To promote the Victoria and Albert Museum’s exhibition “Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes 1909-1929”, the V&A’s marketing managers Sarah Armond and Cathy Flanagan commissioned Locomotion to create an animated video poster which our colleagues at Exceptional Exhibits projected – guerrilla advertising style – onto buildings in and around London’s Theatreland as well as other significant sites for ballet audiences.
Locomotion’s Miland Suman used After Effects to animate images taken from a handful of contemporary photographs and postcards, reflecting the poster design for the exhibition while introducing movement and depth to engage the attention of a curious public. Diaghilev was revolutionary in his collaboration with composers, artists, designers to create the experience of ‘total theatre’, so it seemed fitting to bring the photos to life through animation and let them out into the world through building projection.
Miland’s skilful presentation of the portrait of Vaslav Nijinsky in costume for the ballet Giselle recreates the dancer’s gravity defying leaps and highlights the thrilling exoticism of the dancer in costume for Sheherazade. His teasing reveal of Waléry’s 1912 photograph of Adolph Bolm and Tamara Karsavina delights in the bewitching scene of the dancers in the ballet Thamar. And, his animation of Bassano’ 1910 photograph excites the passions of the pair in a scene from Stravinsky’s Firebird.
If you didn’t happen to pass by the Royal Opera House on Wednesday the 13th of October, or walk along the Southbank to see the Royal Festival Hall on Thursday 14 October or indeed stroll through Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus on Tuesday 12 October, the night of the UK Music Video Awards and after show party, you can still view the projections here.
The Exhibition runs from 25 September 2010- 9 January 2011 to read more about it, visit the V&A website here.
To book tickets for the exhibition click here.
Filed under: News | Tagged: Adolph Bolm, After Effects, animation, Ballet Firebird, Ballet Thamar, building projection, Diaghilev, Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballet Russes, Locomotion, miland suman, Motion graphics, Nijinski, Stravinski, Tamara Karsavina, Total Theatre, V&A Museum, VFX, Victoria and Albert Museum, video projection | Leave a comment »
Loco motion soho: 3D Animation VFX Motion Graphics 