Abstract

In the attempt to preserve and safeguard the unique traditional Wayang Kulit (Shadow Play), UNESCO has designated Wayang Kulit Indonesia as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on 7th November 2003. In Malaysia, Wayang Kulit Kelantan is the pre-eminent form of shadow puppet theatre. However it is threatened with imminent extinction nowadays. There were more than 300 dalangs (shadow puppeteers and narrators) in 1960’s but the number decreased tremendously to 11 in 1999. The visual styles of the Wayang Kulit Kelantan were presented and identified by descriptive comparison studies between Wayang Kulit Kelantan and Wayang Kulit Purwa Indonesia. This was followed by CGI experiments to investigate how these visual styles can be generated and captured in digital environment. This research provided a comprehensive details of the visual styles of Wayang Kulit Kelantan compared to Wayang Kulit Purwa. Besides, the findings also revealed the methods and techniques of CGI, in the scope of capturing and generating the visual styles of Wayang Kulit Kelantan. Evidently, this research served as a guide for further studies on the preservation of the visual styles of Wayang Kulit Kelantan.