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For this assignment I aimed to alter the way in which the user’s hands interact with the world.

It started off with the idea to remove the thumb. Opposable thumbs are such a key part of how we interact with day to day objects that is often not thought about until it’s gone.

Picking up a coin, grabbing a door knob, using smart phones etc, Animals without thumbs that work like ours often have a much harder time and require the integration of another limb/jaw or object to enact leverage and torque.

Additionally reducing the number of fingers on the hand also reduces the dexterity, especially when the first two fingers and the last two fingers are bound. This is compounded by the fact that moving the middle finger also requires the ring finger to follow to a certain extent.

And with all this, I decided to create a pair of gloves to re-create this configuration; of having no thumb and only two fingers.

I used a pair of rubber gloves restricted the thumb and combined the fingers using superglue.

Additionally I also tried a variation wherein I extended the fingers by using chopsticks.

An Interesting point to note is the pivot point at which I attach these chopsticks.

If connected at the first knuckle they serve quite well as a means of extended reach with only a marginally less ability to enact force.

However the further back the choice of knuckle goes, the less dexterous it becomes for the user, also chopsticks being so thin and the gloves not being so stable a base for the chopsticks led me to scrapping this idea entirely.

Although I do think it looked much better.

Finally, I set a task for the user wearing the gloves to do, stacking cups/small bowls. which proved, as expected, to be much harder without the use of the thumb (and further compounded by the glove’s lack of grip.

I also found usage of smartphones to be relegated to the use of two hands instead of being able to do a singular palm grip with thumb for navigation, even taking the phone out of the pocket was a bit of a challenge.

I also found it to feel much better to directly bind the fingers using cable ties, but that led to the worry of reduced circulation. But it was also much more aesthetically pleasing.

 

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Persian-language American vampire western film directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. Tagged as "The first Iranian vampire Western"

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

For my experimental film I want to create an atmosphere or mood of tension, mild foreboding like a loitering undertone of uneasiness.

I want to shoot black and white mainly because I think it’d allow me some leeway in cranking up the ISO making shooting at night a little easier on my dlsr+lens setup which isn’t ideal for shooting at night.

I was wondering if I should explore a narrative or depart from the convention. Perhaps a collage of visuals, exploring techniques such as overlays. I was also thinking of using still photography as it’d further allow me to shoot cleaner higher res imagery giving me more room to manipulate the image.

I was also wondering if I could explore a very audio-centric video, as I find that generally helps with the flow and mood of a piece.

Visuals that I have in mind include a tracking shot of a person from behind, montages of visuals and texture to help create a sense of an idea. I also want a sense of momentum and rhythm to the whole thing. I also toyed with the idea of erratic movements and distortion and glitch, but the more I think about it, the more I question it’s relevance in what I want to create.

FIN

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Even in 2007, 3D audio such as the virtual barber shop (linked above) has been around. It simulated a convincing replica of real world sounds, especially for it’s time. (1:15 into the video is eerily convincing)

Since then some musicians have delved into simulating the acoustics of audio in the room that it’s recorded in. Eg. Pogo with his binaural mix of his song Upular
Non – 3D : LINK

3D: LINK

However, despite having been around for a long time, I don’t feel like it’s been utilized so much nor explored as widely commercially speaking, as visual mediums.

My idea is to create an immersive experience utilizing binaural audio and transport the user to another location.

Binaural audio of the sort I am going for are generally recorded using a Left Right audio configuration and using molded ears to replicate the way sound is shaped before entering the ear canal.

Image result for binaural audio

I find the ability to disassociate from your current location to another in such a manner very calming.

Ironically, by not taking in their current environment and transporting them elsewhere, it can create a mental space to be in the moment.

I find this to be a very meditative experience and does provide respite from the mental stresses of life by dropping everything in that moment to take in the totality of the scene.

I intend to do this through a mix of both audio and visual means. With binaural audio as the focus, and the visuals as a complimentary choice.

I find the visuals to be immensely helpful as while some might find the audio experience with eyes closed to be stronger, with the visuals I intend to use, which are specific places as opposed to a situation like in the case of the virtual barber shop, the sounds are very much tied to the visuals that occur.

For example, if we hear the snap of a twig or the rustle of some bushes, being able to open your eyes and see the bush rustle or a branch bend will help actualize the place in the minds eye as opposed to being swung back to the users current location the moment they open their eyes.

We’ve seen 3D come and go, and now Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality being taking center stage.

Virtual reality has it’s entry level limit for both headset hardware and computing hardware to support the system while AR seems to be a good blend of accessibility with phones and integration with the existing environment, which i think makes it a strong contender as a medium of the future. Perhaps because the requirements of binaural audio requiring headphones to be effective limits the experience to the individual AND on top of that, the quality of their headphones. Whereas cinemas can make use of a singular screen and sound system for simultaneous usage.

This makes me wonder about subsequent exploration for perhaps mass binaural audio experiences, but for another time.