Brooklyn-based creative studio PRISM invited Panorama Music Festivalgoers to transform motion into an amazing dynamic film with Future Portrait. The installation was among the six must-see exhibits featured at THE LAB, powered by HP and curated by Meta.is.
With Future Portrait, PRISM Director Elliot Blanchard and Executive Producer Tom Rossano set out to create an experience that would turn movement into spectacular animation in an intuitive, tactile way, while also showcasing HP’s latest high-end technology. What emerged was an activation that fuses live performance capture and real time CG, where up to 10 festival participants at a time could create a one-of-a-kind film using movement.
There were two ways to experience Future Prism: first, a pair of linked Kinect units captured the motion of up to 8 people on stage simultaneously. Their movements drove intricate particle systems that grew and evolved in real time. At the same time, two other people could get in on the action on a pair of HP Spectre x360 laptops. Using HP’s Inking technology, they used touch gestures to alter the particle systems, influence the virtual lighting, and even add their own particle effects – thereby remixing the animations as they are performed on the fly. A ceiling-mounted projector beamed the particle simulation to a screen of translucent rear-projection film – so that both of the performers and the audience could appreciate the film as it happens.
Throughout the festival, a troupe of modern dancers led by choreographer Tyler Gylstrap jumped in, performing a routine specifically designed for Future Portrait. With the dance built around the choreographic interpretation of the project, Future Portrait’s emphasis on collaborative, bespoke dance is a perfect match for the festival environment.
The fusion of art, music and technology was palpable throughout the Future Portrait space. A live drummer was in attendance throughout the day, supplying the beat with live drums and electronic loops, improving and jamming as people’s physical actions become technological art.
This is the second time PRISM has brought its cutting-edge technology and artistry to Panorama. In 2016, Blanchard and Rossano teamed up with Meta.is, Dirt Empire, and Antfood to create Hieratic Gaze, a cinematic 360-degree visual installation which engaged thousands of Festivalgoers, allowing them to experience a journey through time and space in a massive 69-foot dome.
With PRISM, Rossano and Blanchard have assembled a collective of directors, artists, producers, animators, and designers, with expertise in traditional commercial/branded content, emerging technologies, VR, and live interactive experiences and installations. Founded on the fusion of Rossano’s production expertise and Blanchard’s creative and tech know-how, PRISM offers its clients the ability tell stories across disciplines, stretching from the traditional into never-been-done territory.
