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Thursday, September 19, 2019
VTProDesign Brings Robots to the stage at 2019 MTV VMAs
Live Design: 2019 marked the first year that the MTV VMAs award ceremony was held in New Jersey, as well as the first time that it welcomed to the stage a fleet of robots, creating a number of methodologies to reveal presenters during the live broadcast show.
I don't know much about how media design like this functions, but I am absolutely in awe of it. The first time I saw this kind of technology technology was in the video "Box" by the YouTube channel Creators, which was posted 5 years ago. However, that was done with projection mapping onto surfaces with the same kind of robotic arms. It is really incredible to see how the technology of robotics and 3D mapping has evolved in the decade because the ability to observe 3D perspectives within artificial intelligence and programming, and needless to say the effects that programmers are able to create are impressive. Though I can't see exactly what was done with this technology at the VMAs, the video "Box" shows that 3D mapping is capable of creating incredibly detailed 3 dimensional spaces, which could be a really interesting effect to work with in scenic design. The main issue I see however is that in applications of this technology there often has to be a singular focal point so that the perspective of the media is viewed correctly. That may mean that projections of 3D space have a ways to go before large scale theatrical scenic applications.
To be frank, the title "Robots Brink the 2019 MTV VMAs Stage to (Articial) Life" is super click bait-ey! However, I am glad that it got my attention. While I did not watch the MTV Video Music Awards, I always enjoy reading about shows like this one afterwards. There are usually cool aspects to them, but I just tend not to like sitting for long periods of time and not doing anything. The 'robots' in question on the VMA stage were actually moving video screens that came to life with more than just their content. While the idea of moving video screens sounds like more of a spectacle than a design tool, it seems to have been used in really interesting and novel ways. I imagine elements like robotic LED screens have a tendency to greatly extend the build, load in, and tech of a show. The way we would typically rig or construct these parts don't work when robots are involved! I imagine the towers that the robotic moving lights were on were engineered with atypical motion and dynamic load distribution in mind. Overall, the robotic elements of the MTV VMAs are really exciting, and I am glad I got to read about them!
I was really astonished at VTPro's work at the 2019 MTV VMAs. The integration of art and technology is such a cool sector. VT Pro does a hybrid of content creation- art, design, media - and technology - software engineering, install and technician work. Because they bring such specific technology, it is very cool (and helpful) how they bring all you need to the party. The robots themselves are really cool apparatuses. I think they create a literal aesthetic of augmented reality. They are one of those pieces that look industrial chic by design and make for major attention grabbers. This year's VMAs were particularly exciting in their use of AR. They were able to incorporate a lot of media and AR into the show itself and with each of the individual act look for the artists. While this create new and exciting opportunities for people working in AR/media fields, it does occasionally lead to some show items not being produced in a physical way, trading in fabrication for rendering.
3 comments:
I don't know much about how media design like this functions, but I am absolutely in awe of it. The first time I saw this kind of technology technology was in the video "Box" by the YouTube channel Creators, which was posted 5 years ago. However, that was done with projection mapping onto surfaces with the same kind of robotic arms. It is really incredible to see how the technology of robotics and 3D mapping has evolved in the decade because the ability to observe 3D perspectives within artificial intelligence and programming, and needless to say the effects that programmers are able to create are impressive. Though I can't see exactly what was done with this technology at the VMAs, the video "Box" shows that 3D mapping is capable of creating incredibly detailed 3 dimensional spaces, which could be a really interesting effect to work with in scenic design. The main issue I see however is that in applications of this technology there often has to be a singular focal point so that the perspective of the media is viewed correctly. That may mean that projections of 3D space have a ways to go before large scale theatrical scenic applications.
To be frank, the title "Robots Brink the 2019 MTV VMAs Stage to (Articial) Life" is super click bait-ey! However, I am glad that it got my attention. While I did not watch the MTV Video Music Awards, I always enjoy reading about shows like this one afterwards. There are usually cool aspects to them, but I just tend not to like sitting for long periods of time and not doing anything. The 'robots' in question on the VMA stage were actually moving video screens that came to life with more than just their content. While the idea of moving video screens sounds like more of a spectacle than a design tool, it seems to have been used in really interesting and novel ways. I imagine elements like robotic LED screens have a tendency to greatly extend the build, load in, and tech of a show. The way we would typically rig or construct these parts don't work when robots are involved! I imagine the towers that the robotic moving lights were on were engineered with atypical motion and dynamic load distribution in mind. Overall, the robotic elements of the MTV VMAs are really exciting, and I am glad I got to read about them!
I was really astonished at VTPro's work at the 2019 MTV VMAs. The integration of art and technology is such a cool sector. VT Pro does a hybrid of content creation- art, design, media - and technology - software engineering, install and technician work. Because they bring such specific technology, it is very cool (and helpful) how they bring all you need to the party. The robots themselves are really cool apparatuses. I think they create a literal aesthetic of augmented reality. They are one of those pieces that look industrial chic by design and make for major attention grabbers. This year's VMAs were particularly exciting in their use of AR. They were able to incorporate a lot of media and AR into the show itself and with each of the individual act look for the artists. While this create new and exciting opportunities for people working in AR/media fields, it does occasionally lead to some show items not being produced in a physical way, trading in fabrication for rendering.
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