TOOLS FOR GUIDING

Managers and stage hands

A key problem for on-line performances and television shows – especially ones with tight time constraints – is keeping the action moving and ensuring that participants are in the right place at the right time. eRENA has created new management tools to allow a behind-the-scenes stage crew to guide an on-line event in a shared virtual world.

In one of these a virtual world manager is able to define and apply movement constraints. Each avatar can be placed within an invisible bounding box that constrains their freedom to move. A large box means that they are free to explore the world. A small box may leave them rooted to the spot. Another tool allows invisible stagehands within the world to manipulate virtual objects and avatars – moving them about, resizing them and changing their appearance. Private communication channels between the director, producer, world manager and stagehands allow the production team to co-ordinate their interactions and so manage the on-line event.

MRL at University of Nottingham with Illuminations and CID at KTH Stockholm

More information:
Production and Management

Concept and software:
Adam Drozd, Chris Greenhalgh a.o. (Nottingham)
John Bowers, Kai-Mikael Jää-Aro, Sten-Olof Hellström (KTH)