WELCOME TO SLYDER FESTIVAL

Design Question

As our perception of reality is overtaken by images on social media, authenticity is hardly questioned. What if I can design an event that live-streams on Twitch without it actually occurring IRL?

Overview

In the age of social media, the happening of events becomes inconsequential since the reality of an event is that of its social media representation. The social media reality becomes even harder to navigate during the Covid-19 pandemic. Building on top of the pandemic Animal Crossing Escapist trends and the ridiculous stories of the Fyre Festival, Welcome to Slyder Festival tampers with the nebulous reality created by social media through simulated imagery in the virtual space.

Twitter feeds of Slyder Festival

Screenshot of the live stream on Twitch

The name Slyder references the celebrity K.K Slider in Animal Crossing and the fact that the Slyder Festival occurs on top of “image slides''. If anyone is familiar with the Fyre Festival documentary on Netflix, the sub-title is “the greatest party that never happened.” Slyder Festival on Animal Crossing New Horizon may very well supplant that title “THE GREATEST PARTY THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.”

Watch the highlight of the event👇

Since Slyder Festival is inspired by Fyre Festival, the brand identity combines the Animal Crossing aesthetics and Fyre Festival campaigns.

Slyder Festival Visual Identity

Slyder Festival merchandise

There is limitation to what players can customize on Animal Crossing. In order maximize the brand of Slyder Fest, the background “slides” are enhanced in post production.

Image layers in OBS: Slyder Fest image slides + animal crossing on Switch + Unity animation + livestream overlay