Tag Archives: sound

The One With The Hat & Solenoid

The One With The 10 Ideas

Let’s push myself to the limits. I am going to come up with 10 different projects for the first phase.

The Perfect Modern Chair
To design an everyday office chair which adjust according to different people’s back shape. A perfect ergonomics chair which consists of combining the idea of a bean bag and a office chair. In this project I would need a partner for this as we need to research on the ergonomics of a chair and also executing the design.
This is a design innovation as combining the materials of bean bag which takes the shape of your body and applying it to an office chair, white collar workers will no longer have backaches while working.
This project might take a long time as it will be a research intensive project I foresee.
The iPhone Film Scanner
Shooting photograph on a vintage SLR is very traditional and brings back nostalgic moments. It also teaches you the basic of photography as we would require to think before spamming the shutter button like we would do in a digital camera. After processing the films at a local shop, those people who wants to scan their images have trouble finding a good scanner and also have to bear the cost. This application on the smartphone would be able to do the scanning of negatives and convert it to a jpeg file.
Definitely need 2 other partners to work on the engineering part and also the programming part as well.
This application would be one of a kind in the market, a big market for film photography enthusiasts! This project would be a real challenge to make it into a reality and it could be very expensive to make.
The Run
The run is an interactive Virtual Reality game that promotes exercise with gaming. With different scenario being selected, gamers are transport to a city where they are require to run away from the enemy. This game would require many platforms such as the xbox and the VR application. This game would probably need a budget of $5000 for research and programming. I would need a team of 3 for this as it will require many different stages of processes.
This game would promote real exercise and attract gaming addicts. A real innovation in making a virtual world into a physical space.
It might be boring after a while, too stagnant.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Tanjong Pagar (MCATP)
The current Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is now being emptied after they moved out and relocate to the Woodlands Causeway Centre. The historical building could be renovated and turn into a contemporary space for art and design. This renovation will take about 4 years to complete and once completed, it will attract many art lovers into Singapore from the region. High budget for this one maybe around 20-30 million dollars. I would need a large team for this project.
This project will be ground breaking and be an attraction for Singapore. Audience guaranteed.
Could be expensive and could become a fad.
The Sound of Light
To come up with an audiovisual installation that explores the uses of solenoid and light. It will be a soundscape experience for people to experience the sound of machinery, based on data and statistics. A solo project by me that could cost about $500 to develop within a year. A possible FYP project. It will be in a grand scale where people will experience something very different. Even though a novelty project but it explores the boundaries and definition of art. It could be too experimental for some people and finding a location and space suitable could be a challenge.
The Book Of Wires
This is a project to publish a book about wires & cables. With beautiful visuals and concise information and instructions, everyone will have no problem identifying the different kind of wires & cables for different uses anymore! Think of a dictionary, of colourful wires & cables!
I would need 2 more partners, to design the layout of the book and another one in charge of photographing the visuals. Budget possibly around $500 for a small amount of copies.
This is a very useful and informative book for those who wants to learn about IT and Engineering as well! Plus its an artsy book!
Challenges faced could expensive and time consuming as publishing a book is not an easy process.
The Body
The Body is an experimental short film that explores the activities inside of a human body that make us function on a daily basis. Using slow motion techniques and different props, different visuals will represent an activity a body does, for example Breathing. This film will explore the use of everyday items to recreate the science behind our anatomy.
This project requires a team of 5 where each person would need to wear different hats such as cinematographer, cameraman, gaffer and other film related job. This would need a budget about 1 thousand as we need to get good props and cameras.
This film will break the boundary of cinematography and open up a new genre of films, definitely will attract art students. This could be a novelty kind of project and people might not be able to understand the experimental aspect of this project.
The Rest Of The World In Singapore
This is a photo documentation project to find and photograph people of different nationality living in Singapore. In other words, to photograph at least 1 people from different countries whose living in Singapore. As Singapore opens up its door to expats and foreigners to come to Singapore, it is possible that at least one people from all the 196 countries is living in Singapore.
This would be a solo project and budget of $500 would be sufficient to complete this project, mainly spending on transportation.
This would be an impossible feat to do but if completed, it will definitely receive a lot of recognition.
This project could be time consuming and might take longer than 1 year to complete.
The Hive
The Hive is the newest building to be added in NTU located at the South Spine. It’s architecture is very unique and what better way than to take advantage of the building by using projection mapping onto the facade. This projection mapping would project graphics and videos to tell the story of NTU and its history.
I would need 2 more people to help with the content creation and of course the technical aspect of this project. This project would cost an estimation of $3000 as the bulk of the money would definitely spend on loaning at least 6 powerful projectors.
This would be a sight not to be miss as this will be the first time a projection mapping is being done onto the Hive.
The Dome: The Heaven/Hell Project
Using the dome system, this project would combine all the interactive aspect that I have learnt in class and integrate it into the dome. By using sensors, motors and lights, this site specific dome would create an experience of Heaven or Hell. These 2 ideal places have been describe through history of times and it would be my turn to interpret the experience inside the dome.
A solo project which could be a potential for FYP. Budget would cost about $400.
This would be a crowd pleaser and many people would be eager to try out this experience themselves.
Project could be expensive and integrating many systems into one could be a challenge.

