deep cut: nocturne one

Every now and then, a project comes our way that challenges our traditional approaches and stretches our imaginations. When this happens, I enjoy seeing what our team is able to accomplish.

Earlier this year, we created animated projection graphics for a mixed-media ballet performance at the University of Oklahoma, in collaboration with choreographer Christa St. John of the OU School of Dance. “Nocturne One” is a movement from Christa’s original contemporary ballet, “Divertimento.” The music was composed and recorded by Christa’s husband, Brian.

When the opportunity came for us to add a third layer of original material, animated graphics projected on a large screen behind the performer, our team got right to work. First, we needed to come up with a custom workflow, given the unique nature of the project. Micah, CVWmedia’s Technical Director, can explain this way better than I can:

The first challenge was finding out how we would line up the performance with the animation. I was able to create a rough graphic model of the stage and screen. From there, we captured a video of a rehearsal performance. With the rough model of the stage and the footage of the performer, I was able to overlay the footage of the dancer with the stage model to get a rough idea of where our graphics needed to be in order to line up with the performance of the dancer.

Graphic model of the stage + video of a rehearsal performance + projection graphics = pre-visualized perfection.

While Christa is very hands-on with her choreography, when it came to our visuals, she gave us all the information we needed while allowing us to experiment with the graphics in our own way. To help us formulate a concept, Christa summarized the plot for us:

In the ballet, the dancer is having an internal struggle, and the supporting visuals are supposed to represent the "demons" within that are confining the dancer and not allowing her to overcome her internal struggle. This is happening throughout the dance, and at some points, the dancer is winning her struggle, and at other times the "demons" are overwhelming her. In the end, the audience never knows the outcome, and there is no resolution.

From there, Micah took the lead on the concept:

I knew I wanted to do something that not only captured the message of the performance but also looked as though it were one with the performance. We didn’t want to design something that would draw your attention away from the dancer, but instead bring your attention directly to the dancer. 

We loved the process and the results, and the best part was being able to enjoy “Nocturne One” in person, along with the rest of the audience who was seeing something so unique for the first time. And now, we hope that you will enjoy it as well: