ONE STEP CLOSER

An epic tale of psy fi told in a VR format exploring the Music Video medium as further as we can.

Below is the series bible offering context on

the different meanings and stories behind this tale.

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It starts with Gert.

He is the vocalist of band Odd Palace and his story has been told throughout the 1 EP and 2 albums of the band.

This time we wanted to explore a new format to tell their story so we set out to build an experience that depicts Gert’s journey reconciling himself with a persisting wound, facing it, holding it, and naming it. This is how One step closer begins.

The feeling of wonder and intrigue as Gert reacts to spawning on a deserted island… the mystery evoked by the letters… the disappearing and reappearing mannequin…

Loud, slightly chaotic and in your face…

…ONE STEP CLOSER is an invitation to the symbolic, intricate and passionate universe of ODD PALACE.

ISLAND OF ECHO

It starts with the User(playing as Gert) spawning on what appears to be a mysterious island.

The elements of the island work as symbols to represent different aspects of the story and Gert’s life. All this takes place within a dream Gert is having recalling the experience he writes about in the song One Step Closer.

THE TREE OF ANOMALY

Some elements such as the “THE TREE OF ANOMALY”, “THE BRIDGE OF THE UNKNOWN”, & the “ODD POND” are crucial for contextualizing the user within the story world of Odd Palace.

ODD POND

ECHO: A personification of the wound of Gert.  

ECHO

ECHO & ANOMALY

The wound being transformed by an anomaly from the tree of anomalies.

ECHO & ANOMALY

ECHO BEING TRANSFORMED BY ANOMALY

ENTER FAITH

 The wound becomes physically and metaphorically elevated by wings(faith) making the wound feel redeemable and justified.

FAITH & WOUND

 Faith turns the wound into a shadow and the wound splits into the shadow and a conscious awarness of the wound.

FAITH SPLITTING WOUND

FAITH & WOUND SPLIT

 The awareness of the wound is then tormented by the reality / world / psyche island.

 

 

It is repressed and thrown out of the island but comes again between the elevated spinning floor where it seems to be stuck in the air and not able to land.

FROZEN AWARENESS OF WOUND

FROZEN AWARENESS OF WOUND

Shadow goes under and dissipates. The awareness of the wound is now unfrozen and lands on the island with a limp. They seem battered and tired, and now beginning to become surrounded by twisting fog representing confusion.

UNFROZEN AWARENESS OF WOUND

DESCENDING SHADOW OF WOUND

 

UNFROZEN AWARENESS OF WOUND

 

DESCENDING SHADOW OF WOUND

UNFROZEN AWARENESS OF WOUND

Anomaly ensues again and the shadow of the wound and the awareness of it face off.

 

SHADOW OF THE WOUND IS INTEGRATED

The awareness and shadow become integrated and grow in size, turning into a giant.

INTEGRATED AWARENESS

AND SHADOW OF WOUND

 

FINAL ANOMALY(?)

 

FINAL ANOMALY (?)

 

VISION OF ECHO

THE ELEMENTS

  • THE TREE OF ANOMALIES

    Represents inciting incidents in Gert’s life.

  • THE ODD POND

    Represents the collision between different egos from different times.

  • THE BRIDGE OF THE UNKNOWN

    Represents the leaping into the unknown.

  • OSC ORB

    Click for OSC experience.

  • THE LETTERS

    Provide exposition.

  • ECHO

    Represents the wound.

  • ANOMALY

    An anomaly from the tree of anomalies.

  • ODD PALACE LOGO

    Represents the band.

  • FAITH ELEVATING WOUND

    Represents the dialogue between Gert’s faith and their wound at first.

  • FAITH TURNING WOUND INTO A SHADOW

    Represents the rejection of faith towards the wound.

  • DISTORTED FAITH

    Represents the distortion of faith and its consequent dissipation.

  • ORB OSC 2

    Click to go to landing website.

  • SPINNING GROUNDS

    Represent the ungrounded footing of Gert’s psyche.

  • FOG

    Represents confusion / murkiness.

  • CATHARSIS

 

. . . OTHER ELEMENTS

THE SCRIPT

Screen Shot 2021-08-01 at 22.32.43.png
 

#1 Odd Palace: One Step Closer 

= Gert awakes on an island.  

EXT. ONE STEP CLOSER ISLAND - DAY

GERT [[FIRST POINT OF VIEW]] gains consciousness while standing on a floating island. 

He is taken aback and expresses his suspicion of what is happening. He describes the eerie feeling of everything seeming dreamlike and yet somehow familiar, like a place once visited, a place well known before. 

GERT

Huh...  ok.

Where am I? 

This... 

...sorta feels familiar.  

What is this? 

(walks forward)

Am I dreaming? 

Is this real life? 


…

 

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