Suzanne Again

Here's a quicky, a new video a did of Suzanne using the same multi-canon thing. However this was done live using Modul8 as I exported the original clip with an alpha channel from FCP. This allows me to experiment and eventually hook up some motion sensors so that the audience can alter the number of dancers, colour etc. by moving in the space. It also means I can experiemtn in real time with no rendering : )

The Planetarium

Myself, Jonathan Green and Steven Davis went to visit the new digital Planetarium at Millennium Point, Birmingham. It's a giant aluminum dome that has a set of six overlapping projectors around the circumference. We watched a demonstration of the system. It consisted of a tour of the stars starting from a British night sky then flew through to a view from the moon. This was done using a wireless PDA and joystick. When we looked at the possibilities for out work we all came up with quite different ideas and concepts. I won't go into these yet but what was very useful for us was the very helpful Mario Di Maggio who runs the planetarium. He showed us the workings of the place. It all runs from a standard xp server running software that we can hack into with C.O.D.A. system myself and Jonathan are working on at the moment. this means we could control aspects of the projection with sensors, phones, dancers, mikes and anything else we can think of. The real challenge of the whole project will be the 3000*3000 resolution needed. This then has to be distorted to allow for the shape of the dome. Anyway further details to come...

This is the small cuts I did wih Suzzane and Becks as a test for the green screen work I did I thought I'd just put them up to give an idea of progression.

Green Screen Revisited Video and photos

Green Screen - Revisited

Well yesterday myself, Steve from Film Cafe and Suzanne from Birmmingham Dance Colllective had a green screen dance adventure. Continuing on from my previous visit to the green screen studio I decided to get the lighting and shots sorted. Previously I tried using side lightinng to fill Suzzane and Becks out from the backdrop. This didn't work and meant the key out was difficult and left the dancers looking flat. With the multiple skills and equipment of Steve we lit Suzanne with two back lights to seperate her from the back lighting. We then used fours lights from either side to both key and fill the space. This worked wonderfully and we got some beuatiful shots with a nice flat green back drop to key out.

As I've said Steve runs Film Cafe a production company. He has a large range of equipment which includes a Camera Jib. This jib allows the camera to move freely on all axis including up and down. This allowed me to get shots of Suzanne where the camera could 'dance' in repsonse to her movement. Above are the stills and video I shot on my camera phone. Watch out for the footage of the shoot as the week goes on.

Norman Mclaren

I recently met Matt Gough, Dancer and programmer through the eScience wokrshops the VRU unit have been putting on. He saw some of my green screen work with Susan and showed me apiece by Norman McLaren that he thought I'd be interested in. It's amazing how much it fits with the ideas I've been wokring with for a few years. It really facinates me because it was made in 1953 using film and an optical frame printer, no final cut magic here.

Multi Suzzane...Damnn

Here are a couple of videos I made form the first green session with Birmingham Dance collectives Suzzane.

Experiments in Dance

These images are from some Green Screen experiments I've been doing with a pair of Dancers in Moseley, Birmingham. I've been taking classes with them every morning and they work together professionally. This means that directing the for the filming was joy. Unfortunately I haven't got the lighting quite right yet so they get a green inner glow. I am working with Steve from FilmCafe who is a master of all things lens based. I'll put a Youtube version up soon.