Last semester, I presented my final iteration of my processing project. The project essentially reacts directly to the computers microphone input and puts a 3 Dimensional object up on the screen. This is particularly impressive with the iMacs input as the microphone is very good. The way I got to this point in the project was not the simple way, I did not look at the multitude of (crap) audio visualisers out there and go 'ah, I want one!' although that was probably part of it. No, the train of thought was started at the Semi-Permanent exhibition.
One of the speakers involved in performance based design was talking about a light wall he did for Massive Attack. This wall basically changed the brightness of many lights in various patterns, but the way in which they did this was to use the input from the microphone. This meant that if the singer held the microphone out to the audience and they were REALLY loud, the lights would go nuts. The designer said the effect of this on the crowd was quite amazing.
This resonated with something I read about a billboard with a giant Db meter on it. The meter was originally making a statement about sound pollution (I think), however it found many different applications apart from its original intention. The nightclub underneath it used it to prove (to nearby house occupants) that they weren't actually that loud, school children shouted at it to make the meter move, etc. This kind of real-time interaction does not feature in classic 'itunes' visualizations (the criticism levelled at my project) and I believe it makes the project.
However, I would not be learning if I did not take this kind of thing on-board. Since then I have been thinking and trying things out in different directions. In terms of technical skill (something my tutor appears to think I should be proving, where in a previous project I was marked down for 'indulging' myself in technical detail) I have most recently experimented with offscreen buffers. This took a short while for me to get my head around, but the possibilities are actually really interesting.
In terms of my actual project I have been playing with the webcam and setting out to understand exactly how processing deals with webcam feeds and the possibilities of that. So far I have succeeded in taking the feed, putting it on an offscreen buffer and then setting that buffer as a texture. My current final goal for this is to make a 3D webcam feed where several frames are in 3d space all moving at the same time.
Thirdly, I have been thinking of this new club trend of VJing. Being in NZ this has not really made an impact yet, but I think some very clever set-ups could be achieved, and visual feedback when your dancing is a very engaging element (even the giant mirror in margies has some effect!). To this goal mixing video and various other feeds from dancers and the DJ's performance and processing them along with the music into a number of visual forms (with varying degrees of abstraction) would be my goal in terms of producing a VJ performance. As I understand it most current VJ's use stock footage and mix it up in time to the music. I have not seen one of these yet that didn't look like a psychedelic trip through 60's ville.
In terms of how this relates to my project I really want to make a form on the computer that reacts to visual and audio inputs with its own visual and audio output. For instance taking the webcam and producing sound from that, and then making the audio output change the shape of the object. For now my next goal is to mess with offscreen buffers and 3D form and see what happens!
I'm out.
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General,
Semester 1
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