Media Art Unit One - Spring 2012

Dave Hall Generative Audio Interaction 2006

Sound driven visual Motion and Media
(Physical media)
Preface and Introduction

Cymatics is the study of visible sound and vibration, typically on the surface of a plate, diaphragm or membrane.

Direct ocular viewing of vibrations involves exciting inorganic matter such as particulate matter, pastes (both magnetic and non magnetic) and liquids under the influence of sound, although recent research has extended the range of media to include organic matter and the range of viewing has been extended to include the light microscope.
The generic term for this field of science is the study of 'modal phenomena,’ named 'Cymatics' by Hans Jenny, a Swiss medical doctor and a pioneer in this field. The word 'Cymatics' derives from the Greek 'kuma' meaning 'billow' or 'wave,' to describe the periodic effects that sound and vibration has on matter.
The apparatus employed can be simple, such as a Chladni Plate (a flat brass plate excited by a violin bow) or advanced such as the CymaScope, a laboratory instrument that makes visible the inherent geometries within sound and music.
From wiki

This class and projects will be about the exploration of audio driven patterns and graphics with an intention to create an instalation.

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Project One
Circuit Bending and Electronics
Duration 3 weeks

Each person will buy two or more battery powered electronic
audio devices. (Must be battery powered). One will be a
speak and spell machine the other will be up to you.

Week One – Introduction
Week Two – Disassemble and initial tests
Week Three – Adding components for control and interaction.

Note. As well as buying electronic audio devices you will also need soldering irons and various other components.

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Project Two
Signal Processing and Sound
Duration 3 weeks

PREFACE

Sound signals have been represented graphically for as long as graphics has existed. However with a computer added to the working pipeline its possible to envisage many new and unexplored visualizations of audio data.

The basis of motion graphics is often the relationship between sound and image. However as media breaks out of the confines of the screen new methods and approaches to audio data output are emerging.

Procedure

We will take our sound source from the first project. Processes it digitally then output it three dimensionally via the laser cutting fabrication process.

Week One - Introduction
Week Two – Strategies for visualizing audio
Week Three – Digital laser output

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Project Three
Real-time and interaction or Pre rendered
Duration 6 weeks


For the final part of our project you have two choices.

Option One- Pre Rendered Animation
Using trapcode sound keys you can use your audio signal to generate motion graphics in After Effects. The visual style should be abstract I suggest. 


Option Two- Real Time interaction
Using your sound and circuit knowledge you will hook up your device to
a computer and use the signal to modify / change an image.


Software could be Quartz composer ( for mac ) or VVVV or which ever program you choose.


Final Presentation


Physical Media 2009 from Opi@te Acc on Vimeo.


Duration 1 week

Media Environment One Spring 2012

Media Environment One
Depth and Time 

David Hall Experiments in motion 2007

PROJECT ONE
Space and Motion Graphics (Still)Duration 4 weeks

PREFACE

The beginning of motion graphics runs parallel with the history of cinema.
And the birth of both was multiple exposure photography and the “zoetrope “. Motion capture (MOCAP) is a widely used process for calculating movement. But it can also be used to explore motion and animation (motion graphics) through a non time based delivery medium such as still images.

In this project we will explore motion and animation through the multiple exposures, or multiple imaging techniques. In any given environment or situation still motion graphics can reveal a hidden world of possibilities and beauty not visible to the naked eye.
METHOD

Step One
CONCEPT AND EXPLORATION-( 1 week duration )
Develop your concept with a view to its stylistic and visual qualities as well as how this work will be disseminated.

Step Two
DIGITAL-(1 week duration)
Experiment with concept, location and movement through a series of images.

Step Three
FINAL PRESENTATION - (1 week duration)
I expect at least 10 experimental images from each person as the final output of this project. I also expect to see a creative unusual approach the idea of still images and motion.
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PROJECT TWO
Form and Time (Animation)
Duration 4 weeks

 David Hall Multiples 2009

PREFACE - Multiples

Posit 1
"The multiple manufactures originals in series.
This means that the objects are not reproductions of an original but are themselves originals. They are not simply multiplied but manifold within themselves."

According to this key statement, formulated by Daniel Spoerri and Karl Gerstner at the foundation of their Edition MAT (Multiplication d'Art Transformable) in 1959, the multiple is to be regarded as an art form in its own right.


In this unit class we will explore the concepts behind modern “Emergent “architectural and digital media procedures. We will use the concept of the genetic multiple to explore form and digital space.

Method

Each person will develop a formal strategy digitally, to investigate structure.

Week One – Introduction
Week Two – Primary outline
Week Three – Initial experiments One.
Week Four – Initial experiments Two
Week Five – Screen cap and play blast presentation.
Week Seven – Final presentation of stage one

Note. Autodesk Maya will be a primary tool in this project. Although you do not need to be an expert in this software you should have a general knowledge of 3D applications. I will demonstrate during class Maya procedure

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Note. Autodesk Maya will be a primary tool in this project. Although you do not need to be an expert in this software you should have a general knowledge of 3D applications. I will demonstrate during class Maya procedure.

