Project Title: Mixed Media - Crime Scene & CSI Experience
Media Category: Hybrid/Mixed Media
Museum/ Institution: National Museum of Crime & Punishment, Washington, DC
Program Created: 2008
Program URL (if available): http://www.crimemuseum.org/Crime_Scene_Investigation_Experience.html (last part of mixed media exhibit)
Project Image(s) and/or Video
Crime_Punishment.wmv
Media Source(s)/Credit(s):
All photos and video by MKdL, 2011
Program Description: (150-250 words)
This wing of the Crime & Punishment Museum opens with a video of a suspicious character running from a building, which the visitor sees through a window. Then, the visitor walks into the Apartment 13 crime scene. There is a video on loop of the entire crime, including pauses to highlight the leaving of evidence. After the video (or while watching), visitors can use a push button display to light up the various pieces of evidence, while reading about them. The next media portion is a kiosk with touchscreen quiz challenging the visitor to correctly identify the suspicious-looking person from the video at the beginning. From there, the visitor moves through displays of crime lab equipment to a CSI lab with "cadaver". The autopsy table has the last bit of media - sliding targets that light up when placed in front of a visible wound on the cadaver. The push-buttons below each correct target placement start a video explanation of the wound and the role it played, if any, in the murder and following investigation.
Firsthand or secondary review/critique: (150-250 words)
I thought that this was definitely the most engaging and interesting exhibit in the whole museum. While there were many video clips and touchscreen kiosks throughout the museum, this exhibit was the first one where I felt that the media was both necessary and informative beyond what a label could have provided. The mixed media nature of the exhibit also allowed for multiple learning styles to be engaged. The video screens were placed high enough for many visitors to be able to view at any given time, which is something I have noticed not all museums do. My main critique was that both times I went to the museum half of the target/push buttons in the autopsy room were not working, with no indication that anyone had even checked. I think this is a good example of how being innovative requires a more watchful eye from the tech. department. While I still enjoyed the exhibit with broken pieces, I saw many visitors walk away looking rather disgruntled, in particular the younger crowd.
Technologies incorporated:
Video, touchscreen kiosk, push button connected to lighting system, interactive target/push button controlling video
Internally or externally produced: Internally (based on website and exhibit info)
Entry Contributor and Date: Mary Kate du Laney, 7 February 2011
Related projects: http://www.csitheexperience.org/ (Traveling exhibit)
Comments (4)
Leah Juster said
at 7:58 pm on Feb 8, 2011
I feel a little silly for saying this, but I did not know there was a Crime & Punishment Museum. How very interesting! It sounds like it would be a very engaging exhibit...especially if everything worked properly!
Mary Whitworth said
at 11:43 am on Feb 9, 2011
People are curious about crime and how they are solved. This would appeal to a large visitor population since the screens are readable and kiosks offered needed information to work through sloving a crime. I think many of these high tech exhibits have small glitches in them like the one you mention in the autopsy room where buttons didn't work. Was there anything posted that mentions the buttons were temporarily not working?
Scott Sayre said
at 1:13 pm on Feb 16, 2011
Great point about maintenance. All successful museum media program needs a daily and quarterly preventative maintenance plan as well a plan for how to quickly identify, report and respond to equipment and program failures. Museum guards can be trained to test, report and temporarily sign programs, but there also needs to be a strategy in place to rapidly replace or repair the broken program. This can be one of the liabilities of having complex programs produced by external companies. Museums need to work with these firms to develop effective methods for keeping the program looking and working like it is brand new.
Mary Kate du Laney said
at 7:58 pm on Feb 16, 2011
There wasn't anything posted about non-functioning pieces wither time I went - which was unbelievably frustrating.
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