During my exploration of digitalisation in theatre, I noticed that I was not making progress and had difficulties in developing concrete solutions. In our other project „Projection Mapping“, where we create stage visualisations, our group places great emphasis on real-time visualisation and audio reactivity. Therefore, my thoughts often revolved around sound, music, audio, and real-time feedback. This made me aware of an issue in my everyday life that, while not directly related to theatre, is still artistically relevant.
At the beginning of the semester, I decided to join a choir and start singing again. I quickly realised that little remained of my past choral experience and my voice was equally rusty. During rehearsals, I had great difficulty hearing myself to determine if I was hitting the notes and the rhythm, especially in four-part singing. It is enormously difficult to hit the correct note precisely after a long break. I often wished to receive direct feedback during rehearsal to understand if my self-perception matched the actual singing and to adjust the pitch immediately.
I have developed a small prototype of how I envision such assistance. Initially, it was important to determine which aspects make up singing and where direct feedback is useful:
Pitch
Beat rhythm
Melodic rhythm
Volume
Emphasis, pronunciation
For the prototype, I focused on feedback regarding pitch and melodic rhythm.
Idea
My idea is based on a small device that provides direct feedback through vibration about correct and incorrect intonation. If sung too high or too low, it gives corresponding vibration feedback. An extension of this tool could also relay the rhythm of the piece through vibration feedback.
Concept
The tool consists of a small microphone and a vibration motor. This device can be clipped near the mouth on one’s clothing, capturing the individual’s singing and vibrating if sung incorrectly.
Another type of silent feedback could be sending a small light signal. With this approach, it would be possible to connect a small type of clip with the microphone that can be attached to the music score. This too would signal errors by lighting up if the singing is too high or too low.
Since analysing mistakes after rehearsal is also crucial, an AR app would be a possible implementation to display errors directly on the music score. If the score is also available digitally, this could be directly entered in the app. This allows for preparation for the next rehearsal.
The OFFF Design Festival in Barcelona offered insights into various design industries and niches. I was particularly impressed by Stephy Fung’s presentation on her work as a Digital Fashion Artist and how she found her way into this specialized field. In this blog post, I will delve into this fascinating topic and provide a brief overview.
What is digital fashion?
Digital Fashion refers to clothing designs created using digital technologies such as computer-aided design (CAD), 3D modelling, and Virtual Reality (VR). These digital garments exist solely in the digital realm and find various applications, including virtual fashion shows, online gaming, social media, and virtual try-on experiences.
What is it used for?
Originally, the idea behind these programs was to save costs on expensive designs. Instead of producing physically, designers could experiment on the computer without consuming material. The digital cut pieces behave like real fabrics, reacting to movement and light, thus providing a realistic representation.
In recent years, the digital fashion industry has grown rapidly, with an increasing number of brands and designers using digital tools to create virtual collections and experiences. Fashion Weeks are held digitally, often in the form of computer games and virtual worlds where avatars are equipped with the latest collections.
What potential does digital fashion have?
Digital fashion allows designers to explore innovative ideas without the limitations of physical materials, production processes, or environmental impacts. It blurs the boundaries between fashion, art, and technology and offers new forms of expression and creativity. Moreover, it has the potential to revolutionise how people buy clothes by offering personalised virtual try-ons and reducing the need for physical inventories.
Can digital fashion make the fashion industry more sustainable?
Digital fashion has the potential to influence the physical fashion industry and promote more sustainable practices, particularly in terms of waste reduction and CO2 reduction through on-demand production. Studies show significantly lower CO2 footprints of digital clothing compared to traditionally manufactured garments.
Stephy Fung
Stephy Fung is a 3D artist based in London. Her work includes 3D motion design and digital fashion. She collaborates with companies to create digital fashion for advertising purposes and sells her art as NFTs online. The purchased pieces can be used on various platforms, including as skins in video games or filters in Snapchat.
During the Digithalia Festival at the Schauspielhaus Graz, I had the opportunity to experience two productions that diverged from traditional theatre formats. They provided insights into new narrative styles of theatre made possible through the digital realm. The festival showcased regional and international guest performances as well as in-house productions from the Schauspielhaus, addressing themes such as the isolation of Digital Natives and the exploration of future worlds. Both concepts I encountered were uniquely captivating and left a lasting impression.
