Here and There Updated

http://itp.nyu.edu/shows/winter2008/here-and-there/

Video installation that combines live & recorded video within a recreated cinema setting, using a video camera, projector, screen, theater chair, ambient lighting and audio appropriated from classic Hollywood cinema. When the viewer takes their seat, the lights go down, a scene of a movie theater is projected on the screen, accompanied by the soundtrack to Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 classic Vertigo. A live video feed of the viewer is composited with recorded video of previous occupants of the seat, transposing the viewer into a virtual audience onscreen. The "virtual" audience, ghostly and semi-present, disappears and reappears in different seats throughout the auditorium.

Background
Here and There is informed by an engagement with and interest in the following ideas and themes: Duality and nonduality. Presence and absence. Trace and index. Spatial and temporal dislocations and the experience of being in multiple places or times at once. The question of what it means to view oneself in the act of viewing. The porosity/instability of borders between private and public, self and other, viewing subject and object of contemplation.

Audience
Everyone.

Here and There

Patrick Grizzard and I are doing a video installation for our PComp Final.

Here's the description we submitted for the show:

Video installation that projects the viewers body into a virtual cinema audience that functions as a trace or index of previous viewers.

Description

Video installation within a recreated cinema setting that combines live & recorded video. Using projector, screen, theater seat, ambient lighting, four curtains, video camera, audio. Viewer sits in chair triggering lighting fade and video recording. Video feed is composited with recorded video of previous occupants of the seat, transposing the viewer into a virtual audience onscreen. The "virtual" audience will also be semi-transparent (ghost-like), appearing and reappearing randomly in different seats. The video will be accompanied by sound composed of samples of effects and audio from various films.

Background

Interests:
Nonduality. Duality. Being in two places at once. What creates a feeling of connection or disconnection? How is your experience similar or different from others? Experiencing something privately that will later become part of other people's private experiences. The experience is both shared and personal.

Physical Computing: Week 4: Analog Out

Servo motor: Used photoresistor: when hand was very close - it shook more.
int pulse: 350 - small resistor
int pulse: 0: large photoresistor - less control
Running my hand over made servo go left and right
Serial 220-390
Near: right. Far: left.
analogValue = 200

I didn't know it was directional. The flex sensor didn't really work, but I think I just need to make adjustments to the code. I used my hands and touched the exposed wire and that seemed to generate a better response.



Pressure Sensor (FSR): press - right, let go - left: most responsive

Also used pot with one 10k resistor, but when turned all the way up - started burning. When turned all the way down, it shut off.

Physical Computing: Week 3: Electricty

Arduino power: Measured 9.03 DC volts

Silicore AC/DC Adaptor: 13VDC/0.8A: Measured 16.52-16.59
Used the above adaptor initially assuming it was the 13 volts as stated, but smoke started to come through the breadboard. I quickly unplugged and measured the adaptor getting the 16+ range. That's a good lesson in measuring things first.

ON
LED: 2.37
RESISTOR: 6.54

OFF:
LED: 0.02
RESISTOR: 0.00


POWER: 8.95 (STRAIGHT FROM WIRES)

Mistakenly connected one wire of switch to end of resistor lined up w/ LED (instead of other end of resistor). Made green LED turn amber. Basically started to burnout.

LED IN SERIES:
RED LED: 4.44/5 Looked like it may be slowly burning out
ORANGE LED: 4.32

LED IN PARALLEL:
BURNOUT
ADDED 220 RESISTOR WORKED
GREEN LED (CLOSEST TO RESISTOR): 1.94
YELLOW LED: 1.94
RED LED: 1.94

VARIABLE VOLTAGE W/ POT:
ALL THE WAY UP: 3.335
ALL THE WAY DOWN: 0.00
MIDWAY: 2.87

Physical Computing: Week 2

So for the 2nd week, we did an Analog In lab. I started with a regular potentiometer, then switched in a mini-pot. The LED would brighten when I turned the pot knobs to the right and dim when turned to the left. After, I switched in and tried out a pressure sensor. The LED brightened when I pushed down with more force on the sensor.

Initially, I thought of all kinds of apparatuses to use - including my Meatwad stress ball with a pressure sensor attached. But I didn't like the stiffness of the wires I had to use and the actual effect wasn't quite what I wanted.



I finally decided on regular clip wires (or whatever they're called). These wires were more flexible and worked better with my idea.

I also added a piezo siren which is normally really loud. I added a 220 ohm resistor to the connection to bring the sound down considerably making it more clicky.



I used a wooden box that I got from the Pearl Paint Craft store and inserted a bright blue LED to the outside.



I played with the idea of the piezo getting louder when a proper connection was made, but decided against it and implemented a sort of reverse idea.

So - basically, when turned on, my luvometer is constantly emitting these annoying little clicky click sounds and the LED flickers. One person holds the white wire and another holds the yellow. While holding the wire in one hand each person holds the other one's hand - creating a connection. The piezo becomes silent and the LED brightens - resulting in a peaceful and illuminated connection. Well, at least that's the idea. :)

A better video demo is coming soon, but here's the idea for now (Click on image below & press space bar if you don't see a controller in the frame. Use right and left arrows to rewind/fast-forward):