Open Planet Studios, Photographer – Gavin Thurston
Since 19 June 2025, Our Story with David Attenborough has been shared at the Natural History Museum in London. The immersive experience, which tells the story of humankind and our planet, is open to the public until 7 January 2026. Staged in the iconic Jerwood Gallery, this landmark exhibition invites visitors on a spectacular 360-degree journey through the intertwined histories of humanity and the Earth. Narrated by Sir David himself and produced by Open Planet Studios, the experience blends projection-mapped visuals, cinematic storytelling and immersive surround sound to explore how our shared story with the planet has unfolded, and a glimpse into what comes next.
The project was delivered in collaboration with AV distributor Midwich and its specialist display division PSCo, who supplied the HIVE media servers, with AED supplying the Epson projection system.
Bringing earth’s story to life
The project was led by Open Planet Studios, an award-winning production house behind some of Sir David Attenborough’s most impactful environmental films, including Ocean (Disney+) and A Life On Our Planet (Netflix). To help shape the creative vision and deliver the technical execution, Open Planet brought in Bild Studios as principal contractor. Bild supported early project ideation and oversaw the integration of all production elements, with Luke Halls Studio appointed to lead on video content design.
Inside the experience
The 50-minute show transforms the gallery into a fully enveloping storytelling environment using 17 Epson projectors, 50 speakers and five projection-mapped surfaces spanning all four walls and the floor. It combines real-world footage, high-resolution animation and an original score by composer Nick Powell to deliver a message of urgency, hope and environmental responsibility.
Jonnie Hughes, Co-Founder and Director of Open Planet Studios, states, “Our aim was to immerse audiences in the biggest story of all time and to help them understand the instrumental part they play in this story. The result is like nothing yet created – a captivating experience that takes audiences around the world, above the world, from the micro to the macro, back and forward in time. I am certain visitors of all ages will come away inspired, engaged and, most importantly, hopeful about our future.”
Technology built for immersion
HIVE was selected by Bild Studios to provide the technology platform to drive the entire visual system, which includes a high-performance server architecture capable of flawless 8K media playback, precise sub-frame accurate synchronisation and real-time calibration control.
The content, rendered at 8K H.265 10-bit and played back at 800 Mbps, demanded exceptional media processing power and playback stability. The HIVE system 17 Beeblade Pluto media engines, housed within a single Nucleus chassis and one Beehive rackmount enclosure. This setup enabled HIVE to sample large-format media directly from a centralised master file, streamlining content workflows while maintaining maximum resolution and creative flexibility.
Although the original plan included third-party camera calibration tools, the production team at Bild Studios opted to use HIVE’s built-in Warp & Blend toolset to align all projection surfaces. At the core of the system sat Beesync, which is HIVE’s proprietary HDMI genlock tool. Beesync uses lightweight machine learning to predict and correct HDMI timing drift in real time, ensuring perfect frame synchronisation across every output, everyday.
Seamless setup and support
HIVE engineers worked alongside Bild Studios throughout installation, providing hands-on support for calibration, content testing and system integration. Remote access and responsive technical support further demonstrated the flexibility and reliability of HIVE’s platform in high-profile, time-sensitive environments.
David Bajt, Co-Founder of Bild Studios commented, “We’re really pleased with how seamlessly the HIVE media players powered the Our Story installation at the Natural History Museum. HIVE offered a reliable, high-performance solution for our large-scale mapping needs – all at a highly cost-effective price point”.
The Guardian has called it a ‘trail-blazing theatre experience’, with 4-star reviews from The Times and Time Out. For HIVE, it represents a powerful example of what can be achieved when technology, creativity and purpose come together – delivering experiences that move audiences and make a lasting impression.
Reflecting on the collaboration, HIVE CEO, Mark Calvert comments, “Working inside the Natural History Museum was a childhood dream – it’s a place that inspires generations. But more than that, being part of a project that aligns so closely with HIVE’s values around sustainability, creative storytelling and protecting our only habitable world is incredibly rewarding.”
