Dj Chlorophyll

This week I went to a super dope event called Data Garden with Sara at Mack Sennett Studios. This beautiful venue was built by producer Mack Sennett in 1916 as a silent film studio. Now it's used for film, TV, art, fashion, photoshoots, and events (fun fact: No Doubt's "Don't Speak' was shot here.. YAS Kweeeeeen!) Check out their website here. 

So, Data Garden is an art project that creates experience through music and technology. I honestly had no idea what Sara invited me to. I was saged before entering and offered boxed water. When we walked in there were neon projections on the wall and plants hooked up to speakers and laptops. Soft, dreamy music came through the speakers. We went into the next room where there was a long line to try the virtual reality experience. Through observing the function of animal sight, creative collective Marshmallow Laser Feast allows you to view life in the eyes of a frog, dragonfly, owl or mosquito - a dragonfly experiences life over 10 times faster than a human and in 12 colour wavelengths (a human in a combination of three) - the video along with a soundtrack and a vibrating backpack are an amazing take on an alternative reality.

This was my first time experiencing any type of virtual reality and it was AWESOME! I chose to be a dragonfly as suggested. Here is a video to show you what I witnessed.

DIVE INTO THE EYE OF THE ANIMAL AT SUNDANCE INFO: http://www.sundance.org/blogs/news/new-frontier-projects-and-films-announced-for-2016-festival To see updates as the project evolves follow us on instagram: https://instagram.com/marshmallowlaserfeast/ This new commission enables audiences to encounter England’s forests anew through an immersive virtual reality experience, told by the inhabitants of the forest. A 360º film, it is an artistic interpretation of the sensory perspectives of three species natural to the site. Creative collective Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF) delight in exploring the line between virtual and real-world experiences. In this work they use the mask of virtual reality to explore different perspectives of familiar landscapes. Through observing the function of animal sight - a dragonfly experiences life over 10 times faster than a human and in 12 colour wavelengths (a human in a combination of three) - the film & accompanying soundtrack are a speculation of an alternative reality. The forest & animals were captured using techniques such as lidar & CT scanning, photogrammetry and a bespoke-built 360º aerial camera. Footage was processed using custom software to create the landscapes explored in the work. The film is set to a binaural soundtrack using audio recordings sourced from the surrounding woodland. Commissioned by Abandon Normal Devices and Forestry Commission England’s Forest Art Works. Produced by Abandon Normal Devices and Marshmallow Laser Feast. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England and Forestry Commission England. Come and immerse yourself, tread carefully and step into the sensory world of the creatures. From the forest floor to the tops of the trees, come and observe through the eyes of the animal. TOUR DATES COMING SOON Commissioned by Abandon Normal Devices and Forestry Commission England’s Forest Art Works. Produced by Abandon Normal Devices and Marshmallow Laser Feast. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England and Forestry Commission England.Equipment Support byNvidia and Sub Pac. CREDITS: Concept and Direction: Barnaby Steel & Robin McNicholas Visual Artist: Ersinhan Ersin Visual Artist: Natan Sinigaglia Interaction Designer: Abraham Manzanares Designer: Marc Winklhofer Modeling: fablefx Sound Artist: Antoine Bertin, SounDoesnTravel Producer: Eleanor (Nell) Whitley Assistant Producer: Annatruus Bakker MLF Executive Producer: Adam Doherty Further support with equipment by Sub Pac www.thesubpac.com and Nvidia www.nvidia.co.uk/ Binaural engine by TwoBigEars https://twobigears.com

After being a dragonfly, we ventured into the back room which is where all the videos are shot. In here were plants hooked up to sound systems, beautiful transforming tye dye projections, and a station where you could literally sit and listen to apples. We were so obsessed with the projections, that we ended up lying on the floor for some photos. After getting caught trying to take our tops of for photos (typical), we met the man behind the projections. Mapjacks has worked on projection mapping in videos for Kygo and Janet Jackson. We will definitely be in touch to get creative. His work is beautiful!

If you ever get a chance to go to a Data Garden event or go to Mack Sennett Studios, I highly recommend going! I met some awesome people who work on some amazing projects. Here are a few of my favorite shots of our floor shoot. ;)