Videomapping with Cinema4D and Madmapper

The course will teach students a practical approach to visual design production, especially dedicated to live vjing-mapping shows on stages and/or scenographies.

In collaboration with Space Safari festival’s production, we will provide the students with the 3D project of one of the event’s stage designs, and work from there to produce 2D and 3D visual animations, to be played during the festival’s nights.

We will start from an overview of work done by different video-artists in the world’s videomapping scene, for then i ntroducing Deltaprocess’ approach to the issues.

Students will be then taught how to produce 3D and 2D contents/animated clips using Cinema4D and consecutively simulate the playback of their work on the stage designed for the Festival. This last task will be performed using Madmapper: a live-video production software which gives an easy and immediate understanding of what the technique of “projection mapping” is, and thus playing with digital lights on physical surfaces, playing back the post-produced clips directly on the stage model. More function of the software will be shown, such as 3D model import and lines animations — real-time functions for adding more interactive layers to the live show.

As final module — we will give the chance to the students to come and practice with us offline in the physical world: we will hold the Videomapping workshop with projectors and technical solutions on Space Safari’s site, and map the stage. The result of the workshop’s contents production will be showcased live during the event, and who is willing to try and play with their computers from the stage’s consolle, will be welcomed!

Course Program

1. Day 1. Introduction
   • a. Overview of the history of Stage Mapping
   • b. Overview of a Deltaprocess' approach to video-mapping projects
   • c. Introduction to Cinema4D, 3D visualization and scene set-up
   • d. Questions and practical online workshop
2. Day 2. Production Software Overview and Tutorials
   • a. Cinema 4D — lighting and effects overview
   • b. Cinema 4D — elements of animation and 3D VJ-clips production
   • c. Questions and practical workshop - tasks review and assignment
3. Day 3. 3D Rendering and Mapping Elements
   • a. Cinema 4D — optimizing projects and renders
   • b. Introduction to MadMapper and practical application on given stage design
   • c. Real-time content production to explore the software’s features
   • d. Questions and practical workshop - tasks review and assignment
4. Day 4. Mapping 2
   • a. Madmapper techniques for stage-mapping
   • b. Presets, MIDI-Controls, audio controls and live mixing
   • c. Troubleshooting any issues, break-down and debugging
   • d. Questions and practical workshop - task review and assignment
5. Day 5-6. Practical Workshop on Space Safari location
   • Second part of the course will happen offline on Space Safari location in Belgian Ardennes. The course description: Videomapping workshop

What you need

1. Computer/laptop (PC or Mac) with at least 2GB VRAM, Quad-core i7 processor, Windows 10 / OSX Sierra, 2GB DRAM, SSD Drive.
2. Installed demo softwares:
   • a. Maxon Cinema 4D R21 (DEMO)
   • b. MadMapper 4 (DEMO)
   • c. After Effects CC 2020 (DEMO)
3. Internet connection

Softwares should be already set up and installed before the start of the workshop.

Student’s prerequisites

1. Predisposition to group work and flexibility on working hours
2. Intermediate knowledge of Windows 10 and/or Mac OSX
3. Basic knowledge of video-projectors
4. Basic/Intermediate knowledge of After Effects (or other compositing/motion graphics software)
5. Basic/Intermediate knowledge of Maxon Cinema 4D

Emanuele Russo

Graduated in “Commercial Art and Photography Technique” from Istituto D’Arte ISA Fanoli of Cittadella (PD) in 1993, he attended the Scenography course at the ‘Accademia delle Belle Arti’ of Florence from ’94 to ’96 and the Painting course at the ‘Accademia delle Belle Arti’ of Milan from ’97 to ’99. In ’94 he found the collective Mi.S.Fu. Labs (minimi-spazi-funzionali) experimenting with sound, video, performances and installations.

From 2000 Emanuele worked as computer graphics and photography technician for different art schools’ workshops in Brescia (Italy); in 2003 started teaching video-art production, analog and digital photography, 3D and 2D animation, digital composition and interaction design at the IPC Golgi public school in Brescia, and at Liceo Artistico Statale Olivieri (Public Art School). From 2003 he has been working as a visual artist (vjing, interaction design, installations) for clubs and festivals in Italy and Europe, and have been teaching for independent and private workshops since then. In 2015 joined Deltaprocess Visuals Collective, working actively as leading 2D and 3D motion designer.

• Delta Process

Federico Petrei

Federico studied New Technologies of Arts in “Accademia di Belle Arti” of Venice (2007-2010) and achieved a master’s degree i n Design for Interactive Media at Middlesex University, London 2011. After two years of work as a video-technician and stage designer in London between 2010 and 2012, followed up working as a visual designer, 3D and interactive artist in “Deltaprocess” vjing and multimedia art collective, which he founded in 2009.

His artistic production has been focused on the possibility of driving through interactivity a deep and lost connection with technology as an extended part of human’s body and mind. Federico l ives and works in Udine, Italy.

• Delta Process