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
4.3.5 Music Composition
The sonic identity of Corporate Unconscious was thought to reflect the corporate aesthetic of the 1990s, heavily inspired by the era's commercial jingles and Silicon Valley promotional materials. The music composition by Lucas Schlotfeld, had the mission to go beyond a video soundtrack and embody the very essence of a corporate environment. The approach was clear: instead of simply accompanying scenes, the music was designed to act as a product in itself, directly promoting the fictitious entity, Simul.The initial track, "Groove," set the tone with its heavy use of low-cost VST synthesizers, encapsulating a technological and futuristic vibe that harkened back to the dot-com era's optimism and excess. In collaboration with Schlotfeld, a diverse range of musical pieces was developed, from the cloyingly sweet jingles reminiscent of late-night infomercials to the more introspective "Sexy Ballad"
The use of "found footage" music, a concept that allowed the historical blending of timeframes and realities, was particularly effective. By altering and integrating these sounds, we were able to create a seamless auditory experience that complemented the visual journey.
My own contributions, alongside Robin Plenio, involved synthesizing additional sounds that complemented Schlotfeld's compositions. We aimed to create an auditory landscape that reflected the spatial and narrative complexity of the videowalk. This process involved blending synthetic sounds with real environmental recordings to enhance the sense of place and time, ensuring the auditory experience was as layered and multifaceted as the visual and narrative elements of the project.