1991
Year: 2019 - Present
Project: Volumetric VR Documentary
My role: Creative Technologist
1991 is an immersive, room-scale virtual reality documentary exploring a renowned Turkmen composer’s journey, who’s artistic oxygen was suddenly cut off after the collapse of the USSR.
The documentary is being created with the support from Sensorium Studios in NYC: sensorium.works.
// Selected: l
* Kaleidoscope DevLab 2019
* Kaleidoscope Fund Transformations Grant
Untold Stories of Post-Soviet Countries
When hearing “collapse of the USSR”, many in the Western world think of President Reagan’s speech where he recounted “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!”. Still to this day, people recall believing that these words helped to bring down an entire country, and assumed that its inhabitants were happy to have a democracy in the end.
But is that really the narrative? What did people go through in the 15 countries that broke out of the Soviet Union?
Narrative
Suhan Tuyliyev is a composer for the philharmonic orchestra and the head professor at the Turkmen National Conservatory’s Music Composition Department. After the collapse of the USSR, Turkmenistan’s government banned classical music and shut down the orchestra, destroying careers of thousands of talented musicians.
This documentary explores a father’s experiences from 1991 – present, when he was suppressed in his creativity, but persevered through art and storytelling.
This unique perspective recounts a personal story from Turkmenistan, yet a very commonly shared history of the people’s strain of Post-Soviet countries.
Act I - The Collapse
The documentary takes place in Tuyliyev’s office in Turkmenistan. The physical installation will emulate his office, where the guest will learn about the collapse of the USSR and meet the main characters of the story.
Act II - Memories
Once in the virtual reality office, children of Suhan Tuyliyev share personal memories from the transition time in the post-Soviet Turkmenistan.
Act III - Depression
This act is about Suhan Tuyliyev’s depression, as the ghost of the banned orchestra enters the office to haunt him.
This past June 2019, we recorded a 22-musician string orchestra in Turkmenistan utilizing Depth Kit Volumetric Capture System. Production was broken down to two parts. First we recorded the orchestra’s audio. Once we captured the best sound and performance, we invited each musician, one at a time, to record the Depth Kit footage.
Act IV - Transition
While the orchestra is performing Suhan Tuyliyev’s piece, the walls of the room get consumed by a three dimensional kaleidoscope that comes out of the piano’s cap. This signifies the transition between Suhan’s depression and his coming back to composing.
Act V - Awakening
In 2009 the second President of Turkmenistan abolished the ban of classical music, the orchestra and opera were allowed to revive. This act is immersing the viewer in a live painted VR mural, telling an ancient Turkmen tale about the power of music. This scene is a metaphor for Suhan Tuyliyev healing from depression by returning to his craft. Suhan’s daughter Dr. Maya Tuylieva will perform the Third Movement of his Second Piano Sonata, as the “Uzuklar” VR mural unravels around the viewer. This autobiographical piano piece was written after the ban was repealed. It depicts human struggle and celebration of life.
The Tech
We are creating a multi-faceted VR and physical experiential experience. This interactive documentary is pushing all the limits of VR by using tools from 3D painting, volumetric video and animation.
Unity Engine
We have built a room scale environment of Suhan Tuyliyev’s office in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan using Unity Game Engine.
Depth Kit
Using Depth Kit by Scatter volumetric capture system, we are creating the ghost of the disbanded National Orchestra performing Suhan’s piece. Music is the integral part of the story, and using Spacial Audio, the ghost will come alive around the participant.
Tilt Brush
Using Tilt Brush, a 3D painting tool, we tell an ancient Turkmen tale about the power of music and its ability to heal. Akmyrat, a traditional watercolor painter, is able to integrate the latest creative tool with a very ancient technique of storytelling to share this old tale from his childhood.
Projection Mapping
The physical installation will use Projection Mapping to immerse the user in the physical space, before and after going into the virtual world.
The Team
Creator/Director: Akmyrat Tuyliyev
Co-Director: Christina Borins
The documentary is being created with the support from Scatter and Sensorium Studios in NYC: sensorium.works.