Pyro Works
An interactive installation that creates flame like visuals after tracing your body's outline
Date
Sep.2023
Tools
Touch Designer
Webcam
Team
Solo project
The unnoticed aura around us
The inspiration
The intention of this installation was to explore an emotion suppressed by us. The anger we feel but do not show that creates an unspoken emotional aura around us.
As we navigate our daily routines, we often remain oblivious to the unspoken and concealed emotions within us
Muted. Suppressed. Hidden.
An attempt to visualize this undercurrent of emotions. A tangible experience of subdued anger.
Stage 1
Tracing the body
Since I used a web camera instead of a Kinect sensor, the first step was to ensure a silhouette was created to generate visuals around it.
As I kept trying different things, I learned some important steps for making a silhouette using a webcam :
Make sure the webcam's view is clear with minimal background clutter.
Try to maintain balanced lighting
Experiment with settings in Touchdesigner to get a body outline.
Workflow to achieve body silhouette with webcam
Stage 2
Generating the visual
Using Touch Designer to generate the visuals, i created a flame like effect, which was color graded to achieve the desired aesthetic.
With feedback and bloom effects, I intensified the visuals. I tested different movements to understand the results.
Workflow to generate flame visuals
Pyro works
The result
Formation of the flame
Takeaways
Experiment
Trial and error is the best way to explore and learn
Perception
Understanding how people perceive your creation is crucial
Movement
how different movements and gestures can influence the result