Game Engines and the Gesamtkunstwerk

The Mirror Sphere

The Mirror Sphere (2022) was the culminating performance of this research project. The following documentation of the work consists of various videos, drawings, images, and renders. The first video showcases the overall documentation of the performance, followed by a 360° video that exemplifies some of the game engine worlds. The other content on this page documents the numerous development processes that lead up to the exhibition. This includes including proposal images, concept sketches, character designs, and videos from rehearsals for the work that were staged at The Block at QUT.

Lobwein, G. (2022). The Mirror Sphere. [35-minute performance, spherical display, game engine sequences, costumed dance, multimedia installation]. Video documentation.

Game Engine Environments

The game engine environments here represent some of the worlds built for The Mirror Sphere. Although in the performance there are over twenty eight individual worlds, this video documents a variety of the worlds that appeared on the Sphere. And further, below this video is some of the screen-captures from the creation of the game engine worlds.

Again, this is a 360° video which can be interacted with using your mouse cursor. By clicking and holding on the video, you can pan around the panoramic animation.

Lobwein, G. (2022). The Mirror Sphere, Game Engine Environments. [Game engine 360° video, 03:11 runtime]. Installation view.

Initial Drawings

These drawings showcase the initial plans for The Mirror Sphere. As per the previous artworks in this research, in late 2021 and early 2022, I had begun designing and contemplating the various potentialities of the installation and performance work. As seen in the images below, throughout the planning stages of the work I had I been long thinking about the combinations of sculptures, screens, and characters, for the E-Block atrium.

(2021). Sketch of the Mirror Sphere I. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2021). Sketch of the Mirror Sphere II. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2021). Sketch of the Touchscreen. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Sketch of the Mirror Sphere III. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Sketch of the Mirror Sphere sculptures. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Sketch of the Mirror Sphere sculptures and characters. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Component Plan for the Mirror Sphere. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Speaker directions for the Mirror Sphere. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

Various drawings from the planning stages.

Proposal For The Mirror SPhere

The below images and videos illustrate the design for The Mirror Sphere. Importantly, the working title for The Mirror Sphere was Spherical Expansions. This proposal, like others in this project, was important for obtaining approval from the QUT faculty and key stakeholders.

Lobwein, G. (2021). Proposal for Spherical Expansions. [Game engine render].

Lobwein, G. (2021). Video Proposal for Spherical Expansions. [Game engine render].

Character Designs

In writing the narrative over the course of 2021 and 2022, I was simultaneously drawing and visualising various costume designs for the performance. It was in this period that I decided that the narrative would include four characters, as opposed to five that I had initially written. These characters where: Lada, Sira, Nero, and the Technician.

The below drawings present some of the evolution of sketching and drawing from which the characters were formulated. For more documentation of the progression of characters, see the Methodology documentation.

(2021). Early sketch of characters. [Pen and ink on paper]. 420 × 297 mm.

(2021). Early sketch of characters II. [Pen and ink on paper]. 420 × 297 mm.

(2021). Early notebook sketches of the performance. [Pen and ink on paper].

(2021). Characters in Act II. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210× 297 mm.

(2022). VR performance under the Sphere. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Victory over the sun characters reimagined. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Lada, Nero, the Technician, and Sira, early sketch. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Nero early sketch. [Pencil on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Nero + Caligula sketch. [Pencil on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Nero and Sira costume components. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Lada, Nero, Sira, Interpreter, costume checklist. [Pen and ink on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

Various sketches before arriving at the final costumes for The Mirror Sphere.

Final Character Designs

These images showcase the evolution of the final characters into the costumes seen in The Mirror Sphere. As exemplified in the images, this process included simplifying these costumes to find a refined visual form. I did this because I wanted these costumes to be easy to produce on a limited budget, and still wanted to convey the essence of the character. Say for example, the cheek of Lada, the militaristic nature of Nero, or the technical devotion of the Technician. This would be further reinforced by the choreography, but here this showcases the evolution of the visual form.

(2022). Lada costume design. [Pen and watercolour on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Nero costume design. [Pen and watercolour on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Sira costume design. [Pen and watercolour on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). The Technician costume design. [Pen and watercolour on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Lada. [Pencil on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Nero. [Pencil on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Sira. [Pencil on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). The Technician. [Pencil on paper]. 210 × 297 mm.

(2022). Lada simplified. [Digital image].

(2022). Nero simplified. [Digital image].

(2022). Sira simplified. [Digital image].

(2022). The Technician simplified. [Digital image].

(2022). Lada fabric and measurements. [Digital image].

(2022). Nero fabric and measurements. [Digital image].

(2022). Sira fabric and measurements. [Digital image].

