~Proceedings ICMCISMCI2014 14-20 September 2014, Athens, Greece
OPERAcraft: Blurring the Lines between
Real and Virtual
Ivica Ico Bukvic
Virginia Tech
School of Performing Arts
Institute for Creativity, Arts, and
Technology
ico@vt.edu
Cody Cahoon
Virginia Tech
Computer Science
codyc@vt. edu
Ariana Wyatt
Virginia Tech
School of Performing Arts
arianal@vt. edu
Tracy Cowden
Virginia Tech
School of Performing Arts
tcowden@vt.edu
ABSTRACT
In the following paper we present an innovative approach
to coupling gaming, telematics, machinima, and opera to
produce a hybrid performance art form and an
arts+technology education platform. To achieve this, we
leverage a custom Minecraft video game and sandbox
mod and pd-12ork real-time digital signal processing environment. The result is a malleable telematic-ready platform capable of supporting a broad array of artistic forms
beyond its original intent, including theatre, cinema, as
well as machinima and other experimental genres.
1. BACKGROUND
Making art with found technologies is as old as art
making itself. Therefore it comes as no surprise that video games, gaming engines, and virtual 3D environments
are being used to produce movies beyond their original
intent. We refer to this form of art as machinima [1][2].
More recently, with the emergence of the sandbox video
game genre, most notably the ubiquitous Minecraft [3],
lines between entertainment, creativity, and learning are
all but gone. Today, online video channels like YouTube
[4] are increasingly populated with in-game footage exploring various virtual 3D environments in a sandboxlike fashion, coupled with recordings of conversations
among players who are there simply sharing their personal reactions to the ensuing adventure. Arguably these can
be seen as a subset of machinima with first-person point
of view and minimal post-production.
Minecraft, as a signature example of a sandbox-game
hybrid has seen a widespread adoption in various learning
contexts [3][5][6][7][8][9] including the most unsuspecting uses, such as 3D printing [10] and rendering 3D video
feed from Kinect [11]. The inherent malleability and a
stylized low-threshold visual design invites users to tinker with blocks, shapes, textures, sounds, behavior, etc.
[12]. Of particular interest are music videos that use cusCopyright: ~ 2014 Bukvic et al. This is an open-access article dis- tributed under the terms of the vC i'i.6ee.
o, a',which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction
in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Katie Dredger
James Madison University
College of Education
dredgemk@jmu.edu
tom renditions of popular pop songs with Minecraftcentric lyrics where due to limitations of in-game characters' expressions (mouth movement, body gestures, emotions, etc.) the videos are often rendered using professional 3D modeling tools that work hard at recreating the
8-bit-style graphics of the surrounding environment,
while making characters considerably more elaborate
[13][14]. Legal ramifications aside, the popularity of
these tunes has reached such proportions that they can
now be purchased from online music stores, such as
iTunes. Another notable aspect of Minecraft is its robust
online network code--it is not uncommon to participate in
online environments with thousands of players present,
something that even today very few online games can
scale to.
It is worth noting a significant divide between machinima renditions such as the aforesaid music videos versus
the first-person in-game footage presented earlier. This is
particularly potent given a rich modding community that
(save for a few isolated efforts [15]) has steered away
from modding the character features to allow them to be
more expressive. It appears that having similar set of features within the gaming engine itself would open doors
for a seemingly unique set of opportunities where the
gaming environment could become synonymous with a
more complex production environment, akin to that of a
post-produced machinima, while concurrently leveraging
the multiplayer and consequently massive online realtime participation and/or observation of such a production.
2. MOTIVATION: INSTANT OPERA
There is a significant body of evidence showing that indepth exposure to the arts has remarkable, far-reaching
effects. Students in quality art programs benefit from a
wide range of positive effects including development of
creativity and thinking skills, better self-expression, appreciation of art and music, learning about other cultures,
and enriched personal satisfaction with their achievements [16]. The particular genre of opera outreachinvolving non-musicians in the creative process-is being
done around the world. Wolf Trap Opera (Vienna, VA)
- 228 -
0
