When you have a chance to visit the recently opened Observatory that sits atop the new One World Trade Center, don’t forget to take a virtual helicopter tours of New York’s most iconic landmarks.
Virtual helicopter? Sure, the real views from the Observatory levels 100, 101 and 102 are stunning by themselves. But add to that stunning panorama one of the iPads on hand to playback original digital content produced by Napoleon – that way you’ll get one of the most unusual tours ever of New York’s most iconic landmarks.
Involved from the conceptual stage by client One World Explorer Productions, VP/Senior Creative Director Ken Kresge headed the Napoleon team that created 40-plus videos—30–40-seconds each—of places of the city that visitors and New Yorkers themselves will want to see more of, including The Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Central Park, The High Line, Katz’s Delicatessen, and The Apollo Theater.
Touching one of the links triggers a video featuring a helicopter flyover of the attraction and on-location footage accompanied by the insightful narration of noted New York writer Jay McInerney, author of “Bright Lights, Big City.”
To promote the Explorer – that’s the name of the customized iPad that runs the videos – Baumwoll and Wolff once again turned to Napoleon and requested a digital short for display on the One World Observatory’s website as well as a point-of-purchase kiosk on the 102nd floor of One World Trade Center. (Visitors to the floor can rent out the Explorer for $15).
For the 1:22 short, Napoleon created 3D animation of the Observatory, views and visitors to demonstrate the Explorer’s “interactive sight and sound experience” and ultimately produced three versions: one with VO, one with title graphics and one that combines the two.
For Napoleon’s VP/Senior Creative Director Ken Kresge, the project was particularly gratifying.
“I feel like I’m part of something that’s bigger than me,” he says. “As corny as it sounds, I’m really proud of being from New York and working on a project about New York, specifically one that’s so closely connected to 9/11. I finally feel like I had a chance to contribute. It’s the coolest, most historical project I’ve ever worked on and I’m grateful that Marty [Wolff] and Joel (co-founders of One World Explorer Productions) allowed me to have so much input from the very beginning.”
