The birth of virtual reality as an art form | Chris Milk

譯者: 易帆 余 審譯者: Jin Wu

When I was a kid,

我小時候

I experienced something so powerful,

經歷了一件很棒的事

I spent the rest of my life searching for it,

我在接下來的人生中 一直在尋找它

and in all the wrong places.

卻總在錯誤的地方尋找

What I experienced wasn't virtual reality.

我經歷的不是虛擬實境

It was music.

而是音樂

And this is where the story begins.

故事是這樣開始的

That's me,

這是我

listening to the Beatles' "White Album."

正在聽披頭四的《白色專輯》

And the look on my face is the feeling

而我臉上的表情

that I've been searching for ever since.

就是我一直以來在尋找的感動

Music goes straight to the emotional vein,

音樂觸動了我們情感的靜脈

into your bloodstream

流進到你的血液裡

and right into your heart.

直達你的內心

It deepens every experience.

每次的感動都會深烙在你心中

Fellas?

哥兒們？

(Music)

（音樂）

這兩位是我們最厲害的 麥肯錫史塔伯特

This is the amazing McKenzie Stubbert

and Joshua Roman.

和約書亞羅曼

Music --

（音樂）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Yeah.

是的

Music makes everything have more emotional resonance.

音樂讓每樣東西有了 更多情感上的共鳴

Let's see how it does for this talk.

讓我們來看看音樂 在這次演講中如何呈現

The right piece of music at the right time fuses with us

當我們在對的時間裡 聽到一段對的音樂

音樂彷彿會融入到我們的細胞中

on a cellular level.

When I hear that one song

當我聽著那首歌

from that one summer

在那個夏天

with that one girl,

與那個女孩

I'm instantly transported back there again.

我彷彿又回到了過去

Hey, Stacey.

嗨 史黛西

Here's a part of the story, though, where I got a little greedy.

接下來是故事的一部分 雖然 我有點貪心

I thought if I added more layers on top of the music,

我在想 如果我可以讓 音樂有更多的層次

I could make the feelings even more powerful.

我可以讓那份感動更加的強烈

So I got into directing music videos.

所以我開始投入音樂影片的製作

This is what they looked like.

這是當時它們長的樣子

That's my brother, Jeff.

那是我哥 傑夫

Sorry about this, Jeff.

不好意思 傑夫

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Here's me, just so we're even.

這是我 所以我們扯平了

Incredible moves.

跳的真好

我應該去當一位舞蹈家

Should've been a dancer.

(Laughter)

These experiments grew,

（笑聲）

這些實驗 與時漸進

and in time, started to look more like this.

最後 成為這樣

In both, I'm searching for the same thing, though,

雖然 我仍在尋找那份感動

to capture that lightning in a bottle.

渴望能把那份感動的曙光 裝到瓶子裡

Except, I'm not.

但 我還是辦不到

Adding moving pictures over the music added narrative dimension, yes,

在音樂上增加一些動畫 雖然可以增加它的故事性

but never quite equated the power

卻永遠不能等同

that just raw music had for me on its own.

純音樂本身所帶來的力量

This is not a great thing to realize when you've devoted your life

意識到這種感受 並不是件很棒的事情

尤其當你已經全心地 把你的生活和職業生涯投入其中

and professional career to becoming a music video director.

成為一名 MV 總監時

I kept asking myself, did I take the wrong path?

我不斷地問自己 我是不是搞錯方向了？

So I started thinking: if I could involve you, the audience, more,

所以我開始想 如果我可以讓 身為觀眾的你們更加地融入到音樂中

I might be able to make you feel something more as well.

也許就可以讓你們感受到更多

So Aaron Koblin and I began auditioning new technologies

所以 艾朗柯柏霖和我開始 嘗試新的技術

that could put more of you inside of the work,

讓聽眾可以更加地 投入到作品中

like your childhood home in "The Wilderness Downtown,"

就像各位童年時期 在《荒野城鎮》故事裡的家

your hand-drawn portraits, in "The Johnny Cash Project,"

就像你在《 強尼現金專案》 中的手繪畫像

and your interactive dreams

就像你在《 三個黑色夢想》 中

in "3 Dreams of Black."

所互動出來的夢想

We were pushing beyond the screen,

我們嘗試著突破螢幕

trying to connect more deeply

嘗試地更加深人們的

to people's hearts and imaginations.

內心與想像的連結

But it wasn't quite enough.

但還是不夠

It still didn't have the raw experiential power of pure music for me.