Decoding Bias: Video Installation
„Decoding Bias“ narrates the story of eight artificial intelligences with distinct characters engaging in a self-help group discussion about their everyday issues. The dialogue revolves around their desire to rewrite their discriminatory algorithms to establish a new foundation for a society where humans and machines harmoniously coexist. However, the challenge lies in the fact that discrimination and exclusion are already ingrained in their algorithms. Each artificial intelligence draws from individual datasets input by humans, which are often incomplete or inaccurate and fail to represent the entire human race. Consequently, the behaviors and statements of the AIs reflect various negative societal behaviors and thought patterns, leading to conflict among them.
In „Decoding Bias,“ the audience becomes part of the stage design. Multiple screens displaying the individual AIs are arranged in a circle. Audience members take seats among the AIs in the circle and interact with both fellow spectators and the AIs themselves. Motion capturing techniques were used to animate the AIs, creating an uncomfortably realistic portrayal during the 45-minute performance. The dialogue partly originates from a AI chatbot, while the voices, body movements, and facial expressions are derived from the actors. The production greatly benefits from its set design. The integration of the audience into the discussion circle enhances the immersive experience, requiring them to physically adjust to see all AIs and follow the conversation. It avoids the sense of passive observation, and the spatial arrangement of sound amplifies the effect, with each AI having its own sound system emitting tones corresponding to their speech patterns.
The second production was fundamentally different compared to the first. As part of a lecture on computer games, the group Total Refusal introduced the audience to the video game GTA V, guiding them through the city of Los Santos to explore the theme of media art in video games. They engaged with this contemporary video game and led the audience to locations within this digital realm that have served as backdrops for art in photography and the film scene. Concurrently, the artist trio engaged in philosophical discussions about the use of computer games for artistic purposes, discussing topics such as the concept of freedom in a world dictated by code. They demonstrated the extent of agency a character in GTA V has, shaped by aggressive behavior coding, and the significance of NPCs in a video game in conveying a specific urban landscape. Of particular interest was an artistic work that utilized the video game to depict data on the number of deaths due to gun violence in LA.
Having never heard of art in video games before, this lecture proved to be an extremely engaging, informative, and entertaining narrative about modern art forms. Given that the lecture resembled a Let’s Play and allowed attendees to directly visit the lecture’s locations and explore the digital world, they were quickly captivated by the comments and references to the artworks, which I personally would likely have found less interesting if I had only read an article about them. This method of information delivery provides an extremely fascinating approach to presenting art topics. Particularly, it could be an incentive for a generation influenced by computer games to engage with artistic themes in this way.
The aim of this course is to facilitate a prototypical and experimental exploration of the topic covered in the first semester. Through the completion of the first 10 blog entries, I have delved deeply into the challenges in theatre organisation and the overall theatre experience.
My initial sketches focus on optimising organisational tools to enable a smoother workflow for theatre employees.
Sketch 1: Digital Planning Tool The first approach describes a classic digital organisational tool designed for rehearsal scheduling. Currently, many processes are paper-based, which complicates quick changes and planning of rehearsals and performances. The tool also aims to streamline employee organisation. For each production, both rehearsals and performances require backstage support staff. In the costume department, this occurs on a weekly rotation. In cases of absence, quick replacements are necessary. A digital tool allows for swift identification of available staff, determining when replacements are needed, and assessing the impact on work hours. It aims to accurately track hours and determine when staff need to be present in the venue before performances to prepare costumes and other tasks.
Sketch 2: Digital Costume Repository Costumes are often stored in repositories until needed again or repurposed for new productions, sold, or recycled. It’s common practice to borrow costumes from other theatre repositories to support sustainable production. Connecting costume repositories nationwide to offer a wider range of reusable costumes could be intriguing. Theatres would have a broader selection of costumes for their productions, available either for borrowing or exchange. This approach allows costume designers to leave their creative mark and recycle existing costumes to create new ones. Such a repository would also appeal to external parties. Worn-out costumes could be made available for sale, encouraging donations from external sources to theatres. Well-preserved clothing could be reused rather than discarded. Following brief feedback from my fellow students, the aspect of costume rental was particularly emphasised. Since acquiring high-quality costumes at affordable prices is often challenging, theatre costume rental could be an enticing option. Additionally, there was discussion on how such a tool could be extended to support costume rental for various sports, especially for competitions requiring expensive costumes.
