For ID&T, a Dutch organizer of many Dance festivals and events worldwide, I produced an interactive installation with EboStudio for their 3.000 square meter immersive experience, AMAZE. We worked on the Mirror Room installation. Visitors are secretly photographed and with face analysis software automatically fitted into an audio-visual composition projected in a mirror maze with EboSuite. A surprising and mind bending experience.

About

AMAZE consists of 12 interactive audio-visual installations, inspired by dance culture. When visitors enter the experience, they go on a guided trip through energetic sound and visuals. AMAZE opened their doors in September 2021. More information and tickets are available here.

The installation

In the middle of the trip visitors enter a hallway through a small door. In this hallway two cameras are hidden. One camera is hidden in a text on the wall and another camera in a mysterious light object. When a visitor passes the camera, face recognition software triggers video recording software to make a short recording.

Face analysis

Subsequently, video analysis software selects the video frame with the best visible face. This software also checks if the eyes are not blinking and scales, rotates and positions the face, so it is positioned straight, in the centre and fils 1/4 of the image. Every visitor’s face is recorded, analysed and stored this way.

These video frames are used for the show in the next room, the Mirror Room. The software runs on a computer, hidden behind the walls of the small hallway. This computer also controls the show.

The show

For the audio-visual show the computer runs Ableton Live (music software) and EboSuite. We created custom plug-ins for EboSuite to load the face recordings automatically and distribute them equally in the show. The show is a real-time processed audio-visual composition in which the faces are mixed and distorted into a spacy, audio-visual trip. Under direction of ID&T we made the music, audio-visual effects and audio-visual arrangement.

When the visitors leave the small hallway and enter the next room, they trigger a sensor that starts the audio-visual show. This room is filled with mirrors and six large video screens (same size as the mirrors).

In the beginning the room is dark, with occasionally very bright stroboscope flashes. Slowly visuals appear and the room shows itself. Visitors enter this adventure, surrounded by abstract visuals and, surprisingly, their faces. Their faces dance around on the screens, filling the room reflecting on the mirrors and are distorted in sync with the music. A trippy experience.

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Monitoring and lighting control

We also created software to communicate with the central network, to reset the system in time for the next group. It also allows the central computer to monitor the Mirror Room computer through the network. Applications can be reset individualy, go into alarm mode and face recording can be downloaded by the central computer.

This software also controls the lights in the Mirror room to add subtle light effects during the show, stroboscopic light effects and a climatic light arrangement at the end of the show.

Technology

This project is produced with EboSuite. To fund the development of EboSuite I produce interactive audio-visual projects and shows with EboStudio. Very talented, experienced and skilled technicians and designers. I am very fortunate that I can work with them. And you can too. Need help for an audio-visual project or concept? Don’t hesitate to contact us.