DOCSLIB.ORG

Expanded Virtual Puppeteering

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Expanded Virtual Puppeteering Expanded Virtual Puppeteering Luiz Velho1 and Bernard Lupiac2 1IMPA - Instituto de Matematica Pura e Aplicada, Brazil 2PUC-Rio - Universidade Catolica Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: Virtual Reality, Digital Puppetry, Artistic Performance, Animation. Abstract: This work proposes a framework for digital puppeteering performances, using solely the performer’s bare hands. The framework relies on Unity as a base, and hand information is captured from a Leap Motion device. The performer employs a gesture interaction system and precise hand movements to manipulate the puppet in a number of different manners. It is then possible for the audience to view the puppet directly in a big screen, or using virtual or augmented reality headsets, which allows rich interactions. 1 CONTEXT AND MOTIVATION Thereafter, Section 6 shows the different types of pos- sible visualizations. Finally, Section 7 gives an exam- New Media is a phenomenon where recent develop- ple where this framework is used by artists to do a ments in technology are integrated with traditional small performance. types of media. There is a range of mediums con- cerned by it, like for example books, movies, mu- seum exhibits and plays. These past few years, 2 BACKGROUND, HISTORY AND new paradigms of interaction and visualization have RELATED WORKS emerged, with the resurgence of virtual and aug- mented reality, and markerless hand and body inter- Digital puppetry isn’t a new concept by any means. action. Since their emergence is very recent, there is In the early sixties, Lee Harrison III used body suits still much to explore about them and the possibilities with potentiometers, animating a 3D model in a CRT they will bring. screen. This work proposes a framework for digital pup- A few decades later, around 1988, digital pup- peteering performances, where the performer uses peteering gained the attention of the general public only his or her bare hands. The program uses the with the help of two projects: Waldo C. Graphic and Unity framework, and hand related information is Mike Normal. captured with a Leap Motion device. The aim of this Waldo C. Graphic is a character on the Muppet’s work is to preserve the expressiveness and know-how show The Jim Henson Hour. Waldo is an entirely of classic puppeteering, while at the same time, to computer generated puppet, controlled by a single look at it in a different perspective with the help of puppeteer with a big contraption. the aforementioned advances in technology. Mike Normal, created by Brad DeGraf, was un- The paper is structured in the following manner: veiled at the 1988 SIGGRAPH conference, and was Section 2 will give a brief history of the development the first live performance of a digital character. It al- of digital puppetry in academia and in the show and lowed a performer to control many parameters on its film business. Following it, section 3 will give an face, with real-time interpolation between them. overview of all the different ways in which the pup- In 1994, in Charleville-Mezi´ eres,` a significant pet can be moved and the reasons why they will or event also took place: e-Motion Capture. It united won’t be used in our work. Afterwards, section 4 researchers in the field of Computer Graphics and per- will describe in a detailed manner all the modules im- formers from around the world to experiment the dif- plemented in this framework. Then, section 5 will ferent technologies developed for virtual puppeteer- explain the necessary process to generalize this pro- ing up to that date. gram, so it can be used in many different contexts. A small number of other digital puppets were de- with physics, where the performer’s hand position and veloped in the next few years. Among them are Mat rotation corresponds to the puppet’s head position and the Ghost, who appeared daily on French national rotation. The last mode is a junction of the first two: television for years, and Moxy, part of a Cartoon Net- one hand controls the puppet’s head position and fa- works show, created by Brad DeGraf. cial features while the rest of its body is moved by the In the same way there wasn’t much advancement physics system. In addition to that, the remaining free from the early sixties until late eighties, this field hand is used to manipulate one of the puppet’s own wasn’t very active from mid nineties until mid 2010s. hands. This resurgence was caused by recent advances in Our work proposes a framework that uses a new technology that allowed to overcome longstanding approach to puppet manipulation. Instead of hav- problems in the field. ing all possible movements mapped to different parts However, there were still attempts to adapt 2000s of the hand, we use a gesture-based system that al- technology to digital puppeteering. The main devices lows switching between different contexts in run- used during that time were the dataglove, a very un- time, where each context corresponds to a different wieldy and expensive device. Some attempts were type of movement. This results in more straightfor- also made to use accelerators, with the controllers ward and precise controls, since the whole range of provided with the Wii video-game console(Shiratori both hands’ movement is available to every type of and Hodgins, 2008). movement. Other important advantages this system What made the current developments in this field brings is the ability to support an extensive amount of possible were advancements in computer vision and movement types simultaneously, and the lack of diffi- the vulgarization of depth-finding cameras, in prod- culty associated with developing a new one. In addi- ucts like Microsoft’s Kinect, the Leap Motion and tion to this, our framework addresses other challenges eventually smartphones. associated with puppeteering performances, such as a way for a director to control different cameras and In Seth Hunter’s and Pattie