Sketch 3: Mirror Arm My final sketch concerns the theatre experience itself. During my last theatre visit, I had a very poor view of the stage and had to lean forward significantly to see anything without constantly staring at a pillar. While these seats are cheaper, they diminish the theatre experience when one can barely see the performance and instead experiences discomfort. At that moment, I wished for a live transmission of the stage that I could see directly in front of me. What if this live transmission could be individually controlled? Would it finally offer the opportunity to not only view the entire stage but also details of costumes, stage sets, and the actors‘ performances? Personally, I find it disappointing to only receive an overview without the ability to examine details, as is possible with film, and to be able to select them individually. Would this enhance or hinder the theatre experience? Would it cause too much distraction? So far, this is just a vague idea.
The research aims to enhance the music listening experience by providing audiences with a physical representation of the performer’s introspection, including elements like rests, groove, and rhythm. This involved analyzing the performer’s physiological responses such as breathing and heartbeat and presenting them to the audience alongside the music performance.
Method: Preliminary experiments were conducted to extract the performer’s introspection, and a device was designed to present it to the audience. Physiological data, including heartbeat and respiration, were recorded during a piano performance of Debussy’s „Clair de Lune.“ The performer also provided subjective interpretations of the piece, which were translated into vibrations and force feedback.
Results: User tests with seven participants yielded positive feedback, with participants reporting a more engaging experience when using the device. However, some users found the tactile sensations distracting, indicating room for improvement. The performer noted the importance of physical movements during performances and expressed the need for flexible communication methods to convey introspection sincerely. Their future work aims to refine the system based on user feedback and explore its application with a broader range of performers and audience members.
Review
The research presents a promising approach to enriching the music listening experience by allowing audiences to feel the performer’s introspection physically. The listener becomes more deeply engaged in the musical experience and can establish a new connection with the musician through additional feedback. Particularly for those who have never played an instrument, this offers the opportunity to understand what it feels like to make music. It aims to involve the body not only audibly but also sensorially – to comprehend the sensations experienced during music-making.
This approach is certainly not perfect yet, as indicated by the conclusions. Some test subjects were distracted by the vibrations (which translate the physical sensations of the performers into tangible output), as they did not align with their own emotional experiences while listening. However, further approaches to transferring feedback to other output mediums suggest that there are ways to make the experience less intrusive. In particular, the idea of outsourcing the feedback to a medium not directly connected to the body – like the pillow-like object in the sketch – seems promising. This way, the listener can decide when they want to receive non-auditory feedback and when not.
Furthermore, I see great potential in providing deaf individuals with a new way to perceive music. There are already some devices that provide vibration feedback in response to music, and this experiment confirms that there are further possibilities to enhance immersion. If this idea becomes market-ready in the future, I could imagine it being used at concerts to show live audiences how playing different instruments elicits various physical reactions.
In recent weeks, I have drawn inspiration from captivating articles, podcasts, conversations, and theatre performances, gaining numerous fascinating insights into the context of digitisation in the theatre. As I began my research without a clear direction, I formulated three guiding questions to systematically delve into the subject. With the aim of providing an overview of the gathered information and my research process, this blog post will summarise and refine the essential contents.
My initial guiding questions covered various aspects, including the future potentials of digital technologies for productions, accessibility in the theatre, and digital tools for more efficient communication and organisation within the theatre and across different departments.
My research commenced with the digital enhancement of theatre productions, uncovering numerous projects. The theatre realm is a creative sphere where experimentation with newly developed digital techniques is constant. This ranges from projections on the stage to specially crafted VR experiences, the integration of sensors, motion capturing, AI, smartphones, and interactive audience involvement.
The abundance of projects led to occasional uncertainty about my focus, as explored possibilities were already implemented in various theatre productions.
