Interactive Storytelling – Projection Mapping Research

I remember when I was visiting Japan during my post-ORD trip, I visited Disneyland (the happiest place on earth). The most significant thing I remembered was my first projection mapping experience where they turned Cinderella’s castle alive with stories, and a flurry of colorful lights and even to the extent of warping it’s structure.

There is something magical about projection mapping that alters the structure of a building and allows us to see a structure in a new light (no pun intended).

Projection Mapping (or video mapping) is one of many things on the rise in installation art. It is the usage of everyday video projectors, but instead of projecting it onto a flat screen or surface, light is mapped onto any everyday surface turning any 3D shape into an interactive display.

It is a form of spatial augmented reality sometimes it is done on furniture, cars, and even familiar or famous buildings. It allows artists to fit any desired image onto the surface or object – adding dimention, create optical illusions or create motion into previously static objects.  It is a recently popular trend of a form of audio-visual narrative.

There are many ways that projection mapping is utilized, and it is primarily grouped into four categories.

First being video jockeying (or VJ’ing) where live events are augmented by projections that are fully dynamic, controlled live and consist of pre-programmed videos and combinations of effects and overlays. This is allows live concerts to do the impossible and turns the stage alive, dynamic and interactive.

Secondly, we have theatrical mapping. This is where scened are ‘cued’ on demand in a choreographed order. The images mapped onto the space are interactive and synchronized to the dance or on stage performance.

Thirdly, we have interactive mapping . This is less performance based and more directed towards turning a space ‘alive’ through a looped video or interaction with the environment.

Lastly, we have video mapping. It is a single fluid video that is not interactive and plays from beginning to end.

Another recent local projection mapping done in Singapore

I was fascinated by projection mapping as it allowed forgotten and familiar spaces to once again be sparked into life again through a unique form of interactive space and I was stoked to experiment with this method to allow my space to come alive in a narrative way.

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