WILLIAM PATRICK CORGAN | Aeronaut VR | 2018
A hologram captured by 106 cameras changed what a music experience could be / William Patrick Corgan "Aeronaut VR"
It's a music video, but you can stand right next to Billy Corgan. As he plays piano, the scenery shifts and the colors change around him, and before you know it, you feel like you're on a journey together.
The problem
When Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan was preparing to release his first solo album in ten years, 'Ogilala,' he was deeply curious about VR. He wanted to connect with fans through a new medium and leave behind a performance unlike anything done before. That drive is what gave birth to this project.
The insight
The head judge described it as "not just a music video, but a VR experience you can actually step inside." The craftsmanship of hiding the technology so people could simply enjoy it naturally is what elevated this music video into a multidimensional piece of art.
The idea
Corgan's three-and-a-half-minute performance was filmed with 106 cameras and recreated as a hologram. That footage was placed inside a VR world created by artist Danny Bittman, where shifting seasonal scenery served as a metaphor for the relationship between people and the world. Corgan became an observer in another world, and the audience became guests he had invited in.
What happened
A 2D version was released in 2017, along with previews of the VR experience. The project had its world premiere at SXSW and went on to win the Grand Prix in the Digital Craft category at the 2018 Cannes Lions.
Afterthought
A hologram shot with 106 cameras sounds impressive just as a number, but the moment that becomes the experience of "standing next to Billy," it stops being just a music video. Technology is only the means—what matters is how it connects people to the artist on the other side. And that's what earned it the Grand Prix.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2018
