XR Content Produced by Team Power ~Secret story behind the development of “The Secret of the Forest and Footprints”~

Previously, nomlog introduced "Three merits of introducing AR experience to commercial facilities" and XR content "The secret of the forest and footprints".
This time, we have Ayaki Kanehara of NOMURA Co., Ltd. Kogyosha NOMLAB, who worked on this project, Taiyo Kikaku Co., Ltd. producer Yasuhiro Kusakabe, and Digital Works Entertainment Co., Ltd. Takuya Takeda. We invited them to talk about the history of the project, their respective roles, the hardships and ingenuity in the development stage, and what they valued. The interviewer is Hitomi Nakamura, NOMURA Co., Ltd. NOMLAB content director/designer.

From left: NOMURA Co., Ltd. Nakamura from NOMLAB, Taiyo Kikaku Co., Ltd. Tip/Producer Yasuhiro Kusakabe, Ayaki Kanehara from NOMURA Co., Ltd., Digital Works Entertainment, Inc. Takuya Takeda

NOMLAB Ayaki Kanehara
As an art director for this project, I was in charge of character design and story design.

Taiyo Kikaku Co., Ltd. Tip Producer Yasuhiro Kusakabe
Mainly in charge of progress management such as communication and schedule adjustment between the three companies.

Digital Works Entertainment Co., Ltd. Mr. Takuya Takeda
As an engineer, he worked with NOMLAB engineers to support the construction of the Jeez Forest.

Facilitator: NOMLAB Hitomi Nakamura
As the general director, he is in charge of the overall concept and planning, as well as directing aspects such as video, animation, and effects.

Recommended by project members! The characters of Jesus no Mori

Kanehara and Kusakabe's favorite, Mumu.Mr. Takeda's endorser, Bon.

Nakamura
The members of NOMLAB, to which we belong, played a central role in the development of this project, "The Secret of the Forest and the Footprints." In the first place, Mr. Kanehara, can you explain the characteristics of NOMLAB and what kind of initiatives you are working on?

Kanehara
NOMLAB (Nomura Open Innovation LAB) is an open innovation lab that aims to attract new customers centered on the digital domain under the theme of "digital innovation x place creation". In collaboration with various companies, we are engaged in activities to create digital spatial experiences in a wide range of fields, such as producing prototypes. We have members with various backgrounds and knowledge, such as video production, CG, and system engineering, so we can develop applications and build websites in-house.

Nakamura
When you think of NOMURA Co., Ltd., you may have an image of a company that specializes in interior design and space design, but we have members who are strong in engineering, and we can handle everything from content development. Kanehara-san, you also had experience working at a CG production company.

Kanehara
yes. I am in charge of art direction this time. In addition to Mr. Nakamura, the project leader, the team consisted of 1 system engineer, 1 planner, and 2 accounts, for a total of 6 people.

NOMLAB Ayaki Kanehara: Art Director

Nakamura
This time, everyone from Taiyo Kikaku and DWE also joined us. Mr. Kusakabe already had experience in creating content for XR City.

Taiyo Kikaku tip Producer Yasuhiro Kusakabe: Production progress

Kusakabe
yes. I was in charge of character and animation production. I usually do XR-related work and create video content that can be viewed in the facility.

Nakamura
Then Mr. Kusakabe introduced us to DWE.

DWE Takuya Takeda: Engineer

Takeda
When I first heard about it, what kind of content would it be? and. I am usually involved in game development for home video game consoles and smartphones, and this was actually my first time working on AR, so it was a valuable opportunity.

Built by NOMLAB engineers and others utilizing their respective areas of expertise

Kanehara
The reason why we were able to improve the quality so much in such a limited development period was that Mr. Kusakabe, Mr. Takeda, and NOMLAB engineers exchanged various proposals and ideas.

In "Jizu no Mori", the user follows the footsteps of the characters and finds their lost items. The story is that if you pick it up, you'll meet the owner who dropped it, but it seems like a tapping method would be better. Thank you for your suggestion.

Nakamura
It was a large-scale project, but looking back, I have the impression that Mr. Kusakabe accurately summarized what we wanted to express and what we wanted to do, and that Mr. DWE and our engineers worked together as a team. Yes, but frankly, how was it?

Kusakabe
We thought a lot about what kind of content we could enjoy and experience within our limited schedule and system limitations. I entrusted the modeling and animation movements to engineers who were far more knowledgeable than I was, and I felt that each of us was in charge of what we were good at, and we were able to communicate closely and honestly. .

Takeda
For us, Mr. Kusakabe's information was very accurate, and the material Mr. Kanehara gave us became a more concrete vision as development progressed, so it was very easy to proceed.
During development, there were problems such as things not working well and functions not working properly, but thanks to the communication between engineers (NOMURA Co., Ltd., Ltd. and DWE), planning and system implementation I was able to build it while going back and forth in a well-balanced way.

Takeda
After moving from a PC development environment to running as an application on a smartphone, I felt that we were able to get together as a team, actively exchange ideas and opinions, and move forward in the direction we were aiming for.

Kanehara
For me personally, the characters I drew in 2D became 3D and animated, and it felt like they were being brought to life. It was an original character created for this time, but from the concept stage, we worked closely with our planners to create settings such as names and personalities. Thanks to that, the world view didn't waver until the end.

In addition, for example, in the animation of Mumu the squirrel making a sandwich, DWE-san took in the setting that there was bread in his pocket, and there was an action to take the bread out of his pocket and make it. I was very impressed with that.