(2022). The Technician fabric and measurements. [Digital image].

(2022). Lada Costume. [Fabric, foam mask, gloves, feathers].

(2022). Nero Costume. [Fabric, cardboard and brass mask, gloves].

(2022). Sira Costume. [Fabric, foam helmet, mirrors].

(2022). The Technician Costume. [Fabric, plastic helmet, night vision goggles, gloves].

From drawings to costuming.

Mask Making Process

In the images and footage below I illustrate how I created the masks for The Mirror Sphere. I drew on various making techniques to create these masks, using found materials like brass shell casings, fabric offcuts, VR headset accessories, foam mats, and old plastic helmets. The sewing of the actual costumes was completed by Michelle Hair, a costume designer and maker.

(2022). Foam sheets for Lada's mask. [Photograph].

(2022). Lada's mask assembled. [Photograph].

(2022). The VR headset accessory for Lada's mask. [Photograph].

(2022).Painting Lada's Mask. [Photograph].

(2022). Carving into helmet to make the Technician's Mask. [Photograph].

(2022). The Technician's mask. [Photograph].

(2022). Attaching flattened brass to Nero's mask. [Photograph].

(2022). Attaching more brass to Nero's mask. [Photograph].

(2022). Cutting brass from old bullet casings for Nero's mask. [Photograph].

(2022). Nero's mask. [Photograph].

Image documentation of creating masks for The Mirror Sphere.

Lobwein, G. (2022). Lada's Mask: Process and Design. [Video, 3:04 runtime].

Underwater World

The drawings, video documentation, and renders below, illustrate how I designed one specific world, Underwater World, for Act II of The Mirror Sphere. This world was designed with a combination of game engine techniques, moving from an underwater apartment to surrealistic beach. I drew on many of my previous experience in designing worlds for Spatial Expansions and Expanded Spaces, but critically in the worlds of The Mirror Sphere I continued to expand upon my skills. For example, in Underwater World, I wanted hundreds of objects to fall from the surface of the water, and crash down on the seabed as the 360 camera tracked forward. To do this, I had to experiment with gravity parametres and surface particle effects, for example, creating enormous sand clouds as the objects landed on the ocean floor, or employing dynamic schools of fish in the world.

(2022). Underwater World for The Mirror Sphere, camera track with timings. [Pen and ink on paper].

(2022). Underwater World for The Mirror Sphere, diagram. [Pen and ink on paper].

(2022). Underwater World for The Mirror Sphere, detailed camera track and timings. [Pen and ink on paper].

(2022). Underwater World I. [Game engine render]. Render still.

(2022). Underwater World II. [Game engine render]. Render still.

(2022). Underwater World III. [Game engine render]. Render still.

Underwater World drawings, planning, and renders.

Lobwein, G. (2022). Documentation of building Underwater World. [Game engine screen recording, 02:19 runtime].

Other Game Engine Worlds

(2022). Lada's Lair World. [Game engine render]. Render still.

(2022). Conflict World. [Game engine render]. Render still.

(2022). Infrared Forest World. [Game engine render]. Render still.

(2022). Lada's Lair World II. [Game engine render]. Render still.

(2022). Glitch World. [Game engine render]. Render still.

(2022). Nero's Nightmare World. [Game engine render]. Render still.

(2022). Brick World. [Game engine render]. Render still.

(2022). Meadows World. [Game engine render]. Render still.

(2022). Snow World. [Game engine render]. Render still.

A selection of worlds from the Mirror Sphere.

The Block and E-Block RehearsaLs

The documentation below depicts images and video taken during the rehearsals of this culminating work. These rehearsals occured in the sprung floor studios, and at The Block, a large multi-use space at QUT. This project could not have been accomplished without the performers and Tamara, the choreographer, all of whom dedicated immense effort to create this work.

Lobwein,G. (2023). Choreography documentation for the Mirror Sphere. [video, 03:09 runtime ].

(2022). Rehearsals at The Block, QUT. [Photograph]. Taken by Author.

(2022). Lada during rehearsals at The Block, QUT. [Photograph]. Taken by Author.

(2022). Nero performing during rehearsals at The Block, QUT. [Photograph]. Taken by Author.

(2022). End of Act III at The Block, QUT. [Photograph]. Taken by Author.

(2022). Rehearsals at E-Block. [Photograph]. Taken by Author.

(2022). Rehearsals at E-Block II. [Photograph]. Taken by Author.

Various images from the rehearsals and choreographing of The Mirror Sphere.

The Mirror Sphere Documentation

The documentation below showcases various images of the performance. These were captured by various photographers, each of which have been credited in the captions. These images were taken on the night of the first performance on December 1st, 2022.