Science North Team Celebrates Another Award-winning Production

Science North Team Celebrates Another Award-winning Production
8 May 2012

SUDBURY, ON – 2012 is already shaping up to be a banner year for Science North! Hot on the heels of winning two Golden Pixie Awards and Thea's Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) Award for Outstanding Achievement (AOA) – Science Centre Attraction on a Limited Budget – for The Changing Climate Show<, two members of Science North's in-house production team are celebrating another impressive win.

David Lickley, Science North's Director of Large Format Films and Rob Gagne, Science North Senior Producer, have been recognized with the Director's Guild of Canada – Ontario Director of the Year award for their work on Wildfires! A Firefighting Adventure in 4D. The prestigious award was announced during the 2012 Northern Ontario Music and Film in Motion Awards (MFM), held recently in Sudbury. James Lahti, who served as editor on the Science North Wildfires!production, was also awarded a 2012 MFM Award for Film Editor of the Year. The Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards were created as a means of recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of Northern Ontario artists in the music and film industries.

Wildfires! A Firefighting Adventure in 4D is an immersive experience in the Vale Cavern at Science North that uses 3D film techniques combined with motion seating and special wind, water, scent and smoke effects to explore the science of fire behaviour and firefighting. At the centre of the film are the courageous efforts of the stars of the show — firefighters and pilots from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources' Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services section and the equipment and knowledge they use to battle this incredible force of nature. A variation of this film in 3D, complete with special effects, has also been produced for the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault Ste Marie.

“David Lickley and I are extremely proud to be recognized for our work on Wildfires! This production is one of the newest attractions at Science North, and has already been seen by nearly 20,545 people since the launch in October 2011,” exclaimed Science North Senior Producer, Rob Gagne. “Since 1996 our highly skilled staff scientists and in-house production team have been dedicated to developing quality experiences that provide visitors with an ever-changing experience when they visit Science North and Dynamic Earth. The Science North productions that are developed locally also support the broader northern tourism industry, and demonstrate Science North's ever-growing capacity to put out world-class educational and scientific content that can captivate people of all ages.”

“The fire in this film was the biggest forest fire in Ontario in nearly a decade, and the first big fire of a very active summer. Not since 1922 have forest fires claimed as much area in the province,” said Science North Director of Large Format Films, David Lickley. “This was a massive fire, and we were very fortunate to be able to film at very close range, the kinds of air and ground work fire fighters do under extraordinary conditions. FilmingWildfires! was an amazing experience and we are honoured to win the 2012 MFM award for Ontario Director of the Year.”

“I am extremely proud of the creative team at Science North, as they continue to achieve some of the highest honours in our industry. These MFM Awards are a testament to the quality visitor experiences Science North delivers, both locally and in partnership with other organizations in the province, to benefit Northern Ontario,” stated Guy Labine, Science North CEO.

Wildfires! A Firefighting Adventure in 4D was partially funded by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and supported by the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Stimulus Fund.

For a comprehensive list of all of Science North's award-winning productions visit: http://sciencenorth.ca/exhibitsales/about-awards.aspx

To find out more about Science North visit sciencenorth.ca. For more information about the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault Ste Marie visit www.bushplane.com.

To see the trailers for Wildfires! A Firefighting Adventure in 4D, go to sciencenorth.ca/wildfires. Wildfires! A Firefighting Adventure in 4D is a Science North production and is included with admission to Science North – FREE for Science North members.

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