The documentary Hidden Pacific (2018) opened at the Museum of Science and Industry (M.S.I.) in Chicago on June 15, 2019. It is being screened in the Giant Dome Theater (formerly the Omnimax Theater) in the Henry Crown Space Center daily at 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. On days with extended hours, such as today, when the M.S.I. is open until 5:30 p.m., there is an additional screening at 4:00 p.m. Screenings are not covered by Museum Entry (general admission) and require additional, timed-entry tickets.
The film depicts Palmyra Atoll, which is in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument; Midway Atoll, which is in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument; and Rose Atoll Marine National Monument in American Samoa. In a press release, the producers stated, after principal photography finished at Palmyra Atoll and Midway Atoll, “The storied histories of these two atolls — from the WWII Pacific Theater to their present environmental recovery and ecological research initiatives — will provide the platform from which the film will explore a diversity of science and human stories. The film is produced in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and affiliated organizations, which provided the filmmakers with unprecedented access to the bio-secure islands and marine monuments.”
Produced by Tandem Stills + Motion, Inc. (T.S.M.) in Culver City, California, and Giant Screen Films (G.S.F.), Hidden Pacific had its industry premiere on September 18, 2018 at the 2018 Giant Screen Cinema Association (G.S.C.A.) Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee. G.S.F. announced the film was screened at the G.S.C.A. Film Expo on Monday, March 11, 2019. The plan was for it to open across the U.S.A. in April of 2019 to coincide with Earth Day.
Hidden Pacific is available for cinemas to screen in multiple formats including 2D, 3D, DCI-compliant Digital, Laser CineDome, IMAX® Digital, IMAX® Laser, and IMAX® Dome.[1] Presently, it is being screened in cinemas at cultural institutions (museums, science centers, zoos, and aquariums), as well as other giant screen and IMAX® theaters around the U.S.A. It is being screened at IMAG History and Science Center in Fort Myers, Florida; the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, California; the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts; the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans; Louisiana; and Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. Shortly, it will be screened at other locations in Florida, as well as Seattle, San Francisco, and the states of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio, Maryland, and New Jersey. In Europe, it will be screened in the near future in London, Paris, Zurich, and Rome.
Photographer, cinematographer, and author Ian Shive, founder of T.S.M., served as director and producer. Mr. Shive is a winner of the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography. He is the bestselling author of The National Parks: Our American Legacy and The National Parks: Our American Landscape.
“We are bringing the public an unprecedented view of landscapes and wildlife that are vital to our planet’s well-being and can be seen nowhere else on Earth,” stated Shive. “As our climate changes, sea level rise is threatening these critical refuges for fish, birds, plants, wildlife and coral. These special places, and the dedicated research teams that live and work on these remote outposts, provide an abundance of scientific information. Sharing this knowledge with audiences, building awareness about these important monuments, is our mission with this project.”
“Hidden Pacific is going to be truly special — and stunningly beautiful,” stated Andy Wood, Senior Vice President and Producer at G.S.F. “The footage captured this month on Palmyra Atoll is breathtaking and, from an audience standpoint, merges nearly every quintessential giant screen deliverable — captivating human, science and environmental stories, vibrant coral reefs teeming with sharks, military history, sweeping aerials, rare animals, more sharks, and postcard visuals of a remote tropical paradise. I’m certain every viewer of this giant screen Pacific safari will leave the theater with a deep-felt appreciation for this extraordinary and rare place. We are really proud to be a part of this timely and important project.”
“Our market tests confirm the audience enthusiasm for this topic and the timeliness of the messaging. Among general public audiences, the film scored in the top three out of hundreds of projects our company has surveyed over the years,” stated Don Kempf, President of G.S.F. “Hidden Pacific merges nearly every quintessential giant screen ingredient – captivating human, science, and environmental stories, vibrant coral reefs teeming with sharks, military history, sweeping aerials, rare animals, and postcard visuals of a remote tropical paradise.”
“Hidden Pacific brilliantly captures the work by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and its partners in these remote corners of the glove that provides important scientific discovers and research to inform our ecological future. USFWS is honored to partner with Tandem Stills + Motion and Giant Screen Films to bring these places to the public on such a broad scale using spectacular imagery that offers a window into the world of marine national monuments and hosts an unparalleled journey for viewers,” stated Alice Garrett, Project Lead with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Tandem Stills + Motion brings together photographers, filmmakers, editors, and motion graphic artists to offer a full-service video and post-production arm, Tandem Film. The company states, “This creative facet of the company focuses on story-driven filmmaking geared toward the outdoor and adventure markets. Tandem Film provides a fresh, creative approach to storytelling in the commercial and digital markets, and produces content that both visually engages and brings our clients’ visions to life. From concept to completion, Tandem Film offers a streamlined approach to producing cinematic content that incorporates state-of-the-art filmmaking technology with the latest camera systems in addition to a comprehensive range of postproduction services. Tandem Film houses the technology, creative force, and knowledge necessary for color grading, musical scoring and composition, 2D and 3D motion graphics, and fluid dynamics simulations to produce high-end, high-impact visual presentations.”
Founded in 1997, Giant Screen Films produces and distributes large-format films. Based in Evanston, Illinois, the company states, “Through the magic of immersive sight and sound technologies, GSF’s productions challenge the imaginations of children and adults, offering an inspiring perspective on the world and an unforgettable theater experience. Meaningful educational collaboration and partnerships extend each film’s impact far beyond the theater.”
Figure 1 Credit: Ian Shive, Tandem Stills + Motion, Inc. Caption: This is a still picture from Hidden Pacific (2019).
Figure 2 Credit: Ian Shive, Tandem Stills + Motion, Inc. Caption: This is an underwater still picture from Hidden Pacific (2019).
Currently, the M.S.I.’s Giant Dome Theater is also screening Apollo 11: First Steps Edition and Tornado Alley. Please note that Tornado Alley is being screened through July 31st. The Dover Foundation is the sponsor of the Giant Dome Theater. CIBC is the Season Sponsor.
Often stylized as the “Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago” or the “Museum of Science + Industry” the institution is located at the northern end of the Chicago Park District’s Jackson Park, on the south side of 57th Street, between Lake Shore Drive to the east and Cornell Drive to the west, in the East Hyde Park neighborhood of the Hyde Park Community Area (Community Area #41) on the South Side of Chicago.
Normally, the M.S.I. is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. However, the M.S.I. is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day in July, except on Thursday, July 18, 2019, when it will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. From Thursday, August 1, 2019 to Saturday, August 17, 2019, and on Saturday, August 31, 2019, it will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and from the 18th to the 30th of August, it will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On Sunday, September 1, 2019 and Monday, September 2, 2019, it will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Otherwise, in September, it will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except on Saturday, September 29, 2019, when it will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Throughout the whole of October, it will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except on Saturday, October 5, 2019, when it will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The address is 5700 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60637. The Website is https://www.msichicago.org/ and the phone number is (773) 684-1414.
[1] IMAX® is a registered trademark of the IMAX Corporation.
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