I have been extremely lucky to escape the UK Covid lockdown for 10 days, and join Hikapee Theatre for creation and recording of movement for motion capture. We travelled to 101 Outdoor Arts, where we lived and worked in a bubble full of physical contact and communal cooking. What a dream!
The virtual reality film is a joint project between Hikapee and Huldufugl, an immersive events company based in Iceland. Previously, I joined them for a R&D period for their stage show, The Hidden People, which combines Icelandic folklore, circus and creative technology. Whilst live entertainment is on hold, the digital sister project, "Hidden World" (working title) has been funded by Arts Council England.
I absolutely loved working in a mo-cap suit, learning how the technology works, and using circus as a tool to create the illusion of movements to tell a story in a 3D world, rather than as a means of entertainment in itself.
The motion capture company was Target 3D, and we worked with the brilliant Petros De Doncker to use their technology in harnesses and on aerial silks for the very first time.
Using a harness to create the movement of a person struggling underwater, as currents disrupt their efforts to swim to the surface.