CORPORATE UNCONSCIOUS AND THE VIDEOWALK FORMAT
1.1 Background and Context
1.2 Research Question
1.3 Objectives and Scope
1.4 Structure of the Thesis
2. Corporate Unconscious 2.1 Credits
2.2 Description
2.3 Video Documentation
2.4 Synopsis
2.5 Full Text
3. Theoretical framework 3.1 Videowalk: Exploring the Format
3.1.1. Walking as a type of art.3.1.2 Audiowalks
3.1.3 The emergence of Videowalk
3.1.4 Choosing the format3.2 Site-Specific Art and Spatial Narratives
3.3 Engaging Audiences in a Constructed Reality
3.3.1 Illusion and Engagement: The Rubber Hand Effect in Theater
3.3.2 We should invent reality before filming it
3.3.3 Simul Entertainment GmbH3.4 Meta-Score
4. Creative process 4.1 Concept Development
4.1.1 Synchronicity and simultaneity.
4.1.2 Corporate Language as a Narrative Tool4.2 Space research
4.3 Development of visual, auditory and performative identity
4.3.1 Corporate Identity
4.3.2 Art Direction and Stage Design
4.3.3 Performativity
4.3.4 Costumes
4.3.5 Music composition
4.3.6 Cinematography4.4 Dramaturgy and Script Development
4.4.1 Narrative Layers
4.4.2 Storytelling
4.4.3 Dramaturgical arc
4.4.4 Space Score and Timing4.5 Videowalk Production phases
4.5.1 Creation of Fake Historical Footage
4.5.2 Videowalk Filming
4.5.3 3D Modeling and Scanning of the Space
4.5.4 VFX Development and 3D Animated Scenes
4.5.5 Documentary Development4.6 Performance and Participation4.6.1 Installations & self-reflective moments
4.6.2 Leveled performances
4.6.3 Fake participants and recursive participation
4.6.4 Easter eggs4.7 Multimedia Techniques
4.7.1 LiDAR Scanning and As-build modeling
4.7.2 On-site shading and texturing
4.7.3 Character and animations
4.7.4 Camera tracking and VFX compositing
4.7.5 Virtual production and "inverse virtual production"
4.7.6 Video Game development
4.7.7 Spatial audio
4.7.8 AI text models
4.7.9 iOS playback app
5. Conclusion
6. Acknowledgments
7. References
4.3.2 Art Direction and Stage Design
The main visual aesthetic for Simul focused on creating experimental settings reminiscent of sci-fi and pseudo-scientific environments, closely tied to cinematic imaginations of laboratories and corporate spaces. The design incorporated 90s era cameras, cinematic lighting, tripods, lots of cables, all presented openly to evoke a behind-the-scenes atmosphere.Incorporating elements of crash test simulations and test dummies enhanced the project's exploration of the human relationship with technology and control. These components, traditionally used in automotive safety testing, were repurposed to evoke a sense of scientific inquiry and existential experimentation within the performance's setting. The presence of test dummies, with their uncanny human likenesses, served as a powerful visual metaphor for Simul's research on synchronicity and the human condition in a highly controlled, experimental framework.
My attraction to crash test settings and dummies lies in their interesting dichotomy. On one hand, they symbolize the peak of human effort to safeguard human life. On the other, they present a somewhat disconcerting aspect of human vulnerability and the impersonal nature of scientific experimentation.
In terms of materials, foil was utilized to create a futuristic yet grounded environment, reminiscent of earlier experiments conducted within the basement areas of the HfMT. This material choice, along with the experimental setup, contributed to the unsettling atmosphere we wanted to bring.
The usage of aluminum foil was already tested in The Vacuum Chamber, a preparatory piece we made together with Robin Plenio in 2022. On that piece, a room was completely foiled, including the ceiling and floor. In Corporate Unconscious, foil was used as a way to determine what can be defined as an experimental setting, a way of demarking the stage.
In the center of the MFS room, a large 6x3 meter video wall was installed, structured as a corridor in the shape of a "U". This design choice was made with the intention of presenting this as a significant technological object, not just a screen. Consequently, upon entering the MFS room, visitors were initially seeing the impressive rear view of the screen, revealing its standby lights, cables, and rigging.
It wasn't until the audience navigated around the room and approached the opening of the "U" that they could finally see the content displayed on the screen. I find it particularly interesting to present technology as an accessible object within the artwork, and move away from concealing it as if it were theatrical magic or secret tricks.
The design also played with notions of visibility and surveillance, utilizing motion tracking markers and trackers as both practical and decorative elements within the space. Even though during tryouts we figured a way to make camera tracking work without them, we thought that the Test Setting aesthetic would actually benefit from having them anyways.
The logo of Simul, was discreetly integrated into various parts of the environment. This subtle branding reinforced the omnipresence of the fictitious corporation. Throughout the tour, the audience encountered typical corporate paraphernalia staged in mundane yet deliberate arrangements. This included Water dispensers, bowls of candy, feedback forms, and plastic plants, placed to create an atmosphere of banal office life.
Stills from the found footage.