Maes’ work(Hunter visualization by the audience in a screen, virtual or and Maes, 2013), a number of methods for perform- augmented reality. ing digital puppeteering using green screens and com- puter vision are described. Lins’ and Marroquin’s work(Souza et al., 2015) proposes a way to control a puppet’s walking motion by using the Kinect and 3 PUPPET MOVEMENT trackers at the tip of two fingers. More recently, An- PARADIGMS deregg et al. present a way to manipulate a puppet in an augmented reality environment by using a smart- This section shows all the explored forms of move- phone’s sensors and screen(Anderegg et al., 2018). ment that can be used to manipulate the puppet. It Around that period, some commercial products then explains their advantages and disadvantages for were developed for digital puppeteering. Puppet Pa- the purpose of this work. Based on that, the overall rade uses the Kinect to allow manipulating multiple suitability of each one is evaluated. puppets and let the audience interact with them at the The fundamentals of our puppet movement con- same time. Marionette Zoo (Botond Gabor´ et al., trol rely on three aspects: i) blended animations; ii) 2014) lets users control a set of puppets using the inverse kinematics; and iii) physically-based simu- Leap Motion and a physics-based system with strings. lation. All these three features are fully supported Some research involving puppet manipulation by modern game engines such as Unreal and Unity, using the Leap Motion already exists. Oshita which we have chosen for the implementation of our et al.(Oshita et al., 2013) propose a manipulation system. scheme inspired from a real puppet manipulation crossbar. It allows a user to manipulate arms, legs 3.1 Animations and trunk simultaneously by using both hands’ posi- tions, rotations and the stretching of fingers. Other Animations are pre-recorded sets of movement that approaches, such as (Ciccone et al., 2017), have also are applied to a model over a finite amount of time. used Leap devices for puppet animation. They can either record the position of every vertex Leite’s and Orvalho’s work(Leite and Orvalho, or bone in every frame, or just keep a few sets of 2017) describe three separate puppet manipulation recorded positions (called keyframes) and interpolate modes: a first one that manipulates many different between them. facial features of a puppet’s head, such as eyes, eye- Movements using animations are very well inte- brows and mouth. A second that moves the puppet grated in Unity because of their widespread use in video-games. It also means that there are many open 3.3 Physically based Animation license animations available to test and develop, espe- cially for humanoid models. Physically based animation makes an object perform With animations, it is possible to perform many realistic movement by using physics simulation. Sim- complex and varied types of movements very eas- ulating physics with mathematical equations has been ily. With a simple gesture, the puppet can perform a topic of research for centuries, and because of that, a dance, make a basketball move or climb a wall. most of the theory behind what we need for this work On the other hand, because of their repetitive na- has been around for a while. Yet to perform these ture, animations can end up limiting the amount of simulations in real-time in a stable and aesthetic fash- expression a performer can infuse into a marionette. ion is a whole different matter. It is still possible with However, this is a problem that can be avoided by us- a lot of loose simplifications, but it can still behave ing methods like blending between two animations, or unexpectedly.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Holliday, Christopher. " Toying with Performance: Toy Story, Virtual
    Holliday, Christopher. " Toying with Performance: Toy Story, Virtual Puppetry and Computer- Animated Film Acting." Toy Story: How Pixar Reinvented the Animated Feature. By Susan Smith, Noel Brown and Sam Summers. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017. 87–104. Bloomsbury Collections. Web. 1 Oct. 2021. <http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781501324949.ch-006>. Downloaded from Bloomsbury Collections, www.bloomsburycollections.com, 1 October 2021, 07:14 UTC. Copyright © Susan Smith, Sam Summers and Noel Brown 2018. You may share this work for non-commercial purposes only, provided you give attribution to the copyright holder and the publisher, and provide a link to the Creative Commons licence. 87 Chapter 6 T OYING WITH PERFORMANCE: TOY STORY , VIRTUAL PUPPETRY AND COMPUTER-A NIMATED FILM ACTING C h r i s t o p h e r H o l l i d a y In the early 1990s, during the emergence of the global fast food industry boom, the Walt Disney studio abruptly ended its successful alliance with restaurant chain McDonald’s – which, since 1982, had held the monopoly on Disney’s tie- in promotional merchandise – and instead announced a lucrative ten- fi lm licensing contract with rival outlet, Burger King. Under the terms of this agree- ment, the Florida- based restaurant would now hold exclusivity over Disney’s array of animated characters, and working alongside US toy manufacturers could license collectible toys as part of its meal packages based on characters from the studio’s animated features Beauty and the Beast (Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, 1991), Aladdin (Ron Clements and John Musker, 1992), Th e Lion King (Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff , 1994), Pocahontas (Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg, 1995) and Th e Hunchback of Notre Dame (Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, 1996).1 Produced by Pixar Animation Studio as its fi rst computer- animated feature fi lm but distributed by Disney, Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995) was likewise subject to this new commercial deal and made commensu- rate with Hollywood’s increasingly synergistic relationship with the fast food market.
