We discussed some issues this morning such as
- a solid concept to be able to start working without much delay
- the necessity to give up some good ideas if we have to many to realize
- the ease of taking an existing text/dance + have less creative input
versus
- the more time-intensive but free creation 'from scratch'
- the preference of a humble but well executed project vs. a too ambitious, exhausting and unrefined/unfinished one
- the tendency to underestimate time & challenges ->> the need to build in some contingencies
- the possibility of several 'sub-projects' such as a video/photo documentation
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Another way to approach a project: If we do not want to start with a given narrative, we can start with a given music. Aside of Bauhaus contemporaries (Hindemith, Stravinsky) modern composers like Philip Glass or John Zorn are a place to start.
ReplyDeleteI love the work of Philip Glass and have been familiar with John Zorn's work for years. Exploring Zorn's work on YouTube reminded me of a documentary that I saw last year about maybe Zorn in NYC in the 1960s when performances were put on in downtown lofts that mixed music, sound and light on a stage that allowed viewers to walk around and interact with light and objects, thereby changing the music. I can't remember at the moment the documentary, but I'll try. I do like the idea of combining many elements interactively. Maybe that is the narrative? And I would love to explore soundscapes and light.
ReplyDeleteThere's a really great website called http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/ that showcases many many fine examples of artists who are creating installations of sound, form, shape, light and environment.
Check out, for instance, my faves: http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/creators/muti-randolph
http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/creators/eric-dalbin
I would love to work with those elements (music, soundscapes, light) and mix real with virtual. Meaning, taking what we create and film on stage and creating a similar scene in Maya - exploring how we can take the same concepts and see them a new way with today's technology.
ReplyDeleteThis is a project I created in Maya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JDOSbHCXRc (unfortunately, I believe it is banned in Germany because of copyright on the music, but the music is not critical in this piece) My favorite part is at 1:17, where my two "stick people" start exploring in the dark and when they hit something it lights up.
A possibility is creating an installation on the Bauhaus stage where people could explore Bauhaus objects - in a choreographed manner. By "choreographed" I simply mean all the movements (walking, climbing a ladder, etc.) are planned, so we could recreate and combine with Maya, and play with sound, light, environment.
5 days - working with only 5 days we would have to use existing mocap files (CMU Mocap Lab) - so the people on stage would be recreating the Maya animation, rather than people animating in Maya what people do on stage.
I am having trouble explaining this... I would love if we could all meet as a group one more time to discuss different ideas.
natasha, i love that idea. i saw this video about a month ago and was blown away by it. apparently it was done by mapping an environment in a 3d program and then projecting the animation on to the mapped physical environment. i think it's absolutely stunning:
ReplyDeletehttp://vimeo.com/10692284
5 days is hard to do something like that, but i like the idea and look of it. and i think i get what you're getting at. definitely something to explore when we have our next meeting.
the fluid movement in your maya project is great!
i wonder if we'll have access to recording equipment (midi, etc.) at the school?
I asked in Dessau:
ReplyDeletethey have video cameras (+ microphones), then recording with File oder DAT System.
of course all Adobe, FCP,+ SL. ...
for 3D:not Maya but maxon cinema. That is easier to use - but not if it is your first time.
If any of you know 'POSER' - it imports into SLife. SL modeling is VERY easy - not very sophisticated.
Natasha I think you found MoCap scripts, right? DO they have what you were looking for?
Thanks to all who could make it to yesterday's meeting.
ReplyDeletehere is a quick summary (+ springboard) to be expanded on the blog.
Goal: to come to the first Dessau meeting with a 1 page semi-fleshed out idea (e.g. a paragraph plus a sketch) of a few of these ideas. I will also post a rough translation of the Dessau ideas later.
Katie + Geoff + anyone who wants to from the spring class will post their Powerpoints on the blog for all.
• overall - an approach that takes advantage of your many talents in the best sense of the (unpronounceable) 'Gesamtkunstwerk'
• concept:
while not enslaving ourselves verbatim to Bauhaus history, we want to stay with essential concepts such as
abstraction, reduction, concept based - rather than illustrative approach, visuals that refer to primitive shapes or primary colors evoking meaning.
• a few basics to keep in mind:
- there will be more projects than time
- we may divide the 18-19 students into smaller groups of independent or related projects
- an unrealized project may-be a basis for a later (fall?) final assignment
- keep it short and doable so you will have fun (not sleepless nights) doing it
• BRING:
- all-black outfit,
-some all-white clothes if you have (think projection surface
- electronic files (flash drive, DVD?) of slides - movies good to project
-props if they are light + 'legal' (flashlight?)
