Overview
Just as we gathered sounds from the city in the Sounds from the City project, we will now capture landscapes through video for the Digital Landscapes project: images of the urban environment, a park, the University, the water, people walking, traffic, etc. If you like, you can choose a location that is related to your sounds, then shoot four 2 minute videos, capturing the environment from different angles and perspectives.
Like Bill Fontana’s sound sculptures or Janet Cardiff’s Walks, you are transferring or displacing the original sounds (and images) from their original location(s) into a new virtual space. You are also using real-time interaction to perform and record new altered material for your final piece. These recordings are to be made up of manipulated found sounds and video, then transforming them with layerings, superimpositions, and digital effects.
On September 12th and 19th, you will bring your sound and video material to class and we will manipulate them using Vizzie, BEAP and other objects in Max. We will apply various effects, speed manipulation, compositing, filtering, blending, etc., in order to recreate the landscape into an imaginary, digitally reconstructed one.
During the session on the 19th, you will record material to disk, and then use this material to produce an edited version for your final project, due on the 26th of September. The idea is to create an audio-visual music-video in which sound and imagery work together to create a digitally constructed landscape, layered and sequenced, but do not necessarily attempt to synchronize.
Here is a synopsis of the assignment broken down:
- September 19th: perform real-time interactions with your audio-visual material during class. Before class is over, I will go around and review everyone’s work. You may if you like use separate patches for audio and video, or can you put them together into a large single patch.
- Week of September 19th – 26th: Continue to record new audio-visual material as needed. When you are satisfied with the results, edit a final three minute video, Use any video editing program such as iMovie or Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro. When completed, output the video as an .mp4 file and upload to Vimeo. Embed the video in an OSS post and write a one paragraph description of the work: it’s location, it’s transformations, how you view it as a digital landscape displaced from the original. Use the Project category in OSS.
- September 26th: We will have a project presentation and critique with guest artist Tim Nohe during the second half of class. (The first half Tim Nohe will be speaking about his work.)
Screenshot of the Max patch presented on the 12th:
Note that I have added a video recording Jitter object: jit.record, instead of the Vizzie RecordR, which gives you more control. I have also included the BEAP Audio Recordr. Be sure and set Recordr to name, rather than autoname, so you can give your sound files names of your own choosing.
The recorded materials and sounds need to be assembled in an editor. Here I am using Adobe Premiere Pro to create a short work from audio and video material produced in Max. Be sure and output the final version as a .mp4 file and upload to Vimeo. We will discuss this further.
