The Astonishing Future of Immersive Live Entertainment | Willie Williams | TED

譯者: Tong Zhangjun 審譯者: Shelley Tsang 曾雯海

I would love to show you something brand new

我想要讓大家看看

剛在拉斯維加斯發生的新鮮事。

that just happened in Las Vegas.

(“Even Better Than the Real Thing” by U2 plays)

（播放 U2 的《比真實的還好》）

(Music ends)

（音樂結束）

(Cheers and applause)

（歡呼及掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝。

Thank you.

謝謝。

The Irish rock band U2, of course, inaugurating the Sphere in Las Vegas:

顯然，這是愛爾蘭搖滾樂團U2， 在拉斯維加斯的全新球形劇場（Sphere ）進行開幕演出：

球形劇場是個新設施

a brand new facility

which is somewhere between an IMAX theater and a planetarium,

介於 IMAX 電影院和天文館之間，

large enough to contain the Statue of Liberty.

大到可以容納美國自由女神像。

After decades of big rock shows being staged mostly in sports facilities

過去的數十年間，多半在體育館舉辦的 大型搖滾演唱會，正在這裏上演。

for 40 shows,

這裡安排了四十場演出，

18,000 people a night were immersed in sound and vision

每晚有壹萬八千名觀衆以全新的方式 沈浸在聲音和視覺的享受中。

in a whole new way.

And did anybody go, by the way?

順便問問，有誰去體驗過了嗎？ 我知道有。哦，不錯，好。

I know some people did.

Oh, yeah, OK.

有人還沒去嗎？

Did anybody not go?

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Great, well, then you'll know what I'm talking about.

很好，你知道我在說什麼。

我負責設計和指導現場表演。

So I design and direct live shows.

我工作的基礎來自巡迴演唱會，

The foundations of my work were in concert touring,

and I got to work with some really cool people,

我有幸與一些非常酷的人合作， 包括喬治‧麥可、R.E.M.、

including George Michael, R.E.M., David Bowie and many more.

大衛‧鮑伊等等。

And for 40 years I've been creative director for U2's live performances,

四十年來，我一直擔任U2 現場表演的創意總監，

going from small clubs to football stadiums

從小型俱樂部到足球場，

and having done well over 1,000 shows with them

已經和他們一起完成了超過一千場演出，

in 250 cities in 40 countries.

遍及四十個國家的兩百五十個城市。

Yeah, it's been a journey.

是的，這是段旅程。

I head up U2's long-standing creative team,

我負責領導 U2長期創意團隊，

每次我們去製作新的表演時，

and every time we go to make a new show,

我們都在試圖以某種方式進行發明重塑，

we're trying to reinvent the form in some way,

starting with a blank slate

從一張白紙開始，拋棄過去的一切。

and chucking out everything that's gone before.

Except for one thing,

只有壹點不變，那就是把目標聚焦于

which is always the goal of creating emotional connection

建立創造觀眾和表演者之間的情緒連結。

between the audience and the performers.

So in the very early '80s,

因此，在八十年代初期，

U2 was building on the roots of punk,

U2 建立在龐克音樂的根基上，

which came from this very pure and minimal place

龐克音樂源自很純粹、簡樸的地方，

where making any effort at all with your stage visuals

在那裡，花任何功夫做舞台視覺效果

was considered extremely gauche and very uncool.

都會被視為粗俗且不酷。

But as the scale of U2 shows increased,

但隨著 U2 的表現規模擴大，

we coined the phrase “maximum minimalism,”

我們創造出「最大極簡主義」這個詞，

and that got us into a place

讓我們可以保有想像出來的真實性，

where we could kind of hang on to some of this imagined authenticity

whilst catering to the needs of playing arenas and football stadiums.

同時可以滿足 在大型體育館和足球場演出的需求。

And it really worked.

這真的行得通。 那些表演的原始能量非常驚人。

I mean, the raw energy of those shows was incredible,

but from a design point of view,

但從設計的角度來看，

there's really only so far you can take that idea before you hit a wall.

