Behind the Scenes of DreamLab by the LabRats Collective

DREAM LAB was an interactive installation where the audience participates in the creative process, contributing words and ideas that are transformed into digital graphics, video, and electronic music, interspersed with evocative sounds and visuals, to draw out the dreams that lie inside all of us.

DREAM LAB was presented at the NUS Arts Festival 2018 at the National University of Singapore University Cultural Centre (NUS UCC) by LAB RATS featuring COSMIC ARMCHAIR, OCEANS CHILDREN, JAY LIM and LIZ GOH.

Official photos and video

Link to complete set of photos

https://photos.app.goo.gl/prfPBGhJHC4JEt1H8

General layout and flow of audience

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Show capacity was 16 pax per show x 2 shows per night = 32 pax per night

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Detailed layout and flow of audience

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Truss setup

For fabric to be used a dividers, we were able to use white fabric from 'Remember When' with the following dimensions: 2pcs of 6m (w) x 7.5m (h), 1pc of 3m (w) x 7.5m (h)

The height of the truss is around 4.5m, and the length of the truss is 12m, as indicated on the attached image. The fabric already comes with eyelets at the top of the fabric. We only had dividers covering up half the length of the 12m truss

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Technical Rider

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Production Schedule

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Programme Flow

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Initial Sound and Light requirements

Sound requirements

Location 1 (Video): 

Video player

Speakers*

Location 2 

(Oceans Children performance): 

Vocal mic for singing

Table

Artist will bring instruments and submixer

Speakers for performance*

(TV sets)

1 Video player per TV

Speakers? Depends on how loud the TVs are

Location 3 

(Jay Lim performance): 

Vocal mic for singing

Digital piano 

Speakers*

(TV sets)

1 Video player per TV

Speakers? Depends on how loud the TVs are

Location 4 (Video):

Video player

Speakers*

* suggested speakers: Yamaha Stagepas or smaller. 

Lights

Prefer ambient warm wash instead of white wash, so people can see where they are walking

Location 1: No additional light needed

Location 2: 

Coloured lights to create patches of red, blue, yellow to signify childhood

Switch to all yellow light when Elizabeth starts her improv

Switch to all blue light when Elizabeth ends her improv 

Spotlight for Oceans Children/stage

Location 3: Spotlight for Jay Lim/stage

Location 4:  No additional light needed

Video elements

At the 'Dream Lab' participants visited different 'stations' to explore the concept of dreams. At station 2, the theme is 'Childhood Dreams' to remind participants of the dreams they had when they were young. For this station, we recorded interviews with children from a local pre-school, filmed them playing in the playground, and edited this into a video for participants to watch.

Message from the producers

When was the last time you had a dream, i mean a real dream, a dream that you can carry into the future?

What are your own dreams and where are they taking you?

From the innocent wonder of children, to the idealism or naivete of youth, through the trials of adulthood, the challenges of the working world, past the twists and turns of life, to questions of mortality and legacy, dreams can drive us or deceive us, illuminate us or elude us. 

When we started asking these questions, we found a fascinating range of answers, many of which have found their way into the Dream Lab, our multimedia installation incorporating video, drama, technology and music, that explores these themes. This was an ideal project for LABRATS, the electronic music collective comprising alumni of the NUS Electronic Music Lab. Many of the LABRATS have faced and are still facing the challenges of pursuing their artistic dreams in Singapore, some in full time artistic careers, others balancing their art with successful non-arts careers. 

As the audience walks through the Dream Lab installation, they will share the dreams of various contributors, learn the stories of struggle, success and failure, and enjoy the music of different performers from the LABRATS collective. It is our hope that they will also rediscover or reaffirm their own dreams in the process.

LabRats Personnel involved in this project

All of the Lab Rats involved in DREAM LAB are alumni of EML over the different years of EML's existence. Some Lab Rats have pursued careers in music or the arts or creative fields, after graduating from NUS with non-musical / non-artistic degrees from FASS, Science, Engineering, Law, etc. Other Lab Rats have pursued careers in business, technology, law, education, politics, or academia, but continue to participate in music and the arts. Not all of them continued to be musicians, but all of them have continued to be creative. 

Producer: Jane Lau is a former broadcast journalist, TV producer, and currently educator

Producer: Benjamin Ang is a former lawyer, IT director, and currently an academic as well as Principal Tutor of EML

Multimedia: Tham Wai Keen is a video producer

Actor: Elizabeth Goh is a human resource professional and an improvisational actor

Musician: Kester Tan is a sound engineer and half of Ocean's Children

Musician: Rachel Goh is an insurance agent and half of Ocean's Children

Interviewee: Eunice Olsen is an actress, TV Host, former Miss Singapore Universe, former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP), and founder of the Emmy-nominated WomenTalkTV.

Interviewee: Terence Swee is Founder and CEO of international software company muvee, Ironman triathlete, and occasional jazz pianist

Interviewee: Jay Lim is Principal of the Lee Wei Song School of Music, former Singapore Idol finalist, Judge for 'Voice of China' auditions, and composer of the National Day Song 2017

Interviewee: Bang Wenfu is a music composer, producer, and arranger, whose immense portfolio includes musical direction for Kit Chan's album and critically acclaimed 'Spellbound' concert, composing the soundtrack to the 2016 River Hongbao Countdown Fireworks and Gardens Rhapsody for Gardens by the Bay, arrangements for musicals like Forbidden City and Monkey Goes West, and producing albums for The Sam Willows, Ng Ling Kai, and Gareth Fernandez.