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Seymour Community Historical Society

Education | Museum

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When the Seymour Community Historical Society (SCHS) wanted to create a new, state-of-the-art museum, they chose Balance Studios to help with everything from concept, design, branding, tagline creation, fundraising, marketing components and of course, developing engaging interactive and multi-media components to tell the history of this proud Northeast Wisconsin town.

The SCHS wanted to display the large collection of artifacts they had collected over the years, but the group was acutely aware of the changing expectations of today's museum goers and wanted Balance to make the exhibits appealing and relatable to the younger generation. While their first challenge was to raise funds for the project, the next priority was to ensure that they incorporated engaging, interactive visitor experiences to appeal to younger guests.

The Balance team combined the traditional model and artifact displays with modern technology, interactive components, archival film/photos, and 3D imagery to create an educational, dynamic, and unparalleled presentation.

Balance also developed the organization's website to promote the new project, use to aid in fundraising, and keep visitors up-to-date on the museum's progress. To add a personal touch, the creative team created the concept to recreate Horatio Seymour, the city's founder, as a photo-real 3D AVATAR to serve as the spokesperson for the group's fundraising efforts.

No stranger to museum development, Balance helped with exhibit construction, the museum layout, and visitor flow through logistics. The creative team also led in the concept, design, and development of the museum's multi-media and technology exhibits with an emphasis on visitor experience and using tech to create edu-taining interactives to excite and engage a younger generation. The innovative solution-finders utilized and multi-purposed previously created assets when they could, and developed new multi-media technology that can evolve with the museum. 

Project image — left
Project image — right
Horatio Seymour 3D Animation & Motion Media

Horatio Seymour 3D Animation & Motion Media

Balance presented the idea to create a unique fundraising video integrating exciting new technology…that of recreating the city's founder, Horatio Seymour, in photo-real 3D to act as the fundraising spokesperson through video and online venues. Working from black and white photographs, the Character Design and Animation Team designed, modeled and brought to digital life, Horatio Seymour, to encourage donations to the new museum. To capture the voice of Horatio, Balance hired talent from Disney and utilized their own proprietary facial capture software, combined with traditional hand animation (and had a lot of fun with the hair) to create a dynamic AVATAR.

With their star born, the Balance Motion Media department used the 3D Horatio Seymour AVATAR in its We All Have Roots in Seymour exhibit. The team combined the AVATAR with creatively manipulated historical still photography, motion graphics, and a branded graphics package and edited an emotionally moving fundraising video experience. When fundraising was complete, the video was updated, revised, and repurposed to use as a new Visitor Welcome video, still starring the 3D Horatio Seymour AVATAR.

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Seymour Interactive & Digital Technology

Seymour Interactive & Digital Technology

Balance developed the organization's website to kick off the fundraising efforts, but ensured that the site would have longevity after fundraising efforts were done. By integrating a custom Content Management System (CMS), the historical society administrator could add information, share the new building plans, update donation levels, share newsletters, and other information. When the fundraising goals were met, the site expanded to include a news section and a robust image gallery with an image search incorporated to help guests find specific Seymour images quickly.  

1911 Aeroplane Simulation

1911 Aeroplane Simulation

Touch Screen Application

To commemorate one of the most exciting instances in the Seymour Fair's 130-plus history, Balance developed a 1911 Aeroplane Simulation game to recreate the thrill fair goers experienced upon seeing an actual aircraft, most for the very first time. As it was only eight years since the Wright Brothers' first flight, air crafts were still very rare. When news broke out that an aeroplane took off and landed in front of the the fair grandstand, the community was abuzz.

The creative team's interactive gaming application pays tribute to this unique time in Seymour's history and features a 1911 Curtiss Pusher plane. Players use on-screen controls to get the air ship off the ground, fly through hoops, and land the plane in front of a depiction of the 1911 grandstand. When the pilot operates successfully, the crowd cheers and when he or she crashes, they boo. The interactive favorite is high-flying fun for museum guests of all ages.

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Kuehne Game Touch-Screen Kiosk

Kuehne Game Touch-Screen Kiosk

Touch Screen Application

To edu-tain the you and young at heart, Balance developed an animated touch-screen interactive that tests visitors' knowledge of local history using the story of Robert Kuehne, a prominent businessman from Seymour whose family is often credited with the town's growth. 

Using their proprietary 2D Snippets animation style, the team utilized a fun, youthful interface design to appeal to all generations. The creative game features 20 quiz questions and eight bonus questions about the Kuehne brothers' history and operations of their auction barn and cattle farm. Each question is accompanied by animations, sound FX, and music. After completing the quiz, visitors learn how close to a "Seymour historian" they are based on their score. 

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Hamburger Charlie

Hamburger Charlie

As Seymour is known for being the Home of the Hamburger, Balance created a unique opportunity for guests to see themselves as original hamburger inventor, Hamburger Charlie. The team created a digital image capture application and combined it with projection technology. Visitors look inside a kiosk to see a photo capture of their face displayed onto a statue of Hamburger Charlie, wearing his white apron and holding, of course, a hamburger.

Hologram Experience

Hologram Experience

When the SCHC wanted to add to their already extensive funeral home display, the Balance team used cutting-edge technology to create a hologram-like experience for the popular exhibit. Creating a conventional hologram is a very expensive process, but the solution-finders at Balance used their digital expertise to create the same effect, at a much more affordable cost.

At the start of the experience, guests go into a room set up like an 1800s funeral parlor complete with a piano, historical casket and a baby casket on display. Visitors then push a button to meet Phillip Mule, the owner of the first funeral home in Seymour. Balance's unique application brings Mr. Mule back to life in a hologram state where he relates a history of his casket making and funeral parlor businesses and tells guests about how a beautiful glass-sided funeral carriage was set on fire by over-zealous local men celebrating the end of World War II. The creative team even found a descendant of Phillip Mule and filmed him on a green screen to incorporate his voice and movements into the characterization of the hologram version of the Seymour businessman. Balance's imagination and innovation made a fascinating exhibit even more engaging – and museum guests and the SCHS? They were thrilled to death.

Aerial View Touchscreen Kiosk

Aerial View Touchscreen Kiosk

Touch Screen Application

Balance designed and programmed the Seymour Aerial Application, an interesting interactive touch-screen kiosk that shows Seymour in 1949. Housed in an elegant and rich interface with a nostalgic vibe, the kiosk displays an aerial picture of Seymour as it was in 1949. 

Guests can tap on specific buildings and, as they navigate down into individual historical buildings and sites, they see images and listen to audio clips from individuals talking about Seymour's past. The interactive display features many of Seymour's businesses, music of the era, and interviews with local citizens. 

Barbershop Exhibit Extended Content Tablet Application

Barbershop Exhibit Extended Content Tablet Application

Mobile Application

To add an interactive element to the museum's Barbershop exhibit, Balance created an Extended Content Tablet Application so guests can dig deeper into the history of Mac's Barbershop and find additional information, images, and audio clips.

The interactive draws in users with a stunning attract screen that features a scene from the 1960s barbershop and guests learn from owner Mack Miller and his son, Chuck, about what working in the shop was like in the 1960s and early 1970s. Users can select from 10 hotspots on the interesting interactive, including historical information and images of tools-of-the-trade such as curling irons, a beauty cap, hair clippers, combs, a barber chair, and more.

Wedding Exhibit - Old Time Radio

Wedding Exhibit - Old Time Radio

For the museum's Wedding Exhibit, Balance configured an old-time radio with an MP3 player and motion sensors. Each time a visitor approaches the exhibit, the music starts and guests enjoy the wonderful music of Polka Ray, a popular wedding dance song in the 1900s.

The Idea

To help build an entirely new, state-of-the-art museum to share the history of a proud Wisconsin community and incorporate interactive elements to appeal to younger guests.

Services

From design to development, marketing to multi-media – and everything in between – our client-partner's goals are our priority. Partnership, passion and powerful storytelling, we meet every project with the same pride as the partners who trust us. And helping to create curiosity about community connections that could bridge generations and inspire an appreciation of the past? What could be better than that?

The Result

Visitors from near and far love exploring and experiencing the interactives in the Home of the Hamburger, Seymour, WI. 
Attendance numbers continue to increase allowing the museum to add new exhibits annually!
“The Seymour Historical Society has had a working relationship with Balance Studios for the past several years. When it came time to build and equip our new community museum/learning center we wanted to work with a company that took pride in conveying the proper historical message in a manner that was innovative and engaging. Having done personal business with Balance for ten years, I knew they were the right choice.

The Balance staff is on the cutting edge of innovativity (a new word - a combination of innovation and creativity) in utilizing the latest in technology to bring exhibits to life. Their digitized version of Horatio Seymour is a real attention getter as is the custom touch-screen kiosk featuring Seymour businesses. In addition to technological acumen, Darren, Tina, and Heidi, with whom we worked, possess positive people skills that put the client at ease. Their infectious enthusiasm and positive attitudes reflect their business plan...

1. Ethics and communication - The best! Darren, Tina, and their staff are excellent people of high character.

2. Creative process - Darren and the technicians can do amazing things. Darren is a great idea person. Tell him what you want and he will come back with many possibilities.

3. Technological know-how - The best. They are on the cutting edge. They have a process where they won't sign off until you are happy and then they follow-up. Our exhibits have held up really well.

4. Ability to meet your needs - They will work with you. No hidden costs.

Expect the best from Balance. They have my highest recommendation.”

~ Bill Collar, President – Seymour Community Historical Society

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