Carol Dalrymple - Launch Pad - Falling Prison Imagery VR/Spirit Run VR/LaMaestraPeace 21 AR/VR mural

[ic3sixtycarol]

WEEK 1 and Intro

Hello & thank you for reading this long post!  I will try to be more brief on future posts. Here is info about 1) a project I feel compelled to research for Launch Pad 2) the project I proposed to Launch Pad  3)  very brief intro to La MaestraPeace 21, an AR/VR project in development, born of Launch Pad.

I am interested in developing stories in VR that, while based on real-life captures, work with slippage of the user as protagonist, and play with VR’s potential for telling stories that evolve within the user’s personal reaction in order to expose the larger human experience. Real world plus gaming tools, hopefully one day haptics.

**The largest obstacle I am facing is access to a camera system, along with knowing best which camera would fit these projects. Please advise!!**

1) Spirit Run: First Nation Suicide Crisis VR Trailer/experience. 

Suicide among North America First Nation youth (Native American Nations in the US/Aboriginal Nations in Canada) has skyrocketed and is in places estimated to be as high as five to eight times the national average. These are often very small and rural communities. Most are kids who do not have drug or alcohol problems; it has become customary.  The impact is alarming and I am shocked by how routinely this is overlooked by mainstream media. In one community, the elders take turn patrolling the “jumping bridge”. I worry for kids and communities. It is urgent that this story be told, and it is one which can be effectively told through VR, from tribes- for tribes, and connecting elders to youth and youth to elders. This project interviews representative youth and elders from select tribes across the US and Canada about suicide, loss of culture, reclaiming culture, connecting to past and language, etc., and weaves the story line through their voices, as well as imagery from their historic or reservation lands.

Challenges: camera system, on-hand, for travel to often remote places. Travel/crew support. Time considerations? Possibly only time to complete a VR short of project for LaunchPad.

2) The project I proposed to Oculus Launch Pad is “Falling - The Importance of Nature for Human Existence”.  It is inspired by the work of Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, a world-renowned pioneer in forest canopy ecological research. Her project to bring nature imagery to inmates in solitary confinement was recognized by Time Magazine as “One of the Best Ideas of 2014.”  “The Nature Imagery Project” is  a trial program in two SuperMax prisons in the US. 

 The “Falling” VR experience is basically a triptych of Prison, Blue Room (nature projection cell), and Cloud Forest, where story evolves within the user’s personal reaction. The project is designed to go beyond just ‘creating immersion’. It’s about establishing immersion and using that to simulate something which audiences don't often see: limitations on freedom, under-stimulation, arbitrariness. The narrative arc of this project is crafted through the circular sensory experience.  The repetitive form of the story is used to create an identification between user and protagonist; this is also why virtual reality, game and immersive sound technologies are so important. More than about a prisoner walled away from nature, Falling has broader implications on humans facing a world of deforestation and climate change.

Live action shooting takes place at the Intensive Management Unit at Snake River Correctional Institution in Malheur County, Oregon, USA, the first test prison of the “Blue Room” in this program, and at the Monteverde Canopy, Costa Rica.

Unfortunately, the Rainforest, specifically the Monteverde Canopy in Costa Rica where this takes place, is just entering its rainy season, and it will be getting more foggy, rainy, and dangerous to climb. It is possible to perhaps develop the first two aspects of this experience, the prison solitary confinement and the blue room. 

The fun part of this project will also be to see how to move the user from cell to blue room to rainforest. There are many possibilities, from simple scene changes to putting the user on rails between guards and dragging them to another room. Please contact me if you have ideas!

Challenges: camera system. Travel/crew support. Weather obstacles, filming logistics. Movement  from prison to blue room.

3) La Maestrapiece 21 is an AR/VR art project  in development.  It is being developed by myself and Charity Everett after meeting at Launch Pad, along with AR artist Luska (who I met at SoCal VR film school). We will be using the mediums of augmented and virtual reality to bring attention to issues that affect women. It’s exciting, but probably won’t be ready for this launchpad so I won’t go into it completely here yet. Stay tuned for fun updates though!

MY GOALS THIS WEEK:

1) ** most importantly reach out for advice and potential sources of a camera for Spirit Run. 

2) conduct a first interview (traditional 2D unfortunately lol) on the suicide epidemic among the Shoshone tribes of Nevada/Utah/Idaho.

3) explore my options for “Falling” with Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, see what might be possible to achieve with logistical and weather constraints etc. 

As with everyone in launchpad, I am sure time is a big obstacle but I find strength in everyone’s ability to be creative.  Thank you for reading, and for any advice you might have!!

[AshtonK]

I've been doing a lot of research into cameras of late because I can't decide on a good solution...
Most people work with the 6-gopro rig = Time consuming and difficult - but highest monoscopic quality. I've had decent success with this rig but it is a long post production process. I typically rent the go pros as I currently can't afford 5 more go pros and the Kolor software. 

I just purchased an LG 360 cam and should get it this week for testing -  it's a 2k 2 lens solution with it's own cellphone based stitching app which likely will cause some headache to download on to the computer, but hopefully not as much as 6 gopros. It's currently going for $120-$175 on ebay - which is cheaper than the Ricoh for (technically) better quality (Ricoh says it's only 1080). Currently you can get the Samsung Gear 360 (which should be even higher quality) for $350 from Korea on ebay.

