Lipcowe 45
Concert commemorating the 78th anniversary of the Augustów Roundup
Category
3D visualization
Lead time
5 weeks
Client
The Project’s Assumptions and Objectives
History
Presentation of the profiles of the Victims of the Augustów Roundup
Goal
Visualization displayed during the concert
Time
80 x 15 seconds
As part of a fruitful collaboration with the Pilecki Institute, we had the opportunity to participate in a unique project commemorating the families of the Victims of the Augustów Roundup. We can confidently state that this was the most intensive of our previous endeavors. In just one month, we:
- created over 80 short clips, serving as a visual backdrop to performances by artists such as Tulia, Ewelina Flinta, Marika, Reni Jusis, and Jagoda Kret,
- produced three dynamic shots, acting as backgrounds during concert announcements,
- developed a ten-minute sequence used during technical intermissions,
- prepared a final scene, composed of a collage of photographs, paying tribute to the victims of the Augustów Roundup.
Production Pipeline
In the case of such projects, numerous components are developed in parallel: music, lyrics, and trial recordings are created simultaneously with the prepared visual material, and the work of the entire team continues until nearly the last hours. Thanks to the prior specification of the project’s characteristics before the formal signing of the agreement, we were well-prepared, which helped us avoid unexpected difficulties and delays.
- We maintained constant telephone contact with the lyricist, who also served as the director of the entire event – Aleksandra Górecka, overseeing every stage of production. In addition to the texts and music composed by Robert Cichy, she provided us with detailed information about the content of the pieces and the individuals they pertained to.
- Each week, we had the pleasure of hosting her in our office, which not only further motivated the team but also granted us a tangible influence on the elements of stage design and the artists’ costumes, ensuring a cohesive whole.
- The Pilecki Institute offered us tremendous support, providing numerous materials whenever we needed advice or specific information regarding the victims of the Augustów Roundup. Conversely, the Institute had full access to the materials we created at every stage of production, ensuring certainty that our work was headed in the right direction.
- Thanks to our participation in the lighting rehearsal, we could personally ensure that everything was presented appropriately and did not require further intervention.
Form and technique
The client’s wish was to maintain the project within the realm of realism, while simultaneously preserving the color palette of the entire event. Hence, we placed strong emphasis on verdant shades in the shadows and peachy hues in the light. We dedicated exceptional attention to details that echoed the themes of the compositions presented during the concert.
Technical Requirements
The animations we created had the purpose of complementing the message conveyed in the songs presented during the concert. Our foremost priority was to achieve a balance between contrasts and perspectives, ensuring that we wouldn’t fade into the background, yet simultaneously not compete with the stage design and lighting crafted by the exceptional Artur Wytrykus.
The stage consisted of three LED walls treated as a single large screen, thus all our materials were prepared in an ultra-panoramic perspective with a resolution of 2074×604 px.
Historical reconstructions
Thanks to access to the collections of the Pilecki Institute in Augustów, we were able to faithfully recreate the items that belonged to the Victims of the Augustów Roundup.
However, the most moving experience for us was the involvement of the families themselves, who eagerly shared stories about their ancestors during our visit to Augustów. Upon learning about our project, Jan Żyliński’s grandson personally lent us his grandfather’s pocket watch, enabling us to thoroughly document this object and faithfully reconstruct it.
Restoring the memory of the victims
In preparation for the project, we received over 1.5 GB of documents and scans of handwritten letters – the most personal mementos belonging to the Victims of the Augustów Roundup. As one of the main goals of the Pilecki Institute is to break the anonymity of the Victims, we have decided to incorporate a portion of these materials into our animations, emphasizing that the lyrics of the performed songs are connected to specific individuals from particular families.
Mood and Content
Another challenge was to match the animation style with the content and dynamics of each individual piece. At times, this happened subtly – such as reversing the clock hands during the final piece, while on other occasions, we literally flipped the scene upside down, as was the case with the dynamic song “Przy biurku” (“By the Desk”). The diversity of material and performers provided us with ample room to explore different conventions.
The stage comes to life not only during the performances
A concert is not only about music, but also a complete narrative. For this very reason, we created several-minute sequences depicting the historic Augustów rectory in various weather conditions. The building’s architecture echoed that of the surrounding landmarks, while the weather depicted in these scenes corresponded to the stories conveyed by SWIERNALISA, introducing individual compositions.
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