Cycle 2 (Amy)
Posted: December 14, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »
Cycle 2: Implementation and expansion – working title: ‘Annihilation of self’
November 14th goal: Create a piece that allows for a fluid collective experience for the class.
Inspiration: ‘Deep listening takes us below the surface of our consciousness and helps to change or dissolve limiting boundaries.’ – Pauline Oliveros
Implementation: acquisition of resources and programming
- Light –
- 8 dimmable lightbulbs
- 8 socket bases
- Chauvet DJ DMX 4-4 channel (lightbulbs > Enttec)
- Enttec USB Pro (DMX > Computer)
- Motion –
- Orbbec Depth Sensor (installed on ceiling of Motion Lab)
- Sound –
- Solo voice improvisation, recording, layering
- 2 Portable Speakers
Reflection:
Developing from Cycle 1, mostly a sketch using motion detection, translating to sound and light reactivity, Cycle 2 really fleshed out the the piece and set up for a collective experience in preparation for Cycle 3.
A crucial addition was CG’s fantastic 11ft circular rug! It provided the perfect layout for our group and served as a physical ‘score’ for the piece. To detect motion, we hung an Orbbec from the ceiling facing the floor, which provided a bird’s-eye-view for my reactivity map. As people stepped onto the rug, the Orbbec would trigger sound and light in response to their position and movements. In Isadora, the mechanisms for operation were: OpenNI (Orbbec detection) > Luminance key > Alpha Mask (for circular crop) > Eyes++ > blob detection, which then controlled the volume of sound files on loop and levels of brightness for the DMX output.
The biggest challenge for this iteration was the set up. Because each lightbulb required its own extension cord, the set up and tear down became quite labor intensive and each took about an hour. It was definitely worth the effort. The lightbulbs were entrancing! Seeing the initial concept of light and sound ‘waking up’ to physical presence was utterly magical. Much credit goes to Nico for generously providing mesmerizing dance as a quick demo. Thanks Nico!
