Tell us a bit about your organization and what your specialty is in the film and video space.
Blue Telescope is a media and design studio creating remarkable interactive and narrative experiences for thoughtful and ambitious museums, brands and themed attractions.
What is your organization’s ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?
At Blue Telescope, we like to say that our creative solutions are “hand stitched.” We create experiences that are driven by story, custom developed to fit the needs of both our clients and our end users. We employ technological innovation with precision and discretion, offering visitors a journey that transcends screens, and supports a truly immersive or interactive experience.
How can people join or learn more about what you do?
Because of our bespoke approach, we always encourage direct connection for anyone interested in our team, our work or our methodology. We enjoy connecting with partners in our industry, clients, past, present and future, and any creative interested in developing innovation immersive & interactive solutions.
Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?
Our valued partners at TAIT enlisted Blue Telescope to assist in the creation of the “Become a Superstar” experience – part of the larger “WWE Experience” in Riyadh. Part of a much larger themed experience, the “Become a Superstar” is a high-end, multimedia experience in which visitors create and perform their own iconic WWE Superstar walk-on moment. It’s an amped up, high-glam powerhouse of a production designed specifically for Riyadh that runs smoothly, on its own, and with a high throughput–1 guest every 15 seconds–from half a world away.
What are you most proud of about this piece? What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?
This was a very technically challenging project, requiring capacity and functionality for enormous throughput (a visitor every 15 seconds!), bespoke personalization options, high-end production and the ability to self heal in the face of regular power outages & disturbances in the region. We also needed the project completed on a remarkably tight timeline – the entire “Become a Superstar” experience was completed in under 3 months!
The demand for entertainment-level production paired with the desire for truly engaging opportunities for personalization on such a compressed schedule was undeniably a challenge, and was compounded by the distance between the project’s physical location and our team’s.
What we found is that the challenges posed by the project deeply fueled our team’s creativity. The need for bespoke solutions, both creative & technical, developed & delivered with intense focused matched our ethos, and helped drive our best work. Having a wonderful and well known partner in TAIT also made all the difference!
Do you have any advice to other filmmakers based on your career or your team’s approach to work?
Partner with good people! Our best work is the product of our best partnerships. Leaning into collaboration has expanded our portfolio and allowed us to work with amazing clients, partners and remarkable creatives around the world.
