Can 3D film offer an artistic and commercially viable experience of live theatre?
This is the question Stellar Quines has been grappling with in conjunction with the Federation of Scottish Theatre’s (FST) Action Research Group set up to experiment with the digitisation of live theatrical content. Our contribution to this project has been to create a 3D recording of a live theatre performance – a first for Scottish theatre and film!
Brief summary of the project to date
Stellar Quines commissioned Freakworks to film a live performance of ANA in 3D at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
We hosted the first presentation of this project on Thursday 22 March 2012 at the Digital Design Studio (DDS) which is part of the Glasgow School of Art. DDS undertook the initial feasibility study for this project and we were delighted to present the initial results in their 3D lab.
We will shortly be scheduling a free public screening at Dundee Contemporary Arts and another one at a venue to be confirmed. We would love you to come along, be among the first to see this type of work and let us know what you think.
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More information
The wider aims of the Federation of Scottish Theatre’s Digital Development Project is to encourage theatre and dance companies to digitise their live events and experiment with the potential of distributing new products. The benefits of this can be increased access, scale, reach, impact, and legacy of work, as well as attracting a new demographic and income streams.
Stellar Quines is one of five Scottish theatre and dance companies selected to be part of this project.
A feasibility study into 3D Projection Technology was produced for us by the Digital Design Studio, Glasgow and facilitated by the Scottish Centre for Enabling Technology (SCET), part-funded by Scottish Enterprise. This report outlines the technology, equipment, expertise and costs required to implement the project.
Stellar Quines also successfully applied for a Business Innovation Exchange with Napier University, Edinburgh. This scheme has enabled Robin MacPherson, Director of the Institute of Creative Industries to act as consultant on this project.
Stellar Quines allocated some of our AmbITion (a change programme for the arts and cultural sector) funding towards this project which covers the production and screening costs. The British Council in Québec have also financially supported this project and Dundee Contemporary Arts are encrypting a Digital Cinema Package of the content in order to facilitate cinema screenings of this work.
At each screening we will undertake an evaluation of the product, its interest to and impact on audiences and its potential for future income generation.
The initiative and its findings will be detailed on this website and the learning will be shared throughout the wider sector through the Federation of Scottish Theatre’s project.