ballerina’s movements mesmerizingly traced by algorithmically-generated geometries

euphrates — a japanese collaborative of artists, researchers, and designers led by masahiko sato at keio university — has created an experimental short film that mesmerizingly follows the movement of a ballerina using a rotoscope animation method. the technique is ordinarily applied to trace motion picture footage, frame by frame. masahiko sato + euphrates’ interpretation builds on the approach to accurately shadow the step-by-step motion of the ballerina as she dances across the room.

the film traces the lines and curves of the dancer’s body as she moves.

masahiko sato + euphrates‘ ‘ballet rotoscope’ traces the lines and curves of the dancer’s body as she moves. shapes and geometries that follow the dance trajectory become abstract animations, each generated by mathematical methods. these independently-moving lines were created by connecting the movement of ballerina’s joints, using a computer-based algorithm to find and outline her specific movements within the space.

the animation follows the movement of a ballerina using a rotoscope method

the technique is ordinarily applied to trace motion picture footage, frame by frame

masahiko sato + euphrates accurately shadow the step-by-step motion of the ballerina

independently-moving lines were created by connecting the movement of ballerina’s joints

project info:

creative director: masahiko sato 
art director: kohji robert yamamoto (EUPHRATES) 
film director: kohji robert yamamoto(EUPHRATES), masaya ishikawa (TOPICS) 
camera: masashi sato (EUPHRATES) 
graphics programmer: masasuke yasumoto 
rotoscoping: ryo oshima, akio tokita
dance: kurimu urabe
musical performance: emi ogawa 
music: ‘pirates’ from the second act 
choreography guidance: fuka arimitsu (studio ando · troyes) 
studio cooperation: studio ARCHITANZ 
equipment cooperation: CINEMAX ltd. 
casting cooperation: bound promotion co., ltd. 
coordination: miyuki tanaka (21_21 DESIGN SIGHT) 
production: EUPHRATES