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Google's 'This Exquisite Forest' is building interactive videos, eight frames at a time

Google's 'This Exquisite Forest' is building interactive videos, eight frames at a time

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Google and Tate Modern are behind a collaborative video project called This Exquisite Forest. Each participant builds on what the previous artist produced, generating a branching, choose-your-own-video experience.

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exquisite forest (google)
exquisite forest (google)

Ever play that writing game where one person builds on the last person’s sentence, passing the paper around in a circle? The Exquisite Corpse, as the game turns out to be called, forms the foundation of a new collaborative video art project from Google (in partnership with London’s Tate Modern art gallery) called This Exquisite Forest. Each participant builds on what the previous artist did, adding a few frames of animation; a cycle that ultimately results in a multi-branched choose-your-own-video experience (video below).

Once you register at the project's website, you can scrub through the different timelines to see thumbnails, and click on any leaf to watch all the clips leading up to it in sequence. And if you want to try your own hand at animating you can also submit a few frames using the site’s built-in tools. While everyone is free to sign up for the web experience, if you’re in the London area and would rather check out the Forest in person, you can drop by the Tate Modern’s interactive installation on or after July 23rd.