Un-nerving / amazing, shower-heads follow viewers’ faces closely, like charmed snakes.
viewer chooses scenes for final edit (PD)
Interactive editing:
- primary edit cuts film into sequences / shots
- viewer arranges them
- viewer views final sequence
My research / practice questions concern editing, so this would be a good generic experiment.
However my MA project will be on memory / selective autobiography: does not suit a viewer changing chronology.
Monday 7 June
Finished chapter on interactivity (Processing. Greenberg, I).
200 pps left, mostly on 3D.
Will run chapters 10-12 sketches shortly, re:
- imaging
- motion
- interactivity
Abstract:
- have been looking at abstracts / how-to links
- original abstract could work, with a change of emphasis
- should finish it by Monday
Processing. Greenberg, I:
- Crunching final pps
- list all sketches from chapters 10-13 before book return
- download / run sketches any time / later
Feedback re blog from alumni:
- Susan Mortimer
- Ayhan Oensal
It is very enabling to hear the thoughts of peers.
Tuesday 8
Sara’s advice: ‘Don’t put extra pressure on yourself at this stage of the PT course’ is much appreciated.
There is enough to do reading / coding Processing, and the abstract.
Have not seen anyone, as the impetus is on the show / f2f.
Feel like an OL student, only without the chat sessions.
Going to call everyone to say hi.
Wednesday 9
Thinking of the similarity with memory / autobiography:
- Mine will be a very selective autobiography: a sub-set of memories.
Ed’s session: postponed…
- had a chat with him re direction
- action: look at Pure Data
Finished Processing (800 pps):
- run sketches from chapter 13 / appendices A / B (on 3D and maths)
Lots to do: abstract submission Monday.
Andy talked to me today, which helped: it is to be a starting point; open to feedback / possible fine-tuning.
Thursday 10
Mike Faulkner (D-Fuse) session:
- work was very now / good for inspiration
- will send him links for Lev Manovich as there were similarities in some of their work e.g. data
Action:
- Processing (run sketches)
- Pure Data (overview)
- abstract
Sunday 13
Abstract submission:
- relieved / hope ok
- it is a starting p0int / can be changed if necessary
- filling formal section of the abstract was valuable, even as a draft
Now focus on Processing / Pure Data.
Monday 14
Listed remaining sketches from chapters 10-13 of Processing.
Will run them shortly with those from appendices A & B.
They handle:
- images
- colour
- motion
- interactivity
- 3D
Useful code to have in library, since Ed said that for what we are trying to do, it will be ok to adapt existing code.
Borrowed books:
- How We Became Post-human. Hayles, K (she recently preceded Manovich at the Southbank)
- Computers as Theatre. Donald, N, useful for paper
Wednesday 16
Ed’s lesson: nearly passed out when I saw motion-tracker on Pure Data:
- reminded me of Open Frameworks
- runs off C++
- no need to learn the language
Processing motion / 3D sketch of cubes turning: pales compared to PD 3D cube spinning with video on each face!
Action:
- visualise my stop motion .mov files on that cube
- run last 6 chapters of Processing code
Thursday 17
Ed’s 2nd session:
- he was helping Rod, which was a good demo
- sound exercises
- downloaded PD at home
Action:
- play around with examples
Will still run code from final Processing chapters, but tempted to jump straight to PD.
Theory from the Processing helped to quickly understand PD terms, e.g.
- translate
- z axis for 3D space / 3D motion
Tried out PD, but am going to need practice before I know my way around.
Action:
- ask Rod for pointers around the library, so I can be quick
- PD: mess around / get started
- run more Processing code
- sort out access to my site www.clairealonge.com
Looked at the exhibition page on the PD site (see images above).
Downloaded Ed’s patches from 2-day workshop.
Saturday 19 – Sunday 20
Ran Processing code:
- chapter 10 exercises:
- need images added
- quick to do
- good for a personal code library
- chapters 11-12 exercises:
- some gave me ideas how I could add interaction
- one of the sketches is a draw program
- animation: redraw same box repeatedly with different co-ordinates
- we use the same code as the Photoshop authors, which is nice
- chapter 13 exercises:
- 3D with movement
- some sketches need appendages from separate files
- tried adding classes with limited success
- other debugging issues I could not fix.
Tomorrow I will make simple changes: e.g. background colour.
When I started running menu sketches (before reading the book), I could not impose my ideas on the work.
This has changed since grasping:
- concepts
- code
- functionality
Monday 21
First attempts at changing Processing code.
These experiments are simple, but so is code… we have to think low level to get into the ‘mind’ of the computer.
Tried random numbers, found out later that an RGB chart would have been simpler:
- in the spinning cube sketches I changed the background code from 0 to 10, which changed the colour from black to grey
- next I changed the value to 1000 which changed it to blue
- 500 = the same blue as 1000, but 5000 gives a darker blue
- 10,000 = very dark bottle green, almost black
- 45 = dark grey… 70 gives a darker grey than 100 but not as dark as 45
- I can see that 0 gives black, and as the numbers progress to 100, the black reduces to mid-grey
- 200 = pale grey, but 300 = indigo!