這個想法的發展空間有限， 最終會遇到瓶頸。

So we were looking for new possibilities in visual storytelling

因此，我們在尋找視覺敘事的新可能性，

and through the '90s,

在九十年代，

completely fell in love with all the new emerging visual technologies

我們完全愛上了新興的視覺技術，

and so embraced those, threw away the handbook

擁抱這些技術，扔掉指南手冊，

and decided to see what we could do with them.

決定看看我們能用這些技術做什麼。

And on a pair of U2 tours, "Zoo TV" and "Popmart,"

在兩場 U2 巡迴演出中， 「Zoo TV」和「Popmart」中，

we pretty much introduced the style of multiscreen, big-video presentation

我們幾乎開創引入了 如今仍在演唱會巡迴演出中

that’s still around today in concert touring.

存在的多屏幕大視頻演示風格。

And that included, for “Popmart,”

其中包括為「Popmart」打造了全球

the building of the world's very first stadium-scale LED video screen,

第一個體育場規模 LED視頻屏 幕，

which was hand-built from components for the tour.

由巡回演出的各類元件進行打造，

They're not unambitious, these people.

他們可不是那些沒有雄心壯志的人。

Since then, we've made shows large and small,

從那時起，我們開始製作大大小小的演出，

some leading into audio-visual ideas,

有些由視聽創意引领，

others taking a more architectural stance

有些則採取更具建築性的设计，

and along the way collaborating with a veritable who's who

並延續這個方向

of the contemporary art world.

與當代藝術界的名家真正合作。

But always with the goal of trying to challenge and reinvent

總是旨在嘗試挑戰並重新發明定義

the notion of what a rock concert can be.

搖滾音樂會的概念。

After 40 years of reinvention,

經過 40 年的重塑再造，

I suppose maybe there was another wall looming.

我想也許有新的瓶頸出現。

So when we heard about this new building that was going up in Las Vegas,

所以當我們聽到 拉斯維加斯的這座新建築物掘起，

we went to check it out.

我們要去看看。

And the Sphere is designed essentially for showing movies

Sphere 球形劇場的主要設計用於

at humongous scale,

以極高解析度的巨大全景

at extremely high resolution.

播放電影。

But I found myself looking at the space

但我發現自己看著這個空間，

and wondering if there was some other way

想知道我們是否還有其他

that we might be able to inhabit this wrap-around immersive space.

方法可以進住應用這個環繞的沉浸式空間。

And the thing that occurred to me, the thing that really struck me,

我想到的一件事，真的讓我感到驚訝的是

was the absence of corners.

它完全沒有轉角。

We navigate space via corners,

我們通過角落來進行空間導航，

and you know how big the room is that you're in

知道您所在的房間有多大，

because you can see the corners, and that helps you feel grounded.

是因為可以看到角落，這可以幫助定位。

Whereas at the Sphere, not only are there no corners,

在 Sphere不僅沒有角落，

but I wondered if we were to introduce virtual corners of our own,

而且我還可以思考 是否可以介紹我們自己的虛擬角落，

would we be able to manipulate the audience's sense of perspective

如果我們要引入自己的虛擬角落， 是否能夠操縱觀眾的觀感，

and apparently alter the space radically?

並顯然徹底改變空間？

So I made a whole load of test material

所以我製作了大量測試材料，

and was absolutely overjoyed at how well it worked.

並對工作成果感到非常高興。

The degree to which your brain wants to buy into the illusion is extraordinary.

您的大腦希望接受幻覺的程度是非凡的。

And I found that I could take the Sphere

然後我發現我可以

and turn it into an infinitely tall cylinder,

把球體轉變成一個無限高的圓柱體，

and then maybe into a cube,

然後可能成立方體

and then bring the roof down on top of everybody.

然后把屋頂放在所有人的頂部，

And everything you're seeing,

而你所看到的一切

all of this is just video on a curved surface.

