FAKE LOVE

Summary

Fake Love is a design driven Experiential Agency that creates unconventional immersive & artistic projects. They are creating new media art for the biggest corporations in the world, and excelling at it. At the time, there were eleven full-time employees at the company, three of them, the creative visualists, were responsible for materializing the impossible through the use of technology and art. During my stay I was under this team, and the only Technology Intern at Fake Love. A year after I left, Fake Love was awarded Ad Age’s Best Small Agency of the Year, and was later acquired by the New York Times to expand the creative services of T Brand Studio.

My responsibilities

I provided creative input on pitches, assisted the technology team and learned as much as I could.

I designed and built different components using laser cutters, 3D printers, and traditional shop tools.

When Fake Love decided to star working with VR, I was the first person to set up the VR station, set up the software, and make the first VR demo.

I also user tested, and assembled large scale technological experiences.

Skills

3D Design, 3D Printing, Assembly, Concept Development, Design, Fabrication, Ideation, Installation, Manufacturing, Rapid Prototyping, Quality Assurance, Troubleshooting, and Virtual Reality.

Tools

Up 3D Printer, Makerbot 3D Printer, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Laser Cutter, Motion Capture Camera, Leap Motion, Oculus Rift, Rhinoceros, Shop Tools, and Unity 3D.

Sound Harp for Milk and Intel

Problem

A portion of  the experience required an array of strings that triggered separate electronic audio files when plucked. The gallery space also needed to be equipped with string art that stretched from wall to wall.

Solution

I was responsible for building the sound installation following the specifications of the gallery space and the prototype drawings provided by Fake Love.   Using the traditional harp as a reference, I manufactured the hardware using simple ready made pieces.  The creative visualist team then wired the sensors and coded the technical portions of the experience. During crunch time I also participated with the assembly of both the string art, and the musical harp installation.  I also did some on the spot designing to solve a technical issue that we ran into, and rushed to the shop to illustrate and laser cut the appropriate components.

Quality Assurance, and Rapid Prototyping for Twitter

Problem

The Twitter Wow Wall is an interactive experience made up of 48 micro LCD screens artfully arranged across a wooden CNC cut sculpture. To function it requires an array of electrical, computer, and cabling components; over 100 pieces altogether.  Fake Love needed me to take ownership over the assembly and quality assurance for the micro LCD screens.  Also, to ensure that the screens were aesthetically placed across the sculpture, Fake Love asked me to work with the digital prototypes. I needed to practically, and artfully arrange the displays across the wooden sculpture model using software to provide an accurate representation of the final product.

Solution

For the first challenge, it was my responsibility to unbox, quality test, and set up all of these components. I carefully spread each piece across the staging space, and artfully wired, assembled, and tested each screen. I had all 48 displays running off of the mac towers following the specifications from the team of creative visualizes.  They were able to approve my work, and prepare to ship the pieces to SXSW for the final assembly where each piece would live inside the wooden installation.  For the second challange, the team of visualists provided me with the digital files for both the wooden sculpture, and the 48 micro LCD screens. I then scaled the models to match real life dimensions, and arranged the layout of the screens based off of the original design that was provided to me by the art director. The file was then submitted to the art director.

Kinect Wedge for Umpqua Bank

Problem

The portable body tracking cameras did not have an accurate method of staying in place during the experience.  

Solution

On the spot, I designed, laser cut, and assembled an attachment that screwed on to the cameras.  Through digital fabrication I was able to make multiple identical and consistent copies, along with a few extra in case the first ones broke during travel.

3D Printed Vintage TV for Fake Love Internal

Problem

A 1970's vintage television was gutted of its interior electronics, plastic support structures, and glass monitor leaving behind only the empty orange exterior shell.  All knobs and mechanical controls no longer had the internal structural supports to operate. The goal was to bring the vintage television back to life.

Solution

I took detailed measurements of the interior, imagining what the supports for the mechanisms would have looked like.  Then I designed, prototyped, and 3D printed replacement components.  I was given a 10 inch micro LCD screen that would replace the missing glass monitor.  I was able to rebuild the television, and fed the display directly through a mac mini that was safely hidden inside the tv body. The television was not perfect. but it served as a great prototyping and learning experience.

VR for Fake Love Internal

Problem

We needed a point person to set up a VR station, begin initial testing, and code exploratory experiences for the agency.

Solution

I was asked to set up a VR station with virtual reality headsets, and up to date game development software.  I also assisted with the ideation process for an internal VR experience, and built simple "toy" working prototypes to illustrate ideas while gaining hands on experience with virtual reality tools and design principles.

For example: I combined an off the shelf head mounted IR sensor with a VR headset, allowing participants to see their hands within a VR world.  Within this world, the participants could interact with the world by throwing a ball at a set of pins to knock them over.

Client Pitches for Fake Love Internal

Problem

Participated in client pitch preparation meetings where I would provide creative and technical feedback to the team.  

Solution

We met weekly and and I provided input on artistic direction, brand development, and on how to over come client specific technical challenges.

Collaborators

Supervisors: Layne Braunstein, Josh Horowitz, Blair Neal and David Larkin
Collaborators: Caitlin Morris , Dan Moore, Michael Romeo and the Fake Love Team.