CASPAR SCHIRDEWAHN

game & interaction design based in Berlin

currently freelancing in cross media gamified theater productions

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GRIPS  theatAR

theatAR is a research project initiated and conducted by the GRIPS Theater. A diverse team of game developers and theater creators was engaged in the ideation and experimental implementation of digital theater production segements. Some of which can be read about, seen and tested in the official mobile app.

The goal was to test how theater and augmented reality can be combined and what new aesthetics, narrative styles and formats can emerge. experiments were conducted in three categories: performance, space, narrative.

year: 2023
language: German

GRIPS Theater

Caspar Schirdewahn: Game Design Lead, Technical Direction

 


Performances were recorded, digitized and then rendered in an AR environment. Consumer VR hardware, AI image recognition, and volumetric video setups were used for recording. The focus of this experiment was to find out which digitization pipelines have which effect on the perception of the performance. Storytelling with physical movement is constrained by this process, but it also has unexpected benefits, ranging from character development for the actors to new perspectives of perception for the audience.

In several setups on the rehearsal stages of the Theaterhaus Mitte and the GRIPS main stage at Hansaplatz, different interaction possibilities and digital extensions were tested. 

Based on the results of the first experiments, concepts for new narrative formats were developed, visualized and documented.