Telescope Magazine: I hear you've set up an office in Japan, too.

Dominic Audet: We already have offices in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and London, and we recently opened one in Tokyo, too. It is our first office in Asia, and already we are being contacted about possible projects using public spaces and large-scale installations. Our Montreal office is also receiving many visitors from Japan, so I'm excited about what's to come.

Telescope Magazine: Competition among interactive entertainment environment producers is likely to intensify. Where do you plan to look for new technologies and new sources of inspiration?

Dominic Audet: The most exciting things are happening now in the field of video games. But we are not exclusively focusing on this area. Rather, we are looking all over the place for anything of interest. I get a lot of inspiration going into the kids' toys: they may lead you to imagine little ideas on a much bigger scale. Watching Pixar movies and the like can be inspiring, too. As the laws of gravity and physics are not absolute in animated movies, the creators can freely unfold their imagination. Seeing their works really stimulates your creative instinct. New scientific innovations and discoveries also make me speculate how they would apply to my field. So, the seeds of new technologies and inspirations are really everywhere.

[Fig. 6] Interactive art installation at Moment Factory studio (left). A user can digitally alter Van Gogh's brushstrokes. The wall of inspiration (right) shows pictures of the firm's past works and ideas.
CREDIT: Moment Factory

Telescope Magazine: Where do you think the technology is going from here?

Dominic Audet: I think technology is bringing humans more deeply into a virtual world and life. That's the critical change that is happening in the field of technology. The robots are being used more widely than before, and there is a new trend to use self-piloting aircraft (such as battery operated drones) and self-driving cars. We are seeing it and actually using it on theme parks right now. Our ultimate mission at Moment Factory is to apply these and other new technologies to satisfy our core need for human connectedness.

Profile

Dominic Audet

Dominic Audet is Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Moment Factory. He established the company with Sakchin Bessette (Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director) in 2001 to produce experiential entertainment that integrates visual arts with a theme story. Previously, he was in charge of multimedia exhibition at the Montreal Science Centre, and also worked on exhibits at Montreal's planetarium, biosphere, insectarium, and botanical garden. He began his career as a VJ for corporate events and parties, and his continuing collaboration with Bessette dates from this period.