Type-Waterfall

- 2017

Project TypeInstallation
Client Arphic Technology
Location Shanghai

Credits :
Director Ke Jyun Wu, Ting-An Ho
CD Ting-An Ho, Ke Jyun Wu
Visual Script Ke Jyun Wu
Generative Visual Ke Jyun Wu
Interaction System
Ke Jyun Wu, James Weng
3D Artist Stewart Chien
Space Arrangements Ta Chung Liu
Acting Model Val Chen
Project Manager Ting-An Ho
Production House Studio 411

Arphic Technology, which is a well-known Taiwanese type foundry, released a new Variable Font named ShuYuanSong in response to the strategy of font promotion in 2017. The feature of the Variable Font is that it can immediately alter its forms, such as the thickness, the width, and the size, in different reading condition. Variable Font’s multi-axis and seamless design allows numerous combinations of alternation. Our team created the main interactive device of the presenting exhibition in Shanghai. We have been eager to try making the new media design more poetic, which is often viewed as cold and lifeless technology. Characters and words themselves are the media which carry languages and cultures. The only thing we need to do was find the way to polish them and reveal their values instead of adding excessive literary elements. We created simple but powerful enormous visual effects so the audience was able to use their bodies to talk to the characters. The audience can feel the almost imperceptible and subtle differences with their every single movement.

Type-Waterfallintegrates somatosensory detection and light sculpture projection. The device immediately receives the information of the audience’s body movements by the infrared cameras in the exhibit venue. The software then projects the images onto the wall in the venue so that the audience can control the three-dimensional alternation – the font size, weight, and width – with every subtle movement.

2017年，因應字型推廣的策略，文鼎字型發布了「書苑宋」響應式字型（Variable Font）。響應式字型的特色在於依照不同閱讀條件，可即時響應式的產生粗細、寬度、尺寸等變化，不但多軸度且無接縫的設定，因此能有無限種的變化組合。我們為此受委託策畫並於上海發表展覽的門面。過去我們常試想在乍聽科技冰冷的新媒體設計之中，添入一些些的詩意。而文字本身作為乘載語言與文化的媒介，更不必為其添加多餘的文學性，只要打磨見光、彰顯價值即可。為此我們製作了一個純粹而且強而有力的巨大視覺，讓觀者直接以身體向文字對話，他們只需在方寸之間的舉手投足，便能立刻感受到字體中細小、不易察覺，甚至是毫釐之間的幽微差異。

文字瀑布複合了體感偵測與光雕投影，透過展場架設的紅外線攝影機 ，裝置會即時捕捉觀眾肢體運動的資訊、輸入到裝置軟體中，再將軟體輸出的影像投射到展場的大牆面上，使觀眾可以在舉手投足、一進一退之間控制字體的字級、字重和字寬的三維度變化。