JIANHAO MA
DREAM-E-SCAPE
Conceived and Directed by Laia Cabrera & Isabelle Duverger
Interactive Design by Aniol Saurina Masó and Jianhao Ma
Original music composition by Nana Simopoulos
Cinematography and Editing by Laia Cabrera & Isabelle Duverger
The piece is an immersive and interactive 360º installation about the mind and the search for awareness in which the public experiences a sensory voyage that captures the surreal nature of dreams, where the line is blurred between the physical and the digital world, between the real and the imaginary.
“Dream-e-scape” is based on the state of sleep, an imaginary journey one can experience with the eyes wide open. The piece explores the concept of lucid dreaming, the sleep state in which we become aware we are dreaming and have the ability to control the dream and gain agency over our thoughts and desires. We are testing reality: Are we awake?
My jobs in the project
The original version of DREAM-E-SCAPE is developed by Aniol Saurina Masó. After he ceased collaboration with LaiaCabrera&Co, I picked up the duty and updated DREAM-E-SCAPE to the version of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia installation.
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For the update, I rescripted C# scripts of the body tracking and skeletonization to optimize responsiveness and stability. I also streamlined the system from two-computers to multiple cameras on one conputer. Additionally, I modified some VFX in the levels and transitions to further polish the aesthetics. And I also updated Unity Engine and Plugins' versions to better support new hardwares up-to-date. Lastly, I was present at Riyadh to calibrate the body tracking devices and resize the video output for the venue dimensions.