An attempt to build a responsive screen, that reacts to the viewer’s position to create the illusion of depth.

A small video camera picks up the scene, and (using Processing) attempts to find the user’s position via Face Recognition. This information is then fed back to update the outputted graphics.

We originally attempted the visuals as fully rendered 3D images, but couldn’t get the application to shift through that many 1024×768 images quick enough, so fell back onto a basic ‘popup book’ (2.5D) style scene.

This project was developed for the Media Sandbox project, between HMC Interactive and Aardman.

As always with R&D there’s loads more we’d love to do with the project, but we’re very happy with the results so far.

Thanks to Dan for the video.

Merging animation with real life video footage on screen is something that has been done for years. Classic films like ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ have spellbound adults and children alike. What if this could happen in real life? Can a cartoon reality become part of our reality, creating an augmented hyper-reality?

This project will examine platforms that allow HMC to bring Aardman characters to life, utilising a number of playful and interactive delivery systems in and around locations across the City of Bristol. The Project aims to understand the city as a canvas, and experiment how digital media can augment space and location, culminating in an event that will showcase the methods that have been uncovered.

HMC Interactive is an award winning multimedia production company, based in Plymouth, UK. With a passion for exhibition and educational output, HMC have enjoyed success with a range of projects for clients such as National Museum of Scotland, Battle Abbey Visitor Centre, the Royal Observatory, the National Waterfront Museum Swansea and Cadbury World.

Aardman is a multi-Oscar winning studio and a world leader in character led 3D animated film production making animation for idents, short films, commercials, web series, web content, TV services & feature films. Best known for Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Creature Comforts, Angry Kid. Recent commercials clients include British Gas, CocaCola, Johhny Walker, Kelloggs, Hovis & Budweiser.

HMC Interactive have been commissioned by Atomic TV to create an “Angry House” for The Big Chill multi media festival held at Eastnor Castle Deer Park in the Malvern Hills. The idea behind Angry House is to create an interactive, performance-based installation, where this notion of the emotional house is played out. It looks like a wooden, backyard playhouse, which is designed in a cute, mini-house style, so it is attractive to children. It sits in on a manicured piece of land, surrounded by trees. It has the appearance of innocence and calm. When no one is around, the house sleeps…all is quiet, except for the wind chimes hanging above the door.

But the house is sentient. It knows when someone approaches and from what direction. Proximity sensors embedded in the front of the house, detect the distance and movement of the visitor. As they get closer, the house stirs, getting angrier, it growls and bangs the door from inside. Sometimes, a bright light will shoot out of the small windows, projecting shadowy figures onto the adjacent trees. The house will appear to be alive and active, attracting attention with its internal, flickering light and sweet chimes. The Angry House is always locked and visitors can never go in, but curious folk can always peer through the windows at the dark secret within.

This is my story about coming to university

When I came to an open day at the University I saw one of the lecturers presenting some of the great games that final year students had created. When I saw them I thought, “I’d love to make something like that.” Four years later I was running my own software development company and winning countless awards.

After graduation I was very busy. I won the Submerge Award with three other students for creating an online game and, together, we worked really hard to build HMC Interactive, an award winning software development company. HMC Interactive creates interactive multimedia products for a wide range of industries from education to entertainment and beyond, turning fantasy into reality. It’s great fun building theme parks and attractions all over the world. It’s never boring and I love it!

For one of our American clients we created audio-reactive disability rooms for children with autism and cerebral palsy. It uses high-powered hidden microphones to turn children’s sounds into a world of colours and light. We worked with leading American speech therapists to create it and we are hoping to bring it to the UK soon.

Currently, I am working on the Space Gallery at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, making huge digital rooms full of interactive starscapes from the Hubble telescope. We are also designing new interactive playspaces for the Cadbury World theme park in Birmingham. “Purple Planet” is a realm of mirrors, wall-sized screens, hidden cameras, motion detectors and interactive projections that react when you touch them or move your body. They form a series of mind-stretching virtual exhibits including such features as chocolate rain falling from the sky and a photo booth that moulds people into cyber chocolate sculptures.

“It’s great fun building theme parks and attractions all over the world. I love it!”