    [Show full text]
  • The Uses of Animation 1
    The Uses of Animation 1 1 The Uses of Animation ANIMATION Animation is the process of making the illusion of motion and change by means of the rapid display of a sequence of static images that minimally differ from each other. The illusion—as in motion pictures in general—is thought to rely on the phi phenomenon. Animators are artists who specialize in the creation of animation. Animation can be recorded with either analogue media, a flip book, motion picture film, video tape,digital media, including formats with animated GIF, Flash animation and digital video. To display animation, a digital camera, computer, or projector are used along with new technologies that are produced. Animation creation methods include the traditional animation creation method and those involving stop motion animation of two and three-dimensional objects, paper cutouts, puppets and clay figures. Images are displayed in a rapid succession, usually 24, 25, 30, or 60 frames per second. THE MOST COMMON USES OF ANIMATION Cartoons The most common use of animation, and perhaps the origin of it, is cartoons. Cartoons appear all the time on television and the cinema and can be used for entertainment, advertising, 2 Aspects of Animation: Steps to Learn Animated Cartoons presentations and many more applications that are only limited by the imagination of the designer. The most important factor about making cartoons on a computer is reusability and flexibility. The system that will actually do the animation needs to be such that all the actions that are going to be performed can be repeated easily, without much fuss from the side of the animator.
    [Show full text]
  • Combining Performance Animation and Virtual Reality for Early Childhood Education Role-Play
    COMBINING PERFORMANCE ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL REALITY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ROLE-PLAY THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Masters of Fine Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Katherine Frances Talmadge Kalal ***** The Ohio State University 2008 Thesis Committee: Approved by Professor Alan Price, Advisor Professor Laurie Katz ________________________ Professor Wayne Carlson Advisor Graduate Program in Industrial, Interior, and Visual Communication Design ABSTRACT Role-playing is an essential component to social skills training in early childhood education. However, current programs are either not interactive enough in role-playing, or through the process of interaction with adults, become confrontational and frightening. A combination of virtual reality and performance animation can provide an environment for a child to learn through role-playing that is non-threatening, yet interactive enough for authentic and constructive interaction, as well as facilitating communication between the teacher and student. This study begins with a review of literature and contemporary applications of early childhood education, performance animation, and virtual reality. The question of how performance animation and virtual reality can contribute to a lesson that uses role- play is explored through prototyping components of an immersive environment for role- play with digital characters. This prototype was then demonstrated to early childhood educators. A focus study was conducted to evaluate the prototype and its implications in the field of early childhood education. The findings from the focus group are presented and analyzed. Conclusions are drawn based on the focus group feedback and designer’s experience in combining these fields.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparisons of Laterality Between Wolves and Domesticated Dogs (Canis Lupus Familiaris)
    Comparisons of laterality between wolves and domesticated dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) By Lindsey Drew Submitted to the Board of Biology School of Natural Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science Purchase College State University of New York May 2015 ______________________________ Sponsor: Dr. Lee Ehrman _______________________________ Co-Sponsor: Rebecca Bose of the Wolf Conservation Center Table of Contents Abstract Page 2 Introduction Pages 3-18 Materials and Methods Pages 18-25 Results Pages 25-28 Discussion Pages 29-30 1 Abstract I compared laterality in Canis lupus familiaris (domesticated dog) with: Canis lupus occidentalis (Canadian Rocky Mountain wolves), Canis rufus (red wolves), Canis lupus baileyi (Mexican wolves), and Canis lupus arctos (Artic wolf), all related. Each wolf species was grouped into a single category and was compared to domesticated dogs. The methods performed on domesticated dogs were the KongTM test and the step test. For wolves the PVC test was created to simulate the KongTM test and a step test for comparison. My hypothesis was that Canis lupus familiaris and Canis lupus will show consistent lateralized preferences between both species. The significance of this study is that laterality in Canis lupus familiaris has been studied multiple times with varying results. The purpose is to determine the possibility of laterality in Canis lupus familiaris being a conserved trait. This study has the potential to give greater meaning to laterality and the benefits of right or left sidedness or handedness. The total amount of paw touches recorded under each category, for the step test in dogs were 280 (50.5%) left and 274 (49.5%) right, for the KongTM test there were 278 left (50.3%) and 275 right (49.7%).