都只是曲面上的視頻而已。

But what it informed me

但是它告訴我的是，

was that I needed to stop thinking about this as being a screen

我需要停止將這個視為一個屏幕，

and start thinking of it as being a place,

開始將它視為一個空間，

a three-dimensional audio-visual space,

一個三維視聽空間，

and that the kind of environments that would work here

而且這裡可以使用的環境

might be the kind of thing you'd make for VR,

可能是妳用 VR 虛擬技術創造的，

rather than for cinema.

而不是電影。

Now to make the illusion work, it’s vital never to break the spell.

現在要讓幻覺發揮作用， 永遠不要打破咒語本身至關重要。

So this sense of place has to be established

因此，在觀眾到達前，

before the viewer even gets there.

必須先建立這種空間感。

And when the U2 audience arrived at the Sphere,

當 U2 觀眾抵達 Sphere 時，

they walked into this gigantic optical illusion.

他們走進了這種巨大的光學幻境。

The scale of it really was shocking.

它的規模確實令人震驚。

And they walked into this thing

他們走進了這個

which looked like an oversized version of the Pantheon in Rome,

看起來像羅馬萬神殿 的超大版本空間，

but made out of giant concrete slabs and open to the night sky.

由巨大的混凝土板材製成， 向夜空打開。

And I used to love eavesdropping on audience conversations

我曾經很喜歡偷聽觀眾的對話，

with people just trying to figure out what they were looking at,

試圖弄清楚他們在關注什麼，

you know, what was real and what wasn't.

你知道，什麼是真實的，什麼不是。

But it had a genuine materiality that was really hard to resist.

但它具有真正的物質性，真的很難抗拒。

So over time, I added some features to make it even harder to resist.

所以隨著時間的推移，我添 加了一些功能，使其更難抵抗。

My favorite being this pigeon,

我最喜歡的是這鴿子，

which used to live up in the roof space

它曾經生活在屋頂空間中，

and periodically fly around

並定期四處飛行，

before eventually escaping through the oculus.

然後最終穿過光孔逃脫。

And I put in a helium balloon, like a kid's helium balloon,

然後我放入了壹個孩子玩的鹵素氣球，

that got stuck in the roof, like it happens at a shopping mall.

它卡在屋頂上就像 在卡在購物中心屋頂那洋。

And there was a work light that would come on and flicker.

而且有一個工作燈會亮起並閃爍。

And then right at show time,

然後在演出時間，

we'd fly the band's helicopter over the roof

我們會將樂隊的直升機飛過屋頂，

with a suitable soundtrack.

配以合這的配樂。

Now in a reality check, the band doesn’t actually travel by helicopter,

在實際中，樂隊實際上沒有乘直升機旅行，

and none of this is real anyway.

反正這些都不是真實的。

But the point is,

但重點是，

you are in this environment for over an hour

您在這個環境中多停留了一個小時，

and you never stop believing in it.

您永遠會信它。

And that's before the show even started.

這只是在節目開始之前。

So during the show, we immerse the audience in new worlds,

在演出期間， 我們將觀眾沉浸在新的世界中，

overwhelm their senses, push the horizon back to infinity,

征服他們的感官， 將地平線重新推向無限，

shape-shift the room,

改變房間形狀，

and then eventually make the building disappear altogether

最終使建築物完全消失，

and reveal Las Vegas outside.

並揭開拉斯維加斯外部的景象。

So this is the moment that we find ourselves in,

所以，這就是我們發現自己的時刻，

an entire audience's sensory perception being choreographed by the artist

觀眾的整個感官感知是 由藝術家精心編排，

on a scale that overwhelms the physical being.

以超越身體本身的局限。

And U2's music,

還有 U2 的音樂，

the emotive power of that music performed in this environment,

在這個環境中演出的 音樂的情感力量，

that was what was so new, that produced something really unprecedented.

如此新穎， 產生了非常前所未有的體驗。

Well to say it was well received would be something of an understatement.

好吧，低調一點，就說它受到好評。

The critics raved, the internet broke.

批評人熱烈，互聯網破裂。

A whole new era of live entertainment was declared

現場娛樂的全新時代被宣布開啓，

to the point where the reviews themselves were being reviewed.