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PROJECT THREE
Rapid Prototyping for Media
Duration 7 weeks
David Hall "Sequence 34" 2007

PREFACE
Flow and fluid mechanics are a primary ingredient in all motion graphics and film. In fact the principles of fluid mechanics are present in almost all physical liquid or particle systems. In this project I want you to play with the concept of flow from a digital and analogue perspective. The end result of the project will be a 3 minute animation / movie, with a sound track ( can be beat driven it’s your choice ).

OBJECTIVE
To find visual patterns and rhythm's in the digital and analogue world that can be refined and experimented with to produce an object that can be printed using the 3D printer in IDAS

METHOD
For each person the process will be different. These personal methodologies will be discussed in class.

David Hall 3D print Process 2007
NOTE : As this is the primary part of the class you are perfectly free to specify and proceed with your own research project. The only provision is that you write a detailed brief first

Final Presentation


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Opiumble @ Space Can Dec 14 to Dec 30 2011

 

Chapter One : Lo Fi Landscape

Through a process of mathematical reduction the landscape became more and refined and simplified. All the other objects in the exhibition are developed simply using a computer, then layers of complexity are added until the computational model and the physical three dimentional print look organic and natural. In other words their construction and development history is hidden within their complexity.

This project is the reverse of that process in every way. The objects are real physical forms ( topological landscape date and human anatomy ), then this data is refined back to minimal polygonal data.

As I have spent a great deal of my time in the UK as a production designer, the work owns a lot to the process of production design in that it is more of an atmospheric physical set piece rather than computer simulation. As the landscape was reduced within the computer it was then digitally fabricated to give an exact replication in the physical world. Everything in the installation is a polygon. The light emitting from the projectors (the virtual cameras in reverse) is also triangulated by virtue of projecting through a smoke layer. This makes every light ray of the animations polygonal against the physical object. In effect you have the experience of being in the triangular landscape as you are intersected by projections beams.
 

Space Can Exhibition pdf >> Download << 

 

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Media Environment Unit Two – AR Systems

David Hall "Augmented 2008"

Media Environment Unit Two – AR Systems

Augmented Environment Concepts and Development

Converging Media and Environment Experimental integration.

Preface
This class will be a production design and concept class with an eye on new and future user experience ( UX ) within the city. As ubiquitous sensors, mobile phones, media facades, social networks and entertainment technologies all start to converge we are seeing a new type of media integration into our daily lives in the city. In the beginning what appeared to be practical tools of information and communication  ( mobile phones, the web,etc ) are now being utilised as more of a social entertainment medium than anything else.

Some educated speculations about the hardware of the near future could be, rapid prototyped architecture ( printed buildings ) cheap and affordable media facades, spacial interactive projections ( low cost holographs ), embedded silicon chips in the human body ( mobile phones, IDs and computers integrated into the human body ), retinal projection displays, to name but a few. So the questions stands what can we as media designers do with all this change and connectedness given that it will be used for new entertainments etc etc.

This project could be graphics for new architecture and media facades, interactive environments, new forms of signage and information displays, new forms of graffiti, new entertainment spaces such as night clubs and new forms of fashion etc.

We will develop visual concepts based in a probable technological development. The concept which delivers your own design of Augmented Reality Environment in the future. The final output will be a movie or piece of motion graphics developed by the production design process.

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Augmented Environment – Part One – SetUp - 

Duration 2 weeks

As part of a systematic approach to documentation and presentation during this semester I want each student to setup and design the following.

1- A blogspot blog specifically for this class.
2- A vimeo account ( if you don’t have one already )
3- A pdf template design that we will use as a final document for each stage. ( this will be embedded in your blog for download.
4- Upload a brief description of yourself with ONE drawing, photo or graphic of one of your best pieces of work.

Please think carefully about the design of your blogs etc The minimal approach is the way to go. 

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Augmented Environment – Part Two – Research - 

Duration 2 weeks

 

Please research and think about the present state of augmented reality, environments and fashion.

It may help to choose an area such as…

1 – Architecture and interiors
2 – Signage and Street ( Public space )
3 – Fashion
4 – Games and Entertainment
5 – Art and Installation

Presentation – Drawings, photos and initial experiments.

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Augmented Environment – Part Three - Concept Generation -

Duration 3 weeks

Here we will brainstorm ideas that will be the basis of your project. This process will include, location scouting, photography, drawing, test shooting DV, concept drawing and basic 3D.

As we are thinking about concepts and not practical development, we will develop your ideas via a production design process. This basically means the following steps..

