First Things First This is 4003-590-09 / 4005-769-09 Welcome to - PDF document

First Things First • This is 4003-590-09 / 4005-769-09 Welcome to Virtual Theatre – (Virtual Theatre) • I am Joe Geigel…your host! Plan for this evening Logistics • Logistics • The LDAP database • Answer the questions – Be sure that your e-mail is correct. – What is this course about? – How will the course will run – What exactly is Virtual Theatre…in general & specifics – How do I fit in • But first… – Student Information Forms Logistics Logistics • Course Web Site: • Official Prerequisite – one of the following: – http://www.cs.rit.edu/~jmg/vtheatre – Computer Graphics 1(CS 570/761) – Foundations of 3D Graphics Programming (IT 502) • Contact: – 3D Graphics Programming (IT 735) – office hours: MW 2-4 or by appt. • However… – Office: 70 (GCCIS) Rm 3527 – e-mail: jmg@cs.rit.edu – Need expertise in • Networking – phone: 475-2051 • Basic programming • Audio • Slides: • … – Will be available (in B&W – PDF) on Web site. 1

Virtual Theatre VR and Theatre • Virtual Theatre – A distributed computer system whereby performers, stage crew, and audience can be in physically separate places yet share in the same live theatrical performance. – 4003-590-09 / 4005-769-09 – MW 4-6 Peripherals UT-CAVE 5DT Data Glove I-glasses Head Mounted Display w/head tracker DTI Stereo Monitor Logistics • This is a project based course • Teams will be assembled – Each team will build a VT software component – Components will be connected via a common networking infrastructure. – Team Web site! • Collective goal: – To build the framework for a virtual theatre system – Test the framework out on short virtual performance. 2

Logistics How will the course be run? • Weeks 1 & 2 • Collaboration – Intro material – Within teams – Team formation / definition • Weeks 3 – 8 – Between teams – Group work – With artists in SoD and SOFA – Lectures: status meetings / working sessions – 4 checkpoints • Week 9 –10 – Dress Rehersal: Integration • Questions so far? • Finals Week – The Virtual Performance How will the course be run How will the course be run • Checkpoints • Status meetings – Mini-demos that show progress – Announcements / new developments – Defined and determined by each team – News from the artistic side – Dates – Update on team progress • Mon, March 22 • Short (5 min) presentation – Event definitions – other checkpoint requirements • Indication on Team Web site • Mon, April 5: Checkpoint 1 – Intra-team issues • Mon, April 19: Checkpoint 2 • Mon, May 3: Checkpoint 3 – Guaranteed team working time. Assessment Grad Students • Team grade • Grad Students are required to write a – Software (35) detailed report on one aspect of virtual – Documentation (35) theatre: – Meeting checkpoints (20) – In preparation of project / thesis proposal – Team Web site (10) • Team Evaluation – Grad students please stick around after class. – Evaluation of team members from within teams • Peer review – Evaluation of teams from those not in teams 3

Assessment Plan for today • Answer the questions Graduate Undergrad – What is this course about? Team Grade 60% 70% – How will the course will run – What exactly is Virtual Theatre…in general & Team 10% 15% specifics Evaluation – How do I fit in Peer Review 10% 15% • Any questions? Grad Report 20% What is Virtual Theatre What is Virtual Theatre • Virtual Theater is… • Categorizing Virtual Theatre – Live Performance – Stage – Distributed – Staging (Stage element control) – Shared Experience – Actors – Acting (Actor control) – Performance – Viewing What is Virtual Theatre What is Virtual Theatre • Stage • Staging – Where is the show being performed? – How are stage elements being controlled Physical Stage ------------------ Virtual Stage Human Control ------------ Computer Control Scripted --------------------- Improvisational 4

What is Virtual Theatre What is Virtual Theatre • Actors • Actor Control – Who are the actors? – How are actors being controlled Physical (Human) ------------------ Virtual Human Control ------------ Computer Control Scripted --------------------- Improvisational What is Virtual Theatre What is Virtual Theatre • Performance • Viewing – How will the performance be editted – What will the audience be seeing Realtime ------------------------- Editted Live ---------------------------------- Prerecorded Examples Examples • Traditional Theatre: – Stage = physical – Staging = Scripted / human or computer controlled – Actors = human – Acting = Scripted / human control – Performance = realtime – Viewing = live 5