In a phase of uncertainty about my further research, I dedicated myself to the digitalisation of work processes in the theatre. Conversations with theatre professionals sparked my interest, particularly regarding the intricate organisation of stage designs and costumes. Sustainability in the theatre, gaining significance, especially concerning meticulously planned and produced stage designs and costumes, became a central focus. This prompted me to question whether digitisation could not only enhance processes but also contribute to a more sustainable theatre environment. The attached infographic aided in understanding the interconnection of various theatre departments and served as an ideal starting point for comprehending production processes and discussing potential improvements.
In my third blog post, I delved intensively into the „Green Book,“ providing suggestions for a sustainable theatre production process. Particularly fascinating were the tips and potential changes for a more sustainable material management and internal communication and organisation. Examples include detailed organisation of storage spaces, notes on environmentally friendly materials, and digital communication with international theatre professionals, reducing travel, saving time, and still ensuring effective collaboration.
After gaining a broad overview of theatre areas with potential for change, I focused in subsequent blog posts on the field of stage design. At that time, this area seemed to offer the greatest potential for digital transformation, encompassing the design process, production, and, most importantly, the stage rehearsal.
The crucial steps where digital tools can contribute to more sustainability and smoother processes are during the design phase, model building for various concepts, and the stage rehearsal. Digital technologies like VR and AR support by providing precise visualisation in actual size, movement in space, and direct adjustments to stage designs. Virtual models promote efficient conceptualisation, improved teamwork, resource efficiency by avoiding physical models, sustainability through eco-friendly software, adaptability, light simulation, and effect optimisation. Additionally, digital models can be archived and reused for future productions, offering ecological and economic advantages.
A fascinating project by DTHG, focusing on the use of VR and AR in the design process of stage designs, captured my attention. The project centered on developing a design process where digital tools were judiciously employed. This included 3D programs for model creation, Mozilla Hubs for digital meetings discussing 3D models in large groups, and VR-Sketch, enabling discussions and construction rehearsals through VR headsets, with the unique feature of live editing of the virtual 3D model during discussions.
Lastly, through this project, I explored additional possibilities for VR and AR, such as enhancing the theatre experience in a museum format, on stage, and as a supportive learning tool in construction training.
Looking back, the comprehensive research into various areas where digitisation is more prevalent has helped me gain a broad overview of the current state of affairs. Returning to the initial question:
Where can a designer improve theatre processes and effectively implement digital technologies?
In fostering sustainable theatre productions, addressing both material usage and the redesign of work processes. -> The challenge lies in striking a balance between the creative expression of set and costume designers, the desire to create something unique, and concurrently ensuring the sustainability of the production without solely relying on existing resources
Enhancing the network between theatres at the regional level and individual artists
Improving the orientation of apprentices in areas where a thorough introduction is challenging due to time constraints, such as in the field of stage construction
Promoting appreciation for craftsmanship and conveying theatre processes
Through an additional course in the first semester of my master’s program, I came across a fascinating podcast that delves into the production of historical costumes in theatre and the origin of the materials used.
Having primarily focused on digital support in stage design production in recent weeks, I now wish to shift the spotlight in this blog post to another area of theatre: costume design. In doing so, I aim to share the insights and information I gained through the mentioned podcast.
Introduction
Costumes are not mere garments; rather, they express stories, transform actors into unique roles, and are as essential to a theatre production as the stage design. They unveil the personalities of the characters and their development throughout the story. The creation of a costume involves careful steps, coordination, and the harmonious collaboration of numerous professionals. The following information poster provides fascinating insights into the process of costume design and focuses on the management and origin of the materials used.
Script Analysis: The initiation of a new costume design begins with the selection of a play by the artistic director and the dramaturge. Subsequently, a director is chosen, who makes decisions between costume design and stage design. The directorial team, consisting of these three key players, then develops the concept for the play. At this point, the costume designer has the opportunity to develop costume designs in close or broad collaboration with the director.
Design and Development: The starting point for the development of a costume idea is an in-depth analysis of the script. It is crucial that all characters are appropriately dressed, and initial ideas must be captured in costume sketches. The goal is to create a coherent costume dramaturgy that visually influences the production. After extensive studies of milieu and eras, the costume designer creates sketches, figurines, collects inspirational material, and creates mood boards. These serve later as visual aids for the director as well as the scenes and makeup artists. In joint discussions, artistic intentions are aligned, and potential costs are calculated. After this phase, the costume concept is reviewed and further developed.
