The dancers and I wanted something that was other worldly. We agreed on a concept of multidimensional entities transmuting energy in a ritual, I think it offers an opportunity to create a truly unique and immersive experience for viewers. We decided the dancers will dance simultaneously in unison to form one whole entity as well as individual ones. I think the idea of the dancers forming one whole entity as well as individual ones creates a sense of unity and diversity at the same time.
To achieve this, the dancers and I decided to explore different forms of movement and choreography that allow the dancers to move together as a cohesive unit, while also emphasising their individuality.
For example, we experimented with movements that blend together, creating a seamless flow of energy between the dancers, or contrasting movements that showcase the different personalities and styles of each dancer.
In terms of the overall performance space,I thought a circular formation around the viewer would be particularly effective in creating an immersive 360-degree environment. This setup allows the viewer to be completely surrounded by the dancers, giving them a sense of being at the centre of the ritual.
I also considered using lighting and other visual effects to enhance the otherworldly atmosphere of the performance. For example I thought about using projection mapping to create an ever-changing backdrop that shifts and morphs throughout the performance, adding to the sense of being transported to another realm. But considering level of man-power I had, I decided to keep things as simple as possible.
The dancers and I made a Pinterest board to share visual ideas.
I knew the use of music and sound effects could further enhance the immersive experience. The right music can create a hypnotic, trance-like state that allows the viewer to fully immerse themselves in the performance. Therefore we created a collaborative Spotify playlist and chose a fitting song.
31/03/23
When modelling the environment, I drew inspiration from this image shred on the Pinterest board.
However I decided to reference loosely in order to maintain creative integrity.
I then put it on google drive so Abhay and I could finish it in class.
20/04/23
We added smoke into the scene.
Finished scene.
21/04/23
The dancers uploaded their individual performances on on google drive and I converted the videos into mocap data using the Rokoko browser tool.
However I couldn’t edit the clips or turn them into an FBX file as my computer’s CPU was not compatible with the Apple OS version of the software.
25/04/23
To work around this, I met up at LCC with Abhay and we tried using the university’s computers. Unfortunately none of the computers had Rokoko studio, and tech support staff said they weren’t authorised to download icon a computer for us.
Therefore we opted to use a program called ‘deep motion’ for the time being, and I asked Abhay to use Rokoko on his laptop, and to send me the FBX file.
However the accuracy was appalling, and gave us an awful animation. Due to this, I decided we should should an animation from Mixamo, just so we can set up the simulation nodes, and then import the finalised FBX files later.
We made good progress on the Blender simulation nodes scene and I eventually got the animation looking like this.
Disaster struck once more when I returned to LCC, and found the blender file missing and realised that the computer had been wiped.
I tried to not be too disillusioned, so I worked on the powerpoint, writing slides 2-6
2/05/23
Abhay sent me the FBX files and I imported them into blender. However each time I tried to import them, Blender crashed.
I have no clue why this kept happening, I will try again at LCC.