Fulldome professional with 15 years of experience in the immersive media. Former head of the Heavens of Copernicus Production Studio and Hello Earth executive producer.  Now with Creative Planet (https://creativeplanet.pl/en/).

Everything shown on the dome must be appealing and visually gratifying. If we neglect this, viewers will get annoyed – not because they don't like what they see, but because most of them will be comparing what they see on the dome to what they're used to. And what they're used to is the quality they know from the recent pop-culture blockbusters – the bright and sharp images they see in IMAX venues, animations akin to those produced by Pixar, special effects like the ones in the film Interstellar, and textures on a par with those seen in top computer games.

We know very well that the bar is set quite high, compared to the technologies and budgets we have at our disposal. In a planetarium, this level of viewer experience is almost unattainable. Unfortunately, viewers aren't aware of this, and they will notice every shortcoming. As show creators, however, we shouldn't take offense. Instead, we need to be aware of this and strive hard to present only shows what viewers do not regard as deficient.

All of this, taken together, might seem to indicate that our work at planetariums is doomed to fail. But in fact, the contrary is true. After all, when the very same viewers go to theatres, they’re not bothered by the fact that the scenery on stage is made of plywood and polystyrene foam. Why not? The set may be very simple, sometimes even symbolic, but it’s always aesthetically pleasing. And this is likewise crucial for planetarium visuals. No matter if we are creating a full 3D animation or a still set of panoramas that serve as the backdrop “stage scenery” for shows, the result must always be visually pleasing.

Take, for instance, the appearance of the night sky in the first planetariums and the illuminated houses made of cardboard that were visible on the horizon of the dome. Was that advanced technology? Not by today’s standards. But was it visually appealing, engaging, and pleasing to the eye? Certainly.

(10 minutes)