Research & Ideas
Doing some research into simulation gaming, I found some footage on how the army are trained to deal with real life situations. The video above shows how they are placed in separate spaces in one room while wearing goggles and gear. They are then connected up to a number of wires that read there body position which helps them move around while in game. I find this to be very realistic as they're actually in the game themselves and can control the character using their body.
Wall Painting
I've looked into painting of realistic windows with a view inside, but i'm not sure if it's a simulation or an illusion. I don't think it's a simulation because it's actually 2D so when the viewer goes to touch it they will realise. I was interested in the window mirror that was created in a garden that portrayed another garden when you looked through it, but as I began to look more into it, it was illusion. After looking into fake windows, I decided to look into street art and how it's portrayed as 3D to the viewer at a certain view point. I've looked into artists such as 'Edgar Muller' and 'Kurt Wenner' the creator of 3D Pavement/Street art. I really enjoy this type of art as I think it's unusual and very entertaining to look at.
Kurt Wenner
Kurt was the founder of 3D street art, he studied the works of great masters and drew constantly from sculptures while based in Rome. The drawings he made brought him closer with the language of form in Western figurative art. For several years, Kurt traveled great distances to experience himself most of the major masterpieces and monuments throughout Europe. He experimented with traditional media such as tempera, fresco and oil paint. Wenner eventually found his own style of art from the knowledge of Renaissance classicism. In 1984, Kurt invented an art form all of his own that has known to become 3D Pavement art. A form of perspective, known as anamorphism was used by the great European masters to give the illusion of soaring architecture and floating figures.
Edgar Muller
Edgar Muller is a German artist who specialises in 3D pavement art. His drawings transform everyday locations into fantasy scenes. His work consists of many pieces such as sharks erupting from pavements, streets and rivers through towns, and more.
Subversive Sightseeing - Tim Simpson
Tim produces images that are placed inside the object portraying the same view that you would expect to see through the view finder, but edited. From the images above you can see that explosions are input into the image, these scenes create a shock effect towards the viewer(s) which produces a simulation like effect. I think this is a great simulation as it looks completely real through the view finder and the viewer wouldn't expect to see it.
Animal Superpowers - Chris Wobeken
Chris creates designs that allow you to explore the life of an animal. His work is wearable and gives the viewers a chance to play around with them. The objects are made in a way that they resemble the animal and their characteristics, they give the viewer an insight of how the animal see's & walks etc. From the images above, you can make out that the women is wearing an object that fits over the head, it's design is to resemble a giraffe.
Mirror fitted with a screen
I had an idea that I could use a mirror with a monitor inside linked up to a camera. The camera would be placed away from the mirror so that when to viewer looked into the mirror, it would show the rear of them instead of the front, thus feeling like they're watching themselves. I think this could also be achieved with the use of a projector, but have no idea yet of how it would be set up to show this. I have created a quick mock-up of how I intend this to look to the viewer.
Flipped/Altered Vision
I had an idea of trying to find a way how to flip someone's vision upside down so it feels like they are walking in the sky or a ceiling. I was trying to think of a way on how to do this, I had ideas of using glasses or goggles with mirrors but couldn't find out how it works. This video shows something similar but not exactly how I meant. The footage contains a box that contains a numerous amount of mirrors that trick your eyes, it is made to switch your eyes over and experiments on how the brain adapts to this.
Real Life Gaming
After looking into more simulators, I found that somebody had created a real life simulation of the game call of duty. I thought this was very entertaining and very creative with all the effects and layout. I've also been looking into how these kind of videos are made and found that they are created with Adobe After Effects. Following on from this research, I had an idea that I could try and make myself miniature by using the program, and have various types of background that I could encounter. For example, walking in grass would seem like a forest and insects such as ants become giants.
Miniature Scenery
I began to look into miniature villages and cities that have been created by hand. I think these can be made to look very realistic and simulate a place well. I like the idea that you can also include animals and people to add an extra effect.
Re-creating a scene
I also researched into stop animation as I find it enjoyable and entertaining. I began to think how it could be used to create a simulation, I found this video above and it shows a great idea of how stop animation can be suitable for the brief.
Visual Simulations
I began to think into visual simulations, such as glasses that change the appearance of the surroundings. I then researched into different lenses and glasses that can give the viewer an idea of what it's like to have cataracts or blurry vision etc. I also looked into such ideas as creating lenses that could show the viewer there surroundings in solarization and inverted. I think this would be very interesting, but after many hours of research I couldn't find a way to achieve this.
Virtual Visualisation Device
While watching a show on TV called 'The Gadget Show', I saw a visual device that was said to be a work in progress, it fitted to the users head, and showed a interface in front of the person, it displayed people's names etc.
Developed Idea
Virtual Visualisation Device: I began to get very excited with this idea as so much can be achieved and it meets to briefs needs perfectly, I began to write down lots of ideas that I could think of, I'm now wanting to create a device that will fit over the eye and ear, and use media such as video to display the final outcome.
Final Idea: Virtual Visualisation Device
I have began to take this idea further and think it would be a good way to show some kind of simulation. I plan to create a pair of goggles or glasses that will fit over the eyes that represent the visual device, I then want to make a video showing how the device works and how it makes everyday life a little more interesting. I've wrote down many ideas that will be included in the footage, I plan to create a template layout for the visual as that is what the user will see. I plan to use voices which give commands to an object, such as 'Door Open'. I have chosen to use the 'Invert' effect over the video as it creates a somewhat futuristic & virtual appearance for the viewer. Below is some footage that I have taken & edited for a rough idea of how some of the clips shall look, It's not 100% done and I still need to work on parts such as voice and layout.
Further research led me to http://www.reghardware.com/2007/09/13/virtual_reality_goggles/ where it explains how a pair of goggles are made to change the appearance of reality. It has many different filters such as saturation and invert. The goggles include a camera that displays the output through a screen inside, similar to a mobile phone.
Creating the goggles / glasses
I plan to use existing goggles or glasses and add to them and create something different & unusual. Obviously the final design will not work, but the idea is to provide the viewer's with a visual on how it might look when wearing them. I've looked into many different types of fitments that can be placed over the eye.
Video Layout
I need to produce a layout that will be effective on the audience and have a virtual appearance. I've been looking into layouts from 'Terminator' & 'Predator' as these are close to what I'm trying to achieve. I plan to create a detailed layout with information such as current place, activity, tempeture, battery life and many more.
Test Clips
I cant seem to find many visual layouts to give me any ideas of how it can look, I have made a few clips with some basic layouts but they still dont impress me and I think the clips could look alot better and more realistic. I have chosen to carry on the use of the 'Invert' overlay.
Final Outcome
I had taken alot of footage but when I came to review and edit them, they weren't up to scratch enough for me and didn't look very entertaining. I managed to take a few clips and edit them in a way to create a visual simulation that contained sound and video. I wanted the fake device to activate by voice commands that will be shown throughout the video, I think the footage shows it well. Even though I managed to get some clips to work out well, I couldn't find any inspiration to get some good footage as I had no ideas what would work and how things could be done. I managed to get a few family members to help me out during the project, so I didn't have to touch anything and it looked controlled from the goggles / device. Overall I'm happy I've created something that does resemble what I set out to do, but would of prefer'd to created a better layout. I've only recently just started using the video editing program and found it quite tricky, I think this has a part to do with most. I would've also liked to create a longer video, somewhere above 5 minutes.
