Monday, December 04, 2006
Virtual Characters Deliver Emotional "Jolt"
| Often, getting people involved starts with getting them to think
differently, getting them out of their normal habits of reacting and
decision-making. Psychologists call it "stimulation."
An interactive cartoon character who appears on an unusual looking video display and can speak with his audience, while hearing them and seeing them in real time, provides that emotional "jolt" in a quick first impression that has a bit of magic to it. World Trust Foundation has created just such a bit of magic in the form of YAP, a 3D cartoon character with a warm-hearted personality and a friendly sense of humor, who creates unforgettable moments in person at special events and other live appearances. Using a new form of technology called live animation, YAP is operated like the Wizard of Oz, with animator Gary Jesch in a control booth some distance away. Jesch, a 10-year veteran of performance animation through his company, CHOPS & Assoc. Live Animation, is working with Tess Cacciatore, World Trust Foundation founder, to bring YAP to life, for many purposes, including live appearances at conferences, multimedia presentations, webcasts and online video. YAP recently debuted in San Francisco at a kickoff of the World Trust Network and dazzled the audience with his ability to see them and converse with them just like a real person would, something that no one had ever experienced before. He got to know them, and then shared some ideas about the value of giving in support of WTF in order to benefit children around the world. After the event, several of the key donors were allowed to visit "behind the curtain" to see the latest in the technology, which gave them an insider's perspective into the future operations of World Trust's initiative. So not only are the conference attendees stimulated when they first arrive and are greeted by YAP, but their "sticky time" is substantially increased when they interact with the character, wonder how it is done and then ultimately, learn the secret of the technology. And for many women, the power of curiosity gets very intense, until the answer to "How do you do that? is revealed. When they are finally shown, they become "in the know" and have an emotional investment in getting there. Jesch's technology allows him to set up his display and control booth in small spaces with minimal requirements, so that he can accommodate nearly any setting for operation. He can easily work long hours with only short breaks, entertaining and answering questions, always focused and engaged with people who come by the display, which is on a large round screen that is very bright, even from long distances. |
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Virtual Mark Twain and YAP Complete
Friday, December 01, 2006
Checking Results from ToonMX Production
CHOPS
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PROFESSOR MILLENNIUM
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KIKOF
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BRASH LANDAU
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These images are linked to Flash video files produced directly in ToonMX and then converted to SWF files for Flash. The image sizes are approximately 480x360, playing at 30 fps. The bit-rate has been set at 700kbps, yielding file sizes of 1M per 10 seconds of video. The clips are approximately 30 sec. long, or around 3 M each.
Audio is in an MP3 format.
Click on the picture and see what happens!