Mumu the squirrel taking bread out of her pocket

Takeda
thank you. It was an animation that I imagined that I would like to do such a movement. Kanehara
The user will meet the character for the first time in this application. First of all, we paid particular attention to the design of the entire screen and the conversations of the characters so that you can immerse yourself in the world view that comes from "Jizu no Mori". DWE took care of the setting in detail, and incorporated the character's individuality into the content, volume, tempo, and endings of the lines. Nakamura
Of course, he accurately understood the video storyboards we created and gave shape to them. It was wonderful that they worked on it, saying, "Because it's 'Jizu no Mori'."

NOMLAB Hitomi Nakamura: General Director

Enjoy learning about SDGs and have a social good shopping experience

Nakamura
In the first place, what we aimed for in this project was content that allows parents and children to learn about the SDGs while enjoying shopping. The keywords were to create an experience that goes beyond just buying things, and to not only be fun, but also lead to problem-solving for the client.

Kanehara
Of course, it is a major premise that it will lead to purchases. In addition, how to revitalize spaces, which is NOMURA Co., Ltd. 's specialty, and how to create experiences that can only be done in shopping malls, and experiences that can only be done there. In addition, we designed the content with a focus on ease of movement and attracting customers. It would be great if we could create content that leads to interest in products and stores, and leads to purchases, through the experience of learning about the SDGs while enjoying the elements of entertainment at shopping malls that are visited by everyone from children to the elderly.

Takeda
For me, the content development this time was a chance to learn about the SDGs. The SDGs were also reflected in the settings and movements of the characters, and through the experience of the content, I also thought about what I wanted to convey to the user and what kind of display would convey it.

Kanehara
The fact that the people involved in the production were also interested in the SDGs means that the project as a whole is socially good.
Businesses can customize the placement of plants and signs that appear in the content, as well as the words written there. Although there are many companies working on the SDGs, it is difficult to notice them while shopping. I would be happy if users could have fun and get interested in SDGs by disseminating store information and SDGs initiatives through "Jizu no Mori".

Spread of XR content, new experience value that fuses digital and real

Nakamura
Do you think AR experiences in commercial facilities and content for problem-solving AR experiences will continue to spread in the future?

Kanehara
Yes, I think it will spread. The value that can be obtained from going to the place, the experience value unique to the real world of directly seeing, touching, wearing, and eating the real thing, and how to intertwine it with the AR experience. I'm looking forward to seeing more and more new projects coming out.
Also, I would like to make use of the spread of 5G, the development of devices, and new technologies in the story and planning. For example, you can enjoy eating with the characters, or get to know yourself while talking to the characters, and choose clothes that suit your taste and style. It would be fun to be able to communicate with the characters as if they were friends.

Nakamura
I see. Mr. Kusakabe, what do you think?

Kusakabe
It may be important to find out how to lower the initial hurdles of trying out XR content applications, and the incentives and tricks that will keep them entertained, and the fun of the content.

In addition, I think it is important to have PR activities to spread the word about XR content to the world, but at present, I have the impression that there are not many contents that are designed and worked on to that extent.

Nakamura
The PR perspective is certainly important so that many people can enjoy using it.

Takeda
I don't think it's possible. Smartphones are becoming the main terminal in the game industry, but the market should continue to expand. Even in commercial facilities, it would be attractive if, for example, you could not only experience content and actually go and try on clothes, but also take that experience home and dig deeper into your interests.

Kanehara
It would also be interesting to see content that can only be enjoyed by visiting the place, plus, that time, that momentary timing, and content that can only be seen at this moment in this place. Depending on the time of day, the weather, and the owner's mood, the content that can be viewed changes. Adding the time axis seems to create a different kind of fun.

Takeda
Content that changes with the addition of the time axis and the index of the number of contact days sounds fun.

Nakamura
Combining experiences that can be done digitally and experiences that can be done in the real world, and linking the Metaverse venue and the real venue. Opinions from an engineer's point of view are stimulating.

Nakamura
Lastly, please let us know your impressions.

Kanehara
I'm glad that we were able to work together as a very good team, with these members gathering together, communicating closely, and being able to ask anything I didn't understand. In the future, I would be happy if users could meet the characters of "Jizu no Mori" in various places, become interested in SDGs with their parents and friends, and become interested in the efforts of tenants. .

Kusakabe
It is precisely because of this team that we were able to successfully complete and launch. Our solidarity and cooperation are increasing, so I would love to work with you again on another project.
I believe that "Jizu no Mori" is just the beginning. It would be great if we could continue to brush up on the game so that more users can enjoy it, and at the same time, it would be great if the characters became more well-known. For example, create an animation for a 5-minute program and publish it on YouTube. It would be fun if I could do something that expands my dreams.

Takeda
That is good, is not it! This time, I also had a valuable experience. It seems that various developments can be made in the future, such as local characters appearing. As a creator, I would be happy if people could interact with the characters through the content and fall in love with them.

Nakamura
Thank you everyone.

Saki Nakano of "NTT KonoQ Co., Ltd." gave us a comment on this article, looking back on the project.

During the interview, further development plans popped up, and it was an opportunity to think about the further possibilities of XR content, as well as feeling the sense of unity of this project team. In addition, there were many discussions about the concerns of facilities and customer behavior, which NOMURA Co., Ltd., which usually deals with real spaces, flew around in various parts, leading to learning about AR experience production, which is likely to increase in the future.
I would be happy if many people could enjoy "The Secret of the Forest and Footprints".

(Text: naomi)