By Scott Stevenson
This project was funded by artsnb
Film Co-op member Scott Stevenson recently chatted with up-and-coming NB Film Co-op member/media guru Chantal Jansen. They discussed her new and exciting project combining film, media, app development, artificial reality, and the timeless question of whether it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
Scott: Welcome, Chantal. I appreciate you taking the time to talk about your new project with the Film Co-op community. What is it that you are working on? No spoilers, of course!
Chantal: “A Look at Love” is a chapbook that integrates original poetry and artwork as a printed book with augmented reality (AR) technology through a downloadable mobile app. It features poems exploring various dimensions of romantic and self-love—its joys, complexities, and nuances—paired with original visual artwork that enhances the themes and narratives of the poems. Readers will scan the artwork using their mobile devices (the app) to unlock AR experiences that enhance the narrative both visually and audibly. These experiences may include animated illustrations, audio performances of the poems, films, sound design, and visual effects that resonate with the emotional undertones of the written work.
Scott: That sounds like a very original idea. Has anything like this been done before? What inspired you to create this experience for people and film in an unconventional way?
Chantal: Thank you! I did a prototype in 2023 for my final honours project - exactly the same concept but different poems and artworks. I know some comic books with AR integration, but I’ve never heard of/seen AR coupled with artwork and poetry in a printed book.
Scott: You are primarily a media designer, producer, and founder of Vivid Blue Studio. You are undertaking app creation, augmented reality, and poetry. Were these skills you already had, or did you study to learn them?
Chantal: I am a media designer and writer, but I studied Software Engineering many years ago. When I developed the first app for my Honours project my engineering skills came in handy, but things have changed so much since then, so it took a lot of research and development and trial and error before I got it to work.
Scott: Is it just you working on this, or do you have a team?
Chantal: I am the team! At this stage, the only things I am “outsourcing” are camera operators and actors/people for interviews for the film parts of the project
NOTE: Chantal is seeking people for documentary-style interviews on love and loss. If you want to participate, please email her at hello@vividblue.studio (it counts as your volunteer hours members!). Interviews will take place in March.
Scott: You said the theme is love and loss. Why is that subject important to you, and what inspired you to choose that subject? When people experience this world, you are creating what it is that you are trying to share with them. Valentine’s is fast approaching, and this subject may be on many people’s minds.
Chantal: I chose love and loss because I believe it’s a very relatable topic - everyone, everywhere experiences love (or a lack thereof) and loss at some point in their life - with this comes many emotions and challenges that play a significant role in shaping who we are as people and how we interact with others. I believe there is such a strong connection between love and loss, where “loss” does not necessarily mean death, but losing and grieving someone who is still alive (or the idea you had of them) or the loss of parts of an “old- self” when there is growth towards achieving true self-love and compassion. The poems are not meant to focus on romance in love but rather on the challenges we face regarding self-love and romantic relationships because self-love and romantic love influence one another greatly. How we express, navigate, and accept love is often tied to our environment and experiences that shape and keep shaping us.
Scott: That’s amazing. Thank you for taking the time to talk about it. This sounds like a cool project that uses all your film and media skills to make a very personal and unique work of art. I look forward to checking it out. When will you release it, and how will people get it?
Chantal: The book will be published in February 2026. People will buy the book, download the app, and then register and subscribe for a small fee. That will give you access to the AR experiences linked to each artwork and poem.
Scott: Keep updating people on your progress. Good luck, Chantal!