For God and country: an experiment in immersive rhetoric

This practice-based study reports the design and development of For God and Country, a film created to examine personal address in immersive rhetoric delivered by a synthetic performer. The artefact re-presents Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech through a MetaHuman character produced in Unreal Engine. Audio-driven facial and head animation, direct camera address, multiple framings, lighting, and a cinematic soundtrack were combined in the completed sequence. Reflective examination of the production identified the removal of a represented audience and the performer’s sustained orientation toward the camera as the central design decisions, since together they place the viewer in the position of the audience. The resulting film demonstrates the practical feasibility of constructing a coherent synthetic performance around this relationship of address. It remains a proof of concept rather than evidence of an audience effect, and establishes a production basis and set of variables for subsequent evaluation with viewers.

Item Type:

Art/Design Item

Date:

31 August 2026

Uncontrolled Keywords or tags :

Immersive Rhetoric, Cinematic Multimedia, Synthetic Performers, Speech Performance

Depositing User:

Dr. William Sawyerr

Date Deposited:

01 Sep 2026 11:28

Last Modified:

01 Sep 2026 13:55

Art/Design Categories:

3D Design, Film, Video

URI:

https://research.uca.ac.uk/id/eprint/7077

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