Right off the bat, here’s the final image of the first Hyperessay post so I guess it’s only right to start this project update with this image as a talking point. This image sparks some positive conversation last week and I agree that this image have so many layers and conspiracy theories to unfold but that’s for another paper. What I do what to emphasise is that the uncertainty and the mystification of this image is what makes people begin to interpret what they see and that is a work of a good art, which is to make people ask question, not about the art, but about themselves instead. I think this image is just a medium of expression for me but also for the audience. 
With that being said, I believe the element of ‘escape’ speaks for itself and I don’t have to bring it up to talk about it. I feel the definition of Escape is so wide that everyone have their own interpretation of Escape and I do want to keep it that way actually. In my final broadcast, I have decided to play a mash up video of webcam footages/pre recoded videos, while I am present in the frame/space controlling what the audience is seeing. Similarly like the first image, all these different layers will be overlay each other to create a certain aesthetic. To control this, I have my Arturia Beatstep machine with me, as shown in the photograph below.
Arturia Beatstep
How it works is pretty simple. I will be using a max patch to do this. Each button and knob will control the diameter of an effect. So when I turn a knob, it will control the amount of hue or noise for example. Even colours can be manipulated. I will also use the effect from vizzie, to create these beautiful yet sophisticated visuals of Escape. I also hope the audience will be in a state of trance, I mean escape when they watch my broadcast. Below is an example of my patch so far. It’s pretty messy right now but my biggest worry is actually, the speed of the computer, lagging issues.
I have jit.record my sample video below. As you can see, I am playing live in front of the webcam, which adds another layer that I am being watched as well, technically.
This is just a sample process video which I make. If you realise, there will be instances where my image will be replace by beautiful giant bars that remind you of Rothko’s paintings. I was experimenting with the idea of the secondary frame which I can control as well, it create some kind of a break in the video to depict the concept of ‘Escape’.
From now onwards, I have to pick the right clip to show for the final broadcast. I believe there must be a flow in the video and I will work on the narrative as well.