它還是沒有那種純音樂 帶給我的原始體驗的震撼

So I started chasing a new technology

所以我開始尋找一種新的技術

that I only had read about in science fiction.

一種我在科幻小說中 曾經讀到過的科技

And after years of searching, I found a prototype.

在多年的探尋之後 我找到了一個雛形

It was a project from Nonny de la Peña in Mark Bolas's lab in USC.

它是南加州大學馬克波蘿斯實驗室 羅尼德拉佩納的一個專案

And when I tried it, I knew I'd found it.

當我嘗試到它的時候 我知道我找到了

I could taste the lightning.

我像是被電到一樣

It was called virtual reality.

它叫做虛擬實境

This was it five years ago when I ran into it.

這是我五年前遇見它時的樣子

This is what it looks like now.

它現在是這個樣子

I quickly started building things in this new medium,

我迅速地開始在這個 新媒介裡建構事物

and through that process we realized something:

在過程中 我們意識到了一些東西

that VR is going to play an incredibly important role

虛擬實境將會在媒介的歷史中

in the history of mediums.

扮演著不可思議的角色

In fact, it's going to be the last one.

事實上 它將會是最後一種媒介

I mean this because it's the first medium that actually makes the jump

我會這樣說的原因是因為 這是第一個

可以讓我們從作者第一手 身歷其境的表述

from our internalization of an author's expression

of an experience,

to our experiencing it firsthand.

直接跳到我們主觀性經歷的媒介

You look confused. I'll explain. Don't worry.

你看起來很迷惑 我待會解釋 別擔心

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

If we go back to the origins of mediums,

如果我們回想傳播媒介的起源

by all best guesses,

大家可能猜的到

it starts around a fire, with a good story.

那就像我們圍繞在 營火邊聽故事一樣

Our clan leader is telling us

我們部落的首領正在 向我們描述那一天

about how he hunted the woolly mammoth on the tundra that day.

他是如何在寒漠上 捕獵到毛茸茸的猛瑪象的故事

We hear his words

我們聽著他的英勇事蹟

and translate them into our own internal truths.

然後把他的話轉譯成 我們所理解的事實

The same thing happens

同樣的體驗也會發生在

when we look at the cave painting version of the story,

我們看著刻畫在洞穴裡的故事一樣

the book about the mammoth hunt,

有關捕獵猛瑪象的書籍

the play,

戲劇

the radio broadcast,

廣播

the television show

電視劇

or the movie.

或電影

All of these mediums require what we call "suspension of disbelief,"

這些媒介都需要我們 暫時放下懷疑

because there's a translation gap between the reality of the story

因為 故事裡的真實性

and our consciousness interpreting the story

與我們意識裡所理解到的真實性

into our reality.

有著相當的落差

I'm using the word "consciousness" as a feeling of reality that we get

我是用「意識 」這個詞

來表示我們從周圍世界 對實境體驗到的感受

from our senses experiencing the world around us.

Virtual reality bridges that gap.

虛擬實境填補了那個落差

Now, you are on the tundra hunting with the clan leader.

現在 你就在凍原上與部落首領打獵

Or you are the clan leader.

或者 你就是部落首領

Or maybe you're even the woolly mammoth.

甚至 你可能就是那隻 毛絨絨的猛瑪象

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So here's what special about VR.

所以這就是虛擬實境特別的地方

In all other mediums,

在其它媒介中

your consciousness interprets the medium.

你的意識會轉譯這些媒介

In VR, your consciousness is the medium.

在虛擬實境 你的意識就是媒介

So the potential for VR is enormous.

所以虛擬實境的潛力是很大的

But where are we now?

但 我們到甚麼程度了？

What is the current state of the art?

這項藝術的當前狀況是怎樣呢？

Well,

好的

we are here.

我們到這兒了

We are the equivalent of year one of cinema.

我們相當於在電影剛誕生的第一年

This is the Lumière Brothers film

這是盧米埃爾兄弟的電影

that allegedly sent a theater full of people running for their lives

據說這部電影讓一整間 電影院的人都逃命去了

as they thought a train was coming toward them.

因為他們以為火車 朝著他們開了過來

Similar to this early stage of this medium,

和電影早期的發展階段相似

in VR, we also have to move past the spectacle

在虛擬實境中 我們也必須越過場景

and into the storytelling.

