In 2010, alumni Joe Rosa, Heather Knott, and Chris Brown launched a new animation studio in Central Florida. Ninjaneer Studios is a full-service studio specializing in 3-D animation and projection mapping.
The group founded Ninjaneer shortly after graduating with B.A. degrees in Digital Media: Visual Language. All three specialized in Character Animation during their time at UCF. Rosa serves as the studio’s Director, Knott as Artistic Director, and Brown as Technical Director.
Not only is the team at Ninjaneer working to establish their company, but they regularly offer internships to our current and recently graduated UCF students.Their Winter Springs-based company is also a client of UCF’s Business Incubation Program.
Rebirth of the Space Coast
Ninjaneer recently participated in the Arts and Algorithms Digital Arts Festival. Their contribution was an animated 3-D projection map depicting the rebirth of Florida’s Space Coast.
Projection mapping, also called video mapping, is a technology used to turn objects of any shape into a display surface for video projection. Ninjaneer’s larger-than-life work was presented on the exterior of the Playhouse Theater in downtown Titusville on a giant screen measuring 88 feet by 35 feet.
“We have created a very special presentation that reflects the creative energy that is producing the Arts and Algorithms Festival and the unique history and exciting future of Florida’s Space Coast,” Rosa said.
Staging an Opera in 3-D
Ninjaneer Studios recently produced virtual sets for a new, full-length opera by composer (and UCF Pegasus Professor) Stella Sung and librettist Ernest Hilbert. The Red Silk Thread was premiered at the University of Michigan in April 2013.
The opera’s staging utilizes 3-D projection mapping to display stunning vistas of 13th century Asia. By employing this technology, the opera achieved an epic and otherwise unattainable scope. The virtual sets also allow stages to be reset between scenes instantly without leaving behind any physical sets to be discarded at the end of the show’s run.
Science Center Exhibit
Ninjaneer Studios partnered with the Orlando Science Center to develop a unique educational experience. Again using 3-D projection mapping, the exhibit will fully immerse visitors within the science of corrosion. The experience will entertain as it educates, raising awareness of the detrimental effects corrosion has on our infrastructure and utilities systems.
Ninjaneer Studios founders (L-R): Joe Rosa, Heather Knott, and Chris Brown
Find out more about the studio and see samples of their work at ninjaneerstudios.com.