- good to have some photo + video cameras (we'll probably have plenty) + a USB or firewire cable!
- I may bring some white cardboard for effects, keying, projection (since I know where to get it HERE.
• yesterday's ideas (please correct + add if you have different notes):
ReplyDeleteworking with opposites/juxtapositions + have some reconciliation at the end:
- split screen: movement + objects on screen matched to 3D animation movement or 3D motion capture files
version1: stage follows screen (visible on stage?) (Natasha, Todd)
version2: screen follows stage (approximately) (Katie)
- simple movements by actors dressed in black (Katie, Shannon)
- work with German students? Icebreaker? (Shannon)
may-be team up 1+1 or 2 + 2 on Monday (MSchmidt) + encourage cross-over teams
-words: in German + in English - ea student tosses 1-2 words in a hat, then ea draws 1 + we try to make it into a narrative + act out the concept (Geoff, Natasha, Catherine)
The German inside/outside idea triggered a few responses: working with words that refer to it - related to architecture or concepts (Natasha, Todd)
- history: use visuals (slides you bring?) of concepts pre + post bauhaus as part of stage projections taken from Bauhaus workshops:
e.g. old lettering ('gothic') vs sans-serif, victorian chair - tubular steel chair, etc
combine with projected words (Catherine, Geoff)
start with one of these in place: sound or words/text
length? ca 3min song, can be longer for life sequence but not for complex animation/layering/effects.
sound: Geoff has composed music + is interested in contributing that part
(note: in order to start w/ sound you would need to come with something started so we can work with it early - e.g. Tuesday)
Lyndon also has been mixing music + has a networking computer background
sound ideas: Philip Glass - a not so well known work (Catherine, Geoff)
concept of orchestrated lights + simple stage movements (Catherine - Kraftwerk, Geoff- French DJ > see blog)
contemporary composers (Hindemith, Stravinsky) - need to find a ca 3 min piece (Todd, Lyndon)
text ideas:
Schwitters (DADA artists + Bauhaus contemporary) Sound Poems (M Schmidt)
Schwitters (DADA artists + Bauhaus contemporary) Sound Poems (M Schmidt)
ReplyDeletewhat is that?
soundtrack: http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,3144347,00.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGAnINpvSeo
http://vimeo.com/4775429
picture:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://switch.sjsu.edu/switch/sound/articles/wendt/pics/dada4r.gif&imgrefurl=http://switch.sjsu.edu/switch/sound/articles/wendt/folder6/ng65.htm&usg=__4CWIyO9QHtK9Ok6mtgdu8U7ApSg=&h=271&w=175&sz=18&hl=en&start=22&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=hE1fBHWiT3_glM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=73&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSchwitters%2Blautgedicht%26start%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1
LAST comment: We would like to have a peson or a small team to be a 'making-of' documentarian (Video, photo, blog.) Is anyone interested?
ReplyDeleteOf course many can contribute in addition
I would be interested in documenting the whole trip through website, video, photo, blog.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in doing the 'making-of' video and photo slide show. Video and post-production are my are of interest. Working with the German students should prove to be very enlightening.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link that has a stuffed of a bunch of ambient soundtrack/soundscape stuff I've done. If anyone likes any of it, we can incorporate it into the presentation in any way. Or we can find other music that is suited. But I'm open to whatever.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sendspace.com/file/dng598
Just download it and unstuff it and there should be a handful of songs, all instrumental, all between a minute and a half and 4 minutes or so long, in there.
As far as the ideas that came from our meeting, I'm still really stuck on the juxtaposition concept, what ever that may entail. Not sure if the word concept is practical, but I did think we had a lot of ideas flowing from the inside/outside, past/present, sound/word sort of ideas we threw around. I took a trip to the Met this weekend and saw some of Mies Van Der Rohe's designs and was reminded of his statement that "Less is More". I think we should keep that as our mantra as we do this project. I thought Katie's split screen idea was interesting, too, and it lends itself to the idea of juxtaposition.
I also liked the idea of exploring the grounds with cameras when we get there, perhaps paring up, too.
Safe travels, everyone. See you on Saturday. Don't know about you, but I'm feeling very unprepared so this week will be especially Berlin-focused.
Cheers, er, Prost,
Geoff
RE: prepared:
ReplyDeleteMATERIALS: we have access to some art materials + can buy more on campus.
For 'Berlin the city' go to TimeOut.com
also follow my Google maps for Sat + Sun.
For Bauhaus comprehensive prep: use the Bauhaus.de site of the 'Bauhaus Archiv, Berlin' + the Bauhaus Dessau site with many links. MOre in the syllabus.