IN The Eyes of the Animal is a new immersive virtual reality experience, running from tomorrow (Friday, May 13) until Sunday (May 15), which allows people to experience Hamsterley Forest through the senses of the inhabitants.
The event is free, but has limited capacity and booking is recommended through: andfestival.org.uk/eyes
The Abandon Normal Devices (AND) offers a unique 360 degree virtual reality experience created specifically for the forest. This new commission, in collaboration with the Forestry Commission England’s Forest Art Works programme, enables audiences to encounter England’s forests anew. Sculptural virtual reality headsets will be suspended from overhanging woodland enabling forest explorers to fly through the forest canopy, come face-to-face with hi-definition woodland inhabitants and embody various animals as they traverse this computer-generated landscape. The work has been created by immersive experience studio Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF) who explore the line between virtual and real-world experiences. Filmed using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or ‘drones’ and bespoke 360 degree cameras, and set to a binaural soundtrack using audio recordings sourced from the surrounding woodland, the viewer gains a speculative short story through the eyes of the forest creatures.
It became an audience favourite at this year's Sundance Film Festival and is one of the top five highlights according to The Daily Telegraph.
In addition to recreating trees and plants as VR entities, MLF also added many creatures. Some were captured via a photogrammetry rig and others CT scanned by the Natural History Museum in breath-taking close-up, super hi-def detail. These scans gave MLF an opportunity to digitise the microscopic world and perspectives of forest animals using custom software.
People will not only be able to hear the animals’ environment through headphone-delivered audio, they will also be able to "feel" the sounds thanks to a wearable Sub Pac device that turns the audio vibrations into a tactile experience.
Gabrielle Jenks, Abandon Normal Devices, director, says: “Developing In the Eyes of the Animal with Marshmallow Laser Feast has enabled us to continue to create new cinematic experiences for audiences and support artists working with new storytelling techniques, bringing work outside of the gallery into the forest.”
Robin McNicholas, one of MLF’s co-founders and creative directors, says: “Aerial filming, for example, has traditionally been the preserve of Hollywood blockbusters with budgets big enough for helicopters. But new drone technology means artists can now get a slice of the action too. Thanks to AND, the Forestry Commission and the Digital R&D Fund, this has been an amazing opportunity to merge nature and technology.”
Hayley Skipper, Forestry Commission England, curator of arts development, says: “This is a significant partnership for our national Forest Art Works programme, which supports great art and culture for everyone in England's public forests and builds on the success of the original launch of the festival, which we first hosted in 2010.”
The project is supported using public funding by Arts Council England and Forestry Commission England. Equipment Support by Nvidia and Sub Pac.
Viv Hardwick
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