The Theater
Description
A VR interactive theatre play project, blends traditional Chinese theatre aesthetics with modern machinery design, showcasing the mix of modern peroformance and advanced mocap technology and experimental VR interactive methods, to explore themes of individualism and collectivism.
The Theater is an immersive VR experience that bridges performance and interaction through advanced AI motion capture and finger-tracking technology, allowing controller-free engagement. The work presents two contrasting virtual worlds: one embodying Eastern collectivism and the other Western individualism. Each world unfolds as a living stage, offering performances that players can actively participate in, shaping their experiences through movement and gesture. By immersing the audience in these dual narratives, the piece invites reflection on the interplay between personal identity and communal belonging, exploring how these cultural philosophies influence our roles and relationships in society.
The accompanying 3D short film, titled "Shan Gui", serves as a visual and thematic showcase for the VR project. This film reimagines the Mountain Spirit from Qu Yuan’s poem as an androgynous figure, merging traditional Chinese theatre visuals with modern machinery design. Created using Unreal Engine 5, the short film highlights our artistic and technical vision, demonstrating the potential of digital animation and interactive storytelling. It also introduces viewers to the narrative’s core themes of isolation, longing, and cultural influence.
Credits
Co-Directors: John Luo, Yingru Huang
Choregraphy Director: Yingru Huang
Screenplay Co-Director: Lois He
Game Developer:John Luo, Alan Ren
Tech & 3D Artist: John Luo, Kano Tao, Yi Wang
Fashion Designer: Maggie Zhou, Yoyo Shang
Motion Capture Performer: Yingru Huang, Tanya Xu, Wisdom Zhang, Audrey Chou, Chienn Tai, Siyu Duan, Karin K. Jensen, Kylie Boyd, Kamala Fifield, Addy Bradley, Kai Hannigan
Music Composer: Yingru Huang, Alexia Diaz, Chienn Tai
Fashion Consultant:Elena Liu, Annie Xing, Laurel Fang
Hand Tracking Template: Jason Meisel
Recognitions
Shan Gui:
- SeeMe Gallery, Bridging Divides, New York
- MetroCAF 2024 Festival, New York
Choregraphy and Motion Captures
Players experience mesmerizing performances blending AI motion capture (Qian Mian) and OptiTrack, capturing the artistry of professional dancers. AI mocap ensures dancers can perform freely in their most comfortable space, while OptiTrack provides high-precision tracking for multi-performer interactions, creating a dynamic and immersive choreography.
Hand Tracking and Virtual Avatar
The costumes in the game are crafted by talented fashion designers using Marvelous Designer, enhanced by Unreal Engine’s latest Chaos Cloth system for real-time, physically accurate fabric simulation. AI-generated 3D modeling technology is also incorporated to create intricate, avant-garde ornaments and accessories, pushing the boundaries of digital fashion design.
Fasion in Realtime
The costumes in the game are crafted by talented fashion designers using Marvelous Designer, enhanced by Unreal Engine’s latest Chaos Cloth system for real-time, physically accurate fabric simulation. AI-generated 3D modeling technology is also incorporated to create intricate, avant-garde ornaments and accessories, pushing the boundaries of digital fashion design.
