Our creative process started with story.
The story of "Doc Beardsley Presents..." revolves around its title character, a kooky and slightly cynical old man whose zaniness translates directly into the inventions he concocts. We see Doc Beardsley in his element, his very own lab, where he creates the inventions that are so fundamental to his persona. Recently he's been trying to raise the exposure of his inventions. Thus he has converted his lab into a working television studio to broadcast a program that highlights his creations, "Doc Beardsley Presents...” Our show allows guests the chance to visit Doc's crazy lab to both see and experiment with his inventions. They also comprise the studio audience for an episode of Doc's show where he unveils the INVISIBLE MACHINE!
What could happen along the way...or rather, what couldn't? After the guests have entered and the stage manager is counting down to show time, suddenly the electricity fails. You must then help Doc pay the electricity the bill by pumping jam (he pays them in condiments).
Once the show begins you meet Doc's cute little pet hamster, Slippy, who has been given a hamster translator so that he can be understood. After getting a chance to tinker with Doc's inventions, he unveils the INVISIBLE MACHINE, which is naturally, invisible. But it isn't long before Doc's evil nemesis (or an interim one while the real nemesis is on vacation) comes back from the past, the invisible Interminator. He actually used to be Doc's assistant, but when Doc turned him invisible and mixed up some body parts in the return process, he became deformed and forever invisible. Now he's come to do the same to Slippy!
So the Interminator turns Slippy invisible using Doc's machine. Doc implores his guests to help expel the Interminator and save Slippy before he stays invisible forever. The guests can use many choices to terminate the Interminator, or even discover a method on their own. If not, Doc himself may be able to save the day.
Once the Interminator is sent back to the past, the guests try to help Doc make Slippy visible again, except the wrong lever is pulled and now Slippy's pigment packets are rolling about the room. Now everyone must try to retrieve Slippy's pigment packets before he is forever invisible. If they can, then Slippy is returned to normal. If not, then he takes on a newly found comedic form of existing half-invisible. By this time, Doc's regularly scheduled program is over, and the guests must bid a fond farewell until next time. They are encouraged to return, and of course, to dance their way out as Doc plays his favorite vibe...disco music.
Based on the above story and backstory created last year, we began to sketch the characters, environments, props, and interactive elements. Below is our creative process for those elements.
Creative
Development
The Interactive Animatronics Initiative (IAI) is a joint initiative between the Field Robotics Center (FRC) and the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).
Carnegie Mellon University, Entertainment Technology Center (c) 2001