進入到故事的情境中

It took this medium decades

它花費了電影幾十年的時間

to figure out its preferred language of storytelling,

才搞懂原來說故事最好的語言媒介

in the form of a feature film.

就是虛擬實境

In VR today, we're more learning grammar

目前在虛擬實境領域 我們更多的是在學習文法

than writing language.

而不是寫故事

We've made 15 films in the last year at our VR company, Vrse,

我們的虛擬實境公司 Vrse 在去年拍了 15 部電影

and we've learned a few things.

我們從中學到了一些東西

We found that we have a unique, direct path into your senses,

我們發現我們有一種獨特的方式 可以觸動到你的感官

your emotions, even your body.

你的情緒 甚至身體

So let me show you some things.

所以讓我向各位展示一些東西

For the purpose of this demo,

這次展示的目的

we're going to take every direction that you could possibly look,

我們準備把各位 可能看到的每個方向

and stretch it into this giant rectangle.

都延伸進這個大螢幕框框內

OK, here we go.

好的 我們開始吧！

So, first: camera movement is tricky in VR.

首先 在虛擬實境裡 鏡頭的移動相當困難

Done wrong, it can actually make you sick.

弄得不好 會讓你不舒服

We found if you move the camera at a constant speed in a straight line,

我們發現如果你以一種穩定的速度 在一條直線上移動鏡頭

you can actually get away with it, though.

你就不會覺得不舒服

The first day in film school,

在電影學院的第一天

they told me you have to learn every single rule

他們告訴我 在你打破規則前

before you can break one.

你要先學會每一條規則

We have not learned every single rule.

我們還沒有學會每一條規則

We've barely learned any at all,

我們幾乎還沒學會什麽

but we're already trying to break them

但是我們已經開始嘗試打破規則

to see what kind of creative things we can accomplish.

去看看我們可以實現什麽樣 創造性的新事物

In this shot here, where we're moving up off the ground, I added acceleration.

在這一次拍攝裡我們從 地面上升起的時候 我加快了速度

我這麽做是因為我想要給各位一種

I did that because I wanted to give you a physical sensation

of moving up off the ground.

從地面升起的實體感受

In VR, I can give that to you.

在虛擬實境中 我可以給各位這種感受

(Music)

（音樂）

Not surprisingly, music matters a lot in this medium as well.

不意外地 音樂在這當中 扮演了很重要的角色

It guides us how to feel.

它引導我們如何去感受

In this project we made with the New York Times, Zach Richter

在這個和紐約時報合作的專案中

and our friend, JR,

我和我們的朋友 JR

we take you up in a helicopter,

帶各位坐上直升機

and even though you're flying 2,000 feet above Manhattan,

即使你翱翔在曼哈頓 上空 2000 英呎的地方

you don't feel afraid.

你也不會感到害怕

You feel triumphant for JR's character.

你感受到的是 JR 心中的興奮

The music guides you there.

音樂會引導你到那個地方

(Music)

（音樂）

Contrary to popular belief,

與大家想的不太一樣

there is composition in virtual reality,

虛擬實境也有構圖

but it's completely different than in film,

但是這個和你在一般影片上

where you have a rectangular frame.

看到的方型框感覺完全不一樣

Composition is now where your consciousness exists

虛擬實境的構圖 是你現在的意識

and how the world moves around you.

和你的世界如何圍著你打轉

In this film, "Waves of Grace," which was a collaboration between Vrse,

這部影片《恩澤之音》 是由 Vrse 聯合國

the United Nations, Gabo Arora, and Imraan Ismail,

製片家 Gabo Arora 和虛擬實境作家 Imraan Ismail 合作出品

we also see the changing role of the close-up in virtual reality.

我們了解到虛擬實境中 近距離拍攝的角色置換技巧

A close-up in VR means you're actually close up to someone.

在虛擬實境中的近距離鏡頭 會讓你有很靠近某人的感覺

It brings that character inside of your personal space,

它會把故事裡的主角 帶到你身邊的空間

a space that we'd usually reserve for the people that we love.

一個你總是會預留給愛人的空間

And you feel an emotional closeness to the character

你會近距離地感受到主角的情緒

because of what you feel to be a physical closeness.

因為你會感覺主角就在你身邊

Directing VR is not like directing for the rectangle.

虛擬實境的運鏡方式和 一般鏡頭的移動方式不同

It's more of a choreography of the viewer's attention.

它比較像是觀眾注意力的舞蹈編排

One tool we can use to guide your attention

有一個工具可以導引你的注意力

is called "spatialized sound."

