HyperPresence: Telepresence via Quantum Cinema
Symposium:
Session Title:
- Cinema after the Digital
Presentation Title:
- HyperPresence: Telepresence via Quantum Cinema
Presenter(s):
Venue(s):
Abstract:
Session: Cinema after the Digital
Today technology enables us to process and transmit data. As a result of the real time transmission of data, we now are able to affect things, and gather information from the places which we are not present. This bidirectional flow of data enables the telepresence concept. Today telepresence is interpreted as video conferencing or tele-robotics, which represents a very narrow window of the whole concept. The paper aims to introduce a different artistic approach to the telepresence concept via an artwork “HyperPresence” by discussing the two fragments of the project; remote location and stimuli.
The perception of reality is a key concept in telepresence. Observation of the remote location can be done by a combination of visual, audial or mechanical sensing. However, the perception of the user can distinguish the remote location being real or virtual depending on the properties of the obtained data. Lack of quality of the data gathered from a physical space can transform the perception from reality to representation. Virtual spaces with real time response can also be perceived as real, as the duration of the experience elongates.
Motion capture cinema provides the sense of reality even if the context is fictional as a result of the user’s intention to suspend their disbelief. This also eases the immersion process, as the audience convinces themselves to the reality of the depicted image.
Interactive cinema mainly focuses on augmenting the user with the ability to alter the narrative by using various types of tools. However, the interface creates a disruption on the user’s immersion with the film. Interfaces also create an obligation to interact, which consumes some attention of the user and diminishes the effect of the designed experience. In order to sustain and exploit the aforementioned perception of reality in cinema, unconscious interaction of the user should be considered.
Regarding unconscious interaction, the interface should gather the responses from the user without its initiative. The data provided by a biosensor based interface is not fully governed by the user. As their functionality implies, biosensors are usually wearable instruments, which increase the awareness of the user. However in order to sustain the unconsciousness of the interface, it has been chosen not to inform the user about the way of interaction with the medium until the end of the experience.
Biosensors have been used for non-medical purposes, like lie-detectors, assuming the body doesn’t lie. The cognition of bio data results in the emotional states of the user. An electroencephalogram (EEG) has been chosen as an interface of stimulation to the cinematic remote location, which results in changing the narrative of the film depending on the emotional states of the user obtained by the brainwaves. Combining with the frames of the film shot from first person point of view, the ability to change the narrative of the film by emotional responses transforms the user to the protagonist of the film, thus constituting teleprescence.
