Projection Mapping: Class 9

Pokemon Live VJ

For this in-class exercise, we were to VJ live in the Audio Lab using Modul8. Initially, my group and I wanted to use a song that had EDM-like beats, where it started off as piano and calming and built its way up to the peak and beat-drops. However, midway through our progress, we decided that what we were making on Modul8 did not quite match the song we chose. The visuals we chose to use had a trippy loop in the background, with flashing strobes, then we added other elements like snowflakes and played around with the animations and transform feature. However, when we changed the song, we decided to replace the numerous snowflakes with Mimikyu, a creature that uses a Pikachu disguise. Because we chose a Pokemon character, we thought it would be most coherent if we focused on other Pokemon characters and elements.  We also had another grouping in Modul8 which was the Pokeball background with Squirtle and Mewtwo as the moving elements. We combined this grouping with a flashing animation loop and turned down the opacity. The music was changed and implemented into Modul8 itself, which was video game music. However, the volume of the music was quite low while we were live VJing so we had to play other Youtube soundtracks on my phone. For the live VJing, we just played around with transitioning Group A and Group B, changed the colors through the RGB wheel and filters, swapping out the elements for other ones. We also changed the effects of different elements like its speed, scale, movement, etc. Overall, I think we could have composed a much more organized and cohesive piece if we had more time to work on this exercise, and if we had a clear vision from the start. There were also some mishaps like the music not working properly and some technical issues with the transitions and graphics.

 

Finding of the Week

While I was walking around Chinatown, I came across an art installation in a room by the street. It was quite small, and at first glance it was like the display of a storefront. The piece is called Syzygy Transmitter by Keith Sonnier. It was quite nice to see different materials being used for this art, along with the yellow/orange and blue LED lights, which showed contrast. The installation is on 35 Allen St. 

This finding was from last week, where I went to “Group Hug” by Onassis ONX, which was an exhibition of large-scale video game installations. There were 3 installations in total, but the one I found most relative to this class was “THE LACK: I KNEW YOUR VOICE BEFORE YOU SPOKE” by Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley. The interactive game needed a group of people to successfully play it as it had buttons on the floor, two microphones in the back, and a giant screen displaying the game. The room itself was also quite amazing as there were many hand-drawn sheets with sayings that were hanging around. There was also an interesting storyline for the game and you could change between various scenes and unlock hidden levels.

An excerpt from the website:
“THE LACK: I KNEW YOUR VOICE BEFORE YOU SPOKE” was inspired by Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s love for choose-your-own-adventure games, with players’ decisions influencing every element of their surrounding world’s reconstruction. The installation includes a performance component, featuring bespoke dance mats as video game controllers, and sound generated by players. Brathwaite-Shirley seeks to create an environment of active participation in which the audience is as much the medium as the games they craft. “THE LACK” for Group Hug is curated by Serpentine Arts Technologies. It was originally co-commissioned for Art Night Dundee 2023, by Art Night, NEoN Digital Arts, and Serpentine Arts Technologies.