Everybody loves shadow puppets, right? They allow you to use your imagination and create different shapes by casting various shadows onto a screen. But what if they could be even better?
My idea revolves around having the light cast by a projector and having a camera observing a person casting the shadow, (see the diagram below). The camera is constantly tracking bright colors, and through some programming, can add to the shadows being cast on the screen.
I chose this concept because I always loved doing shadow puppets as a kid, and I feel that this could be a way to breathe new life into them. I feel like this project is also a sort of a glimpse into the mind of a child, where the foreground is nothing but people acting and pretending, you can see their imagination being acted out in the background.
I have the tracking software for the camera almost finished, but a few other aspects still need to be fleshed out. What kind of story should I tell with this medium? Should I make a new story or re-tell an old classic? My original thought it would be cool to tell an old-school fairy tale, but I’m open to any suggestions. Also, feel free to let me know if you have any cool ideas for other things I could do with this concept/technology!
This is a very innovative idea! I love the idea of reimagining shadow puppets with current day designs. My only concern is that shadow puppets are so clear because they are pressed right on the screen. Would you use the camera to block out your body as well or just to add props to the scene because I’m afraid the image of you may become blurred. Other than that I love the idea. It would be cool to use this technique to create specific sets as well for you story that you can design in extreme detail, include shots where you zoom in from the whole set so you can walk onto stage and the audience knows where you are. I don’t know how feasible these things are but just some food for thought 🙂
Really cool idea! I hadn’t thought about adding backgrounds yet but you definitely could. As for the blurry shadows, that is a concern I share with you, but I think I’ll be able to sort it out with some experimentation.
The end result of this idea could be insane to see! I think adding onto the fun of shadow puppets with shadow props is a very interesting idea. Though know how projectors make light, and shadow puppets come from blocking light, what is your plan to actually be able to “project” the props onto the screen with the person?
Im happy you asked! So the projector works the same as a second monitor connected to a laptop, so you can project images and colors just like you were giving a presentation for a class. By default, I’m just going to be projecting a white screen, and when I want to create a new shadow “prop”, I add that shape colored black to the image being projected, and voilà , a new shadow is born.
this is incredible. I have never seen anything like this before. I would love to see you create some sort of drag and drop sandbox where people can pick a hat and a weapon and then just play. i think it would also be amazing to be able to add props into the shadows like buildings or controllable objects that arent fixed to the person.
Super cool idea! I love the “virtual props” technique. Would you be able to make it so you can use certain gestures to change the props?
That’s something I’m still working on and would be sweet! I’m thinking about using a white glove with the fingers painted different colors, but I haven’t gotten that far yet.
This is so COOL! I, personally, would prefer old classics but will accept any story just to see how it all turns out! Good luck!
I like that you are connecting this to your childhood and your love for shadow puppets. I think it would be interesting to tell an old fairy tale story but then add your own twist into the ending or something, to really make it your own story. I don’t completely understand how this project will work but I am excited to see how it comes out.
This is a nice spin on a classic idea – I would love to see something to do with space, maybe pretending to be an astronaut on a spacewalk/on the moon?
Really cool and unique idea. It reminds me somewhat of an act i’ve seen where the artist is projecting onto a wall and has choreographed a whole interactive routine with the projection.
This is a really interesting idea! I can imagine various sorts of props/extra body parts/costumes that could be fun to add to a person’s silhouette.
There are definitely lots of technical challenges in doing this kind of computer vision body tracking, but it sounds like you’ve already done a bunch of work towards achieving the effect you’re after.
Here are a few other examples of artworks using similar techniques that might be inspiring or helpful:
http://www.tmema.org/messa/messa.html#videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2kZdl8hs_s
This is going to make for an entertaining performance. Will you have to wear an all black outfit to make the tracking work? This reminds me of the Three Brothers story from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that is animation made to resemble shadow puppets. I like the idea of retelling a classic story.