The Wizard Without Shadow

Abstract

In this article, the authors share their experience of making a creation-as-research, The Wizard Without Shadow, in order to bring to light the different steps of staging, the difficulties, and methods that could be applied. This research is based on empirical and analytical methods and aims for a better understanding of the pipeline of a theatrical staging with motion capture, as well as exploration of the nature, limits, and potential of a pre-recorded live-controlled virtual performance. This paper is an extension of The Wizard Without Shadow paper previously published in the ARTECH21 conference.

Research on Motion Capture System of Motor Skill Based on Computer Vision Technology

“…In this scheme, two two-way serial communication are used, USART1 is the serial communication between STM32 and JY901, and USART1 is the serial communication transmitted by STM32 to SP3485. Then set a priority for interrupts [18]. In addition, in order to determine the working condition of STM32, an LED is added to help determine the working condition of STM32, so the initialization of the LED is also required in the program.…”

AKN_Regie: bridging digital and performing arts

“…Available on [16] the documentation is addressed to the theatrical students and theatre-makers who want to integrate the system in their work and for those who are willing to improve it within Blueprint environment. The documentation and the second version were successfully tested between the 2018 and 2019 within the staging of Patrick and Venus, written and directed by Anastasiia Ternova where she invited two theatre-makers without programming skills to take a total responsibility for the digital part of the performance and they achieved a satisfying autonomy using the motion capture device and AKN_Regie [39] (figure 11). In the beginning of 2019, the LiveLink functionaly was integrated in AKN_Regie and gave a possibility to use any kind of motion capture system (compatible with LiveLink) with any kind of biped avatars, while the previous version was limited to only one motion capture device and the motion retargeting worked correctly only for one type of avatars.…”

“…After having performed a salient movement, each avatar is programmed to pass to a smooth idle action that it maintains for the necessary time until the next cue is triggered [16]. This player is also used for the creation of The Wizard without Shadow, a Scottish fairy tale, adapted and directed by Anastasiia Ternova in 2021 [38] (figure 13) and Les Solitudes de Donald Crowhurst, written and directed by Ce cile Roque-Alsina [39]. Each project helped to supplement AKN_Regie plugin with new features that enriched its possibilities.…”

“…As this performance was created during COVID19 pandemic, it was also supposed that it could be played remotely. So, the team developed a special module to integrate a video of a lifeacting actor in the remote virtual performance [38]. Finally for Les Solitudes de Downald Crowhurst, the director asked for a possibility to place the camera on the avatar's body.…”

The Shadow: Coevolution Processes Between a Director, Actors and Avatars

“…[17] gives an idea of the architecture of the tool, which is based on visual programming using the Blueprint language specifically developed by Epic Games in Unreal Engine to facilitate use of the engine by people who don't know how to code C++ in written script form. It has been used as an authoring tool on various projects [32], [33] and has an instruction manual accessible to non-computer specialists on a dedicated website [11].…”