Shapeshifter AR App
Multi award-winning NZ band Shapeshifter have always positioned themselves on the cutting edge of technology when it comes to their music and putting their work into the digital medium.
With the release of their single ‘Monarch’, the band wanted a music video that would captivate and extend beyond the confines of conventional broadcasting media (like television), to capture the interest of a more social and online orientated audience.
The response was to create a visually intriguing as well as experientially immersive augmented reality (AR) experience for a tech-savvy user. For such an experimental project, open conversation and collaboration between Watermark, SOAP and app developers Roam was critical.
We carefully crafted the design of the butterfly marker to trigger the experience within the app, using the camera of the device (acting in a similar way to a QR code). As the music plays, an animated world responds to the beat of the soundtrack, unravelling the story of Monarch – an artistic interpretation of the ‘butterfly effect’. The viewer can interact with all the illustrated components of the world, creating their own personal experience of the music video in a physical environment. By pausing the music video and taking a photograph of it, users can share their experience with friends and Shapeshifter via Flickr.
The app allows Shapeshifter to engage with their world-wide audience, opening up a two-way dialogue with fans whereas traditional music videos are simply a one-way projection.
Watch a sneak peak of the experience below.
Credits
Music: 'Monarch' by NZShapeshifter
Supported by: New Zealand on Air
Art Direction: Tim Lenton & David Way (Watermark Creative)
Animation: Tim Lenton & Tessa Monash (Watermark Creative)
AR & Unity Development: Reagan Qiu
iOS Development: Ben Morreau (Roam Creative)
UI / UX Design: Bettina Way (Be Creative)
