As a consultant and creative producer in the area of convergent media, Vanessa Shaver draws on her eclectic background in film, TV, animation, theatre and multimedia event production; professional concept development; and her experience with the Canadian Film Centre.

While at the CFC, Vanessa co-created a prototype called Heart of Stars, using the infrared technology of the Microsoft Kinect, while building upon the aesthetic of its raw data. The result was a five-minute narrative where participants’ point-cloud avatars float through deep space, interacting with newborn stars, galaxies and each other. 

Now she is working with MFA Director Alison Humphrey, Theatre @ York and York Digital Media to bring her research into a large-scale stage production: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Using a variety of bleeding edge technologies, the team is re-imagining motion capture as powerful tool to be used in live performance.

Vanessa envisions many more applications for the technology; she is working with artists (such as VJs, dancers and fire performers), programmers, and other producers to explore ways Lucid Dreaming LiveFX can be integrated performance, exhibition and concept development practice.