    [Show full text]
  • Digital Puppetry: Comparative Visual Studies Between Javanese & Malaysian Art
    International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 13, Number 6 (2018) pp. 3579-3589 © Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com Digital Puppetry: Comparative Visual Studies between Javanese & Malaysian Art Dahlan Abdul Ghani Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Malaysian Institute of Information Technology 1016 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Abstract puppet play in Kelantan is performed primarily as a form entertainment in the towns and villages, for many people, and Shadow play theatre is one of the most ancient forms of all in the evening’s a diversion from the routine daily life traditional theatres in Malaysia and Indonesia. There is (Patricia Matusky,1997). But unfortunately, the Wayang perhaps no greater symbol or semiotics more specifically, the Kulit Kelantan in Malaysia is threatened with forthcoming Kelantanese and Javanese ethos than its classical shadow play extinction. According to Amin Sweeney’s it was one time (wayang kulit siam and wayang kulit purwa, whose the literally widespread and popular in Kelantan which research spiritual roots be submerged into the island’s unwritten past in the late 1960’s confirmed the existence of more than 300 and which lies at the core of its immensely rich traditional Dalangs (shadow puppeteer and narrator) (Amin culture. Unfortunately, they are so unique that they are slowly Sweeney,1974). However, the number decreased to 37 in being extinct and forgotten especially among the young 1982 and 11 in 1999 generation of today. Digital puppets are animated metaphors that augment online film entertainment and education content. As for wayang kulit java, changes are needed in order to The aim of the research is to explore the design of digital 3D safeguard this heritage from extinct.
    [Show full text]
  • Coywolf: Eastern Coyote Genetics, Ecology, Management, and Politics
    Coywolf: Eastern Coyote Genetics, Ecology, Management, and Politics By Jonathan G. Way Published by Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research - www.EasternCoyoteResearch.com E-book • Citation: • Way, J.G. 2021. E-book. Coywolf: Eastern Coyote Genetics, Ecology, Management, and Politics. Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research, Barnstable, Massachusetts. 277 pages. Open Access URL: http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/CoywolfBook. • Copyright © 2021 by Jonathan G. Way, Ph.D., Founder of Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research. • Photography by Jonathan Way unless noted otherwise. • All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, e-mailing, or by any information storage, retrieval, or sharing system, without permission in writing or email to the publisher (Jonathan Way, Eastern Coyote Research). • To order a copy of my books, pictures, and to donate to my research please visit: • http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/store or MyYellowstoneExperience.org • Previous books by Jonathan Way: • Way, J. G. 2007 (2014, revised edition). Suburban Howls: Tracking the Eastern Coyote in Urban Massachusetts. Dog Ear Publishing, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. 340 pages. • Way, J. G. 2013. My Yellowstone Experience: A Photographic and Informative Journey to a Week in the Great Park. Eastern Coyote Research, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 152 pages. URL: http://www.myyellowstoneexperience.org/bookproject/ • Way, J. G. 2020. E-book (Revised, 2021). Northeastern U.S. National Parks: What Is and What Could Be. Eastern Coyote/Coywolf Research, Barnstable, Massachusetts. 312 pages. Open Access URL: http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/NortheasternUSNationalParks/ • Way, J.G. 2020. E-book (Revised, 2021). The Trip of a Lifetime: A Pictorial Diary of My Journey Out West.
