Grand Opening of HKDI Media Lab
Grand Opening of HKDI Media Lab
6 November 2017
HKDI Media Lab has grandly opened on 3 November 2017. The establishment of the Media Lab is a part of VTC’s 35th Year Anniversary celebration. Aligning with one of VTC’s vision, HKDI Media Lab aims to promote the integration of innovative ideas and media technologies, and so enhance collaboration between education, applied research, professional training and industrial application.
Mr Leung Ka Wing, Director of Broadcasting, Professor Eric Yim, Deputy Chairman, Vocational Training Council, Dr. Ong Lay Lian, Principal, HKDI and IVE (Lee Wai Lee), Mr. Nicolas Hatch, CEO of N Cam and Mr. Bernt Kare Johannessen, Regional Manager Greater China of Vizrt attended Media Lab’s opening today. Professor Yim mentioned that as a cradle for designing talents, HKDI has always nurtured professionals in the creative industry with the support of the industry and different groups, to uphold Hong Kong’s competitiveness in the international community. The Media Lab promotes the integration of innovative ideas and media technologies, and so enhances collaboration between education, applied research, professional training and industrial application. The Media Lab has its own professional in-house design, ranging from graphical experimentation, 2D, 3D and even 4D motion graphics, to virtual reality, mixed reality, augmented reality and more professional designing services to manifest the materiality in media.
The Opening Ceremony showcased collaborative works by HKDI researchers, teachers and students, including a 4D Interactive Virtual Reality Experience, Mixed Reality Experience, Interactive Virtual Aquarium, and 3D printing products.
Film production is the main theme of the 4D Interactive Virtual Reality Experience. Each player takes the role of director, boom operator, light technician and cinematographer respectively. Players can point on movie posters shown on the HKDI Design Boulevard with the given equipment, bringing up individual cinematic elements from that specific film for display. For example, when the cinematographer points the camera towards the poster, a clip about the cinematography of that particular film will be played. When all the players point their equipment at the same poster, the surrounding environment transforms into a cinema and the finished product that combines individual elements will be shown. The innovative 4D Interactive Virtual Reality Experience explores the possibility of virtual reality in future film development and encourages the industry to explore VR experiences beyond games.
Created by a group of HKDI and Hong Kong International Culinary Institute teachers and students, the Interactive Virtual Aquarium utilises multimedia technology to outline different fish types. Visitors can touch the marine creatures on the screen and view additional information such as species, guidance for environmentally friendly consumption of seafood, the common month of certain species’ appearance and their sizes – all presented to raise awareness about marine life protection. The project uses ultra-high-definition image processing technology to create a resolution that is four times higher than full high definition. Providing an optimal visual experience for visitors, this work also employs High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDR) to further enhance image clarity and colour processing. This project will be displayed at the Hong Kong International Culinary Institute to enhance public awareness on environmentally-friendly seafood and local food ingredients.
In addition to showcasing the works of faculty and students, HKDI has also invited Singer-songwriter Phil Lam, Backstage Tokyo Founder Satoru Higa and new media art group Xceed Founder Mr Chris Cheung to share their experiences in media design and creation with the students.
