INORI (Prayer) is a proof of concept inspired by a call for artists and technologists to collaborate on works that push boundaries.
Innovations in the fields of projection mapping and facial tracking are allowing artists to do some amazing, and creepy, things with digital images projected onto both inanimate and animate objects. In just a few years the technology has advanced from still images being projected onto static surfaces, such as buildings, to animations being projected onto moving faces.
INORI (prayer)
Super High Speed Face Mapping (1000fps)
Making
vimeo.com/210565827
This project is achieved as collaborative work between AYABAMBI, Ishikawa Watanabe Lab,TOKYO, responding the call for collaboration by Nobumichi Asai (WOW).
Staff
Nobumichi Asai [Creative Director | Technical Director – WOW]
Shingo Abe [CG Director – WOW]
Atsushi Yoshimura [Programmer – WOW]
Ayaka Motoyoshi [Assistant Producer – WOW]
Eiji Tanigawa [Director | Editor – TOKYO]
Senzo Ueno [Director of Photography – TOKYO]
Toshiyuki Takei / Shinya Masuda [Producer – TOKYO]
Minami Chiwaki / Yuma Yoshimura / Kohei Takayama [Production Manager – TOKYO]
Suzuko Ohgaki [Making Director – TOKYO]
Aya Sato [Choreographer]
AyaBambi [Cast]
Oi-chan[Management]
Shootings
Tomorio Takahashi [Gaffer]
Hisashi Morikawa / Mie Inaba / Akihiko Imai [Light Assistant]
Takashi Ideguchi [Camera 1st Assistant]
Shibuya Hiromi / Fujii Ryosuke [Camera 2nd Assistant]
Setsu Fukushima / Ryosuke Taniguchi [Music – Ongakushitsu Inc.]
Yosuke Nagao [Music Composer]
Yasuo Fukuda [Colorist]
Ryota Abe [Online Editor]
Mizuki Kawano [Mixer – TAIYO KIKAKU co.,ltd]
Special Thanks
Yoshihiro Watanabe [Ishikawa Watanabe Laboratory,University of Tokyo]
Masatoshi Ishikawa [Ishikawa Watanabe Laboratory,University of Tokyo]
Tomoaki Teshima [Exvision]
TOKYO ELECTRON DEVICE LIMITED
Takeshi Yuasa / Kiwamu Sumino / Hiroshi Watase /Toru Yamashita
Atsuko Kushima / Tomoaki Kiguchi
– – – – – –
First, the soundtrack was composed according along the theme “Life”. Nobumichi Asai and Shingo Abe was inspired by the music and then made face mapping work. Aya Sato designed choreography. TOKYO completed the project by making the video work.
The music brought Asai the image of “the radioactive.” The destructive force of the radioactive could cause “death,” “suffering,” and “sorrow.” And “prayers” could overcome them. These subjects infuse AYABAMBI’s powerful performance. Their performance crushes and conquer black tears, skulls and the Heart Sutra. We built up the concept during the production and Abe designed animation for face mapping.
There was a big challenge in technical aspects. We realized the new mapping system that allows us to follow intense performances by using the latest 1,000 fps projector, DynaFlash(*1) and a super speed sensor. It is very new and it had not been done before. Projected images become part of their skin and they transform their faces.
At the beginning of our development, there was an issue, AYABAMBI would loose freedom of performances if we accelerated the tracking speed. Asai, Yoshimura (WOW), Lecturer Watanabe and Teshima (EXVISION) explored how we could keep the tracking speed securing the freedom of performances, taking three months of trial and error to reduce a few milliseconds. And we finally developed this system(*2).
*1 “DynaFlash” is developed jointly by Ishikawa Watanabe Laboratory, the University of Tokyo and is commercialized by Tokyo Electron Device Limited.
*2 For tracking hands, we use the dynamic projection mapping technology developed by Ishikawa Watanabe Laboratory, the University of Tokyo. For tracking faces, we use the face mapping technology developed by the visual design studio, WOW inc
Madame Tussauds in Nashville is soon to launch a new interactive experience where a digital animation of a face will be projected onto the wax figure of Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker. The facial projection technology will bring the wax figure to life – its face, at least – as the intricately projected image makes it look like the still waxwork is talking to you.
While this is the first time Madame Tussauds has integrated this kind of facial mapping projection technology into its exhibitions, this is not the first time artists have played around with this fascinating, and fast-evolving, technique.
FACE HACKING / REAL-TIME FACE TRACKING & 3D PROJECTION MAPPING from nobumichi asai on Vimeo.
