My task was to direct a choreographed dance scene exploring mental health through the metaphor of shifting landscapes during a forest fire. The piece also supported a brand and product activation showcasing “invisible” UI and pre-production streamable camera technology. Acting as the creative lead, artist and writer, I was fortunate to work with a group of remarkable students and recent graduates well versed in the workings of Unreal Engine and mocap technology.
PROJECT ASPECTS:
The project combined story, dance choreography, digital fluency, and sound-choir recordings. It was highly challenging on many levels, with a tight 15-day turnaround and a crew of nearly 20 people. At its core, the work celebrated the dialogue between AI-generated dance imagery and XR digital creations—a dynamic interplay that explored the evolving “dance” between technology and human expression.
Here is the published Siggraph white paper: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3736539.3737497
Artist in Residence:
Creative Direction and of course Openbrush VR Paintings
Creative Direction and of course Openbrush VR Paintings
I developed a cross human-centered design process to map the emotional beats of the story. My emotional strategy map allowed me to communicate the narrative to both the choreographer and the technical crew in ways that aligned with their distinct modes of thinking. Since the language of dance differs greatly from the analytical nature of technical development, grounding the process in emotion—supported by music and story beats—created a shared framework that led to fast and effective results.
I also invited my friend Jonathan Bierman to share his expertise as our Technical Director. With his sound engineering and Unreal Engine background, he was able to mix live music from the Forest Harmonies Choir at UBC Spirit Park to create our main track. He also collaborated with the team to design the interactivity including enhancing the touchless technology (NZTech).
The Story - Everyone wants EMOTIONAL PIECES that MOVE THEM
Living with Alzheimer’s isn’t fun. My mother has the disease, and while it’s been tough in so many ways, it’s also taught me a lot about what’s really important in life. In the Forest Wild XR project, I wanted to look at the themes of:
1)mental illness and 'connections' both mental/physical/emotional
2)the power of the arts + nature to heal
3)regeneration through nature
The wildfires burning through BC during the summer months and throughout other parts of Canada felt like the right metaphor; a description of destruction and renewal happening at the same time. Out of that mix, I started to see the pieces of metaphor that could carry my mom’s story, and my family’s story… only told with an imaginative twist.
WHAT IF???.....
1)mental illness and 'connections' both mental/physical/emotional
2)the power of the arts + nature to heal
3)regeneration through nature
The wildfires burning through BC during the summer months and throughout other parts of Canada felt like the right metaphor; a description of destruction and renewal happening at the same time. Out of that mix, I started to see the pieces of metaphor that could carry my mom’s story, and my family’s story… only told with an imaginative twist.
WHAT IF???.....
- What if Alzheimer’s was a friend embodied as a different person —someone you knew deeply, someone you trusted? And what if, over time, that friend grew jealous of your good health? What if it began to betray you, stealing the secrets you held close, the words and memories you cherished? I brought this idea to our developers and choreographers, laid it at their feet, and followed up with storyboards—while giving them the freedom to shape it into their own stories. The results were fascinating, artistic and poignant. It's what gave the performance deep resonance while shaping meaning for everyone on our team.
Here is one of my many Emotion Maps. It worked well because it enabled everyone to understand what they were seeing, hearing etc. A cross between an empathy map and my own analysis, it offered a diagnostic pov to everything we did.
These are the team members and the names of the people who made it happen. Once again, special praises and gratitude to Sang Mah who produced the entire event.
Some photos of the crew in action
