Ego Cure, directed by Synes Elischka, is a narrative virtual reality short film unconventionally mixing together a new technical approach of stereoscopic 360 video, CGI animation and interaction between the viewer and the art piece (enactive cinema) –stretching the limits of filmmaking.
In this VR experience you, the viewer, are a part of the struggle of a contemporary dance choreographer to create a contemporary masterpiece – at odds with a handful of disinterested dancers, her unpleasant producer and the otherworldly curator – while at the same time facing her own inner demons. The movie is set in a world where the commodification of art has come to its technological conclusion: if an artist is unable or unwilling to provide a commissioned art piece, the investor has the right to extract it from their unconscious mind – using the EGO CURE device
“Having been part of a contemporary dance collective since 2009 (originally as a filmmaker/media-artist but pretty soon pushed to perform alongside professional dancers) a lot of the things happening in the script are based on my own experiences and observations.” – Synes Elischka
Ego Cure is Aalto University ELO Film School co-production with Oblomovies.
The film is part of a research project to study the mechanics of virtual reality in filmmaking, creating tools for high quality Cinematic VR. The film utilizes the Enactive Avatar, a technology creating a living, reactive photorealistic CGI character based on a real-life person.
Director: Synes Elischka
Producer: Mikko Asikainen
Script: Synes Elischka & Tom Saxman
Watch a preview of the making of here.