The Earth Above
The problem
A fulldome film about Australia's deep-time history needed original capture from country that no stock library covers.
The approach
Build custom drone and panoramic capture systems for dome projection, working with First Nations communities rather than about them.
What was built
Roughly 30 minutes of fulldome film, capture across remote Australia, with Deakin MotionLab and University of Wollongong Science Space, ARC-funded.
The outcome
Best Narrative Film, Dome Fest West 2024. Best Dome Film, Portland Festival of Cinema.
The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia’s Epic History is a roughly 30-minute fulldome planetarium film made with Deakin MotionLab and the University of Wollongong Science Space, funded by the Australian Research Council (CABAH), and produced with First Nations communities. Gavin served as Immersive Media Designer — custom drone and panoramic capture systems across remote Australia, working within dome-projection workflows. Production contracted the 360 drone cinematography to Panogs.
The film won Best Narrative Film at Dome Fest West 2024 — independently confirmed — and is credited by FilmFreeway as Best Dome Film at the Portland Festival of Cinema.
Immersive Media Designer for a 30-minute fulldome film on Australia's deep-time history.
