The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks
Last week I visited ‘The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks’; a new immersive show at Lightroom. Moonwalkers follows the story of man’s obsession with the moon, and the numerous people who turned travelling there into a reality. The show was not only fascinating for fans of space travel, but also boasted a beautiful range of graphics to assist in the storytelling. From examples of early man’s fascination of the moon to the graphs and dials showing the trajectory of the various Apollo missions, there was no shortage of wondrous motion graphics to take in.
The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks - Lightroom, King’s Cross
Having never been to Lightroom before, I was surprised by the scale of the venue. After having navigated through several stairs and corridors, I was met by a vast room, with each of the walls featuring floor to ceiling projections.
The projections, designed by award-winning studio 59 Productions, made great use of the space to make the audience feel truly immersed in the content of the show. By projecting onto the floor as well as the walls, the space could be instantly transformed into a convincing depiction of the lunar surface, allowing the audience to marvel at the truly breathtaking environment. It is clear through this show that Tom Hanks has a true and unwavering passion for space, with focus on the innovation of the twentieth century, as well as looking at the space missions of the near future. The use of immersive projected media was an engaging way to share that passion with others and provide more of an insight into what is complex but fascinating subject. All this, combined with a fantastic score and Anne Nikitin and narration by Tom Hanks; what’s not to love?
Projections by 59 Productions
I highly recommend this show and the venue. The advancement in projection technology has opened up huge opportunities for innovative and immersive experiences, so I look forward to visiting Lightroom again in the future.
