To pull off this creative and technical challenge, the team constructed an airtight box the same size as the screens to create the illusion that human-scale performers are swimming inside each of them. To harness the theatrical potential of the robotic screens, the tank’s rotations were captured with a motion-controlled camera engineered to emulate the screen’s tilts and movements. All special effects were created on set, including choreography synchronized to follow shifts in gravity amongst tropical fish, small alligators, and crocodiles.
Oceanides tells the story of a pearl diver who encounters oceanic nymphs in her search for treasure. Featuring an original score, the story draws inspiration from the Ama, Japan’s legendary female free divers who have scoured the ocean floor for pearls for thousands of years.
Oceanides was produced in collaboration with Sailor Productions.