    [Show full text]
  • Palynology of Badger Coprolites from Central Spain
    Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 226 (2005) 259–271 www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo Palynology of badger coprolites from central Spain J.S. Carrio´n a,*, G. Gil b, E. Rodrı´guez a, N. Fuentes a, M. Garcı´a-Anto´n b, A. Arribas c aDepartamento de Biologı´a Vegetal (Bota´nica), Facultad de Biologı´a, 30100 Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain bDepartamento de Biologı´a (Bota´nica), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Auto´noma de Madrid, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain cMuseo Geominero, Instituto Geolo´gico y Minero de Espan˜a, Rı´os Rosas 23, 28003 Madrid, Spain Received 21 January 2005; received in revised form 14 May 2005; accepted 23 May 2005 Abstract This paper presents pollen analysis of badger coprolites from Cueva de los Torrejones, central Spain. Eleven of fourteen coprolite specimens showed good pollen preservation, acceptable pollen concentration, and diversity of both arboreal and herbaceous taxa, together with a number of non-pollen palynomorph types, especially fungal spores. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the coprolite collection derives from badger colonies that established setts and latrines inside the cavern over the last three centuries. The coprolite pollen record depicts a mosaic, anthropogenic landscape very similar to the present-day, comprising pine forests, Quercus-dominated formations, woodland patches with Juniperus thurifera, and a Cistaceae- dominated understorey with heliophytes and nitrophilous assemblages. Although influential, dietary behavior of the badgers does not preclude palaeoenvironmental
    [Show full text]
  • Dancing Skeleton Marionette Assembly Instructions
    DANCING SKELETON MARIONETTEASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS- WHAT YOU'LL NEED: A needle, thread, scissors, Elmer's glue (or glue sticks) and a straight-edge (ruler). HELPFUL HINTS: You can make an extra-fancy version of this puppet by gluing parts pages two and three to black construction paper before cutting out the parts. This will make the insides of the parts, where visible, black to match the outsides. As with most of the toys, this puppet should be printed on heavy card stock. Start by cutting out the general area of the piece you're working on, so you won't have extra paper flopping around. Then carefully cut out the object itself (being careful not to cut off any of the tabs). Once the item is cut out, you'll want to fold everyplace that needs folding before taping or gluing anything. The fast easy way to make folds is to fold the paper over the edge of a ruler or other straight-edge. Once the shape is folded properly you may then tape or glue everything in place. DANCING SKELETON MARIONETTE ASSEMBLY: Begin by cutting out the body piece on Page 1. Fold down the blue panel, and then fold down along all seven blue lines. Glue the blue panel to the back of the front panel, forming a rectangular box. Glue the end tab with the bones over the printed bones on the back panel, closing the bottom of the box. Next fold the blank black tab over the back panel and glue it down, closing the top of the box.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mediterranean Palynological Societies Symposium 2019
    The Mediterranean Palynological Societies Symposium 2019. Abstract book. Stéphanie Desprat, Anne-Laure Daniau, Maria Fernanda Sánchez Goñi To cite this version: Stéphanie Desprat, Anne-Laure Daniau, Maria Fernanda Sánchez Goñi. The Mediterranean Palyno- logical Societies Symposium 2019. Abstract book.. MedPalyno 2019, Jul 2019, Bordeaux, France. Université de Bordeaux, pp.142, 2019, 978-2-9562881-3-8. hal-02274992 HAL Id: hal-02274992 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02274992 Submitted on 30 Aug 2019 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. ABSTRACT BOOK The Mediterranean Palynological Societies Symposium 2019 The joint symposium of the APLF, APLE and GPP-SBI Bordeaux, July 9-10-11, 2019 Title: The Mediterranean Palynological Societies Symposium 2019. Abstract book. Editors: St´ephanie Desprat, Anne-Laure Daniau and Mar´ıa Fernanda S´anchez Go˜ni Publisher: Université de Bordeaux IBSN: 978-2-9562881-3-8 E-book available on https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Local committee from the EPOC research unit (UMR 5805: CNRS, Universite´ de Bordeaux, EPHE) Charlotte Clement´ Anne-Laure Daniau Stephanie´ Desprat Ludovic Devaux Tiffanie Fourcade Marion Genet Muriel Georget Laurent Londeix Maria F. Sanchez Goni˜ Coralie Zorzi Enlarged committee - Presidents of the APLF, GPPSBI and APLE Vincent Lebreton, HNHP, UMR 7194 CNRS-Mus´eumNational d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN)-UPVD (France) Anna Maria Mercuri, Universit`adegli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Department of Life Sciences (Italy) Pilar S.