- 250 = white, but 260 looks black (may be darkest blue)
- 210-240 = pale grey receding to white
- 260-290 = black with the gradual inclusion of blue to achieve indigo @ 300
- 310-510 = decrease of black to bright blue
- 520 jumps back to ‘black’ which is really darkest blue
- black again decreases to bright blue by 760
- 770 flips back to ‘black’ blue then by 1000 we are on proper blue again up til 1020
- 1030 we are back on ‘black’ (full saturation black + full saturation blue)
- 1500 we are back to bright blue and again by 2000
- 1900 = darker blue, and 3000, 4000 and 5000 also give darker blue
- 2000-9000 show various blue shades
- 9000 = very dark grey but 90,000 gives a different ‘slate’ greyish blue
- 80,000 gives a darker version of this, and 70,000 even darker
- 60,000 = light green.
- 10,000 = darkest green
- 100,000 = kind of turquoise.
- 1000,000 = grey-green
Seems no rhyme or reason to this. Will be using the RGB chart.
Tried again adding classes to files (chapter 13) e.g. cube to pyramid to cone to cylinder, but was not able to debug all the errors.
Would like to revisit when I know more code functions etc.
Appendix A had a file where red meteors multiply:
- tried to change the colour values as per the background experiments above.
- I got the same colour, but dots instead of meteors, i.e. no light trails (I actually like it better so saved the variation also)
- reversing the value gave longer light trails, until they were too ‘pixelated’ and broken
- changing the second colour co-ordinate value slows the meteors down, but only if you use a positive number
- if you use a negative number to speed them up, the background colour changes!
- elsewhere in the code there was a size value which can be changed to get bigger meteors
A nice file for viewer interaction was the tile-drawer. As soon as you make a doodle and release, it tiles over the screen. If the viewer wants to continue their drawing, they cannot. So they learn to do the doodle in one stroke.
The analogue clock reminded me of John Maeda’ s calendars.
The spinning word was a possibility for minimal text additions.
Thursday 24
Yesterday I had feedback on my abstract:
- useful to help me to focus the paper more specifically
- I need / value that, as peer comments aid research
- I have a lot of field work to do, and the hand-in is the end of November
- It is exciting because my paper addresses an area that seems to have been omitted
Andy was showing us – by example – how to question things, when talking to Elvia: it is such a good way of teaching.
Some teachers teach what they like / what they think. I am happy for the K L students who will benefit from a blend of enablement / discernment / extensive experience & expertise in experimental video art.
Saturday 26
Looking forward to Ed’s concert tonight, to get inspiration for my sound track : )
Monday 28
A change in the programme: several performances before Ed, who was moved to 11-2am with no confirmation of order:
- Unable to stay, however we did hear some electronic music and saw an interactive piece run with PD and Arduino.
Busy updating the abstract / reading / general catch-up at home. However I will go to the show-build as much as possible this week.
The book: How we became post-human. Hayles, K, should help my research paper. It is of interest since Lev Manovich said before his lecture that she was the greatest mind in modern media, and she was a hard act to follow.
Wednesday 30
Camberwell: helped with show:
- good experience
- painting
- drilling
- used the ban saw to create a wooden prop for a projection angle
- made a light-proof / fire-proof container for Bill from a Budweiser can
Wednesday 7 July
Predigital methods of research: sitting in the library reading relevant magazines:
- I must have a schedule whereby I read the online versions regularly
- I will shortly use the e-library for my research paper, so that will help me kick-start the habit
Spent time net-working, which gave me inspiration for the paper.
Thursday 8
Supposed to be helping Esme: we had to postpone it as the print area closes at 4, so we went for coffee at the South London Gallery.
She gave me some input for my paper.
Had an informal chat with Andy and Jonathan and looked at the MADA show spaces.
They are cleaning for the external assessor. This is all food for thought.
July 12
World cup closing show last night:
- reminded me of the need for an interesting viewer experience
- the animation for the corporate looked like it had been done in Processing, Open Frameworks or Blender, but not Flash
- we can learn from some ads: those which show some technical achievement and become conversation pieces
- slow motion footage of emotions in the competition elevated sports photography to an art form, such was its impact
Reading in the garden: less pressure on PT1, yet much to do and I wish to see gradual progress, otherwise it can be frustrating.
I want to schedule the research paper, and there should be some practice too, as some experiments still await execution.
The potential for discovery can take place via technical research, and I have some ideas from Processing samples.
Thursday 15
Group crit:
- immensely useful
- about curation of the space
- work: intrinsic to the use of space
My next step is the research paper, although it will be good to finish current practice experiments:
- they could be recreational for me whilst I write the paper.
Action:
- schedule / plan field work
Need to schedule practice too, because the work needs to be finished by July 2011 to give a month for testing:
- limit the exploration time-line for practice (Esme said she did hers till about March)
Wednesday 22
Rob’s workshop at LCC:
- can now schedule my own learning / exploration
- will enable me next year: rather than relying on technician-help
- if I know it inside out it should succeed
- need time for the software packages, and to become familiar with the functionality
Thursday 29
Returned How we became post-human. Hayles, K, after making notes for bibliography / glossary.
Andy suggested tactical reading: did not read all chapters because it did not relate to my research paper.
However, she writes on an exceptional level, which was inspiring as I begin to write the paper (did the draft at Christmas 09, but there have been developments.)
Friday 30
Chelsea College of Art Library was holding a book for me:
- Grammar of the Edit. Thompson, R
- it will be help my research for the paper
- it will inform my practice (the video)
Clairealonge's Blog 