Cortina Productions

What Cortina Productions does

Cortina Productions is a full-service media design and production firm headquartered in McLean, Virginia, specializing in location-based immersive experiences for museums, cultural institutions, and select corporate clients. Founded circa 1999–2003, the company has built a portfolio spanning more than 100 museum clients, including marquee federal and cultural institutions such as the Smithsonian, National Archives, White House Historical Association, International Spy Museum, Library of Congress, and the New York Historical Society. Its work spans interactive media installations, themed environments, custom video production, and exhibit fabrication delivered as integrated, custom-built projects.

The firm's core technology stack combines interactive authoring and runtime software — notably its proprietary Thematic Collection Interactive Software and Interactive Video Software (priced at $15,000 per license) — with an emerging layer of AI-driven capabilities built on third-party platforms including Stable Diffusion, Flux AI, Microsoft Azure AI, OpenAI, and Pisci.Ai. These AI integrations have been deployed in shipping exhibits such as face-swap/portrait-transformation interactives and AI-assisted storytelling experiences. The technology layer is positioned as a toolset for differentiated, visitor-facing experiences rather than as standalone enterprise software.

Commercially, Cortina operates a hybrid model: the majority of revenue derives from project-based custom design and production services for individual museum and cultural-heritage commissions, with an ancillary, smaller revenue stream from software licensing. Go-to-market is relationship-driven, leveraging a deep domain track record and an award portfolio (SEGD, Telly, AVA, SEMC, ISHA, MUSE) to access a relatively concentrated buyer universe of museums and heritage institutions. Recent activity indicates active expansion into sports-heritage clients (Boston Bruins, New Jersey Hall of Fame) and the Canadian market (Toronto Holocaust Museum), alongside continued investment in AI-native interactives and productized software.

Name

Cortina Productions

Legal name

Cortina Productions

Website

https://cortinaproductions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cortina Productions is a McLean, Virginia-based full-service media design and production firm that builds custom interactive exhibits, immersive media, and themed experiences for more than 100 museum and cultural-heritage clients. It supplements project services with proprietary interactive software and emerging AI-driven exhibit technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Media Design and Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Multimedia Learning Production (Video, Animation, Interactive) (EDAGAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Creator Tools & Content Pipelines for Immersive Learning (VR lesson builders, 3D asset workflows) (EDAFAJAL), Production Design & Art Department Services (Sets, Props, Scenic) (MPADAFAG)

Keywords

• Museum media design
• Interactive exhibit production
• Immersive multimedia experiences
• Cultural institution media
• Exhibit software licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mclean

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Media Design & Production Services: Project-based custom media design and production for museums and cultural institutions, including films, interactive experiences, immersive installations, and exhibit media
2. Software Product Licensing: Licensing of proprietary software products including Thematic Collection Interactive Software and Interactive Video Software to museums and cultural institutions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cortina Productions is a full-service media design and production firm that creates custom films, interactive experiences, immersive installations, augmented reality exhibits, and AI-powered multimedia experiences for museums and cultural institutions. The company also licenses two proprietary software products—Thematic Collection Interactive Software and Interactive Video Software ($15,000)—that enable museum staff to deploy digital exhibits with multilingual support, accessibility features, and analytics.

Product overview

Cortina Productions is a full-service media design and production company specializing in location-based experiences for museums, cultural institutions, presidential libraries, science centers, aquariums, and halls of fame. They produce custom films and interactive experiences, and also offer two proprietary software products: Thematic Collection Interactive Software (templated kiosk software for artifact exploration) and Interactive Video Software (video delivery and management system priced at $15,000). The company leverages AI technologies including face-swapping, generative AI for content creation, speech recognition, and machine learning-powered personalization systems in their client projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Thematic Collection Interactive Software: Ready-to-use interactive software product designed to provide museums with interactive media exhibits.
• Interactive Video Software

Products and services

• Thematic Collection Interactive Software Ready-to-use templated interactive software that enables museum staff to organize, present, and digitally explore themed artifact collections. Visitors can zoom, rotate, and interact with objects linked to physical exhibits, with built-in accessibility features such as keypad navigation and screen reader support. Targeted at museums and cultural institutions seeking turnkey interactive kiosk software.
• Interactive Video Software Ready-to-use interactive video software priced at $15,000 per license that allows museum staff to deliver video content across exhibits. Features include custom graphics matching client style guides, multilingual support, video filtering, responsive layouts (tablet to 4K), WebVTT captions and subtitles, screen reader compatibility, and built-in analytics tracking users, videos watched, and dwell time. Targeted at museums and cultural institutions needing accessible video delivery.
• Custom Media Design and Production Services Project-based custom media design and production services including concept development, design, animation, programming, and installation of films, interactive experiences, immersive installations, AI-powered exhibits, WebAR experiences, and exhibit media. Targeted at museums, cultural institutions, presidential libraries, science centers, aquariums, and halls of fame.

