Museum Experience

Mount Vernon: Education Center Refresh

Mount Vernon reimagined their Education Center, updating their previous experience to include new immersive projected films, interactive games, animated data videos and much more.

In partnership with our friends at Solid Light and the Mount Vernon team, Wide Awake was contracted to create media for several experiences throughout the updated Education Center. From producing a large-scale greenscreen shoot to being projected onto the walls of “The President’s House”, Wide Awake was tasked with creating captivating visuals, telling compelling stories and delivering engaging interactives that could both tell the history of George Washington and Mount Vernon and also engross the visitors in a unique way.

“The President’s House” Projection Films

“The President’s House” experience allows the viewer to be a fly-on-the-wall as Washington and his guests contemplate major decisions for America’s future. The actors were filmed in a large greenscreen studio and later composited into 3D sets alongside animated motion graphic elements to help reinforce the discussions at hand and move the sequences from wall-to-wall in the exhibit space.

“Enslaved Cabin” Exhibit

The “Enslaved Cabin” exhibit is a powerful look at some of the enslaved inhabitants that lived at Mount Vernon. The projected film is shone through the doorway of a partially built cabin set, featuring full-sized models that might have lived within. A mix of live action and motion graphics help tell the stories of these souls who lived and worked within the grounds of Mount Vernon.

Animated Map Data Videos

Two animated videos in the exhibit showcase important data from 1732 & 1799, including population data, imports and exports, newspapers being published, and more. The videos help put context to the time period in which Washington lived and how America changed over that course of time.

Interactives

Mount Vernon has a number of interactive stations throughout the updated Education Center experience. Wide Awake was tasked with helping to create two of the interactive games in the space. “Ship of State” focuses on the hard questions that Washington faced and the possible outcomes of his decision making. The “Revolutionary Harvest” game is focused on the important crops of the day and players are challenged to grow the crops, balance their soil and monitor their profits for a successful growing experience.

“Ship of State” interactive game