CSI: THE EXPERIENCE TO DEBUT OVERSEAS
Vienna-based EMS Exhibits Joins CBS Consumer Products and Fort Worth Museum of Science and History to Create an International Version of Popular Museum Exhibit
NEW YORK – September 26, 2008 – CBS Consumer Products has signed a deal with Vienna-based EMS Exhibits to bring the popular museum exhibit, CSI: The Experience, to Europe. The international version of the touring exhibit will debut in Vienna at the Riesenradplatz in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Originally developed by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History with a grant from The National Science Foundation (NSF) for a tour of U.S. science museums, CSI: The Experience gives guests the opportunity to play the role of a crime scene investigator, learning scientific principles and real investigative techniques as they try to solve one of three crime scene mysteries. Two state-of-the-art crime labs will help guests piece together the evidence. With input from investigators from the television show, along with their real-life forensic science counterparts, guests will formulate a hypothesis, validate their findings based on scientific evidence and try to crack the case.
From DNA and f ingerprint analysis to forensic anthropology and toxicology, visitors will be captivated by hands-on science in a multi-media environment with dazzling special effects – direct from the CSI television series. A video introduction by cast members from the TV show will welcome guests into the exhibit, lead them through the experience, and then evaluate their crime-solving savvy as they exit.
"With the launch of this already successful exhibit in Vienna, we're extending the CSI brand beyond entertainment and licensed merchandise into an engaging learning experience for fans around the world," says Liz Kalodner, Executive Vice President and General Manager of CBS Consumer Products.
"We are excited to bring the CSI: The Experience exhibit to international fans of the world's most-watched television franchise," says Christoph Rahofer, President of EMS Exhibits. "I'm particularly pleased about kicking off the European tour with its premiere right here in Vienna, and in a brand new location."
"This project was extremely gratifying, because we had a strong collaboration between museum staff, television producers, educators, forensic scientists and one of the world's top exhibit design firms, Bob Weis Design Island," says Van Romans, president of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. "There was always a strong motivation to use CSI as a way to interest and motivate young people to get engaged in science and problem solving. It was a great example of the synergy that can happen when education and entertainment work hand in hand."
The Crime Scenes
The exhibit's "investigators" will enter one of three different crime scenes where they will identify evidence and record findings on a special investigation card.The The crime scenes vary in intensity, with the mildest being the presentation of skeletal remains discovered in a remote desert.
In "A House Collided" a car has run through the living room window of a house in a quiet suburb. In the driver's seat is a man with his seatbelt on; he is slumped over. The windshield is shattered and the car door is shut. In the living room, there are muddy shoeprints, drops of blood and a stain near a sofa. A pizza box is open with pepperoni pizza spilled on the floor. A beer bottle is by the car door, and a hand print of blood (or is it pizza sauce?) is found on the car hood.
In "Who Got Served?" a young woman has been found dead in an alley behind an old Las Vegas motel. She is sprawled beneath a dumpster overflowing with trash and is wearing a waitress outfit with a nametag that reads "Penny." There is a tire tread across her abdomen, and tossed nearby is a photo of her, which has been ripped in half. No other injuries are visible. Amongst the trash are a handbag and a cell phone.
In "No Bones About It!" a hiker has stumbled across what looks like a human skull sticking out of the ground. It is partially buried by silt and debris. Other bones are scattered underneath the dirt. The skull has a visible hole in it; and among the remains, there are still tattered remnants of a coat and what appears to be a backpack.
Beginning the Investigation
After exiting the crime scenes, guests will refer to a large wall of crime scene photos and clues they may have missed. They will then analyze evidence in two highly interactive lab areas, each featuring multiple stations that allow for various evidence testing.
Guests who are investigating "A House Collided" will compare fingerprints of the victim to the evidence, examine blood spatter patterns, observe the shoes of the victim and tracks found in the room, compare fibers on the victim's clothes with fibers in the room, analyze the victim's blood-alcohol level, compare DNA of the victim with evidence and eventually discover the cause of death.
For "Who Got Served?" the investigation will include reviewing evidence within a cell phone, examining the contents of the handbag, inspecting the purse and headshot for fingerprints, establishing the time of death, reviewing DNA samples, testing powder from the handbag at the scene, and discovering the cause of death.
Sleuths working on "No Bones About It!" will analyze the bullet from the found skull, analyze hairs found with the body, examine a seed found in a pocket of the jacket, study a DNA sample from a tooth, test the DNA of an animal's hair, examine a femur bone to establish the height of the victim, compare dental records to the victim and discover the cause of death.
Cracking the Case
At the end of the exhibit, guests will present their findings in a re-creation of the office of Gil Grissom- the enigmatic CSI head investigator. They will answer a series of multiple choice questions, based on their scientific findings, on touch screens located in this area. After completing these questions, a case summary is generated and guests can match their results to those of expert crime scene investigators!
For additional information on the exhibition, ticket ordering and tour dates, please visit www.csivienna.at (German language version) or the main site at www.csitheexperience.org.