各類評論本身正在被審查。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Some irony, I think, but I'll take it.

我認為有點奇怪，但我會接受它。

I mean, jeez, you don't get that very often.

我是說，天啊，不很常見，

But what was more remarkable

但更令人驚嘆！

was that it was just a couple of years after,

的是，只是過去了幾年的時間，

you know, we all wondered if we'd ever be able

你知道，我們都想知道 我們是否能再次

to gather thousands of people together ever again.

聚集成千上萬人在一起

And the pandemic was, it was a really bleak time

疫情對於參與現場娛樂的 每個人來說，

for everybody involved in live entertainment.

都是個非常悲涼的時刻。

And I know you guys at TED had a tough time with it, too.

而且我知道 TED 演講的台下觀衆， 妳們也很辛苦。

But the brightest minds of the industry,

但是，業界的聰明從業者，

by way of compensation, started to come up with alternatives.

開始通過補償方式，想出替代方案。

And we saw some really interesting ideas.

我們看到了一些非常有趣的想法。

We saw the construction of XR studios for live broadcast

我們看到了 XR 演播工作室的建設，

and concerts for VR headsets

爲VR 頭盔和虛擬觀眾准備的

and virtual audiences like this,

虛擬直播和音樂會，

participating in real-time, online.

實時在線參與。

And really interesting ideas.

還有其他非常有趣的想法。

They got a ton of attention, loads and loads of investment.

他們獲得了大量的關注， 一輪又一輪的投資，

Until lockdown ended,

直到疫情封控封瑣結束，

at which point nobody ever mentioned them again.

沒人再提過它們。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So I've got to tell you, for those of us that do this for a living,

所以我必須告訴妳們， 對於從業者來說，

it was profoundly humbling to realize

我們非常謙虛的意識到，

that we can reproduce every part of the live experience

（疫情期间）我們的確可以重現 現場體驗的每個部分，

apart from the bit the audience actually wants the most.

觀眾實際上最想要的部分除外。

Look it turns out, humans are drawn to proximity.

事實證明，人類受到同類的吸引。

We want to come together in a specific place in real time

我們希望在特定的地方實時聚集

to share an experience,

一起分享經驗，

kind of like we're doing this week.

就像本週我們做的這樣。

And it's been my task to understand how audiences work.

我的任務是了解觀衆的感受，

And there's certainly something to learn from our response

當我們看著海洋或夜空時，

as we look out at the ocean or up at the night sky,

我們應當可以學習一些東西，

where our minds are using a combination of vision and imagination

我們的思想運用視覺和想像力的結合

to create an emotional response that can inspire us

來創造壹種情感反應， 這些反應可以啓發我們

or sometimes completely overwhelm us.

或有時完全吞沒我們。

But the interesting thing is,

但有趣的是，

we so need this response that it still works,

我們非常需要這種反應，它仍然有效，

even if our rational minds know that what we're looking at isn't real.

即使我們的理性思想 知道我們正在看到的不是真實的。

Hence the power of great works of art.

正如偉大藝術品的力量。

Now the Renaissance painters hit upon the use of perspective

如今，文藝復興時期的畫家開始使用透視

to create apparently three-dimensional worlds

來創造明顯的三維世界：

on what the viewer knew had to be a flat plane.

盡管觀眾都所知道理論上應該是個平面，

And our brain insists it's real,

我們的大腦堅持它是真實的，

even though we know it's just marks on canvas.

即使我們知道它只是畫布上的標記。

But better yet,

但更重要的是，

the use of perspective allows the viewer

使用透視可讓觀眾

to forget the technique completely

完全忘記技術，

and surrender to the content of the image

並以更深的情感方式

in a more profound and emotional way.

浸入圖像的內容。

But we're still separated from the image here.

但我們仍然與這裡的圖像分開。

We're still outsiders looking in,

我們仍然是外觀者，

whereas at the Sphere we all together,

而在球形劇場 Sphere，我們所有人（表演者和觀眾）

performers and audience, traveled through the picture frame,

都在一起穿過相框，

through the proscenium and ended up as part of the environment.