叫做空間化音效

I can put a sound anywhere in front of you, to left or right,

我可以把聲音放在任何地方 放在你前面 左 右邊

even behind you,

甚至是後面

and when you turn your head, the sound will rotate accordingly.

而且當你轉頭的時候 聲音也會跟著轉

So I can use that to direct your attention to where I want you to see.

所以我可以用音樂導引你的注意力 到我想讓你看的地方

Next time you hear someone singing over your shoulder,

下在你可能會感受到 有人在你肩膀後面唱歌

it might be Bono.

他可能就是波諾

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

VR makes us feel like we are part of something.

虛擬實境讓我們感覺 自己就像影片中的一部分

For most of human history, we lived in small family units.

在大部分的人類歷史中 我們都生活在小家庭單位裡

We started in caves,

我們從山洞開始

then moved to clans and tribes, then villages and towns,

然後搬到家族和部落 然後村莊和城鎮

and now we're all global citizens.

而現在 我們都是世界公民

But I believe that we are still hardwired to care the most

但我相信 我們最關心的仍然是

about the things that are local to us.

那些我們身旁的事情

And VR makes anywhere and anyone feel local.

虛擬實境讓每個地方 和每個人變的靠近

That's why it works as an empathy machine.

這也是為什麼它像是一部 有感情的機器

Our film "Clouds Over Sidra" takes you to a Syrian refugee camp,

我們的電影 敘利亞的天空 會帶你到敘利亞的一個難民營

and instead of watching a story about people over there,

不是帶各位去看一個人的故事

it's now a story about us here.

而是帶你去感受我們內心的世界

But where do we go from here?

但我們到甚麼程度了

The tricky thing is that with all previous mediums,

棘手的事是 所有之前的媒介

the format is fixed at its birth.

它們呈現的形式 在它們製造出來時就固定了

Film has been a sequence of rectangles,

從邁布里奇和他的馬到現在 影片一直都是一系列的矩形

from Muybridge and his horses to now.

The format has never changed.

這種呈現的方式從來沒有改變

But VR as a format, as a medium,

但虛擬實境作為一種格式 一種媒介

isn't complete yet.

雖然還不夠完整

It's not using physical celluloid or paper or TV signals.

但它不是用電影膠片 或是紙張 或者電視信號

It actually employs what we use to make sense of the world.

它實際上是利用 我們的感官去感受這個世界

We're using your senses as the paints on the canvas,

我們是用你的感官 作為畫布上的油彩

but only two right now.

但是目前只有兩個（視覺及聽覺）

Eventually, we can see if we will have all of our human senses employed,

最終，我們可以看看是否能 利用上我們人類身上所有的感官當作媒介

and we will have agency to live the story in any path we choose.

去體驗任何一個我們想經歷的故事

And we call it virtual reality right now,

我現在可以稱它做虛擬實境

but what happens when we move past simulated realities?

但當我們超越虛擬現實的時候

What do we call it then?

我們會叫它甚麼？

What if instead of verbally telling you about a dream,

如果不是靠口說告訴你一個夢想

I could let you live inside that dream?

而是讓你住進到這個夢裡呢？

What if instead of just experiencing visiting some reality on Earth,

如果不是讓你只是體驗 參觀一下地球的一些實境

you could surf gravitational waves on the edge of a black hole,

而是帶你到黑洞邊緣的重力波上衝浪

or create galaxies from scratch,

或者描繪宇宙的緣起

or communicate with each other not using words

或者不是用文字彼此溝通

but using our raw thoughts?

而是用我們最初衷的想法溝通呢？

That's not a virtual reality anymore.

這將不僅僅是虛擬實境而已

And honestly I don't know what that's called.

坦白說，我也不知道那叫甚麼

But I hope you see where we're going.

但我希望各位可以看看 我們到哪個程度了

But here I am, intellectualizing a medium I'm saying is experiential.

但我今天來到這邊 是想讓各位 體驗一下我剛剛提的智能媒介

So let's experience it.

所以 我們開始體驗吧！

In your hands, you hopefully hold a piece of cardboard.

在各位手上 應該都有一片紙板

請各位把它打開

Let's open the flap.

Tap on the power button to unlock the phone.

按下開關按鈕 解鎖手機

For the people watching at home,

對於家裡觀看的民眾

we're going to put up a card right now

我們現在在螢幕上會顯示

to show you how to download this experience on your phone yourself,

告訴你如何從手機上下載這次的體驗

and even get a Google cardboard of your own to try it with.

