they told stories | Xavier Nokes

An Original Immersive Storytelling Experience

"They Told Stories" is an immersive original narrative experience developed using TouchDesigner, Arduino, Max/MSP and various other media tools. The piece focuses on utilizing real time media creation and responsivity to envelope the audience in a fully developed visual and audio story-space. This piece was created from my interest of infiltrating the space of technology in enchanting environments, specifically with the catalyst of storytelling.

They Told Stories original narrative aims to encompass the central concept of lost and evolving beauty. From the natural environments that have and are currently being stripped around us, to the fictional worlds of Tillie Walden’s On a Sunbeam (showcases a crew of explorers who’s entire job is restoring decaying ancient relics/places), Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding (story centered around the interconnectedness of humanity even in a post-apocalyptic world), and Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke (a direct critique of humanities pervasive incursion of the natural world). Additionally, the concept of data sculptures as seen in the work of Refik Anadol and the projection work of Sila Sveta are particularly inspirational to this piece.

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spring practice work
public presentation
Scene 1 | Test 1
Full Run-Through
Interactive floor test

Here is a video demonstration of the responsive particle system projected onto, and using moving data from the stage floor.

Spirits passed floor test
Companion no. 1
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Companion No. 2
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Companions assembled
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Companion No. 2 | Interactive OSC Controller

Companion No. 2 is the second iteration of a wireless controller developed by myself to send various data streams to any OSC compatible software/program.

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Death Stranding | Kojima Productions

Hideo Kojima's "Death Stranding", the first title created under the (relatively) new production studio Kojima Productions. "Death Stranding" serves as a primary source of inspiration for "They Told Stories", which exists as a piece of work developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focused on re-connection, both with one another and the natural world at large, both "Death Stranding" and "They Told Stories" aim to highlight the necessity for this connection during such a disparaging time.

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On a Sunbeam | Tillie Walden

Tillie Walden's "On a Sunbeam" serves as a testament to the reclamation of beauty and the amazing capabilities of narrative practice, and a deep source of inspiration for the work that is "They Told Stories".

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Projection Monolith for 'They Told Stories'
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