Elysian Heights EXPO
Audio Visual Engineer
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What is Elysian Heights
Elysian Heights is a location-based immersive experience that blends mixed reality and embedded narrative. sponsored by Netspend and created by the graduating cohort of Texas Immersive Institute (TXI) and Founding Director of TXI, Professor Erin Reilly. The story follows the utopian city of Elysian Heights and its rule by OS, an all-seeing, all-knowing AI whose been programmed to make the city as prosperous as possible. Users must help the rebel scientist, Ella, as she hacks into the expo's system to recover Elysian Height’s citizens from OS's influence. Audience members must engage with a mindset of compassion by solving escape room puzzle mechanics and interacting with emerging technology within the space and with each other.
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My Role
TouchDesigner Cue System Development: Designed and implemented a comprehensive cue system using TouchDesigner, synchronizing media, sound, and lighting elements to create a seamless immersive experience.
Main Space Activation: Led the final activation of the 'main space', overseeing the setup and testing of all technical elements to ensure a polished and engaging experience.
Collaboration and Troubleshooting: Worked closely with the director, lead team members, and other developers to resolve technical issues and ensure cohesive project execution.
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Partnerism? | Stakeholders
Our Stakeholder: Riane Eisler
Riane Eisler is a transformative figure, spanning roles as a social systems scientist, futurist, cultural historian, attorney, consultant, and speaker. Her impactful work, including "Nurturing Our Humanity" and "The Chalice and the Blade," advocates for constructing a more equitable, sustainable, and peaceful world rooted in Partnership Systems rather than Domination Systems.
Partnerism , advocated by the Center for Partnership Studies, prioritizes caring for one another, nature, and our collective future. It promotes equitable markets where collaboration is empowered, shifting focus from domination to collaboration. Recognizing the value of caring relationships, it aims to address global challenges and build a more inclusive and caring society and economy through initiatives like the Social Wealth Index.
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Project Timeline
August 2023 - April 2024
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Touchdesigner
I Leveraged TouchDesigner to create a node-based cue system for "Elysian Heights," synchronizing lights, media, and sound across multiple channels and computers for a cohesive and immersive experience.
Local Dash Editor (1):
Reset Function: Utilizes Keyboard Input 1 to reset local compartments, ensuring a clean slate for the system.
Project 1: Serves as the central hub, housing all working components and core functionality.
Output Module:
Clears the UI from the display, ensuring a tidy and organized interface.
Seamless connection between 4 x 8K projectors, achieving 0-latency data transfer.
UI Module: Generates a user-friendly interface for backend audio/visual technicians, facilitating easy system management and control.
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Playtest 1 & 2
Playtest 1: During our initial playtest, we immersed ourselves in the experience, exploring every aspect to identify strengths and weaknesses. Through rigorous testing and feedback collection, we unearthed valuable insights that guided our refinement process.
Playtest 2: Following the first playtest, we meticulously analyzed the feedback and iterated on our design, addressing identified issues and realigning our goals to ensure a seamless experience for our audience. With each iteration, we honed our creation, inching closer to our vision for release day.
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Challenges
Alignment with Team : Developing a project that seamlessly integrated with the collective vision and objectives of the team required effective communication, compromise, and collaboration.
Learning New Software: Mastering a coding software amidst project deadlines necessitated dedication, perseverance, and a steep learning curve, as we strived to harness its capabilities to elevate our creation.
Large-Scale Project Development: Creating a project of significant scale and complexity for public release demanded meticulous planning, meticulous execution, and a keen eye for detail to ensure a polished final product.
Stakeholder Adherence: Balancing stakeholder expectations and project requirements called for adept negotiation, diplomacy, and agility in navigating diverse perspectives and priorities.
Bug-Free Deployment: Ensuring the stability and reliability of the project for extended public use without restarts entailed rigorous testing, thorough debugging, and continuous optimization.
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Reflection
Participating in the development and public release of Elysian Heights was a pivotal moment in my journey, blending technical growth with invaluable life lessons. As I delved into the intricacies of coding and software development, I unearthed a deep-seated passion for the craft, igniting a spark of creativity and curiosity within me.
Navigating the dynamic landscape of a large group of 30 individuals was both exhilarating and challenging, pushing me to refine my communication and collaboration skills while fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. Releasing our creation to the public for the first time was a nerve-wracking yet exhilarating experience, filled with anticipation and excitement.
Amidst the whirlwind of development, I discovered the art of stakeholder management and budget adherence, learning to balance competing priorities and expectations while staying true to our vision. These lessons, though challenging at times, were invaluable in shaping my understanding of project management and teamwork.