Muse and Company has been a partner and advisor to the Oakland Originals documentary series from the very beginning. For our first shoots, they loaned us cameras, sound gear and crew. For test screenings, they provided an edit suite. Most recently, they loaned us an awesomely powerful projector for our summer Jack’s Night Market screenings. We couldn’t have completed the first four Oakland Originals without their generous support.
Converting a vintage airstream into a collaboration space
Who can resist holding meetings in a cozy refurbished 1971 Airstream trailer? Or hanging out in a sports-themed kitchen with basketball hoops, a giant scoreboard and a Steph Curry autographed jersey? Or hopping into an intimate 270° video theater that allows you to fly over the California coast or dip into the Grand Canyon? The team at Muse and Company not only have dreams like these, they get to make them come true.
Airstream installed
Hired by some of the Bay Area’s most dynamic companies (including Google, Visa, YouTube, and Autodesk), Muse and Company has designed and built unique physical spaces since 2005. These environments allow users to express themselves as individuals, but also inspire them to think and live beyond their everyday lives. “We bridge the gap between Burning Man, Hollywood and Corporate America,” says Founder and Senior Project Manager Noah Veneklasen. “We bring talent and artists from all those areas to the world of architecture and design.”
270° video theater under construction
Access to the Bay Area’s rich artistic and ‘maker’ communities is essential for Muse’s business. “We work with the most amazing artists to deliver environments that are different from the usual architectural elements one sees in buildings,” Noah says. He feels privileged to have the opportunity to work with a broad spectrum of passionate artists and craftspeople including welders, set designers, filmmakers, mural painters, photographers and many others. “It’s so rewarding to give a voice and a venue to artists whose work might otherwise not be widely seen.”
Noah puts the final polish the video theater
Noah and his team collaborate with clients and their architecture and construction firms to envision the interior landscape of a building. First they dream big, and then they have to make it real. From their 8,000-foot Oakland fabrication shop and video post-production facilities, Muse and Company designs, prototypes, fabricates and then installs the elements that make a space come alive. Whether they imagine a music-themed lounge with a DJ mix station or a child-friendly kitchen with Cessna 172 Skyhawk plane cut in half and painted crazy colors, Muse’s creations are often whimsical and interactive, and are always designed to engage.
270° video theater in use
Because many of their projects include interactive multimedia, it’s not unusual for the team to jump out of a plane covered with GoPros to capture close-up footage of skydivers, or design a 12-camera rig to send down a river on the head of one of the world’s top kayakers.
12 camera GoPro rig for kayak POV
It’s easy to understand why Noah loves his job. “Nothing we do is standard. For each project we’re creating something brand new,” he explains. “I never get bored. Anything I can dream up, we can go out and find someone to make it a reality.”
Read more at www.museandcompany.com