Catalina Island taps digital signage integrator Red Dot Digital Media for tourist attraction

Red Dot Digital Media, a specialty integrator in digital signage, has partnered with underwater filmmaker Mark Davidson to create “Immersed: Ocean Wonders,” a digital experience for tourists on Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California, according to a case study shared with this publication.

Accessible via high-speed ferry from Los Angeles, the attraction features a 30-minute “virtual dive” via a domed digital theater, including kelp forests, whale sharks, manta rays, and more close up views from under the ocean surface. The experience was filmed in 360 degrees at 8K resolution and is presented on a domed screen with music and narration for an immersive experience.

Revenue from the attraction helps support local conservation efforts, with operator Immersive Education committing to donating 10% of annual profits to the Marine Mammal Care Center, a local nonprofit organization.

Technical specifications of the digital experience include a custom interactive touchpanel designed by Red Dot Digital Media to trigger playback, along with a Bluefin touch panel featuring BrightSign Built-In, which leverages UDP commands. The system uses BSN.Cloud from BrightSign as its CMS software platform. The domed theater was designed by Las Vegas firm Lumen & Forge and features air conditioning, acoustic finishing, and both theater and beanbag seating.

“Given the remote location of the theater, it was essential to create a control system that is both easy to use and extremely reliable,” Darryl Kuder, president at Red Dot Digital Media, said in the release. “Using a Bluefin touch screen with BrightSign Built-In, we created a cost-effective, dead-simple operational workflow whereby daily staffers power up the projector and speakers, and with a single tap of the touchscreen they start the first show of the day. At closing time, they simply power down the projector and speakers and lock-up.”

Photos: Red Dot Digital Media.