How do you take a strong social theme (the end of life, a complex, if not taboo, subject) and turn it into a first-person story? MAMIE LOU, a project that has been acclaimed by professional markets in recent years (SACD prize at MIFA Annecy 2020, Venice Gap-Financing Market 2022), offers a proposal that is both fantastic and informative on the subject, based on the personal story of its director. Here’s a look back at a dreamlike, hopeful experience.
Nb: an end-of-life law was under discussion in France at the time MAMIE LOU was presented in Competition at the Annecy 2024 festival.
VR creator, from writing to 3D sculpture
Isabelle Andreani – My career path has gone through several milestones. Although I’ve been involved in transmedia creation for over ten years, either in creation or production depending on the project, I have a double degree in engineering and research in fundamental physics, obtained in Grenoble. I’ve also done computer development and set up an online art school… In the end, all this trained me on the technical side, before I got involved on the writing and directing side. And even there, I learned a lot about traditional creation, particularly sculpture. So I can look forward to 3D with peace of mind! The arrival of VR immediately spoke to me, and I dived into software like Tilt Brush… For MAMIE LOU, while taking part in the CAMP Fr artistic residency (with Sutu and Paisley Smith that year), I designed a first prototype of the experience myself.
I. A. – MAMIE LOU is above all a personal story, linked to the death of my grandmother and the way she was cared for by the healthcare system (in France). It’s something that had an impact on me, beyond the event and the emotions that were naturally linked to it. I was already involved in VR writing workshops (for Storycode), and I set about writing the story, designing a first model. After launching the writing phase, I collaborated with more visually-oriented artists (Romane Poch and Ghislain Pariset) on the graphic universe. Then I met Small Creative at Immersity (professional meeting days for the XR ecosystem in Angoulême), which accelerated the creative process. Small Creative’s support was essential in developing the project.
Building a dreamlike 3D universe
I. A. – In MAMIE LOU, we’re in an all-encompassing universe embodied by the Tree of Life. From there, we access the real world, then Mamie Lou’s memories. There are 3 narrative layers, with different points of view that existed from the start. We had to organize the encounter with Mamie Lou, starting with a certain distance and working our way into her intimacy. That’s how the story comes to life. But the fluidity of the story comes from our work with Small.
I. A. – Visually, the project takes a lot from the work of Romane Poch, whom I found via her portfolio on Instagram…! I was immediately captivated by her world, especially the characters. Ghislain Pariset’s background is more in video games, with an immediately 3D approach. They complemented each other perfectly, with strong graphic intentions and multi-dimensional staging. With the Small team, we gave a lot of thought to interactions, to keep the right distance from the story, with carefully thought-out sequence changes to ensure maximum comfort. We documented this interactive approach, our presence in the story and its impact on the story.
I. A. – Animation is key. In virtual reality, it’s like stepping into a cartoon. It’s very special, and particularly gripping to experience. The magic of animation, to be experienced at first hand, is a great strength of the medium.
Designing an interactive fiction script
I. A. – The message had to be positive on the subject, without ignoring reality. But I quickly differentiated between my own feelings, based on my own experience, and what needed to be told… without being incriminating. I did a lot of research to back up the story. It’s not a documentary for all that (the character remains largely fictional), but a narrative experience that offers a look, a feeling. The act of presence, in these moments, is very important. The world of palliative care is far more complex than you might imagine. I’d like to help, in a positive way, to inform people about the subject. It’s in these dramatic moments that we ultimately learn a lot about life!
I. A. – The script changed very little during production. We made choices that were more related to the technical aspect. In VR, the cognitive load is greater for the viewer. Especially when you’re presenting a new visual universe, 3D, dialogues, the story… We had to work on the introduction (onboarding) and understanding of the story. So we focused on simplifying the narrative and making it flow. Once again, we had to avoid the “documentary” pitfall to get to Mamie Lou’s story – her personal, family issues. The medical aspects are in the background, to avoid an overload of technical vocabulary. We had to focus, in the experience, on the lived experience of the characters.
I. A. – Cyrille Marchesseau brought a lot to the table with the music, which carries the emotional intentions behind the writing. It was a very powerful moment for me in this collaboration. The experience began to exist for everyone when the music and sound design were added, bringing the sets and story to life.
MAMIE LOU: towards distribution… with impact?
I. A. – MAMIE LOU is a project with impact, an experience that opens up discussion. Death is not a highly visible topic in society or within families. Psychological experiences, bereavement, therapeutic relentlessness… We often ignore the medical side of things. But it’s essential. The experience is therefore a rather positive and joyful story that encourages exchange. And mediation is essential in this sense, especially if we’re targeting library networks, or places of information open to the public. Now that the production is finished, we’re thinking about these questions of distribution.
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