The Escape

Available below: abstract, team, performers, inspiration, stage design, documentation.

abstract

"Okay global gamers, we are going to play My Blob And Me. . . . Before we go in-world I’m going to need your help. So, when you hear me say Help PPL ASAP, I want you to emit a tone in unison, then we can help our avatar escape to the next level. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...." - The Gamer

The Escape is a mixed-reality performance in which the audience is invited to help a character escape its video game prison. Through the completion of competition-based mini-games, facilitated by the narration of a gamer character, the audience can choose to either assist or to hinder the character's attempts to escape the game world, influencing the progress and direction of the performance.

team

Laura L.C. (laura_seloc_eel@sfu.ca) - Story & World Design
Philippa M. (p4ma@sfu.ca) - Story, Movement & Performer
Andrew H. (andwer@ah-on.ca) - Project Head & Interaction Design
Ming S.H. (usgnimnho@gmail.com) - Music & Interaction Design

performers

The Gamer is a narrative figure who helps guide the audience into the game and promote their interactions to lead to escape for the performer. The audience see's and can interact with the gamer through a screen to the side of the virtual world.

The Character is the individual trapped in the game, whom the audience must choose to either save or doom at specific points in the game. As the levels progress, the character is given more freedom of movement, and progresses away from the virtual and closer to reality. The character promotes her survival in interactions with the audience and the gamer in a variety of capacities throughout the game.

inspiration

Glimmer (Jason Freeman) - Audience participation example.
Bobby McFerrin and the Audience as an instrument - Simple audience cueing.
Desert Rain (Blast Theory) - Audience interaction with virtual space.
I Like Frank (Blast Theory) - Mixed Reality
You Get Me (Blast Theory) - Mixed Reality
Agency Play (Harrell, D. F. & Zhu, J.) - Audience/performer agency in performance.
Black & White Room, Crimson Room - Escape game examples.

stage design

To preview the different layers of stage on the image below, click on the name of the layer to enable/disable it.

Measurements outline the general positioning and layout of the space.

Displays constitute all the projections or digital displays which constitute the world percieved by the audience.

Video Capture is the area in which the performer's movements will be captured by video and translated into an 'avatar' onto the scrim.

Performance Spaces are the areas in which the avatar will have to move. In the first half, the 2D world limits the performer's movements to one horizontal axis, whereas the 3D world allows her to move more freely.

Audience Spaces are the two halves in which the audience will participate with the performance. They can choose to move between halves and through this achieve a sense agency in the piece.

Interaction Devices are the devices which will gauge audience participation.