Enlightening lightning! Producing and directing a multimedia planetarium show

Abstract

Starting with a group of lightning researchers, planetarium staff, and visualization specialists, an academically diverse group was formed through a grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a planetarium show on lightning. The show target audience is middle school aged children. The goal of the show is to teach lightning safety and lightning facts in an immersive environment. Through the use of video, an animated character, and a meteorologist, the curriculum is presented to the audience. I fulfilled the roles of producer and director through all aspects of production. My role also included maintaining group organization and communication throughout show production. This paper discusses my experiences in producing Enlightening Lightning! by starting with outlining the curriculum and finishing with putting it all together at the planetarium. The goal of this paper is to discuss the techniques and organizational methods used to manage a diverse group and produce a multimedia show.