As an Animator and Rigger at Factory 42, a London-based startup creating immersive mixed-reality experiences, I collaborated with the art director, animators, modelers and programmers to plan and animate a wide variety of sequences featuring creatures and robots. These creatures were viewed and interacted with by guests in a physical set using Magic Leap mixed reality headsets, powered by Unity.
In partnership with the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, Magic Leap and the Almeida Theatre, this project was a genuine test-bed for mixed-reality teachnology in the live entertainment scene. Often we were pushing the limits of what many thought the technology could handle, which in turn came with constant surprises and problems to overcome.
As part of a small and tight-knit team, it was all hands on deck all of the time, leading me to venture into unexpected responsibilities on the fly. Some of these included QA testing, script revisions, modelling and texturing, editing advertisements and demonstrating our work and technology to high-profile investors and actors.
Being a big Doctor Who fan, it's no surprise one of my favourite days on the job came when I was asked to demonstrate and explain our mixed reality content to Jodie Whittaker, who's performance was volumetrically captured and implimented into the experience.
Lost Origin Synopsis: A mysterious London warehouse hides a lost truth that is fighting to be heard. In this live story experience, you journey through a multitude of spaces in teams of six; working against the clock to right a wrong and decide a fate.
Lost Origin played at the Hoxton Docks for a limited 2-week run in 2021.
Two spin-off experiences launched in 2020 at the Metrocentre, to which I also contributed animation and rigging.