Examples Example • J&H w/Hasselhoff: – Stage = physical / virtual – Staging = Scripted / human control – Stage = physical – Actors = human / virtual – Staging = Scripted / human or computer controlled – Acting = Scripted / human control – Actors = human – Performance = editted – Acting = Scripted / human control – Viewing = pre-recorded – Performance = realtime – Viewing = pre-recorded Example Example – Stage = virtual – Staging = Scripted / human control – Actors = virtual – Acting = Scripted / human control – Performance = editted – Viewing = pre-recorded Example It / I (MIT Media Lab) • "I" (played by a human actor) and "It" (played by a computer) in a pantomime about the relation between people and technology. • "It" monitors the scene with video cameras and reacts to "I"'s actions by displaying real time computer graphics objects and synthesizing sound. 6

It / I (MIT Media Lab) It / I (MIT Media Lab) It / I (MIT Media Lab) 1997 Improv (NYU MRL) – Stage = physical • SIGGRAPH 1995 – Staging = Improvisational / computer control • Interaction with virtual actors in a virtual – Actors = virtual / human space – Acting = Improvisational / human control • Human actions tracked – Performance = realtime by video – Viewing = live Improv (NYU MRL) Floops (SGI – 1997) – Stage = physical / virtual • First VRML Actor – Staging = Improvisational / computer control – Actors = virtual / human – Acting = Improvisational / human control – Performance = realtime – Viewing = live 7

Floops (SGI – 1997) VRML Dream (1998) • VRML Dream is an adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's – Stage = virtual Dream (MND) for a live presentation on the Internet. An important – Staging = Scripted / human control function of this project is test the technology to see how a 3-D theatrical experience can work over the Internet. However, another – Actors = virtual important rationale for using VRML as the medium for presenting the play is to enhance particular themes inherent within the play itself. – Acting = Scripted / human control – Performance = realtime – Viewing = prerecorded / (somewhat live?) VRML Dream (1998) Fight of the Bumblebees (RIT 2004?) – Stage = virtual • After the break – Staging = Scripted / human control – Actors = virtual – Acting = Scripted / human control – Performance = realtime – Viewing = live Motivational Film Fight of the Bumblebees (RIT 2004) 8

Fight of the Bumblebees (RIT 2004) Fight of the Bumblebees (RIT 2004) • Actors • Audience experience – Lead bee – controlled by human actor wearing – Will view performance via a “stage” HMD and dataglove application – Bee Flock – Autonomous (emotion controlled – Each member will have his/her own seat by lead bee actor) – Can clap / boo • Staging • Live recording – Flower – Record motion for high quality, off-line • controlled by stage manager rendering. • Input from audience VT Components Fight of the Bumblebees (RIT 2004) – Stage = virtual • Audience View App – Staging = Improvisational / human control – Stage application from audience viewpoint – Actors = virtual • Must display all actors • Must be able to import predefined models / – Acting = Improvisational / human-computer animations control – Support multiple viewing locations – Performance = realtime – “Clapping” interactivity – Viewing = live – Sound VT Components VT Components • Actor’s View App • Stage Manager’s View App – Stage application from stage manager’s viewpoint – Stage application from lead bee viewpoint • Must display all actors • Must display all actors • Must be able to import predefined models / animations • Must be able to import predefined models / • Not necessarily same “view” as audience or lead bee animations – Interoperability with Stereo Monitor or UT-CAVE • Not necessarily same “view” as audience. – Must be able to “hear” audience. – Interoperability with HMD / DataGlove 9

VT Components VT Components • Performance specific modules • Real Time Recorder – Emotive bees / flocking model – Record actor’s motion + sound for off line • K. Law, grad student rendering – Emotive sound / music? – Predefined model / animation loader/converter. • Networking Infrastructure • Others? – Common event based framework – TBD – M2MI? • Questions? Next time… • More detailed determination of component, teams, responsibilities • Think about what component you might wish to work on. – Will ask you to send me e-mail by next Monday. 10