Social media billionaire Caleb Smith is on a mission. Racing against a terrible terminal illness, he is embarking on a deep space voyage with the secret goal of cheating time and death. While half his wealth drives the search for a cure on Earth, Caleb plans to take advantage of the time dilation of faster-than-light travel, returning after only a small time has passed for the ticking bomb of his disease, to enjoy his new cure, a long life and immortal fame.
With his small crew already in cryosleep for the jump to hyperspace, Caleb double-checks the ship's powerful artificial intelligence, ISMEE. She is his masterpiece, the newly synthesized sum of all online human emotion and cognition. Think of her as the lovechild of Wikipedia and Facebook; this AI is buggy, unpredictable and gloriously meta-human. Through her Twitter handle @ISMEEtheAI, viewers can interact with Caleb as he prepares for humanity's first hyperspace jump... and when a life-support circuit malfunctions, help him make an impossible decision.
Faster than Night blends live theatre, real-time 3D animation and audience interaction into an emotionally powerful adventure unlike any other.
Part of HATCH 2014, Harbourfront Centre’s annual performing arts residency programme.
Saturday, May 3rd, 2014
2pm & 8pm
Studio Theatre
Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Canada
Check out the Faster than Night behind-the-scenes blog.
Like Faster than Night on Facebook.
Follow @ISMEEtheAI on Twitter.
Jon Kaplan's article in NOW Magazine.
Profile on Space TV's InnerSPACE.
Harbourfront HATCH trailer:
Jon Kaplan's article in NOW Magazine.
Profile on Space TV's InnerSPACE.
Harbourfront HATCH trailer:
About the Company
Newly-formed Digital BlackBox blends live performance with real-time 3D animation and audience interaction to hone a new approach to storytelling, the first of its kind in the world.
The company includes RADA-trained actor, writer and performance-capture specialist Pascal Langdale; award-winning actor Melee Hutton; writer, director and 2009 Elliot Hayes Award-Winner Alison Humphrey; creative producer Vanessa Shaver; and executive producer Jo Singh Brar.
Heather Gilroy: Assistant interactive writer, assistant live story editor
Maziar Ghaderi: Live VFX switcher, visual media manager
Solène Morvan: Dynamixyz Performer specialist
Will Mountain: Music composer and sound designer
Ryan Webber: Interactive AV design, system integration, and Isadora Pro user
Trista DeVries: Social media consultant
Produced by Digital BlackBox and Motives in Movement, in collaboration with:
Dynamixyz
SIRT Centre
Vapor Music
Centaur Digital: Facial animation
Capture Scratch: Heads-up display and ship illustrations
Image credits: