Ever wondered what it’s like to be an animal in the forest? To flutter like a dragonfly or jump like a frog? Abandon Normal Devices (AND) present In the Eyes of the Animal, a 360 degree cinematic experience which immerses you in a vibrant world belonging to woodland creatures. 

This critically acclaimed VR (virtual reality) work, which premiered at AND Festival 2015, is currently on a UK and international tour. Recent destinations include Toronto Film Festival (Canada), Sónar +D (Spain) and Sundance Film Festival (US), with the next stop at Jodrell Bank for Bluedot Festival, enabling festival explorers to traverse this computer-generated landscape. Created by immersive experience studio Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF) the film is a speculative short story focusing on the life-cycles of different British species, told from the viewpoints of inhabitants of the forest.

The work is filmed using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or ‘drones’, with bespoke 360º cameras, and is set to a binaural soundtrack using audio recordings sourced from the surrounding woodland. Audiences can experience the work through bespoke Oculus Rift virtual reality and audio headsets. Coinciding with Bluedot Festival, AND launch the online 360º film with a special live event at Jodrell Bank and the release of a new animal to the experience – the bat. Bats use sound waves that reflect off objects to enable them to “see” and sense the environment around them. MLF have created a new echolocation experience for humans and through a powerful live binaural experience audiences will discover the Arboretum at Jodrell Bank through 360 degrees of sound. These new sonar devices, quipped with an ultrasound generator and bespoke electronic bat ears, replicate bat song and echolocation which is ordinarily beyond the reach of the human ear, enabling you to hear the unseeable.

Opening times – show days

Fri – 14:00-20:00
Sat – 10:00-19:00
Sun – 10:00-19:00

CREDITS

Commissioned by Abandon Normal Devices and Forestry Commission England’s Forest Art Works. Online edition created in partnership with The Space. Produced by Abandon Normal Devices and Marshmallow Laser Feast. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England and Forestry Commission England. Website Support by The Neighbourhood.