    [Show full text]
  • Suggested Titles: April, 2014
    Suggested Titles: April, 2014 For Library Collection Development (arranged alphabetically by subject) 1 Suggested Titles List April, 2014 Table of Contents Accounting .............................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Art ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Biology ................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Business Administration ....................................................................................................................................................... 26 Child Study ............................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Computer Information Science & Mathematics ................................................................................................................... 41 Criminal Justice ..................................................................................................................................................................... 52 Economics ............................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • From Voutube to Touh.Ill, Pentatoriix Music Amazes JENNIFER EMILY ADDY LAI STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER
    VOL.48 ISSUE 1448 OCT 6, 2014 From VouTube to Touh.ill, Pentatoriix music amazes JENNIFER EMILY ADDY LAI STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER YouTube sensation and acapella group, Pentatonix, perform at Touhill Performing Arts Center PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ADDY LAIITHE CURRENT as well as the winning group of show was the group's cover the third season of NBC's "The of "Say Something," origi- Sing-Off,': . An American acap­ nally performed by A Great Big pella group that consists of five World feat. Christina Aguilera. vocalists who originated from The vocalists' voices echoed Arlington, Texas. Pentatonix throughout the theater and sent is comprised of lead vocalists chills through the captivated Scott Hoying; Kristin "Kristie" crowd. Their performance of the Maldonado, and Mitch GrasSi, "Evolution of Music" demon­ vocal bass Avriel ''Avi'' Kaplan, strated their technical skills, and and beat boxer Kevin K.O. Olu­ accomodated their audience of sola. Originally a three member different ages. group comprised of Scott, Kris­ Pentatonix's involvment tie, and Mitch, they eventually with their audience, a con­ found the need for a bassist and nection that is rarely seen at a beatboxer to reach stardom. concerts, was definitely one of The band name derives from the the key reasons why audiences five-note music scale, pentaton­ . were begging for an encore. ic, replacing the 'c' with an 'x'. Mitch, wanting a photograph The band redefines the meaning. of the enthusiastic crowd, took of an acapella concert. out his cell phone and started to Pentatonix performed take a panoramic photo as Scott some songs froln their previ­ hummed to the tune of "Jeop­ ous albums along with a couple ardy".
    [Show full text]
  • The Interlopers Exhibition Publication
    The Interlopers Mary Anne Barkhouse The Interlopers Mary Anne Barkhouse Essays by Corinna Ghaznavi and Tanya Lukin Linklater Curated by Renée van der Avoird MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, Ontario introduction The Interlopers, a sculptural installation by Kwakiutl artist Mary Anne Barkhouse, examines the relationships between native North American animals and the colonial structures of territory, expansion and empire that encroach on their terrain. Barkhouse, a Minden-based artist, adeptly encapsulates this tension, staging a feast of scraps and waste for a hungry coywolf caught in a longing stare, his hind legs tensing into what could become a supplication or a pounce. In the second part of this project, a coywolf, curled up asleep in our garden courtyard, is seemingly naturalized in this interstitial space. The hybrid animal, emerging from the crossbreeding of two similar but distinct species in a process catalyzed by human intervention, is mobilized by Barkhouse as a metaphor for untangling notions of human-animal dynamics, Indigenous-settler histories, and questions of tolerance, respect and power. The Interlopers has particular resonance for Barrie and its surrounding environment. Located north of Toronto and south of Muskoka, this rapidly expanding city is prized for its pristine outdoor spaces. Entering the Janice Laking Gallery that houses The Interlopers culls within the visitor a conscious awareness that we are neither the first, nor the last, nor the only inhabitants of this ecologically rich place. Humbly, we acknowledge that we, in fact, may be the interlopers in these spaces. Two guest essayists—Corinna Ghaznavi and Tanya Lukin Linklater—have provided analytic and poetic points of entry into this exhibition, further enriching 3 our understanding of Barkhouse’s project.
    [Show full text]