Realm of Light - Review

Realm of Light

by Antonio Pedrosa (Multimeios,Espinho, Portugal)

Those involved with fulldome know that it is an evolution brought to planetariums, but for those that for a first time go to a digital planetarium and watch this show would come out with the idea that fulldome was created for such an experience.

Realm of Light is a wonderful example of how to use a dome, what are the ingredients necessary to take the most out of this medium, able to take the spectator on a journey far beyond the limits of the dome.

The challenge involved in this production is simple: How to tell the 14 billion year story of the Universe and the surge of the human kind, in 25 minutes? Well, Realm of Light is a brilliant answer.

It nicely leads the spectator, providing room for the different elements to flourish, such as animations, songs or narration. The "smoothness" of the show is one of the main characteristics, giving time to the viewer to absorb all the information and enjoy the experience, where the excellent transitions between the different scenes play a major role.

Aesthetically it is a very beautiful show, the visuals are highly compelling, with breathtaking scenes. The camera movements, the animations, the editing, all cooperate for the wonderful visuals. The visuals are so strong that even if the narration, well done and reduced to a minimum, was absent it wouldn't be noticed.

The sound score and sound design are on par with the visuals. The music plays a very important role in the show, and is able to be the driving force in many of the scenes.

Technically is a very well made show, meeting the standards, with sharp images and clear sound. The credits in the end are very well presented, showing how professional the entire production is.

The leasing information refers that it is a show for all audiences, but in fact it is more than that, it is a show highly recommended for all audiences.