Dancing in Norms (DIN) — exploring how technical standards shape the way we move.

Over 33,000 standards have been created by the German Institute for Standardization in the past century. They dictate how we move and physically interact with our environment daily. This leads to a standardization paradox: It makes our modern lives possible but also limits us as physical beings.

The motion visualization project invites us to question what it means to be a human moving within modern standards and technology.

Dance and motion tracking:

The core concept juxtaposes free human movement (dance) with technical visualization. The process began with motion tracking (full-body and camera tracking) of a freely improvised dance performance by dancer Thomas Lempertz.

Visualization principles:

Based on the recorded movement data, various abstract visualization principles were developed:

Visualizing all points at once

Visualizing the distance between two points

Visualizing the volume between several points

Visualizing three perspectives simultaneously

Character explorations:

These principles led to character designs inspired by design icons such as the "CN° II Chair" (1992) or the "Club Chair" (1927). Through minimalist design language, the motif of repetition, and the use of high-tech metal and plastic textures, they reflect the essence of technical standards. In two contrasting environments, a bright studio and an atmospheric ballet stage, the figures navigate the now-visible boundaries of standardization.

Basic geometric shapes are applied to motion capture data to interact with movement dynamically.

Visualizing the vertical distance from a motion point to its direct counterpart on the ground.

Visualizing time by comparing the distance between the same point at different moments.

Merging the silhouettes from all three perspectives (front, side, top) into a unified geometry in the center.

Connecting the outermost points of movement by drawing lines between these points over an invisible shape that holds all points.

Creating a geometry that contains all the motion points and dynamically interacts with the movement.

Direction and art direction: Samuel Lewek
Dance: Thomas Lempertz
Music: Frederic Hellmann
Editing: Katharina Jung
Sounddesign: Frederic Hellmann, Vincent Egerter
Production: Sabina Stöckler
Animation: Ole Bornitz & Samuel Lewek
Visual system: Luca Carubia & Samuel Lewek
Motion graphics: Luca Carubia & Victor Heckle
Creative coding: Victor Heckle
MoCap camera: Jan Wittkopp
MoCap technical direction: Justus Henne
Technical support: Paulo Scatena & Leon Monschauer

Many thanks to: Tatjana Theuer, Chantale Eglin, Tille Berger, Rebecca Zahor, Max Alber, Zoi Panteliadou, Ole Freytag, Erica Esserman , Martin Lorenz, Lucas Hesse, Dirk Schuster, Benjamin Simon, Tobias Röttger, Shinjiro Sueda, Ziyan Xiong & Simon Haag.

Supervised by Prof. Dr. Heike Sperling & Alexander Hanowski.

A production by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH.

Awards — GOLD and SILVER at the ADC Talent Award 2024 — MERIT at Young Ones Student Awards 2024.

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Samuel Lewek Art Director & Motion Designer

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Samuel Lewek
Art Director & Motion Designer

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