Cycle 2_Taylor
Posted: December 3, 2016 Filed under: Assignments, Isadora, Taylor Leave a comment »This patch was created to use in my rehearsal to give the dancers a look at themselves while experimenting with improvisation to create movement. During this phase of the process we were exploring habits in relation to limitations and anxiety. I asked the dancers to think about how their anxieties manifest physically calling up the feelings of anxiety and using the patch to view their selves in real time, delayed time, and various freeze frames. From this exploration, the dancers were asked to create solos.
For cycle two, I worked out the bugs from the first cycle.
The main thing that was different for this cycle was working with the Kinect and using a depth camera to track the space and shift from the scenic footage to the live feed video instead of using live feed and tracking brightness levels.
I also connected toggles and gates to a multimix to switch between pictures and video for the first scene using pulse generators to randomize the images being played. For rehearsal purposes, these images are content provided from the dancers’ lives, a technological representation of their memories. I am glad I was able to fix this glitch with the images and videos. Before they were not alternating. I was able to use this in my previous patch along with the Kinect depth camera to switch the images based on movement instead of pulse generators.
Cycle 2 responses:
The participants thought that not knowing that the system was candidly recording them was cool. This was nice to hear because I had changed the amount of video delay so that the past self would come as more of a surprise. I felt that if the participant was unaware of the playback of the delay that there interaction with the images/videos at the beginning would be more natural and less conscious of being watched (even though our class is also watching the interaction).
Participants (classmates) also thought that more surprises would be interesting. Like the addition of filters such as dots or exploding to live video feed, but I don’t know how this would fit into my original premise for creating the patch.
Another comment that I wrote down, but am still a little unsure of what they meant was dealing with the placement of performers and inquiring if multiple screens might be effective. I did use the patch projecting on multiple screens in my rehearsal. I was interesting how the performers were very concerned with the stages being produced letting that drive their movement but were also able to stay connected with the group in the real space because they could see the stages from multiple angles. This allowed them to be present in the virtual and the real space during their performance.
I was also excited about the movement of participants that was generated. I think I am becoming more and more interested in getting people to move in ways they would not normally and think with more development this system could help to achieve that.
link to cycle 2 and rehearsal patches: https://osu.box.com/s/5qv9tixqv3pcuma67u2w95jr115k5p0o (also has unedited rehearsal footage from showing)
Cycle 1… more like cycle crash (Taylor)
Posted: December 3, 2016 Filed under: Isadora, Taylor, Uncategorized Leave a comment »The struggle.
So, I was disappointed that I couldn’t get the full version (with projector projecting, camera, and a full-bodied person being ‘captured’) up and running. Even last week I did a special tech run two days before my rehearsal using two cameras (an HDMI connected camera and a web cam). I got everything up, running, and attuned to the correct brightness Wednesday and then Friday it was struggle-bus city for Chewie, then Izzy was saying my files were corrupted and it didn’t want to stay open. Hopefully, I can figure out this wireless thing for cycle 2 or maybe start working with a Kinect and a Cam?…
The patch.
This patch was formulated from/in conjunction with PP(2). It starts with a movie player and a picture player switching on&off (alternating) while randomly jumping through videos/images. Although recently I am realizing that it is only doing one or the other… so I have been working on how the switching back and forth btw the two players works (suggestions for easier ways to do this are welcome). When a certain range of brightness (or amount of motion) is detected from the Video In (fed through Difference) the image/vid projector switches off and the 3 other projectors switch on [connected to Video In – Freeze, Video Delay – Freeze, another Video In (when other 2 are frozen)]. After a certain amount of time the scene jumps to a duplicate scene, ‘resetting’ the patch. To me, these images represent our past and present selves but also provide the ability to take a step back or step outside of yourself to observe. In the context of my rehearsal, for which I am developing these patches, this serves as another way of researching our tendencies/habits in relation to inscriptions/incorporations on our bodies and the general nature of our performative selves.
The first cycle.
Some comments that I received from this first cycle showing were: “I was able to shake hands with my past self”, “I felt like I was painting with my body”, and people were surprised by their past selves. These are all in line with what I was going for, I even adjusted the frame rate of the Video Delay by doubling it right before presenting because I wanted this past/second self to come as more of a surprise. Another comment that I received was that the timing of images/vids was too quick, but as they experimented and the scene regenerated they gained more familiarity with the images. I am still wondering with this one. I made the images quick on purpose for the dancers to only be able to ‘grab’ what they could from the image in this flash of time (which is more about a spurring of feeling than a digestion of the image). Also, the images used are all sourced from the performers so they are familiar and these images already have certain meanings for them… Don’t quite know how the spectators will relate or how to direct their meaning making in these instances…(ideas on this are also welcomed). I want to set up the systems used in the creation of the work as an installation that spectators can interact with prior to the performers performing, and I am still stewing on through line between systems… although I know it’s already there.
Thanks for playing, friends!!!
Also, everyone is invited to view the Performance Practice we are working on. It is on Fridays 9-10 in Mola (this Friday is rescheduled for Mon 11.14, through Dec. 2), please come play with us… and let me know if you are planning to!