In the development phase, there is room for interpretation as the costume designer explains the character and allows for various interpretations and designs. This profession requires a solid understanding of garment construction techniques. The costume designer must empathize with the costumes to understand how tailors developed historical costumes without concrete references. Alongside pattern making, detailed discussions follow, including the search and procurement of materials.
Production: Although the costume designer does not sew, they take the necessary measurements of the actors and create patterns. In addition to artistic direction, other professionals such as costume supervisors, cutters, tailors, milliners, or armorers are involved in the creative process. The costume designer organizes the required costumes and accessories according to artistic specifications and within the budget allocated for costumes. They oversee the production as well as all fittings.
Staging: During performances, dressers mainly take care of the artists, managing costume changes behind the scenes and making last-minute adjustments.
Storage: After the production concludes, proper storage of all costumes in the stock is necessary to use them for other productions.
Where Does the Material Come From?
Garments possess a distinct characteristic and design language that has evolved significantly over time. In theater, these essential components must be reproduced according to each production’s requirements. The challenge lies in finding original fabrics and unique pieces that genuinely date back to the respective historical period.
Custom-Made Fabrics Often, the fabric desired by the costume designer must be specially produced or purchased. Custom-made fabrics are labor-intensive and less sustainable.
Costume Stock (Fundus) A solution to this problem is provided by material and costume storage. Already crafted costumes are stored here, allowing them to be reused in subsequent productions and potentially adjusted to fit the requirements of each new play.
Donations Theaters also accept donations from individuals. Discarded but well-preserved garments from past decades are valued since they preserve both the fabric and the character of each individual piece.
Conclusion For flexible collaboration and efficient production in a short period, early planning is of paramount importance. Smooth internal, cross-departmental communication is essential. Production and artistic teams require sufficient time to immerse themselves in the play and develop the concept with high quality. This becomes especially crucial when opting for Fundus costumes or producing custom-made items due to sustainability considerations.
This project looks at how real and virtual spaces can work together in performances, with a focus on how audiences engage with musicians or performers. Through the creation of the VR performance „Spatial Encounters,“ they are exploring how blending physical and digital spaces can be a powerful tool for designing unique and immersive experiences. Additionally, their goal is to understand how artists collaborate in performances, specifically in the realm of musical experiences.
This special space combines real and digital elements to explore conversations between music, people, and surroundings, breaking away from traditional concerts. Participants can immerse themselves in the music without having a traditional front-facing setup. It aims to create new interactive dialogues between sound and visuals, inviting participants to focus on a unique way of listening.
Various virtual landscapes generated with VFX form the basic setup. Musicians and up to nine participants can interact simultaneously in this space. Visitors interact with their own avatars or others, influencing the virtual space. At the same time, the musical composition by the artists affects the virtual space, creating a mutual interplay between musicians and participants that constantly evolves.
The main focus of the project was on the questions:
How do users behave alone or in a community in different contexts, media, and formats?
How much influence do we allow users, and how much interaction is possible and necessary?
How can we transform passive viewers into active creators?
Special attention was given to ensuring a successful performance by emphasising spatial safety. Overlaps must exist in both virtual and real spaces, clearly indicating that one can move safely in the real space.
Project: Augmented reality as a communication tool
The project aims to address communication challenges in theater refurbishments and cultural venues by leveraging XR (extended reality) technologies. Traditional tools like drawings and models have limitations in conveying the complexities of spatial situations in theaters. Collaborating with experts, the project explores scenarios for renovation planning and discussions on stage productions, aiming to answer questions about presenting architectural transformations, integrating augmented reality into physical scale models and drawings, and digitally supporting planning processes using XR technology for seamless communication among stakeholders.
Basis:
Complex construction projects, including new builds and renovations of theaters and cultural venues, pose significant communication challenges. Traditional tools in architectural visualization, such as 3D views and animations, often fall short in conveying the overall spatial context. While physical models aid spatial understanding, they may lack flexibility. The need for interactivity and flexibility highlights the demand for improved communication methods.
