An original concept by developed Engine Room, National Geographic’s “Empire” is the fascinating story of two iconic architectural projects, the Empire State building and the new One World Tower.
UPDATE: Check out the making of video released by Engine Room:
Press release from Engine Room:
An original concept by developed Engine Room, National Geographic’s Empire is the fascinating story of two iconic architectural projects, the Empire State building and the new One World Tower. For the unique project, Engine Room teamed with Director John Joseph and First Television to produce a documentary special that weaves modern day interviews with recreated historic sequences that transports viewers to time that forever changed New York’s world famous skyline.
Empire’s original perspective, as told through the developers and ironworkers responsible for these massive accomplishments, reveals an important historic continuum in New York’s development. The story of the Empire State building is a truly fascinating record that can never be matched: In the face of the great depression, using no hard hats or nets, iron workers risked and lost their lives to build the Empire State in a mere 13 months. Empire also brings witness to One World Tower, where many of the ironworkers have a lifeline to the Empire State built by great uncles or grandparents in the ironwork trade.
“For many people, the Empire State is an incredible monument to achievement and a symbol of a great city built by many unsung heroes” says Engine Room’s Dan Schmit. “For Engine Room, the project marks an exciting expansion into original property development.”
To bring this story to life, Engine Room utilized animation and visual effects to painstakingly recreate historic sequences that bring the viewer back in time and to the 82nd floor of the Empire State building. Engine Room’s Dan Schmit shot the recreations and cast the historic actors, and his team built set pieces and produced all of the digital elements needed to depict the many facets of the Empire State construction team. Engine Room tapped Zach Kenny to produce and design the show’s beautiful, deco-inspired main titles and interstitial graphics.
The story of the Empire State is interwoven with that of One World Tower, a potent symbol of triumph over adversity built on a sacred site of one of the nation’s most tragic events. Through revealing interviews directed by John Joseph, modern day ironworkers, recipients of a relatively unchanged craft handed down generationally; provide the living links to the experiences and accomplishments of the men who built the Empire State. Little documentation remains for the past workers who created one of the most enduring symbols of architectural beauty and form; Here, their contemporaries forge a new architectural wonder with reverence for a structure built over 80 years ago by grandfathers and great uncles of some of the men forging New York’s newest architectural landmark.
“A documentarian drops into people’s lives and is then challenged to translate their experiences for an audience,” says Director John Joseph. “With Empire, the original voices are long gone, as is most of the historic documentation, but we are able to illuminate the experience through today’s elite ironworkers and with the amazing recreations by Engine Room. The beauty of documentary is taking viewers on a journey to previously unexplored ideas and places. In this case, the world of the premiere ironworker and the extraordinary feat of building these rising towers.”
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
