Window into a world
"Window into a New World" was an audio-visual display about the concept of being a zoo animal. My partner, Angela, and I developed this concept together based on a timed drawing session where we both illustrated a zoo experience, but our interpretations were slightly different. We collaborated as a team to create a new idea. We aimed for the viewer to feel what it was like to be on the other side of the glass, evoking an uncomfortable feeling.
Working on this project, was really my introduction to projection mapping and I'm glad I had some experience with some adobe products because if I had some struggles with making things in after effects and overall it was such a mess. even though it was a struggle I really got the push to start teaching myself more about the programs we have to use and also more about projection mapping in general
Overall, creating this visual was quite easy throughout the process. Angela and I used AI generation for the walls and windows, and added effects to make it seem more realistic. This was the beginning of the project, so things weren't as professional as I would have liked, but it definitely served as a nice starting point.
Concept Art
Visual 1
Concept Art
During class with Jelke, we were told to do timed drawings where we draw an idea within a time limit and then move on to the next drawing. My first drawing was a drawing of a zoo window but looking into. someone's living room so we were watching a zoo of humans or maybe aliens.
For the first visual I created the window photo Angela and I were going to use while Angela did the recordings of the people coming past the exhibit.
Explanation + Feedback 1
During the first showcase, it was somewhat unfortunate that my partner Angela was sick, and we didn't know we had to present our idea yet. I didn't have the video footage, so I made a quick version in 30 minutes to convey the essence of our idea. Visual 1 is what was shown.
The feedback from both Hendrik and Nils was that the quality was very poor. They understood the situation but noted that many improvements were needed. They suggested making the visuals feel more like a zoo, and mentioned that including more people and audio would enhance everything and make it stronger.
Adaptation
Adaptation
The way we adapted feedback was by filming students from the class, including myself, and using that footage of people passing by. Angela and I both thought this would be pretty funny and interesting for the teachers to see when we presented our idea. Based on the feedback that the imagery for the zoo didn't feel like a zoo, I played with the look of the first one and added a second window. Angela felt that the window was too dark, so she created her own version based on her vision of a zoo. Finally, I took the images she sent edited them to make them more realistic. After I finished editing, Angela took the visuals added audio to complete our concept design.
Visual 2
Final adaptation
Since the visuals were good, I kept them the same, but I decided to change the presentation. I set up a large canvas in the green screen room and projected the window onto it, filling the background with a dark curtain to ensure the visuals were as sharp and clear as possible.
Visual Final
Feedback
The final feedback from Hendrik and Nils was that the visuals are great and represent a significant improvement from the beginning. They mentioned that if this were our final video, it would be excellent.
One note was to consider the overall setup of the display, such as using a wall with a cutout window and adding props in room. They both added that the black, wavy curtain really lowered the quality of our installation, so rethinking the setup could enhance aspect.
