Gawain Liddiard: Dispelling the Myths of Immersive Media
Gawain Liddiard is a professional triple threat
A compulsive creative, armed with the technical prowess to conceptualise and implement content capable of revolutionising a business, he embodies the cross-pollination of skills and ideas that Pause champions.
With an affinity for the artistic, which overlapped with exceptional technical skills, Liddiard’s education saw him naturally gravitate toward computer graphics courses, building an armoury of skills that segued, rather organically, into a fascination with VFX and a role at The Mill.
Global in scale and ambition, The Mill works at the frontiers of visual narrative; developing complex content that unites technological understanding with unique, creative perspectives. As VFX Supervisor, Liddiard is behind some of the company’s most celebrated work: Audi’s 2014 Super Bowl smash ‘Doberhuahua’; Visa’s ‘A Very High Dive’, Taco Bell’s ‘Play the Future First’ and the double Gold Cannes Lion-winning Google Spotlight Stories ‘HELP’ – an immersive 360-degree short film directed by Justin Lin.
As the digital world evolved, so did The Mill’s remit, spinning creative production possibilities on their axis as the team ventured into the realm of immersive media.
But with the industry increasingly voicing misconceptions around its supposed prohibitive cost and inaccessibility, Liddiard is keen to unpick the reality of virtual reality. We caught up with him about Pause 2017, where he’ll be showcasing the sliding scale of VR opportunities for businesses – from passion projects, through to full-scale cinematic experiences.
fluoro. How have you evolved as a creator since you started work across VFX and Virtual reality (VR)?
Gawain Liddiard. One of the most important things I’ve learned in VFX is the importance of understanding how a big team can work together to create an even bigger vision, rather than thinking about it from an individual standpoint. If you’ve got a collaborative group of people that is run correctly, you get an escalating effect: everyone’s ideas bounce off each other and the result is better than any one person could have come up with.
The increasing volume of VR and immersive projects at The Mill has embedded us in all stages of the process of making new media. I’ve been more involved in different aspects, from working directly with brands through helping to define the brand message that utliizes modern media.
f. What do you think is the next big thing in VFX and VR?
GL. It’s not one thing you can put your finger on. There are so many aspects of what comprises VR, from 360 film to full game engine experiences. You can view VR on a cardboard device with your mobile phone, on the HTC Vive, or in a full-size warehouse installation where you’re running around with backpacks on. The variety of ways you can experience VR creates just as many areas that then need solutions.
Upcoming topics within my direct scope include the progression of VR cameras, understanding light field technology, and more interactive experiences. And while it’s great to be forward thinking, it is key to look back at traditional aspects of 100 years of cinematic learning and continue referencing them, rather than throwing them away.
f. What do you do to achieve optimal creative results? Do you sketch, paint, meditate, run, cook…?
GL. It helps to have quite a wide variety of interests. Being overly focused is a big trap, particularly in the CG world. When someone references, for example, space and sci-fi, people are quick to jump to predefined versions of that genre. They go and reference Star Wars or Star Trek, as opposed to referencing an original source such as NASA or genuine space technology. To get around falling into clichéd versions of genres of aesthetics, a diverse range of interests and references is helpful.
Travel also enhances the ability to avoid pre-interpreted understandings and think outside that box. For example, when I was in Thailand and passed by a temple there was a really interesting carving of a monster. It represented a different understanding of what a monster is, as opposed to thinking about which film monster I like the most, which is something that has already been interpreted. It’s more interesting to go back to an original source, thinking about what a monster is based on older illustrations or religion.
I also like to surf, dirt bike, get outdoors…it exposes you to a lot of other influences.
f. What does the term ‘different perspective’ mean to you?
GL. Having seen many sides of the industry – from how directors see new mediums, to how agencies are trying to utilize these platforms, and what we’re trying to do with them – it’s clear that there are so many aspects to consider. I’ve built up the view that we should avoid getting boxed into a single approach. Writing the ‘new rules’ of VR and AR, for instance, is sort of a moot point. Until we’ve established how we’re making the greatest content, why are people trying to confine and establish rules? So if I have a ‘different perspective,’ it’s to be very open-minded and see it from a holistic point, from the hobbyist to the huge brand.
f. How do you go about creating experiences and objects that offer a unique and different perspective?
GL. It’s important to make sure you’re not confined, going back to finding authentic artistic references and being open-minded.
Additionally, at The Mill we have the privilege of working with big, great teams. One of my favorite things about working with large groups of really talented artists is that we can be malleable. At times there’s a need to be directorial and push people in the direction that you want, but there are other times when you need to allow more breathing room to be creative. I think it’s narrow minded and egotistical to expect yourself to come up with every great idea. With all impactful projects, collaboration is key.
f. Why did The Mill move into the creation of a product like The BLACKBIRD for the automotive (advertising) industry?
GL. It was a creative solution to a problem we’d seen constantly in this particular sector of the industry. New models of cars might not have been available, or we needed to re-work them because of the trim package. After having done that multiple times, we started going into projects with open eyes to the limitations in that method.
The BLACKBIRD elevates our understanding of CG cars. You go into the project knowing we are going to augment and change this car right from the outset, and then we figure out how we can best structure the project around that. In doing so, it leads to a much better final product. It means that you can run the project in a way that is actually less of a hindrance to the client and less of a hindrance to the creative. The BLACKBIRD also opens up new opportunities. We can create concept cars, VR experiences…so many other projects with it. If you can correctly develop a tool like this, it not only solves a pre-existing problem but also opens up a ton of other windows.
f. Blackbird 2.0. Are there any advancements that you see being brought to life in a future version?
GL. Those in the industry understand that cameras and technology are always developing, so to say that we have created the best car rig from now until the end of time would not be wise! We have created the best solution for the problem as it currently stands, but we can’t wait around for more powerful cameras to come out, or better Lidar solutions, or greater motion tracking capabilities, or even basic components such as more powerful WiFi to connect the signal on the car to our monitoring systems. That’s why the BLACKBIRD is constructed in a modular way, where we can update these elements as we progress.
f. What does the future have in store for The Mill?
GL. From my perspective, what I see is a massive growth in the spectrum of media that we are asked to create. It has exploded from being the set media types that The Mill has traditionally been a part of creating, from film to episodic and focusing on commercial. Now there are long-form commercials that run for five minutes on digital media platforms. There is VR, AR. Through expanding the selection of media we create and the unique outlook we’ve honed, it has also opened up how we interact with our clients. It’s a truly collaborative process in shaping how we can best leverage these new mediums.
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With the digital sphere in an unrelenting state of constant flux, understanding the tools and technology at your disposal, attests Liddiard, allows a certain sense of artistic freedom and an opportunity to veer away from the rules being set down for formats like VR.
Liddiard’s latest project, directing the music video for Reeps One ‘Does Not Exist’ takes heed of his own anarchic advice. A 360 exploration of sonic and visual space, it sends a pointed message about just what is possible when you contravene convention to purse the kind of media you want to see – and hear – created.
fluoro is an official media partner of the premier creative, tech and business festival in Australasia, Pause, where Liddiard will feature as part of the 2017 edition. To celebrate the partnership, we have created a special edition Pause Magazine 2017 by fluoro. Each feature within the magazine has been curated to offer an exclusive insight into the game changers from the Pause 2017 program, including the likes of Liddiard, SXSW, Lucasfilm, The Mill, Pixar, Google, Etsy and frog.
For your complimentary copy of this special edition magazine, click here.
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