Review – Mini Residence – Torii
Participants: Kiki Hitomi, Darren, Mandy Mozart
Results of the second Vienna Struggle Mini Residence September 2021.
The participants were experimenting around a show for kids based based on Animism and Shintō (神道) Religion of Japan.
An intergenerational knowledge transfer practise for a resource wise living to save the planet from destruction!
computer game levels become a virtual stage for the songs and lessons imagend and performed by Waq Waq Kingdom from Japan.
The WaqWaq live performance is a shamanic embodiment of the joy, love and positivity. Spreading this empowering message more widely, and that through this experience, audiences will be able to connect from their spirits to others. This spiritual and physical cleansing is one of the foundations of Shintō [神道], the native Japanese religion that celebrates the sacredness of nature. It recognizes the connected nature of all beings. Through the celebration of life and radiation of the human spirit, we can lift ourselves up and overcome.
Using motion capture technology, the animated spirits character’s movement can synchronized to real human movement. We will project the animation this on the screen behind the performer as if to prove that humans and all living things have a soul by motion captured animation.
This ritualistic shamanic experience is deepened through the immersion of audiences in the visual world of WaqWaq Kingdom.
Hyper colored and transcendental the japanese matsuri festival which celebrates the local gods are reinterpreted and fused with the visual language of rave culture, transporting the participants into a timeless space of trance and reverie.
WaqWaq delivers a serious and heavy narrative, enveloped in humour and laughter. Lyrically, the duo discuss themes of consumerism, the abuse of nature, and the equality of all living things. In a time when we are facing global challenges to this system, this message is more relevant than ever.
Motion Tracking
They were using HTC Vive trackers to animate a simpliefied version of characters designed by Darren. Already the results were convincing enough to develop ideas for a story of a potential live show.
Story Board
Parents are stressed by business, life, struggles
parent try to get rid of kids attention by allowing them to play games on the table
themselves they are also checking messages, news, bla on their devices
Shige and Kiki wonder why how they can help the dinner party next to them.
They go up to them. Shige angrily pinches a pump into one Onigiro sitting on a plate.
Kiki stoically starts inflating the Onigiro starts inflating and disrupting their already disrupted dinner! The family is surprise and lets go of all their devices. Now they have their attention.
Kiki and Shige are pumping up the inflatable gate, which opens up a portal to the WaqWaq Kingdom.
Style: As the portal inflates anything behind the gate turns into color => Virtual World/CG
Let us take you through the gates of WaqWaq Kingdom!
Under the amazement of the dinner party, Shige and Kiki enter the gate with the inflatable Onigiro by the hands.
As they cross into WaqWaq Kingdom they both turn into Onigiro spirits (VR).
Kiki and Shige introduce the myth of the Onigiri Spirits through the chant and meditation movements.
The movements are based on Japanese Awaodori (Festival Bubble Dance)
While they explain, the amazed and slowly excited dinner company’s faces are shown in Shot-Reverse-Shot montage.
Inspired by Onigiri Spirits chant and meditation movements the dinner Party is instructed to internalize the routine step by step (Tutorial Style)
“Now, you are ready!
Come join us through the portal/gate!”
Kiki and Shige invite the dinner party into their WaqWaq Kingdom.
Yeah! They join and also magically transform into Onigiri Spirit characters.
Performance/Music Video Style
Dinner Party and Shige and Kiki perform the newly learned meditation movements and chants under the Waq Waq Kingdom Mother Tree.
Stage Design Concepts
The idea is to have inflatable avatars representing each possible character. By taking one avatar and carrying it through the also inflated Torii gate this character gets activated on the big screen.
From there any movement done by kids on stage are translated through that avatar. For Example: Cat
The kids become part of the live show and together with the band learn how to dance to the songs.
