{"id":17882,"date":"2024-10-02T14:59:33","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T19:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hexagram.ca\/demo50-gabriel%c2%b7le-tran-masculin%c2%b7e\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T16:11:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T21:11:18","slug":"demo50-gabriel%c2%b7le-tran-masculin%c2%b7e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hexagram.ca\/en\/demo50-gabriel%c2%b7le-tran-masculin%c2%b7e\/","title":{"rendered":"DEMO50 Gabriel\u00b7le Tran \u2014 Masculin\u00b7e"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From June 10 to 21, 2024, Gabriel\u00b7le Tran [student member, UQAM] participated in a residency at Hexagram-UQAM\u2019s Experimental Studio to develop Masculin\u00b7e<\/em>, an electronic puppet theater piece. Accompanied by performers St\u00e9phanie Arav, Luca Max, Mika\u00ebl Morin, and No\u00ebl V\u00e9zina, Gabriel\u00b7le unveiled their electronic puppet system, which has been in development for three years, during a demonstration-conference. This DEMO recounts the events of the residency and the journey leading up to the demonstration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Masculin\u00b7e: A Play on Gender Identity<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Masculin\u00b7e <\/em>is a theatrical creation that lies at the intersection of puppet theater, animation, and digital creation. It tells the story of Mathieu, a young adult in the midst of an identity crisis, exploring his relationship with hegemonic masculinity and the key moments in his life that shaped his identity. The play also follows Roxanne, a manifestation of one of Mathieu’s identity facets, freed from her physical form. Through puppet manipulation and video projection, their parallel stories unfold until they eventually converge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The themes of identity, transformation, and duality are central to Masculin\u00b7e<\/em>, encouraging the audience to reflect on their own perceptions of masculinity. At the heart of the project is an electronic puppet system capable of capturing the puppeteers’ performances in real-time. This technology, specifically developed to tell this story, allows the puppet\u2019s movements to be mirrored through video projection. By blending traditional puppetry techniques with new technologies, Masculin\u00b7e<\/em> brings its world to life and delves deeply into the psyches of its characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Electronic Puppetry as a Theatrical Forma<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Before starting my master\u2019s, I had spent several years exploring digital puppetry by using virtual reality technologies to animate digital avatars. Over six years, I developed various techniques for manipulating digital puppets and tools to bring them to life on stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I struggled to find a mode of representation that preserved what I love about live arts: its ephemerality, the collective experience, and the tangible space. The puppetry performance was only accessible through a screen\u2014whether by video projection, a tablet, smartphone, or virtual reality glasses. Because of this, I never fully integrated the tools I had developed into a theatrical form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I began my master\u2019s, I wanted to create a show primarily intended for the stage, and then integrate the expertise I had gained from my research on virtual puppetry. That\u2019s when the idea of creating an electronic puppet came to me\u2014a tangible (non-virtual) puppet capable of transmitting its movements to control a virtual avatar. I began experimenting with a 3D printer and electronic components to bring this idea to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mechanical Considerations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The main challenge was creating a joint that moves freely enough not to hinder manipulation while maintaining a high degree of precision in sensor readings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first prototype used a potentiometer, which was inadequate because the resistance was too strong, making manipulation difficult. I then discovered magnetic encoders, which can read rotational movement without contact, thus avoiding additional friction. These encoders detect the rotation of a diametrically magnetized magnet. All I needed to do was attach a magnet to one part of the joint and the sensor to the other part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9 Gabriel\u00b7le Tran<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This was the first of many technical challenges that had to be overcome in creating an electronic puppet. Despite my experience with virtual puppetry, I had no background in puppet fabrication, mechanical design, electronics, or embedded programming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9 Gabriel\u00b7le Tran<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A First Prototype, Exposed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a9 Gabriel\u00b7le Tran<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The circuitry of my first prototype was entirely exposed. Not only was the puppet difficult to manipulate, but it was also extremely fragile and hard to repair. If I wanted to place it in the hands of puppeteer-performers, I needed to redesign it to be simpler to handle, less fragile, and easily repairable in case of damage, ensuring smooth rehearsals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also decided to conceal the electronics entirely within the puppet. This not only protected the wires and components but also avoided an automatic association with a technological device. By doing so, the puppet could perform its role without revealing its electronic nature. I wanted Masculin\u00b7e<\/em> to be primarily a theatrical puppet creation, where the technological aspect served as a narrative tool rather than being the centerpiece of the performance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Final Prototype<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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After three more prototypes, I arrived at the version that would be used during the conference demonstration at Hexagram-UQAM\u2019s Experimental Studio. It features 27 degrees of movement, custom sensors, a rechargeable battery, and a Wi-Fi-compatible microcontroller. Each of its movements is transmitted with a high degree of precision, completely wirelessly, and with a relatively low latency level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating the puppet was just one aspect of the project. I also needed to consider the firmware, data processing, video creation, scriptwriting, and directing. At the beginning of the residency, on June 10, 2024, I had only completed the fabrication. The firmware had several bugs, which delayed the scriptwriting and video creation. The presentation was scheduled for June 17, 2024. Time was tight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9 Gabriel\u00b7le Tran<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Processing Data to Combat Uncaniness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Video creation was another important dimension of my project. The first few days of the residency were primarily devoted to processing performance capture data. My goal was not to achieve a perfect result but to ensure that the animation of the avatar was convincing enough for the audience to connect emotionally with the character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the movements of the body and face are not sufficiently human-like, it risks creating an uncanny effect that detracts from the story rather than supporting it. Special care was put into animating the face to capture the subtleties of the performer’s (St\u00e9phanie Arav) performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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