans, and for gesture-based interactive experiences, it used radar sensors.

The next generation expects digital experiences, and this museum offers plenty of them. Large format screens allow the Squint/Opera team to engage audiences, animate items in new ways, and generate impact.

Cultural collaboration

Creating Oman Across Ages was a five-year project for Squint/Opera, and it called for deep cultural immersion. To this end, the firm brought in Omani talent, including artists, drone operators, tour guides, academics and teachers. The idea was to help them tell their story, rather than telling it for them.

The team toured the country over several seasons during the course of five years, filming in deep caves, rainforests, mountains, and remote islands. Over that time, they also photographed more than 300 Omanis of all ages from each of Oman’s governorates.

In one particularly difficult shoot, the crew entered a cave where drone operators needed specialised training to descend 120 metres on a rope. This was the project’s most demanding shoo, and one of the hardest in Squint/Opera’s history.

Oman Across the Ages Squint Opera

The end result is a museum that not only showcases the rich history of Oman but also honours the long relationship between Oman and Great Britain. This project exemplifies a tradition of exchanging ideas and contributing to one another’s cultural heritage. Oman Across Ages is a legacy for future generations.

Squint/Opera was also recently commissioned, in collaboration with Sarner International, to create immersive digital media for a new visitor experience at The Peak Tram in Hong Kong.

All images courtesy of Squint/Opera

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charlotte coates

Charlotte Coates

Charlotte Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.

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