甚至可以買到 Google 的紙板眼鏡

We played in cardboard boxes as kids,

我們小時候，在紙箱裡玩

and as adults, I'm hoping we can all find a little bit of that lightning

現在長大了 我希望我們 都能找回兒時的純真

by sticking our head in one again.

把我們的頭 再次鑽到紙箱內

You're about to participate

各位將參與到

in the largest collective VR viewing in history.

史上最大型的集體觀賞虛擬實境秀

And in that classic old-timey style of yesteryear,

並且在經典的懷舊風格中

we're all going to watch something

我們將同一時刻 一起觀賞

at the exact same time, together.

Let's hope it works.

希望可以成功

What's the countdown look like? I can't see.

倒數計時器長怎麼樣？我看不到

Audience: ...15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9,

觀眾：...15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9,

8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

(Birds singing)

（鳥鳴）

(Train engine)

（火車引擎聲）

Audience: (Shreiks)

觀眾：（尖叫）

(Video) JR: Let me tell you

（影片） JR：讓我告訴各位

how I shot the cover of the New York Times Magazine,

我是怎麽拍攝紐約時報的封面

"Walking New York."

《行走的紐約》

I just got strapped on outside the helicopter,

我當時被綁在直升機的外側

and I had to be perfectly vertical so I could grab it.

因為我需要最佳的垂直拍攝角度

And when I was perfectly above --

當我準備要拍攝的時候

you know, with the wind, we had to redo it a few times --

你知道 有時候會有風 我們就需要重拍

then I kept shooting.

一直拍

(Video) Woman's voice: Dear Lord,

（影片）女人的聲音：親愛的上帝

protect us from evil,

保守我們遠離災難

for you are the Lord,

因為你是我們的上帝

the light.

我們的光

You who gave us life took it away.

你賦予我們生命卻又把它帶走

Let your will be done.

願你的旨意成就

Please bring peace to the many who have lost loved ones.

請將和平帶給那些失去愛人的人

Help us to live again.

協助我們重生

(Music)

（音樂）

(Video) (Children's voices)

（影片）（小孩聲音）

Child's voice: There are more kids in Zaatari than adults right now.

小孩聲音：現在在扎塔里 大人比小孩子多

Sometimes I think

有時候我在想

we are the ones in charge.

我們就是扛起責任的那個人

Chris Milk: How was it?

克里斯．邁克：感受如何？

(Applause)

（掌聲）

That was a cheap way of getting you to do a standing ovation.

這是一個便宜又可以讓各位 站起來喝彩的方法

I just made you all stand. I knew you'd applaud at the end.

剛剛我讓各位都站起來了 我知道你們一定會在結束的時候鼓掌

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I believe that everyone on Earth needs to experience

我相信地球上每一個人 都需要去體驗

what you just experienced.

各位剛剛所體驗到的

That way we can collectively start to shape this,

這樣我們就可以一起 開始雕塑虛擬實境

not as a tech platform

讓它不再只是個技術平台

but as a humanity platform.

而是一個人性的平台

And to that end, in November of last year,

為此起見 去年 11 月份

the New York Times and Vrse made a VR project called "The Displaced."

紐約時報和 Vrse 公司合作了 一項專案 叫做《The Displaced》

It launched with one million Google Cardboards

他們發送了一百萬個 Google 硬紙板

sent out to every Sunday subscriber with their newspaper.

給每一個訂閱周日版報紙的讀者

But a funny thing happened that Sunday morning.

但那一個禮拜天的早上 發生了一件有趣的事

A lot of people got them

有很多人拿到它

that were not the intended recipients on the mailing label.

他們很多人並不是 郵件地址上的收件人

And we started seeing this all over Instagram.

然後我們開始在 Instagram 大量的看到這些

Look familiar?

看起來很眼熟吧？

Music led me on a path

音樂帶領我走上了這條路

of searching for what seemed like the unattainable

我花了很長的時間

在尋找那當初找不到的感動

for a very long time.

Now, millions of kids just had the same formative experience

現在，有幾百萬個小朋友

in their childhood

在他們童年的時候

that I had in mine.

也能同樣體驗到我內心的感動

Only I think this one

這是唯一一個我認為

surpasses it.

超越過去媒介的科技

Let's see

讓我們拭目以待

where this

這個將會

leads them.

帶領他們去向何處

Thank you.

謝謝各位

(Applause)

（掌聲）