Nexus Interactive Arts director Evan Boehm has produced a new interactive animated film (see the trailer above), which launched online last week. “Solace” is a captivating interactive film based on a short story from the Pixel Juice collection by award-winning science fiction writer Jeff Noon, and tells the dark tale of a near-future in which marketing, DNA and addiction are disturbingly intertwined. The most shocking thing about it is how oddly plausible it is! Gethin Anthony (Game of Thrones, Aquarius) provides the vivid narration for an unsettling childhood story of a boy trapped in a frightening spiral of addiction to a sugary drink, which raises ethical questions about the way technology embeds itself in our everyday lives.
“The fabric of the film is a generative, interactive liquid written in code”
The story structure follows one character talking to another in a pub about an addictive drink from their childhood, where the taste is determined by twisting the bottle cap to release the different flavours. As the story unfolds over their pints, 2-D animated bubbles emerge from the liquid and invite users to push, poke and pop them. The viewer becomes immersed in the story by acting as an abstract extension of the narrative, following the central protagonist’s tragic decline in his unrelenting pursuit of the perfect flavour combination.
“The team built an engine that produced a cartoon-like physics system that could respond to user interactions and generate character animation in real-time”
“Solace” is a timely social commentary that uses technology to activate the viewers’ imagination to tell a story in an inspiring new way. Designed for the web, viewers watch it through a standard browser with no need to download any special software or hardware. The interactive liquid is built in code, part of a custom engine developed to produce a cartoon-like physics system that responds instantly to user interactions. For a harmonised sensory experience, a generative, real-time audio sound system is weaved into the film to provide an atmospheric soundtrack. The six different flavours of the drink determine the colour scheme of animation, with simple, childlike tones used to contrast the dark adult themes.
“A visitor to the film uses their cursor to poke, pop and pull this liquid to play with the story”
Evan Boehm, the director the film, said: “Behind its cartoon-like exterior, this film ultimately aims to push the limits of interactive storytelling, whilst encouraging debate about the social, cultural, and ethical consequences of future genetic technologies. It follows the traditional beginning-middle-end structure with characters, but the real-time interactivity element is what makes it truly different and inspiring. One part narrative journey, one part playful, surprising interactive experience, it aligns perfectly with Nexus’ goal to explore innovative ways of telling stories.”