Quantifiable outcome

• SEGD Global Design Awards Honor Award for The People's House
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Phase ShiftsupportingTechnology or Integration · 21 May 2025AV Systems Design partner for Otis Redding Center for the Arts project.
• ShowFabsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 21 May 2025Fabrication partner for Otis Redding Center for the Arts.
• Pisci.Ai (powered by Insight Face)coreTechnology or Integration · 2 December 2024AI technology partnership for International Spy Museum AI disguise interactive, providing advanced face-swapping technology using Insight Face technology.
• Peter Hyde DesigncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 January 2024Exhibit design partner for International Spy Museum's Spying Launched a Nation exhibit, leading the exhibit team.
• Reich and PetchcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 June 2023Exhibit design partner for Toronto Holocaust Museum, collaborating on innovative visitor-first approach to Holocaust education.
• Cambridge Seven Associates (C7A)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 8 June 2023Exhibit design partnership for Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium redesign project. C7A served as exhibit designer working with Cortina on experience design, storyline, and production of digital media exhibits.
• Eskew Dumez Ripple (EDR)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 8 June 2023Architecture firm for Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium redesign project, collaborating on the reimagined facility design.
• Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExhibit design partner for The People's House: A White House Experience with White House Historical Association.
• Forum OnesupportingTechnology or IntegrationDigital service agency collaborating with Cortina on Trinity Church Wall Street Web AR experience development.
• Luci CreativecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExhibit design partner for California Science Center's GAME ON! Science, Sports & Play exhibit.
• HitTraxsupportingTechnology or IntegrationBaseball tracking software partnership for GAME ON! exhibit, providing batted ball metrics alongside virtual instruction.
• TOCAsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSoccer analytics and ball delivery system partnership for GAME ON! exhibit.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of Azure Speech Services for AI-powered Q&A system at Oklahoma City National Memorial, enabling speech transcription and question classification.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rivet Entertainment: Rivet Entertainment is a multimedia production firm specializing in films, interactive media, and immersive experiences for theme parks, museums, and attractions. Direct competitor in custom museum and attraction media production with similar B2B sales motion.
• Unified Field: Unified Field is an experiential design firm producing interactive exhibits, AV, and multimedia for museums, visitor centers, and corporate spaces. Directly comparable to Cortina in scope of services and museum vertical focus.
• Leviathan: Leviathan is an experiential design and production studio creating immersive media, interactive installations, and large-scale visual experiences for museums, brands, and entertainment. Comparable in producing award-winning immersive media for cultural institutions.
• C&G Partners: C&G Partners is a design firm producing branded environments, exhibits, and multimedia experiences for museums, cultural institutions, and visitor centers. Comparable to Cortina in multi-disciplinary museum exhibit production.
• ESI Design: ESI Design is a long-established experience design firm producing interactive media and immersive installations for museums, cultural institutions, and corporate environments. Directly comparable to Cortina in offering multimedia exhibit production, AI/AR integration, and full-service design for cultural clients.
• Tellart: Tellart is an experience design studio producing interactive installations, digital exhibits, and immersive media for museums and brands. Comparable to Cortina in craft of custom interactive media for cultural institutions and corporate storytelling environments.
• Batwin + Robin: Batwin + Robin produces visitor center and museum experiences including interactive media, films, and exhibit design. Comparable to Cortina in serving cultural institutions with integrated multimedia design and production.
• Ideum: Ideum designs and fabricates interactive exhibit hardware and software for museums and public spaces, including multitouch tables and AR experiences. Directly competes with Cortina's Interactive Video Software and custom interactive exhibit work in the museum vertical.

Emerging players

• Gravity Road: Gravity Road designs and produces digital interactive experiences and immersive exhibits for museums and cultural institutions. Comparable emerging peer with similar AI/AR-driven approach to museum storytelling.

Others

• Ralph Appelbaum Associates: Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) is a globally recognized exhibit design firm for museums and cultural institutions, including The People's House partnership with Cortina. They focus on exhibit master planning and design rather than media production, making them an adjacent collaborator/competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cortina_team
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cortina-productions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cortina Productions