When 55DSL commissioned Tronic Studio to produce a short film to open its fall fashion show in Italy, and flagship store exhibition, they got a surprising glimpse into a future where "Your skin is woven in mine."
"Diesel is a very forward thinking, creative brand and we were essentially given an open brief; the only caveat being that we work with a checker pattern, which is a central design element of the latest 55DSL collection," said Vivian Rosenthal, who founded Tronic with Jesse Seppi. "Otherwise we were free to interpret the patterns any way we liked."
Give Tronic its creative freedom and be prepared for something entirely different. "We decided to explore the idea that someday patterns might be woven or imprinted directly onto your skin," Rosenthal continued. "The film exploits the theoretical conceit that our skin is our personal clothing and that future fashions might be embedded patterns or mapped on particles."
Virtual Bodies in Motion
To visualize the concept, Tronic designed an abstract environment of checker patterns, and then using the Red camera cinematographer Rod Lamborn filmed the two dancers at high speed. The HD film became the source material for the virtual nude CG doppelgangers whose bodies, (modeled in 3D Studio Max) are imprinted with the pattern as they pass through the checkered threshold. Nylon handled music and sound design "The dancer's bodies are completely realistic, as if created from full body scans, which one day may be the patterns for personalized fashions," said Rosenthal.
"The Red is an amazing camera that gave us beautiful shots of the dancers in high speed so we were able to keep all the detail," said Rosenthal. "For example, in the opening shot the male does a series of leaps that, with Red, we were able to better articulate and impart a poetic feeling."
"The pieces is a bit experimental, a bit theoretical, and it presents a rediscovery of the beauty of the human body and its individuality," added Rosenthal. "Sometimes clothing is an expression of our individuality but often it is a mask, so with this piece we're removing the mask and focusing on the contours and definition of our muscles and skin."
Photoreal 3D Characters
The Diesel project presented Tronic an opportunity to create model, rig and animate photoreal 3D characters. As they emerge through the checkered wall, the pattern is mapped onto their skin. The title 'Your Skin is Woven in Mine' conceptually and visually embodies the idea that theoretically someone else's skin, their pattern, or their design could be woven into yours."