Beyond the Frame

Celebrity is a construct. It is fragile and meaningless without the power of an audience. Now, that power wields its influence through our phones. Social media allows our celebrities to share every moment of their lives and to create constructed narratives around their existence. They now live in our phones, within a frame, living lives for our consumption.

It’s still a performance. It’s still curated for us to “like.” It’s still a post heavily crafted for us by a team of people. So what does it matter if the figure in the frame selling us that handbag or lifestyle is a human? Is there any difference?

Over the past year, a new form of celebrity has emerged: computer generated celebrities. From the world’s first supermodel, @Shudu.gram, to activist/influencer, @lilMiquela, no one knew if they were real or who made them, but now they’re being adopted into our culture. Living in the liminal space between mascots, fictional personalities, and animated characters these computer generated stars are gaining exponential amounts of attention. What is our fascination with these uncanny creatures? Does their lack of physical form allow us to connect with them in a deeper way? And what happens when we find out who made them? Shudu, a black model, for example was made by a white man, causing many people to question his intentions. Was this raising awareness for the lack of diversity in the fashion industry or taking away the job of a real black woman? Further, what does it mean for a white man to create a new black body? How does his role as “Creator” shift the way we view Shudu?

BEYOND THE FRAME is a transmedia experience excavating the world of computer-generated celebrities and the politics of identity creation. Following a new CGI figure, Aurora, we witness her rise to fame including the release of new pop music and brand deals. But when the mysterious creator behind Aurora is revealed, her fans question their devotion to her as BEYOND THE FRAME comes to life using augmented reality (AR) as fans spot her in streets of NYC. The story will continue digitally leading to pop up performances as Aurora makes her live music debut.

BEYOND THE FRAME will use Instagram, Medium, YouTube, AR , and live performance to tell it’s story. It will be a breathing durational experience, responding to fans, commenters, and press. The goal will be to create a fandom around Aurora before highlighting the complicated questions of her identity. I see this unfolding in a three act structure. Act I will take place on Instagram, with Instagram posts introducing Aurora to the world ends as she introduces her music videos. Act II begins with the identity of her creator being revealed through a blog on Medium and continues to using Instagram and YouTube for Aurora’s music and interaction with followers. This section of the experience will also introduce the use of AR to place Aurora in scenes around NYC which will be scripted and interactive akin to immersive theatre scenes. Then, Act III will be a combination of live concert experience in AR as Aurora takes the stage for the first time.

Within this three act structure, the twists and turns of BEYOND THE FRAMES “plot” will be directly dictated by current events and how Aurora is being perceived. Like a real influencer strategically responds to the cultural moment’s styles and trends, so will Aurora. A key part of this is how my morals and judgements as her creator will likely be questioned. My role as her creator intentionally blurs the line of performance and reality.

BEYOND THE FRAME will not function like a traditional book musical with songs emerging from heightened moments. Instead all songs will be Aurora’s pop hits inspired by artists like the digital Hatsune Hiku, and the real Mitski, Lorde, and Lady Gaga. Lyrics and style of each song will vary depending on where in experience it is placed. Aurora will release new material on Instagram, YouTube and ultimately in the live performance.

As other realities, both augmented and virtual, begin to compete with our corporal reality, we are going to change our definition of what is “real.” This will no longer apply to simply objects in the physical space, but in the virtual as well. BEYOND THE FRAME thrusts audiences directly conversing with this phenomena. It represents a future where access to a narrative can be mapped onto any location. Stories driven by music, or musicals, have continued to be a part of human tradition because they unlock a deep and visceral part of us. This project liberates the form and allows it to be present in our world at any time. As augmented reality is emerging as a tool for storytelling, it is our responsibility as artists to shape the future possibilities of the technology by creating rigorous, enriching, and impactful, experiences for audiences. To repeat: this project is not in AR to be “cool” or “first,” but rather because how else can you bring computer generated figures to life in the streets of NYC? Just a few years ago, this story couldn’t be told, but now it can.

Built With

• animation
• augmented-reality
• motioncap