In Villers-sur-Mer, the Paléospace, which holds the ‘Musée de France’ designation, tells the story of a region where fossils offer a window into the Jurassic period. Together with its team, we created Mission Jurassic, a virtual reality experience that invites visitors to encounter land and marine species from 160 million years ago.
Building on the region and the museum’s expertise
The project draws on the expertise of the Paléospace and the creative vision of Les Vaches Noires. To bring the animals in the experience to life, we worked with the Paléospace’s team of palaeontologists on their anatomy, postures, movements and colours. The proposals evolved through discussions and the variations we selected together.
Turning the encounter into a narrative
The virtual tour takes the audience aboard the Paléospace’s bathyscaphe. Two voices accompany this exploration: Sam, the palaeontologist, and Nova, the on-board computer. Their dialogue guides the viewer’s gaze and gives meaning to encounters with the specimens, both on land and underwater.
An experience from the workshop
Throughout the summer, more than 2,000 people took part in the workshop led by the Paléospace’s science educators and experienced its virtual reality segment. Following the headset-based exploration, an introduction to palaeontology with an educator extends the discoveries.
The workshop is suitable for children aged 7 and over and lasts 30 minutes. The ‘Mission Jurassique’ experience lasts 10 minutes and is available in four languages: French, English, German and Dutch. Booking the workshop in advance with the Paléospace is compulsory.
To find out more about the project and view images, visit our Mission Jurassique page. For timetables and bookings, please visit the Paléospace website.