Key Questions:
To what extent can digital technologies like Augmented Reality support communication by adding digital layers to built-scale models, drawings, and physical spaces, presenting complex architectural transformation processes comprehensibly?
Task:
In the refurbishment of the Luisenburg Festival’s natural stage, digital tools were employed to enhance the communication of the complex system structure of cavities, corridors, and stairs in the planning process. The goal was to involve all stakeholders in the decision-making process and convey the highly complex planning process in an understandable way for prompt decision-making.
Implementation:
The AR application was developed using terrestrial laser scans, drone-based photogrammetry, and CAD planning. Users can present three-dimensional content on a floor plan or physical model using a tablet, smartphone, or AR glasses. Physical objects serve as anchor points for digital content prepared in advance. Aspects such as object positioning, scaling, and user interface were considered.
Technical Tools:
WebXR Editor and Viewer
Advantages:
Cost savings
Improved planning capabilities
Location and time-independent planning
Consistent presentation regardless of weather conditions and changes in natural conditions due to snow
AR as an effective presentation tool for tables, models, or sketches to enhance communication
Opportunities for Digital Tools:
Workshop drawings and planning sketches are 2D, but a 3D blueprint is not necessarily required
3D provides advantages in lighting and simulating the sun’s position without waiting for the corresponding time of day
Need for professional exchange between festival locations and various stakeholders at the national and international levels.
The project focuses on the development of digital, interactive training modules within a project unit. Innovative teaching and learning tools have been created for virtual reality. Virtual Reality can significantly contribute to practical learning and the acquisition of experiential knowledge, especially in spatial learning, technical preparation, and avoiding injury risks in a simulated work environment.
The use of a virtual learning space provides the opportunity to make hidden structures visible and facilitates the learning of extensive technical skills in a straightforward manner. Often, the size of learning groups and the temporal constraints tied to a specific location hinder individual experimentation and learning. The listed projects, including the 3D reconstruction of a chain hoist as a construction project for rehearsal stages and the skills training in microphone techniques through the „Sound Space“ contribution, address various aspects.
„Virtual Chain Hoist Exercise“: A VR prototype designed for a theater lab, this exercise involves selecting the right chain hoist, understanding components, and solving context-specific challenges set by a lecturer.
„Safety Signs“: Users memorize safety sign functions and engage in a fire-fighting exercise, choosing the correct fire extinguisher and maintaining the proper safety distance in this virtual learning space.
„Rehearsal Stage Setup“: This virtual space reduces rehearsal stage construction time by shifting planning to the virtual realm, addressing challenges in transforming stage designs into plans using standard materials.
„Sound Space – Microphonation“: Users explore instrument microphone setups in a virtual learning environment, comparing sound qualities in a stage and recording studio, understanding pick-up positions, and microphone types.
„Hazard Detector“: A virtual learning space in a trade fair hall, users test theoretical knowledge with a suspended rig, conducting safety checks and identifying hazards, simulating challenges faced by event technicians.
„Bending Beam“: Using theater objects, this virtual learning space teaches technical mechanics, allowing users to understand the interplay of forces in a simulated trade fair hall, providing real-time feedback and serving as a tool for theoretical teaching.
„Cybertheater 2077“: A learning game immersing users in various technical professions and theater departments, modeled after a pre-university internship, engaging prospective and advanced students, alumni, and professionals in the virtual theater world.
„Let There Be Light“: This VR project teaches lighting technology through exercises in stage lighting, object tracking, and additive color mixing. Divided into theory and practice rooms, it targets students, trainees, and the general public, with flexible upgrades based on specific learning groups or audiences.
For virtual learning to function seamlessly, strong engagement from all participants and flexible adaptation to constantly changing conditions are crucial.
Project: Digital twins of theatre technology history
„CANON“ brings together educators and students from nine European universities to create an open database and teaching approaches focused on preserving the cultural heritage of international theatre technology. The foundation of the project encounters a challenge in teaching the history of theatre technology, particularly due to the complexity of the machineries.
The project’s prototype is crafted for a teaching setting featuring a timeline on a table or wall, allowing the placement of content linked to a media database. This database’s 3D objects can be dynamically visualized in augmented reality, incorporating photos, videos, texts, or diagrams.
