Nested Cinema MediaCityUK Exhibition

Prokopic, Pavel; Sayer, Jayne; McKinley, Roger; Steer, Bernard; Joseph, John; Orton, Jake; Middleton, Tamsin; Wyatt, Steven; Laljee, Aarif; Grimshaw, Charlie

Abstract

Nested Cinema is a new immersive experience that complicates the boundaries between the physical and the virtual, between the real and the imaginary. Nested Cinema reimagines film through orchestrating smart technology and devices across three distinct layers of experience – traditional screens, the installation space, and virtual reality – extending cinematic atmospheres across the three nested layers, giving rise to a new immersive mode of dramatic fiction. By combining established and emerging production and presentation technologies, the project explores the narrative and emotional effects of a nested atmospheric environment, as well as the opportunities and limitations of visitor embodiment, empathy, virtual displacement, and novel audio-visual expression and communication.

Nested Cinema is an interdisciplinary research project led by Dr Pavel Prokopic, and it synthesises creative practice-as-research in media, theoretical issues and concepts, and a broad application of cutting-edge information and communication technologies, such as flexible media, Internet of Things (IoT) and Virtual Reality. In this way, the research expands the narrative and dramatic potential of film, in response to exhibition and consumption opportunities in the 21st century, and with direct relevance to the industry. The research is relevant to the University of Salford Industry Collaboration Strategy in the Digital and Smart Living fields, but also to the wider Industry 5.0 approach, particularly the application of automation, Internet of Things and VR in presentation/consumption of film content. The research has a significant commercial potential in establishing viable narrative and media-consumption opportunities in integrating VR, IoT and consumer audio-visual technologies in both public and private living spaces.

The first version of the project was presented to the public in June 2023 in MCUK, in collaboration between teaching staff in film production and the technical services team.

Experience and Content created, written and directed by Pavel Prokopic
Flexible production design and technology; co-producer: Jayne Sayer
Creative technologies supervisor: Roger McKinley
Cinematography: Steve Wyatt
Editor and colourist: Aarif Laljee
Visual effects and asset editor: Charlie Grimshaw
Sound engineering: Bernard Steer
Creative technology support: Mukilasri Radhakrishnan, John Joseph, Jake Orton
Project administrator: Tamsin Middleton

• Exhibition Performance Type: Exhibition
• Start Date: Jun 25, 2023
• End Date: Jun 30, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 25, 2023
• Publication Date: Jun 25, 2023
• Deposit Date: Mar 13, 2025
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.17866/rd.salford.24321730.v1
• Keywords: immersive experience; virtual reality; internet of things; spatiality; expanded cinema