These are 10 good projects actually that I have come up. Each of them is something that I would want to do honestly.

Fun fact: When the school bought the new dome, I was one of the team that first erected the dome from scratch. We were taught by the people from Russia who came here just to teach us how to build them. It was a very long process during the workshop. Quite an experience actually!

The One With Candice Ng

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I always see Candice around in school and wherever we see each other, she will always be the first one to smile, so I smile back. Even though I have never took her class, she seem very nice.

Anyway, when I was looking through Candice’s website, I found Playing The Archive, part of Studio Lab from Penn State. To be honest, I spent more time watching the performance from Playing The Archive than on Candice’s website but that doesn’t mean I did not read all of her works! Cause she only has 5 works on her website.

In a summary, Playing The Archive is literally what it means. They believe that musicians, visual artist and data analysts should work together to perform and display the archive in multiple format and media. The archives here refers to artefacts and documents which are worth to be archive and it is also a process where a hard object becomes digital in a form of archiving. But anyway this is not the topic here. But however, Studio Lab’s mission is almost parallel to what Candice is doing I feel. That is not a surprise as Candice is a part of the team.

Sleeping In The Power Socket was her MPA solo thesis show. As she presents her artists project by saying that perhaps it is important to start understanding man’s relationship to objects, I agree with her on this actually. Likewise, I always have a fascination on why certain objects means so much to one person but it does not mean anything at all for another person. I think the act of possessing it also plays a part.

What we choose to identify ourselves with and the act of leaving behind paraphernalia – of means to leave a mark; that of passing values, wills (both monetary and ethical), the need of a second self – is crucial to study.

-Candice Ng.

This statement actually reminds me Voldermort in Harry Potter. Voldermort actually split his soul into 8 parts and each part is embedded on an object. Voldermort wanted immortality. This came up to me when Candice mention the above statement. I guess the point i am making is that what we do on earth is a testament to what we will leave behind when we die, and this can take in a form of Artworks or a beautiful crafted poem about Love.

Candice also uses everyday objects that has a special meaning for her in her works. For example, a chocolate bar and a chinese incense paper. In her work titled Alternative Rituals of Remembering, it is a personal work where she talks about remembering her late dad. These objects has a special relationship with her and this is one way she make sense of the world I feel.

Going back to the questions you posted, Candice’s works talks about identity by asking what are the elements of identity especially in SEA where traditions are particularly very important. One’s identity could take form in a literature or a form of a folklore for example and by knowing what is our identity, she is trying to imagine what happen in the near future where all this identity is being archived in a digital form. Yes it is also relevant in NTU’s 5 peaks of excellence, one of them being New Media. Candice explores the future of this medium which is the New Media through the use of RFID which has more potential I feel. Working with data also means that a physical tangible object could no longer be part of the equation and going online is the NEW MEDIA. This is also a scary thought as pointed out by Candice, ‘Does the creation of digital content loose meaning just because it has no ‘tangible’ physical properties? How can data be sacred?.