穿過前景， 最終成為環境的一部分。

And it really was quite something.

而且這真的很有意思。

It was like VR without a headset.

就像沒有 VR 頭盔設備的真實虛擬環境。

Although with a couple of important differences.

儘管有些重要的差異。

In his novel "Rainbow's End,"

美國作家弗諾·文奇（Vernor Vinge ） 在他的小說《彩虹的盡頭》

the writer Vernor Vinge envisaged a world

中構思了壹個現在看起來

that doesn't seem too far away now,

似乎不太遙遠的世界，

where everybody, through the use of wearable AR technology,

每個人通過使用可穿戴式AR 技術，

could create their own bespoke artificial environments.

都可以創造自己的人爲定制環境。

Now, with this U2 show, the environments were artificial,

現在在 U2 表演中，環境是人造的，

but they were also shared,

但它們也是共享的，

all of us experiencing it together in real life.

我們所有人在現實生活中 一起體驗了它。

And much as I do believe that gaming and certain other online activities

雖然我確實相信遊戲 和某些其他在線活動

can produce a real sense of connection,

可以產生真正的聯繫感，

it was the physical proximity here that produced something so profound

但是只有諸如此類的物理近距離接觸

and so affecting.

才能產生如此深刻的影響。

And U2's music, just the music,

而 U2的音樂，只是音樂，

the original immersive experience performed in this environment,

這個環境中表現沉浸式的原始體驗 ，

music can bring us together,

音樂可以讓我們在一起，

and it allows us to forget ourselves as we become part of something larger,

它使我們能夠忘記自己， 我們成為某種更大宏達東西的壹部分，

looking up at something so glorious and so magnificent.

看看，如此輝煌、如此宏偉的東西。

But we've seen this before, right?

但我們以前也感受過，對吧？

We recognize this from somewhere.

我們從某些地方熟悉這種感受。

The cathedral builders,

大教堂建造者，

they knew a thing or two about show business.

他們對戲劇業也是略有耳聞的。

They were very good at it,

他們非常擅長，

and they were not afraid of working at scale,

並且不害怕規模宏大的工作，

being the original practitioners of what we call in the business:

也是我們在業務中所稱的原始實踐者：

"Go big or go home."

「偉大或者回家。」。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And look, the amount of time, the amount of resources

看，數世紀以來，建造的時間和資源量

poured into the building of these places over centuries

這些方面都告訴我們，

tells us that we've been feeling for this experience

我們人類自誕生之日起

for as long as we've been human.

就長期具備這樣的經驗。

Awe and wonder placed under the control of the artist.

在藝術家的控制下敬畏與驚奇。

And today, we have the most powerful tools we've ever had to do this.

今天，我們擁有史上最強大的工具 來做到這壹點。

So what's our motivation here?

那麼我們這裡的動機是什麼？

You know, what's our goal in doing this?

我們這樣做的目標是什麼？

Well for me, in my work,

對我來說，在工作中，

I only have one goal, which is to bring people together,

只有一個目標，就是將人們聚在一起，

to share some joy and to share some magic

分享一些喜悅，分享一些魔法，

and to make genuine emotional connection

並為觀眾、與表演者和彼此

for the audience,

建立真正的情感聯繫，

with the performers and with each other and with this music,

這是對每個參加的人來說

which means something unique and personal to everyone who attends.

意味著獨特和個性化的東西。

And in that moment open up the possibility

在那一刻 開啟了可能在其他事情上

of creating empathy between strangers

持不同觀點的陌生人

who might not agree on anything else.

之間創造同理心的可能性。

It's a small thing, but it's a start.

這是一件小事，但這是個開始。

And that's what my particular brand of magic exists for.

這就是我特別的魔術品牌存在的原因。

Well, that and giving people a really, really good time.

好吧，這也讓人們度過真的 非常、非常美好的時光。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(“Vertigo” by U2 plays)

（U2 的「Vertigo」演奏）

(Music ends)

（音樂結束）

Thank you, have a great week.

謝謝，祝您有一個愉快的一周。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌聲和歡呼）