1 – Visual Research
2 – Drawings and photographs
3 – 3D sketching and visual overlays 
4 - Detailing 3D and Visualisation

During this stage I will demonstrate how to use syntheys, maya setup and rendering, HDRI techniques, location shooting and DV etc

You do not need to be an expert in 3D or any other programs or skills. But you will need a basic knowledge to be able to do this assignment.

Presentation – Drawings, photos and initial experiments.

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Augmented Environment – Part Four -  Final Development -
Duration 7 weeks

Here I will teach the basics of CG and DV integration.

Software will include, Syntheyes, HDRI light studio, maya rendering and texturing. We will utilise all of these for our final movie output.

This will be the final development and presentation of your project.You will make a final movie of your work and present that as well as making a process movie about the construction and meaning of your work

Presentation – Drawings, photos and initial experiments.

Final output of this project will be photographs, renderings and movies.

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Augmented Environment – Part Five -  Output Synergy -
Duration 1 week

Collation of movies, photos, drawings etc into your presentation formats. ie blog, pdf and vimeo integration.

NOTE – You do need basic 3D skills for this project. You will however be required to know some 2D animation techniques (i.e. After effects, Photoshop and maybe flash.)

 

    

David Hall Car Park Graff 2005

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Media Art Unit Two – Motion Graphics and Interaction

Media Art Unit Two – Motion Graphics and Interaction

Visual Development and interaction with Focus on MS Kinect

Preface

This semesters Media Art class will be split into two distinct sections.

Visual development and then practical integration into an instalation.

The visual developmet section will be divided into themes for initial research. You will choose one theme for the whole semester.

So you will choose one of the following..

Option One – Abstract graphics and Audio

This will be an approach looking at the principles of audio waves and effects for visual development. Its more important to focus on the physical and sientific concepts of sound and how it manifests in the physical world. Cymatics would be one example of this.

Option Two – Human Desire and attraction

This will be a more emotional approach looking at fetishism and fashion for example.

Option Three – Z-Depth and motion

Here you can concentrate on the practical use of a kinect device to generate z-deph movies. The project here will be about technical problem solving and environmet experiment. Resulting in a movie entirely generated by infra red zdeph information.

As well as conceptualising and visual development this project will also be about how we can use the kenect device in unusual ways. That means not just using it for its intended purpose of translating user motion into abstract graphics ( person waves their arms around and this results in a pretty motion trail on a screen or projection ). But new ways of inegration the device.

Motion Graphics and Interaction – Part One - Duration 2 weeks

As part of a systematic approach to documentation and presentation during this semester I want each student to setup and design the following.

1- A blogspot blog specifically for this class.

2- A vimeo account ( if you don’t have one already )

3- A pdf template design that we will use as a final document for each stage. ( this will be embedded in your blog for download.

4- Upload a breif description of yourself with ONE drawing, photo or graphic of one of your best pieces of work.

Motion Graphics and Interaction – Part Two - Duration 4 weeks

Please choose one of the thematic areas listed above and research that area.This means looking at possible directions in that area and brainstorming how you can creativly develop them.

Presentation will be in the form of phtographs, drawings etc uploaded to your blog. Its important to also write about the project and theme you are researching. This means analysis of your discoveries through written text.

Its important to be able to contructivly analyse in the written form as this will be a major part of your thesis.

Motion Graphics and Interaction – Part Three- Duration 5 weeks

Practical development of your ideas and concepts.

This will be a research by practical development process. That meas doing experiments with hardware and visuals

Motion Graphics and Interaction – Part Four- Duration 3 weeks

This will be a practical approach to instalation. Your project should be finish in part three. This final part will be the process of how we can install this work in a gallery.

As you know this class is related to the green growth project and as such will will need to install to complet the work.

IMPORTANT. This class is a follow on from last semeter with the added discipline of the Konect device. However you do not need to have done media Art One in order to do this class. As long as you have some practical skill and are willing to learn this class will be open to everybody.

Links -
OpenNI
http://code.google.com/p/tryplex/wiki/Installation

LibFreenect (OpenKinect)
https://github.com/OpenKinect/libfreenect

Microsoft Kinect SDK
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/kinectsdk/

Tuio
https://code.google.com/p/tuiokinect/

Processing Libraries
http://www.shiffman.net/p5/kinect/

Osceleton
http://urbanhonking.com/ideasfordozens/2011/02/16/skeleton-tracking-with-kinect-and-processing/

OpenFrameworks
http://www.openframeworks.cc/
https://github.com/ofTheo/ofxKinect

Cinder
http://libcinder.org/
http://forum.libcinder.org/topic/new-kinect-support

Unity3d
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MJ205lyz5E
https://github.com/OpenNI/UnityWrapper

Brekel
http://www.brekel.com/?page_id=155

JCs Kinect Graffiti
http://www.vimeo.com/24665893

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