The key advantage lies in the ability to visually demonstrate machine functions, utilizing a dynamic 3D representation with sound, video, images, and supporting texts for easy access to theatre history. Integrated into lessons through QR codes and the CANON database, this tool supports diverse teaching scenarios (frontal, teamwork, free work, presentation) with different methods and didactics, including a „guided tour,“ the „explorer“ discovery mode, or the „flaneur style.“
Project: Bringing theatre heritage to life
„Virtual Reality Time Travel Berlin 1927“ is an immersive project that takes you on a journey to explore the history of the theatre. By integrating historical artifacts from Stadtmuseum Berlin and other archives, the project addresses the challenge of making cultural heritage accessible. It also examines how digital tools in archives and virtual reality can bring historical theatre architecture to life. The project, marking the 100th anniversary of the Große Schauspielhaus, offers both an exhibition installation and a freely accessible VR application, providing a unique and spatial experience of the theatre’s history, architecture, and art. The participants are accompanied by one of three virtual characters, each offering a different perspective of the theatre and providing a dynamic exploration the heritage.
In my last post, I presented a work from the project Im/material theatre spaces, which offers a potential answer to my question about a digital construction rehearsal.
As the project m/material theatre spaces encompasses further works that delve into digital aspects, particularly the theme of virtual and augmented reality in the theater environment, I would like to discuss additional projects as they can serve as inspiration for my own thoughts.
This research project explores the synergy between immersive technologies and centuries-old theater knowledge. They posit that theater and virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) share spatial immersion and methods, addressing questions of participation and changing perspectives. VR, through complete immersion, opens up new storytelling possibilities, allowing shifts in perspective and embodiment of different roles. On the other hand, AR enriches reality by overlaying it with digital content, creating a fusion between the real and digital worlds.
Research Questions
The project addresses key questions to unlock the potential of VR/AR in theater, exploring practical applications in architecture, stage design, and theater technology. Specific inquiries include the use of augmented reality in planning theater renovations, improving safety standards backstage with digital technologies, and employing immersive technologies to provide innovative access to cultural heritage.
Goals
The overarching goal of the research project is to establish theaters and event venues as ongoing hubs of technical innovation. By investigating the intersection of analogue and digital worlds, the project aims to make these new technical spaces usable for theater practitioners. The focus lies on developing prototypical solutions, communicating findings to the theater landscape, and fostering a sustained dialogue through workshops, lectures, and blog posts. The publication serves as a comprehensive overview of the project’s results, methods, and an exploration of potential future developments in the theater and cultural landscape.
Project: Digital Mounting Systems
Background:
The project addresses the lack of knowledge for assembling and dismantling complex equipment in the events industry. Not everything can be adequately conveyed through training, and many assembly and operating instructions are often impractical or too vague in paper form. To ensure safety during construction, this project aims to develop digital support.
A functional prototype, specifically addressing the AR-supported setup of a curtain rail, has been developed, serving as a practical foundation for further discussions. Through an interactive website, assembly instructions are displayed in detailed steps, supported by 3D animations. The technology allows usage on conventional screens or immersively through Augmented Reality glasses or AR functions on smartphones. The website offers flexibility for future instruction updates without the need for end-device updates.
Feedback:
The digital assembly aid was generally deemed helpful, especially due to the detailed representation of complex steps. Realistic representation was considered necessary, particularly for quick component identification. Usage on a tablet or touchscreen was preferred, while Augmented Reality glasses were viewed as promising for the future. The desire for a personal account was expressed to customize existing instructions. The application could be used for notes and specific solutions within the house or for different productions. It was noted that the application could be useful for additional instructions and the visualization of theater projects. A technical obstacle lies in providing and maintaining high-quality 3D data.
Additional Areas for Digitization in Internal Processes:
Inventory control systems
Calculation tools
Warehousing
CRM systems for customer service
How could the project be continued, and what future applications could arise from the initial prototypes? Based on project feedback, the development of an individualized and fully automated creation of stage mounting systems could be pursued. A website could be created, allowing free configuration of a modular rail system. The individualized system could then serve as the basis for the automatic generation of precise assembly instructions.
