Its been a hell of a busy week or so since last posting here, I’ve just spent week down London programming video for a new production of Bluebeards Castle, click on the link for more info about the production but a super quick summary would describe it as an opera immersed with visuals to tie in with the story. Working with Yeast Culture who have produced the visuals and set design I’ve been responsible for programming the playback of the video using a Catalyst media server.
Our Versatile & Nimble programming setup!
The backdrop to the orchestra consists of many turret like shapes which we use as projection surfaces as-well as a large set of automated sail like surfaces which we project onto whilst moving. There is allot of viideo to pay back synchronised on many different surfaces at the same time as-well as taking into consideration the ‘Live masking’ we are doing enabling us to project onto the moving surfaces. Technically it has been a hard week but nothing we couldn’t figure and overcome.
Pre starting work I drove down London on saturday night with my good friend Mitch as a day holiday(ish) and intentions of seeing UVA’s Video Installation piece High Arctic. We walked form our accommodation though to Greenwich and discovered the sunday market which is really good if you like wood carvings and nice arty stuff , this guy, Tom Biddulph had some very nice wood turnings. We eventually went to the maritime museum and had a wander round, its a good place to visit and you can easily fill in half a day. This is where High arctic was being shown. The installation in short is set in the future as a monument to the currently melting ice caps with interactive projection you can activate using the UV torch given to you upon entrance. There wasnt as much wow factor as I was expecting but worth a look. Also in the museaum here is a instalation by the Light Surgeons which was quite nice. For a full better review check out CreativeReview.
The rest of the day was taken up meandering through london via tube/water ferry and foot interspaced with eating some cracking food! The following day I needed to drive to Holloway in Islington, dreading London morning traffic I tool the Blackwall Tunnel to avoid going through the city centre! Eventually we got there and typically, just as we were about to enter the traffic had stopped as a vehicle had broken-down in the tunnel, Damn! Eventually 20minutes or so later we were moving again, i dropped Mitch off at bow to make his way to kings Cross and i carried on to holloway with a surprising amount of time to spare. The following 5 days consisted of many hours of programming Catalyst on the Chamsys, quite allot of coffee and good company and squeezing in time to meet up with some London friends.
This weekend has also kind of vanished with work, home life and generally doing stuff! On saturday I was working at Dance City here home in Newcastle with a great company called Ockhams Razor. They are a dance company who combine dance/performance/ariel and circus skills to tell a story, all Ill say is if you see them advertised performing close to you go and see them!
And today, Sunday, a morning of washing, a midday of lunch with friends, an afternoon of visiting my parents and an evening tidying up the bluebeard video programming whilst it is fresh in my mind!
