Explore the World's First Mixed Reality Theater in Kaohsiung!
Explore the World's First Mixed Reality Theater in Kaohsiung!
◎Written by Li Guei-sian
◎Translation by Lin Yu-ciao
◎Photos by Carter
Building on the stunning visual experience now possible via VR technology, the world's first mixed-reality (MR) theater, called Moondream Reality, has been established in Asia's New Bay Area in Kaohsiung. The theater employs interactive technology to bring characters vividly to life in front of participants' eyes. Those who enter this domain find themselves surrounded by immersive projections that they can freely explore, while interacting with virtual characters and enjoying an unrivaled and unprecedented all-embracing experience.
In the popular work Flight of the Flamingos, participants find themselves in a colorful wetland inhabited by flamingos. When they open their hands, a bird's egg emerges. A little flamingo pops out of the egg, and it then spreads its wings. Flight of the Flamingos makes it possible for participants to experience everything from raising newborn flamingos to taking care of adult birds. Grown-up flamingos also invite gamers to join their parties, which feature incredible music.
“Mixed-reality theater treats the entire environment as a carrier and canvas for multimedia, and uses projection and laser sensing to create an integrated experience of the virtual and the real in an open space,” says Ami Wu, head of MoonShine Animation's Interactive Department.
Moondream Reality Co., Ltd., which operates the theater, is a subsidiary of MoonShine Animation, a company specializing in animation production and somatosensory imaging. Wu says that the theater serves as a venue for Kaohsiung's VR applications. Its core goals, she explains, include being a stage on which new media artists and teams can play, and a place where they can present high-quality works to audiences.
Rebirth is the result of a collaboration between Moondream Reality and FervorTaiwan Theater Troupe. The show was inspired by Dijiang, the mountain god who sings and dances in the Classic of Mountains and Seas (also known as Shan Hai Jing, a Chinese classic text). Guided by the sound of drums, participants wander into a magical forest beneath stars and a bright moon to explore the legend of Dijiang and the monsters that appear in Chinese mythology. Using the MR devices, audience members can beat drums, as cranes are transformed into the monsters and spirits that float around. The legendary world of gods and monsters thus comes vividly to life in front of the audience's eyes.
The MR theater is a doorway into the virtual world, and its leaders hope to collaborate with more creators. It is conceivable that, in the near future, immersive concerts featuring close-range interaction with singers, as well as somatosensory museums featuring real-time recreations of historical events, will become commonplace. Thanks to the region's advanced technologies and industries, Asia's New Bay Area is becoming a pioneer in the field of 5G interactive entertainment.
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Moondream Reality 夢境現實 |
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Location: Kaohsiung Music Center (Whale Promenade 01)
Open: 1:30 pm to 8 pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday; closed Monday to Thursday.
Website: https://moondreamreality.com/ |
全球首座MR沉浸式劇院 在高雄
◎文／李瑰嫻
繼VR體感劇院打開視覺象限，全球首創的「夢境現實─MR沉浸式劇院」座落在高雄的亞洲新灣區，MR沉浸式劇院運用互動科技，作品裡的角色栩栩如生躍然眼前，玩家置身沈浸式投影的劇院空間中，自由走動探索，與虛擬角色互動，體驗所未有的身歷其境。
「夢境現實─MR沉浸式劇院」的人氣作品《鶴之舞》，玩家置身火鶴鳥的繽紛濕地，攤開掌心，冒出一顆鳥蛋，小火鶴破蛋而出，揮舞著翅膀。《鶴之舞》讓玩家體驗從養育鶴寶寶到照顧成鳥的過程，長大的火鶴還會邀請玩家來到牠們的派對，還有精彩的音樂。
「沉浸式劇院把整個環境都當成多媒體的載體和畫布，利用投影和雷射感應，在開闊空間內打造虛實整合體驗。」夢想動畫互動部總監吳文琪（Ami）說。負責劇院營運的「夢境現實股份有限公司」為擅長動畫製作與體感影像的「夢想動畫」的子公司，吳文琪表示，沉浸式劇院作為高雄虛擬實境應用的載體，目標是讓新媒體藝術家與團隊擁有發揮舞台，讓優質作品在劇院演出。
夢境現實公司和台灣藝想劇團合作的《帝江化生》，靈感來自「山海經」中能歌善舞的山神帝江，在鼓擊聲引導下，走入月明星稀的魔幻森林，一探帝江與精怪傳說。藉由MR裝置，觀眾可以操作擊鼓，由仙鶴幻化的精怪會在身邊飄盪互動，傳說中的神鬼世界真實重現眼前。
MR沉浸式劇院解鎖前往虛擬世界的鑰匙，希望與更多創作者合作，可以想像在不久的未來，將會出現能和歌手近距離互動的沉浸式演唱會，以及將過往場景真實重現的體感博物館等，加上亞洲新灣區科技產業做後援，讓亞洲新灣區成為5G互動娛樂發展先驅。
閱讀中文版：
全球首座MR沉浸式劇院 夢境裡的虛幻世界只在高雄實現！
https://takao.kcg.gov.tw/article/752