Schatten – Shadows

 

 

„Absoluter Jury-Liebling und Highlight des CommAwards war der beeindruckende Erfolg des Studiengangs Audiovisuelle Medien der Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart. In der Kategorie RAUM erhielt die Studentenarbeit die einzige Gold-Auszeichnung und verwies selbst Koryphäen wie KMS und Atelier Brückner auf die bronzenen und silberne Ränge. Auf 125qm inszenierten drei Studentengruppen der HDM Stuttgart im Rahmen der MediaNight eine räumliche Adaption des szenischen Kurzfilms „Schatten“ und begeisterten die Jury restlos.“

 Entry of the installation „Shadows“.  Photography©Studioproduktion Event Media, HdM, 2017

English: Shadows_ Interactive Exhibit Museum

Student work: Faculty: Electronic Media;  Course: Studio Production Event Media
University of Media Stuttgart – Prof. Ursula Drees

The interactive installation Schatten meaning “Shadows” is a work about guilt and acceptance. Eric, the main character, works as an emergency dispatcher. While working one night, he accidently causes the death of a small child. While distracted by a phone call from his heavily pregnant wife, he sends the ambulance to the wrong address. The guilt he feels begins to eat him alive. He falls apart and begins to drown in depression.

 Impression of the installation „Shadows“. Photography©Studioproduktion Event Media, HdM, 2017

This story is the narrative for the installation called Shadow. Three different spaces reflect the three stages of disintegration: repression, flashback, and acknowledgement.

The first space is dedicated to repression. Six foot high slabs, with an anamorphic display tell the story of Eric’s inner fight, his disorientation, and his disintegration. Partially reflective mirrors cover LED screens. The default state for the LED screens is off, and when visitors approach they see their own image in the mirrors. When the LED screens turn on, visitors can see a movie showing scenes of Eric’s repression through the mirrors.

 

 Infinity mirror with reflections. Photography©Studioproduktion Event Media, HdM, 2017

There is an infinity mirror at the front of the room which shows infinite reflections of Eric’s silhouette walking across from right to left, guiding the visitor in the direction he/she needs to go to explore the rest of installation.

Hanging cubes and infinity mirror at the bottom.  Photography©Studioproduktion Event Media, HdM, 2017

The next zone deals with Eric’s flashbacks of what happened. Flashbacks are involuntary, sudden, and very intense memories of a specific incident. Flashbacks relive a specific moment over and over again. Flashbacks do not subside. They don’t grow dull. They remain vivid and intense.

Hanging cubes and infinity mirror at the bottom.  Photography©Studioproduktion Event Media, HdM, 2017

There are cubes hanging from the ceiling. The visitor steps onto a lightly raised platform and enters an enclosed space inside the cube, where he sees a flashback playout right in front of him. The flashback images are shown from a first person point of view. The images are blurred except where gyro sensors track eye movements to show clear images where the visitor focuses his eyes. Only specific parts of the whole image can be seen clearly.

Inside the hanging cubes.  Photography©Studioproduktion Event Media, HdM, 2017

If the visitor turns around he will see another screen displaying Eric’s face staring right at him, looking towards the screen where the flashback is displayed. Once the flashback ends, the platforms lights up showing an infinity mirror evoking the feeling of endlessness.

Infinity mirror at the bottom.  Photography©Studioproduktion Event Media, HdM, 2017

All the cubes tell the same story. Flashbacks are about reliving one experience over and over again. You cannot escape them.

There are two projections in the same room as the cubes. These deal with the moment Eric confronts his mistake. On one wall shows Eric, life size, walking in slow motion to the end of the wall. His body fades and we see his memories appear inside the silhouette of his body.

Tow projection walls.  Photography©Studioproduktion Event Media, HdM, 2017

These are moments of his burden represented in film.

He walks up to the wall showing the next projection. Eric turns around and moves toward the visitor until the screen is filled by the images of his memories. Here we see the final stage of his suffering. Eric collapses at the scene of the accident. This is where it all began for Eric. This is the place an innocent child lost his life because of one second’s distraction. Just one second of inattention – enough to choose the wrong address. The ambulance will never arrive in time.

The final stage of the narrative is captured in an artwork located at the exit of the installation.

Plexiglass sculpture at the end of the experience room „Shadows“.  Photography©Studioproduktion Event Media, HdM, 2017

This piece consists of Eric’s body painted onto slices of plexiglas, evoking a 3 dimensional sculpture. Eric is trapped for ever.

When the visitor leaves this space, he enters a room where the story is told once again as a short film.

See the making of.

Final words: We started of in a plain studio space and ended up in various rooms for experiences.  3 month concept – 2 Students,  3 month: creating sound and image content – 8 students,  1 month building the stage – 8 students plus helping hands. We are full of praise and thank all of you who helped realising this crazy project. We don’t really know how we would have managed without families and friends. 

Floorplan:

 Entry of the installation „Shadows“.  Photography©Studioproduktion Event Media, HdM, 2017

Team:

NAMEFUNKTIONSBEREICHSTUDIENGANG
Lucas AueProgrammierung, MediensteuerungAMB
Karina BeggelRegie, Bühne, Licht, TonAMB
Verena FleißigRegie, Bühne, Grafiken, Mediensteuerung, Making-OffAMB
Jessica KochRegie, Bühne, Licht, Grafiken, Mediensteuerung, Making-OffAMB
Mareike RebholzProduktionsleitung, Regie, Bühne, LichtAMB
Celine PierriProjektmanagement, Fotografie, Making-Off, Social Media, SponsoringMWB
Jasmina ElsässerProjektmanagement, Fotografie, Making-Off, Social Media, SponsoringMWB
Nina WeidlichProjektmanagement, Fotografie, Making-Off, Social Media, SponsoringMWB

Technologies:

Software
Ableton Live Suite 9.7, Adobe CC, DaVinci Resolve 12, Houdini FX (Side FX, Kinect Runtime, Maxon Cinema 4d, Restart on Crash, Soundkarten-Treiber, VLC-Player, Voronoi-Algorithmus, VVVV, VVVV, DX11 Pointcloud Addon, Windows 10

Audio
2 Wege Lautsprecher, MP3 Player, Verstärker, Richtlautsprecher SONUS®audioFocus Q, Audio Zuspieler BrightSign LS 322, Logitech G430 Surround Sound Gaming Headset

Lichttechnik: Mobilights, Gobos,

Videotechnik: LG 38UC99-W, DLP-Projektor Panasonic PT-DZ680EK, LC-Display Samsung ME32B, LED-Panels ICT inspireLED 3,6mm, Barco DX 700 Bildprozessor Leinwände, Inspire LED s6b indoor, Projektor Vivitek Qumi Q7 Plus

Electronic: Sensoren, Arduino, Netzteile, Kabel etc

Bauelemente: Aluminiumprofile (Länge: 100cm), Aluminium Eckverbinder, lacke, Spiegelbefestigung, Flachverbinder, Konsolen Winkel, LED Stripes, Holz, Halbtransparente Spiegel, Display Aufhängungen, Drahtseile, Karabiner, Hakten, Ösen, Bauzaun, Overheadfolien, Plexiglas, Angelschnur, Gewindestanden, Display Abklebungen, Abstandshalter, Drahtseile, Vesa Platten, Makrononplatten, Spiegel usw.

Images of the production

Photography©Studioprodutkion EventMedia, Hochschule der Medien

Sponsoren