Phil Tippett - Stop Motion VR

Stop Motion and VR?

Two things you would not expect to see coexist, put together, I was instantly intrigued.

Ive never had the time or day for Stop Motion, but to see it applied in such an unusual and contrasting way had me interested.

Phil Tippett a famous Stop-Motion VFX artist who has worked on films such as Jurassic Park and Star Wars, is now immersing viewers in a "fully realized dystopian subterranean netherworld" (Wolfe, 2016) using his traditional medium.

VR has great potential within the horror industry because of the immersion heightening such feelings like fear, meaning Phil Tibbetts grotesque characters fit right in and successfully create this sinister aura.

Using photogrammetry to translate physical stop-motion animation into the VR landscape, the Mad God experience includes absolutely zero CG characters or environments, much to Tippetts dislike of 3D animation. I find it hard to get my head around, being so passionate about VR, how Tippett wants to bring his characters to life but isnt really so interested in being immersed within the world he creates.

At first thought, you would think combining these 2 mediums wouldn't look right. However you can argue that Stop-Motion VR improves the immersive experience because of the fact the characters are made from real life objects, they are tangible. Unlike 3D where everything is unlike the real world we live in, plastic smooth and inorganic. “The whole thing was shot stop-motion on tiny sets, so it has a very visceral photographic handmade look as opposed to the cleanliness of so much of the VR content that’s being produced with computers. "  (Tippett, 2016) However, you could argue in return that because of the low frame rate for stop motion, you are thrown out of the immersion because your brain recognizes this is not the rate we are used to perceiving bodily movement, unlike 3D where you can achieve a pretty high frame rate. However what this low-frame rate aesthetic does is intensifies the horror element, because our eyes aren't used to seeing organic matter move this way, along with the immersion we are left feeling extremely unsettled at the army steadily heading towards us. 

I believe they fit nicely together, and it raises questions on the sustainability of the Stop-Motion industry in accordance with VR.

This article on Animation World Network highlighted some vital information for my practice in VR, something I had never even thought of, something that impacts on VR and narrative.When using VR, you have a visual overload of 360 degrees as you adjust to your new world. So there needs to be a way to direct the spectator to what you want them to look at;

 "One of the more significant conversations surrounding narrative storytelling in VR has been about how to direct the audience’s attention. With more freedom and an expanded point of view comes a potential for lack of direction. The preexisting language of cinema -- editing, insert shots, etc. -- doesn’t apply in the 360° environment. It’s a question Tippett found intriguing from the very beginning. “There are a number of things when you are articulating a narrative in film to advance the narrative, and editing is a huge aspect of that,” he said. “You can do that in VR but it can be kind unsettling to do cuts. And when I became aware of what the possibilities were for binaural sound, that opened up a huge door in that it could function in a way like editing.”

Audio can be used to direct the spectators focus. Also if I am incorporating core narrative within VR I need to consider allowing for an 'adjustment period' for when the user first puts on the device, a period for them to settle into their world, waiting for them to become fully immersed before taking them on a journey.