06.03.2025 - 26.03.2025 (WEEK 5-8)
Koh Xin Yee / 0363349 / Bachelor of Interactive Spatial Design (Hons)
Lighting Interactive Design
Assignment 3
While the other teammates moved on with creating assets in TouchDesigner and Blender, I started to explore what I can do as the final compositer and art director. My main task is to produce the final sound design in Adobe Audition and the final composition in Adobe After Effects, but I still seek for ways to help out my teammates along the way.
Due to various limitations in the free version of TouchDesigner, Raymond couldn't export the file into high resolution, so the low res files are almost unusable. We decided to give up on it and fully focus on Blender to create the assets. We downloaded a whale model online, and had Raymond to help add the bones for animation. Yu Hong had explored much on Blender Geometry Nodes, he distributed particles across its surface of the model and created a trailing effect. The whale model was then sent back to Adelynn and Raymond for them to animate certain scenes to ease the process. Adelynn focused on various whale scenes, while Raymond handled the whale fall sequence.
For me, besides giving support and feedback, I started exploring Red Giant Trapcode Particular plugin for After Effects, so that I could also help out with some of the particles effect.
We showed some of the assets we are creating to Mr Shakir and Mr Zeon during the consultation. Mr Shakir was quite amazed and pleased to see our visuals, but at the same time he expressed his concern about whether we have enough time to complete the whole composition in time. Mr Shakir also shared some technical tips on how to enhance or speed up our content creation. The key is not to spend so much time creating the content, but we can utilise After Effects to make the content looks nicer.
Some feedbacks we have received are:
try to simplify or rethink on how to convey the flashback scene, maybe adjust the timeline, or reconstruct the visuals as the time constraint can't allow us to do a long flashback
cancel or shorten down the introductory scene, just to hook the attention is enough
the audio design is very appreciated
A lot of assets are coming out one by one by this week. While compositing them into After Effects, I also used Trapcode Particular to create the hospital bed on the floor with particles effect. It was quite easy actually, just use the bed visual as a layer emitter for the particular effect, and control the movement and life of the particles. But the problem here is the bed hardly holds its shape, and it just looks like a group of particles moving here and there.
During one-to-one consultation with Mr Shakir, he adviced me to add a static frame to the bed, so that it remains a bed shape while the particles move around.
With the help of Yu Hong to create a simple static frame in Blender, we solved this issue quickly.
Mr Shakir also shared to us about the particular system art style as one of the most heavy effects, either in Blender or After Effects. TouchDesigner is the one of the platforms that can render and handle lightweight particles easily. However, due to limitations mentioned ealier, we are unable to use TouchDesigner to create our assets, so we had to stick to the plan with using Blender.
Now another problem arose, when I zoomed in the fishes I animated in AE, I found out that they were very pixelated. I reflected this issue to Yu Hong, and we discussed about this overnight. He rendered a few more versions of fishes in different resolution, just until we get it right. So the final version of the fishes were simple enough until they do not pixelate even if it is compressed. After learning the lesson from this, the other assets were also rendered in the same format.
Other issues we faced along the way is that my laptop specs couldn't handle such large files in After Effects, especially the jellyfishes composition, which the file of each jellyfish is up to 1GB. Not only I couldn't see the real time rendered effects in Ae, my laptop frequently crashes, resulting in lost of files. I was almost falling apart as the due date is coming closer. To resolve this, we even considered renting high-spec PCs from cybercafés and co-working spaces, but these solutions are impractical, as sending such large files over to other computers are too time consuming. Eventually, we decided to render out each pre-compositions seperately, on Yu Hong's laptop those high quality files, and on my laptop those compositions I created using Trapcode Particular effect.
before compiling pre-comps
after compiling pre-comps
It proves out that this was the best solution to this issue. The final compilation process was quite smooth and we manage to export the video out although the file size is very huge.
After we successfully compile the whole video composition, I proceeded with the final audio design, using the exported video as reference in Adobe Audition. Not much changes are made, I only reconstructed the timeline and edited some of the sound effects. We successfully exported the full composition including the video footage and the sound design together.
At the same time, we were busy with the final presentation slides. We decided to break the given presentation flow, and focus on hooking the audience's emotions before we start showcasing the final output.
Each team member took responsibility to present different parts of the deck:
I took the initiative to hook the audience, introduce the problem statement, and reveal the concept.
Adelynn focused on the key objectives and technical execution.
Raymond handled the project narrative, giving the audience a brief intro of the four chapters.
Yu Hong was responsible for the conclusion and the call to action.
The moodboard, initial and refined designs, future considerations and conclusion were then moved to the end of the deck, which we are not covering during the presentation.
I was really happy to be in person at Muzium Telekom for our final presentation. Not just the anticipation to present our beautiful concept about this project to others, but also to watch our hard work being displayed on site. It was also a fascinating experience to watch others works being projected. Most of them had put in efford and hard work to make the experience great.
As we moved into the final production phase, we were faced with the challenge of translating our conceptual work into a fully realized projection mapping experience. This required meticulous attention to animation timing, sound synchronization, and technical execution to ensure a seamless and immersive presentation. Utilizing Blender, After Effects, Red Giant Trapcode Particular, and Adobe Audition, we worked tirelessly to refine every detail, from the fluidity of particle movements to the depth of environmental soundscapes.
One of the most demanding aspects was rendering and compiling the final animation. Due to hardware limitations, rendering times were long, forcing us to export pre-compositions separately before merging them into the final sequence. Additionally, integrating sound with the visuals required multiple iterations to strike the right balance between emotional intensity and narrative clarity. Despite these hurdles, our team remained adaptive and solution-focused, ensuring that each element came together cohesively.
Standing in front of our projection at Muzium Telekom was a surreal and rewarding experience. Seeing our work displayed on a large scale, with the audience immersed in the visuals and sound, brought a deep sense of accomplishment and pride. It was fulfilling to witness how our storytelling and design choices evoked emotions and engaged the viewers. At the same time, there was an element of nervousness—hoping that the final execution lived up to our expectations. However, as the projection unfolded, the collective effort and creativity of our team became evident, making all the challenges and late nights worth it.
This project solidified my understanding of technical execution in projection mapping, collaborative workflow, and the power of immersive storytelling. It reinforced the importance of patience, iteration, and teamwork in bringing a complex vision to life. The experience of showcasing our work in a real-world setting also provided valuable insights into audience engagement and spatial composition, which will undoubtedly influence my future projects.
With this project now complete, I feel more confident in tackling large-scale immersive designs. Moving forward, I hope to continue exploring how interactive media and environmental storytelling can create meaningful experiences that connect with audiences on a deeper level.