SubZERO 2026
June 5th & 6th 2026 in San Jose, California
CoreSync
Created By Brandon Vuong, Brianna Rivera Alvarez, Akari Che, Nhat Minh Le, Dwayne Moraes, and Ryan Redden
"CoreSync" is a project based in TouchDesigner and mapped out in MadMapper. The concept was to
replicate the sounds and frequencies of the music genre “Breakcore,” using them to transform the
audio we hear into a visual representation within a virtual space. What began as a project driven by
algorithmic visuals solely dependent on incoming sound evolved into a translation between physical
and digital environments.
Through the use of an external camera, the physical space is mapped into a 3D environment created in
TouchDesigner. The project features moving walls and floors with motion tracking that dynamically
change depending on what, or who, the camera sees. The visuals are then translated through a
projector, allowing the audience to view themselves in an abstract and disembodied form on a large
screen projection. Their movements are recorded and displayed live, creating an interactive feedback
loop between viewer and projection.
"CoreSync" brings together audio mechanics and visual algorithms, allowing sound and image to
interact
in real time while marrying the two mediums into a single immersive experience.
"TUNE IN: TOON OUT"
Created By Jennifer Low, Lucia Bricmont-Vazquez, Joseph Ryu Espinosa, Daniel MacLaren, Marie Pacis, Jesua Sarmiento, and Hannah Yee
Based on sitting at home watching Saturday Morning Cartoons, “TUNE IN: TOON OUT” is a 3D rendered
environment meant to combine the nostalgia of 2D animation, the contemporariness of 3D software and
the memories that inspire our creativity. Visually inspired by Hanna-Barbera, early 2000s Cartoon
Network, and the Disney Golden Age, each animated clip is meant to evoke a different memory of
watching TV as a kid.
Each clip was illustrated by a different animator before being compiled together in Premiere Pro and
After Effects. The animated compilation plays on a stack of nine CRT televisions within a space
reminiscent of a mid-century modern living room, all of which were modeled and rendered in Blender.
Meant as a homage to multimedia art, “TUNE IN: TOON OUT” channels distant feelings of warmth once
left behind in our childhoods and allows these memories to replay once again within the present.
Digitown
Created By Elise Shibata, Ethan Kamigaki, Alexander Lee, Lyndon Livingston, Quynh Luong, Lyza Rose O'Hurley, Jenica Pham, and Mal Wang
This video tour of "Digitown" encompasses the efforts of 8 different CADRE S.O members of varying
majors culminating in the creation of multiple landmarks within this 3D digital world. Follow along
the camera as it guides the viewer through the space: presenting the unique setting and residents as
a result of the various talents, skill, and ideas of all the collaborators within the project. The
town itself is constructed, furnished, and rendered through Blender by our 3D designers with
textures supplemented from Substance Painter and digital illustrations provided by our 2D designers.
The townscape consists of 2 levels, with the surface floor being home to the antique store, the
CADRE S.O meeting room, a crime scene, as well as a tree leading to the cave located below the
surface. Continuing on, the cave floor is home to floral fae with graffiti of the group's respective
pets on its wall, and on the other side of the river lays the game store decorated with relevant
paraphernalia as well as fictional game posters/covers strewn about the room.
you’re not alone, you’re talking to me right now
Created By Nabeeha Ahsan, Daria Orlova, Inuh Ricci Habin, Jupiter Kasler, and Blair Venus
"You're not alone, you’re talking to me right now" is a video piece that uses collaged photos of humans and modified human voices to create an uncomfortable experience. Inspired by recent cases of AI being accused of encouraging violence, this piece warns against the dangers of confiding in AI as if it were a friend.
