Wednesday, 04 November 2020
The MOMENT is a unique brain-controlled film where the plot is determined by the viewer and audiences will have the chance to experience it with live music as part of a new online tour.
The MOMENT, is a dystopian science fiction film created by University of Nottingham researcher Richard Ramchurn. The film picks up reactions from the viewer via an EEG headset and switches the storyline depending on their response.
Music plays a powerful part in the telling of the story, helping change the mood and pace of the narrative and the music is being featured live as part of a new online tour during November and December.
The film will be streamed from Richard’s home in Nottingham with two different people wearing the headset to show how the narrative changes to reflect their reactions. The music will be played live by the musicians who created the soundtrack for the film – Hallvardur Assgeirrson from his Iceland home and Scrubber Fox from Manchester.
We had a live international tour planned, but with venues sadly closed we needed to plan it to happen differently. Taking the tour online with the live performance from the musicians livestreamed alongside the film from the perspective of our two subjects we hope to still provide an immersive and enjoyable experience. Like so many industries this year the arts have suffered badly due to COVID but it’s so important we try to continue to bring creativity and enrichment to people and we hope this film coupled with the live music will do this.
The musicians will be interpreting the brain data via a specially designed interface that allows them to re-order the music in real time to reflect the narrative.
Scrubber Fox says “We have composed the music for the film, but how we play it is improvised as we don’t know how the film is going to construct itself. I have to play by ear with the other musician, and also by eye responding to what is happening in the film. We have to think quickly, blending and editing the music in real time to evolve a sound that fits with what is screening at the time.”
The MOMENT live edits three interlinking stories using a specially designed headset to detect EEG brainwaves. The media adapts to the viewers attention levels, when the system detects a drop in attention it will cut to another narrative thread. There are over 17 billion different narrative combinations of the film making each screening completely unique.
The film speaks to our present relationships with each other via social media. It is a reaction to the post truth world and holds up a mirror to people of their agency, and responsibility and asks the question, ‘'In a war of the mind, how do you rebel when your thoughts are monitored?'
Screenings are approximately 1hr long and are on the following dates:
November 2020
Thursday 12th 8pm GMT -(3pm EST)
Saturday 14th 8pm GMT -(3pm EST)
Thursday 19th 8pm GMT -(3pm EST)
Saturday 21th 8pm GMT -(3pm EST)
Thursday26th 8pm GMT -(3pm EST)
Saturday 28th 8pm GMT -(3pm EST)
December 2020
Thursday 3rd 8pm, GMT -(3pm EST)
Saturday 5th 8pm, GMT -(3pm EST)
Saturday 5th 6pm EST
Thursday 10th 8pm, GMT -(3pm EST)
Saturday 12th 8pm, GMT -(3pm EST)
Saturday 12th 6pm EST
To book tickets for a performance go to: www.braincontrolledmovie.co.uk
The MOMENT is Supported by The Arts Council England, the University of Nottingham and the EPSRC
Story credits
More information is available from Richard Ramchurn, in the School of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham richard@albinomosquito.com, or Jane Icke, Media Relations Manager for the Faculty of Science at the University of Nottingham, on +44 (0)115 951 5751, jane.icke@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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