The Vuze camera seems like an interesting prosumer 3D option based on the test videos. I'm tempted to pre-order it but I would love to hear more user reviews or get to test it out beforehand.

I reached out to Lucid Cam as well and they have said some people have been working on stitching 3 of their 180 3d cameras together for a 360 view - they said they might have some example footage of this out next month.

That's my current 2 cents :smile:

Good luck!

[DrSzilak]

I like your new project. The rampant abuse of solitary confinement in the U.S. is extremely problematic. Without understanding the real "why's" behind why people are put into solitary and how one might empower inmates in ways that counteract the inhumaneness of that practice, the ethics get a little blurry.  My sister is a lawyer in Illinois who works on prison reform. She and her tiny operation  won a MacArthur "genius" grant two years ago for the work they do. If you still want to pursue a prison project, I can certainly hook you up with her. She has extensive experience with prison conditions and would be happy to help advise. 

[Anonymous]

We remotely tested the VUSE, the resolution is very good, however the stitch lines are noticeable, of course it could potentially be solved with more work but VUSE did the stitch, we were testing trying for a POV and the effect of mirror reflections,  so in this particular test, regarding the stitch lines they said  close objects are harder to stitch since there is a dead zone at the intersections. I could email you guys the footage if you wana see it can't post it here cause it's 210.4 MB 

[NataliaVR]

For an intermediate solution, you can use 2 GoPro back to back with 250 Entaniya lenses, much easier to stitch, and less expensive than 6 gopros, and you still get 4K output.:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1250614-REG/back_bone_gear_ribcage_modified_gopro_hero4.html
 Or go with the cheaper Izugar Z2XC rig: http://izugar.com/product/z2x.html
Consumer rig like ThetaS are good for testing and planing out stuff, but no high quality enough for shooting. Samsung 360 coming out son is supposed to better than ThetaS.

[AshtonK]

@tanyalealsoto - wouldn't mind hearing more about your Vuse experience and seeing the footage - feel free to email me at ashtonnkennedy@gmail.com [WeTransfer is a good download link option]
To all - I'm currently working with the LG 360 Cam, and so far pretty decent at 2k. 4k is definitely going to look better - check out @silvrlake and her tests with the Samsung 360 and @oliverpecha and his videos with the Kodak Pixpro 4k for alternative 2 lens solutions to modded GoPros.
My next experiment I think will be to try something like Radiant Images' 4 Canon DSLRs + Canon 8-10mm lens rig... 

[aleemhossain]

AshtonK said:

My next experiment I think will be to try something like Radiant Images' 4 Canon DSLRs + Canon 8-10mm lens rig... 

@AshtonK I am very interested to hear your results with this. I'm trying a very crude version of this by filming with one DSLR in series... rotating 90 degrees and avoiding movement along the stitch lines... and really I'm going to try rotating less than 90 degrees and dividing the pie into more pieces to allow myself to use a lens that is not as wide as the 8-10mm in hopes of getting a more normal looking image.

[ic3sixtycarol]

NataliaVR said:

For an intermediate solution, you can use 2 GoPro back to back with 250 Entaniya lenses, much easier to stitch, and less expensive than 6 gopros, and you still get 4K output.:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1250614-REG/back_bone_gear_ribcage_modified_gopro_hero4.html
 Or go with the cheaper Izugar Z2XC rig: http://izugar.com/product/z2x.html
Consumer rig like ThetaS are good for testing and planing out stuff, but no high quality enough for shooting. Samsung 360 coming out son is supposed to better than ThetaS.

Natalia - I take the ThetaS out last week for some tests and planning, thanks! I'll check out the 250 Entaniya lenses this week, since I have the GoPros that's pretty straightforward. 

[ic3sixtycarol]

tanyalealsoto said:

We remotely tested the VUSE, the resolution is very good, however the stitch lines are noticeable, of course it could potentially be solved with more work but VUSE did the stitch, we were testing trying for a POV and the effect of mirror reflections,  so in this particular test, regarding the stitch lines they said  close objects are harder to stitch since there is a dead zone at the intersections. I could email you guys the footage if you wana see it can't post it here cause it's 210.4 MB 

I'd love to see it, i'm at ic3sixty@gmail.com, if you get the time to send it. Thanks Tanya!

[ic3sixtycarol]

AshtonK said:

@tanyalealsoto - wouldn't mind hearing more about your Vuse experience and seeing the footage - feel free to email me at ashtonnkennedy@gmail.com [WeTransfer is a good download link option]
To all - I'm currently working with the LG 360 Cam, and so far pretty decent at 2k. 4k is definitely going to look better - check out @silvrlake and her tests with the Samsung 360 and @oliverpecha and his videos with the Kodak Pixpro 4k for alternative 2 lens solutions to modded GoPros.
My next experiment I think will be to try something like Radiant Images' 4 Canon DSLRs + Canon 8-10mm lens rig... 

Thanks @AshtonK ! BTW I think you stole my cat...