Omote 3D Photo Booth Creates Life-Like Miniature Replicas

Remember the Japanese Neoprint pandemic? Well, this time they have truly outdone themselves in the photo booth department, and it wouldn’t be so bad if this caught on. Take 3D scanning and print technology and put it to work with some hyper-versatile advertising and entertainment creativity, and you get this — the Omote 3D Shashin Kan (“Shashin Kan” is translated “photo booth”) that produces miniature human replicas. A brainchild of Tokyo-New York creative company PARTY, Omote 3D is currently running a pop-up store in the hip Tokyo neighborhood of Harajuku, at the Eyre of Gyre shopping mall. If you’re able to stand perfectly still for 15 minutes and wish to take home a 3D memorabilia of your glorious self, make an online reservation and pop down for some 3D photo booth action before January 14 next year.

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering what goes on in the mind of a supercreative, Wallpaper* Magazine picks the brain of PARTY’s co-founder and creative director. Tokyo-born and San Francisco-raised Masashi Kawamura is also an art and film director with prior training as a programmer–he’s got skills.

How do you select your projects?
My expertise is in film and interactive work, but I like design projects where I’m not restricted in the mediums I can use. I like to explore different methods of communication, so I always try to think of the best idea, then the best medium to bring it to life. We love working on projects where we can experiment with ways to combine storytelling and technology. The original idea for the 3D models was there when we started PARTY last June. We wanted to use the technique to capture our opening party, but we didn’t have enough time, being too busy with the start-up.

How do you see 3D technology evolving? We’re thinking there is an untapped market for architects to place perfect replicas of their clients in architectural models.
We have several uses in mind, but can’t tell you yet. Personally, I’d love to have a 3D model made of the Dalai Lama. I can see 3D scanning and 3D printing becoming cheaper and with even better resolution. Also, there should be more variations in size and materials in the future.

You come from a programming background but are working in highly creative fields. Explain to us the difference between the two approaches and how you reconcile them.
I actually don’t think there’s a huge difference between them. My mind thinks in a very logical way, almost as if I’m coding, even when I’m making a music video, for example.

The entire interview can be found over at Wallpaper*.