I look forward for Candice’s introduction to her works in more details in class!

The One With The Field Trip To Sonoport

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Having the opportunity to go to Sonoport’s office is an eye opener! I am confuse whether to call it a studio or an office. It could be a studio as that is where they make their ‘sound’ happen, but it is also an office as it has a very formal arrangement.

Before the trip, I remember I was imagining how the office will look like. I picture a very modern and creative office as they are a creative company that works with sound. However, it turns out to be an disappointment. The office looks really boring and the walls are really plain. The table arrangement were pretty predictable and I just did sense any creative vibe at all when I was there the whole time actually. But its all good homie, as long as you guys do a good job and everyone’s happy, then that’s all that matters.

It was an insightful talk and introduction by the founder of Sonoport, Mr. Fredrik Brostrom. It is not easy to set up a business and approaching people to believe in you actually. Furthermore it is harder if no one wants to try the services that you provided, in this case, sound on an interaction web application. However, getting the capital is not that hard in Singapore as it turns out. We all know that Singapore wants to attract foreign investors to set up an office here. So spending millions on giving out grants to new established start ups is the only way. But anyway, Sonoport sounds and look interesting but sadly they don’t have a wide range of clients and portfolios, YET. So i am excited to see the future of web application since companies like Sonoport is trying to make that difference. Maybe Sonoport could be the next Facebook in terms of sound application in the near Future.

As Permagnus wants us to come up with questions, I have came up with 2 in my previous post. But right after I leave the office and on my way home, I have more questions about Sonoport that I wished I have asked them. The questions changed before and after the trip actually.

1. What is the future of sound in web application? Say about 10 years, will sound make an impact on the internet as much as visuals do.?

2. Is Sonoport a multiple design studio? They have another office in the UK as they mentioned.

3. Why does Sonoport restrict their business to just web base kind of audio? In my head, I was thinking there are brands out there that has a signature sound effect for example yahoo has that signature music that shouts ‘YAHOOOOOOO’. Why didn’t sonoport create sound for different companies and brands?

4. It makes me question if Sound really matters in an interaction? How percentage is the sound plays an important role than the main touch interaction itself?

On our way back to the bus, I saw 2 black cats roaming the carpark, creating attention and craving a pat or two by the larger human being. It makes me wonder if Sonoport should adopt this 2 cats or not.

The One With More Construction Ideas

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Dear OSS, I am here again to share my latest ideas on the first installation that I am going to embark. I am excited as much as nervous to tell you the truth. There are so many great ideas out there but unfortunately, I have to restrict myself to think even harder as I have to consider these few things. Firstly, budget. This will be a self funded project but I remember Prof. LPD mention something about ‘a little bit of money for the class’. Budget will determine if I want to go big or I need to buy any specific materials to make the idea a reality. Secondly, availability. I am not sure how available are certain materials is, for example, a big block of steel. Or any materials for that matter, if I can’t get the right materials or equipments, then my idea is a far fetch one.

But anyway, as I have mentioned on previous posts, I have decided to go on the theme of construction this semester. So my ideas have more or less the theme of construction. For my first inspiration, here is a sound installation by the one and only Zul Mahmood, a local Singaporean. I believed he teaches Sound Art in ADM before back then. Here’s one of the works he showed in the Singapore Art Museum. The composition is based on the National Anthem, Majulah Singapore.

Here’s more photographs of the installation. I managed to see it the other day when I went there. It was quite amazing actually!

Sound installation commissioned by Singapore Art Museum. The sound composition is based on the national anthem, Majulah Singapura. It consists of 52 solenoids, 12 electromagnets, 2 micro controllers, computer, copper pipes, bass and guitar strings and 12 speakers.