Ninety-four cameras paint an aging actor in 3D virtual reality

When David Cage released a tech demo last summer of an old man’s face, he advanced the idea that facial micromovements would be the next frontier for games and realism. Apparently, the elderly represent the future of visuals as London-based design studio Marshmallow Laser Feast are pushing capturing human bodies one step further with their newest project Memex. It’s “a 3D study of mortality exploring new photographic processes,” according to the studio, in the form of a music video for Duologue.

To do so, MLF used a 94-camera real-time hi-res scanning rig to create a photorealistic full-body scan of model Beryl Nesbit. They used a process called “photogrammetry” which involved literally photographing real-world objects from multiple angles in order to almost programmatically recreate them in a digital space. It’s a process well-known to games and employed in titles like the forthcoming The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. But in this case, MLF is creating a real-time virtual reality experience and points to what VR cinema might ultimately be.

You can watch the video below and see more of their production stills here.