London Zoo has launched an immersive 360-degree video installation on the world’s largest LED screen (by pixel density) at Tottenham Court Road’s Outernet. Londoners can take a dive into the underwater world of a colony of penguins, as the incredible new experience lands for the week-long spectacle.
For the first time, an Outernet exhibition will feature a true 360° video, offering visitors a breathtaking panoramic view and soundscape that immerses them in the heart of the Humboldt penguins’ habitat at the zoo. This London Zoo project, overseen by the creative studio Circus and their Head of VR Production, Joby Catto, utilizes cutting-edge VR technology to connect Londoners with wildlife and inspire future conservationists.
National Geographic videographer and virtual reality specialist Ignacio Ferrando Margelí was assigned to film at the zoo’s penguin pool, the largest in England, which holds an impressive 450,000 litres of water and houses 60 Humboldt penguins. The Mallorca-based videographer used a custom-built, penguin-proof, and waterproof camera rig, combining six 4K-resolution GoPro cameras to capture stunning visuals from every angle.
Once the camera was prepped, Ignacio and the Circus production team carefully winched it over the centre of the pool before lowering it into the water. The penguins quickly approached, with the colony’s most curious member, Phineas, taking a few exploratory pecks.
London Zoo penguin keeper Shannon Quinn said, “The penguins are very curious by nature, so they were definitely intrigued by the 360° camera equipment. The greatest challenge was waiting patiently for them to swim close enough to the camera, when they made their laps around the pool. Besides a bucket of fish, the most useful tool – and a penguin keeper’s best kept secret – was a laser pointer.”
Just a short waddle away from the Northern Line, Londoners can marvel at Outernet London before hopping on a train to London Zoo to meet the penguins and 10,000 other animals.
London Zoo’s ‘Penguin Paradise’ installation is now live at selected times until Thursday 1st August at Outernet’s The NOW Building at Centre Point, London WC2H 8LH.
