Kenny J Smith

In the development process to create a live performance, I have taken a strong visual style influenced by retro video synthesizers, paper rad, tim and eric awesome show, wonder showzen and jimmy joe roche. These visuals can contain cartoons, intense flashing, primative 3d and bright colours verging on being painful for eyes to watch. The main goal is to create an intense experience in an imaginative virtual space in real time.  There will also need be a virtual camera to explore the virtual space this would move pan and zoom to experience the perspective of being immersed within the environment.

Examples of the scanimate video synthesizer

Tim and Eric use modern techniques to replicate the old video synthesizers.

paper rads flashing images should come with a warning, jimmy joe roche using a diamond transition

An improvised performance will take place between virtual performers and a virtual camera. There will also need be an improvised performance between elements controlled within the environment and a virtual camera. To optimize the improvised possibilities there will need to be freedom in every possible aspect of the virtual performers. A Midi controller will be used to interface with interactive elements in the environment and could also be used to create audio. A game controller would be perfect for manipulating the virtual camera because it will help to make the movements of the camera more mastered.

The main point of my video is that I wanted to add another element to the video without adding any new content. The solution was to add the same video to the screen several times, each playing out of sync from the others. The videos a transparent in certain places depending on the music that is playing. The result is a glitch effect on any moving object that occurs when music is playing.A further element that I added was to play the video in time with the music by scrubbing the video according to the audio level.

To complement the glitch look, I used an electro song called Puppet Mechanics by Carl Phaser. This song has a Creative Commons Licence and can be found at http://starfrosch.ch/2009/07/18/carl_phaser_end_dark. The most effective video for remixing is footage of people moving because there is more of a contrast in glitching organic forms.

Once the final remix video was captured, I noticed that it looks terrible without audio. It is only when you can hear the audio that the video is reacting to that it looks good. It might be hard to further remix this video without the original accompanying audio.

After testing out my remixing patch, it looks a little bit like watching a crappy vhs tape. I wasn’t too sure what the video was going to look like but it should fit in with remix aesthetics.
http://videopong.net/?action=detail&dirid=0cweomlwth7

My concept for an AV remix is manipulate certain elements within the frame using time as a dimension. The basic plan is to have a series of frames that play the same movie at slightly different times and to mask these layers to reveal several frames at a time. The intended effect is the ability to push and pull objects through time. I have been looking into using sound to control the areas where time is manipulated

A response to the article VJing and Live A/V Practices
http://vjtheory.net/web_texts/text_bucksbarg.htm

The combination of audio and visual performance reminds me of early cinema, where a pre-made film would be accompanied by a live pianist or other audio performance. The modern day night club experience has become an audio performance accompanied by video.

To quote an extract of the article “What this early work helps us understand about new audio-visual practices is that when put together, the visuals and the sounds are extensions or amplifications of each other, like instruments in an orchestra or dancers on a stage.”

This statement is interesting because the way that audio and visual components compliment each other. To say that they amplify each other i not necessarily true because the context of one is changed when the other is added. A great example of this is the dark side of the rainbow, when Pink Floyd’s album Dark Side of the Moon is played with the film The Wizard of Oz. Although the film and album are completely unrelated, there are occasions where they seem to correspond with each other. In part this is caused by the mind’s desire to look for the connection between audio and visual.