CREDIT: FANSHAWETV
Images taken with Matterport show the inside of the Holy Roller tank.

Fanshawe’s School of Contemporary Media students, Taylor Meloche and Emma Wilson have set up Fanshawe’s Matterport camera to view the interior of the Holy Roller tank. The Holy Roller preservation team’s on-site lead, Gary Cambridge has been overseeing their efforts.

Matterport captures the three-dimensional space of any dwelling. The all-in-one platform uses pictures from devices like your iPhone or iPad and transforms them into 3D interactive graphics. The model is ideal for designers, architects, engineers, real estate professionals, and more. From publishing street views to schematic floor plans to creating guided tours, the outcomes produced by the platform are endless.

“It [Matterport] is very interesting,” said Meloche, a two-time graduate taking Advanced Filmmaking in the fall. “We’ve used it a couple of times in our programs, but very little. Originally, Gary asked for photographs for the inside of the tank. But I proposed this idea to him, as it takes 3D scans and you’re able to view everything inside. It’s more personalized, in which, you will feel like you’re inside the tank.”


The pair were surprised and honoured to be able to partake in a project that focuses on a tank with such historic significance.

“We were crawling around for a few days [inside the tank],” said Wilson, who is going into her second year of Broadcast- Television and Film Production. “That was something I certainly didn’t plan on ever doing, definitely a once in a lifetime thing. Because the more you think about it, it’s like, we’re crawling around in something was in D-Day and survived. Like, it’s kind of insane to think about, especially while you’re crawling inside, that this was where teenage boys sat during war.”

The utilization of Matterport to document a historic feature opens doors to many outside of the housing industry, where it is typically used today. For Meloche and Wilson, the opportunity to visibly record their involvement and showcase it worldwide was an incredible event. They wish to be more involved with a variety of technological devices and to use them to share experiences with individuals across Canada.

“It definitely gives more opportunities to get out there, especially with the LIDAR scanning and the Matterport,” said Meloche. “You can connect with people all over the world and showcase your crazy experiences.”

“It’s not just about film and television, like we can do other stuff using old or new technology,” added Wilson. “I’m kind of hoping to make a documentary about it, like the restoration process of it. It’s cool that we got to use it, whereas some schools don’t have this type of technology.”

Both students experienced losses in their learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The constant changes in phases, safety protocols, and lockdowns greatly limited their involvement in multiple events and activities.

“Again, this was definitely something we never expected being a part of. It just kind of fell into our laps,” said Meloche. “My first year wasn’t the best because of COVID, there was limited hands-on opportunities. I felt I wasn’t broadening my view of the industry. But being able do these little integral projects, like fashion shows and this, definitely gave us more experience in the industry than we ever expected.”