Rachel Bache takes on the excitement of Vivid Sydney. Here are today's highlights from day three of the festival.
1. Ninjas at the Game|On expo
This was the first year of the Game|On conference, showcasing some of the best in interactive games and online video. One of my favourite parts of the day at Game|On was watching dudes nerd-raging as they p0wned n00bs (do people still say that?). One of the coolest game previews was Kieru, set for release on Steam later this year. In the game you fight against your friends as ninjas in a completely black and white world. As the white ninja you are invisible in the light, competing against a black ninja who can disappear into the shadows. Only drops of contrasting red blood when you've been hit will give you away. The game was inspired by Sin City and the cartoon Samurai Jack and man, did it look good.
2. Blurred lines Game | On talk
Creative director of The Post Lounge, Benjamin Richards, was one of the many speakers at this event. His talk was about "blurring the lines between games and film" and in my opinion probably one of the most interesting talks of the day. Richards delved into the world of movie pre-production and how story boarding has started to come to life thanks by game engines and 3D animation. From David Lynch's endeavour to create an interactive movie, to motion capture technology on a shelved Star Wars game, basically this was a great talk for nerdy movie and gaming fans to geek-out over.
3. Sufjan Stevens at the Sydney Opera House
Not only is the Opera House covered in lights accompanied by music on the outside during Vivid, it's also filled with lights and music on the inside. American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens' performance was awe-inspiring. The crystal shaped screens lit up with incredible landscapes, then flickering to old home-movies, suiting perfectly to the tone of the song that was being played. Stevens performed songs from his new album Carrie and Lowell, which TimeOut gave five stars to, as well as many of his beloved tracks.
For more information on Vivid Sydney visit: vividsydney.com and sydney.com.
Rachel Bache travelled to Sydney thanks to Destination New South Wales.