Harry Bird dissertation

The Block Party Notes with Video and Images

swanage — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:55:29 +0000

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Review of my Live Performance as a Host, Visual design and DJ from our Employer/head promoter Tim Brandwood

“Our experience throughout the planning and execution of the event while working with Harry was immensely positive. Harry and Sam presented themselves well with well with ideas that added much visual value to a difficult venue, both in terms of venue aesthetics and practical considerations (layout, access, keeping management on-side etc). Despite these difficulties the visual and for that matter audio content they added not only worked within the venue but changed its appearance and feel totally to match the promotion. The individual installations demonstrated some very neat new ideas that. These they were not only able to demonstrate pre the event but were actually able to execute on the day.

In the run-up to the event I was particularly impressed by their tenacious attitude towards planning their involvement in the event thoroughly. Lots of good questions were posed and they were always keen to hit the venue for sites visits to develop their ideas into a realistic execution. I was especially impressed by the online updates of their ideas for installations through video and 3D notes which allowed me to understand their ideas and help make sure they could happen on the day.

I look forward to working with them in the near future and hopefully enabling them to take their ideas further on future events.” -Tim Brandwood (W.A.Y.F.)

4 minutes of Footage/Video Loops from Venues of Harry Bird & Sam Hodgkiss (COMIX) showing development and the final performance (January – May 09′)

Screen cast/Tutorial on how I made the mapping installation:

Live video of the night, See the Mapping installation working in sync with the drummer:

this is the latest page from a blog that has been updated daily, too see the back end work of this event, RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, EXPERIMENTS, TESTS, Promo techniques and Remixes, please look at previous entries in this blog.

This blog has been designed to show the lecturers my EMP work

Learning Agreement Re-entry

swanage — Wed, 06 May 2009 21:32:56 +0000

May 6, 2009

Learning Agreement

Name: Harry Bird

Course: BA Interactive Media Level: 6
Unit: Extended Major Project
Credit points: 60
Study hours: 600
Tutor(s): Phil Beards, Liam Birtles, Robert Cotton
Synopsis of study

For mine and Sam Hodgkiss’s Extended major projects we have both been working on designs that take on and use similar technology’s. Over the recent months we have both been dedicating our time to he rise of our new new Audio-Visual (a.k.a AV or VJ’s) group Comix. This has not been just a hobby but a look into our future career paths. So far we have performed at a number of venues and are now in a position where are being sort out by clients to use our VJ skill set to help expand their shows. We have just been offered our largest event yet hosting over 2500 people and co ran by BBC Radio 1. The date of this event falls on May 2nd, ﬁve days before our EMP hand-in. Our proposal is that we wish to combine what we have already developed for our EMP’s with this event to produce, in theory, one massive arts installation combining Music, Art, Video, Film and many other forms media. We have been given free run of the venue in question and all decisions for the event have to go through us. With your permission we would like to combine our efforts in this project and use it towards our EMP. We are not asking to forget everything we have doe so far but to instead update our current learning agreements to meet this new criteria. We feel that this not only incorporates the EMP brief but also would help immensely with our chosen career choice.

Harry Birds Aims & Goals agreed with lecturers (Assessment Requirements)
Final Piece and Workings 100% – 1: Create an immersive environment within a night club setting and Perform a Audio Visual show to a live audience. Present the ﬁnal outcome with video footage and presentation at our ﬁnal crit along with how we adapted our present work to evolve this new event. Proof of your live performance as hosts and VJ’s from a written review from the employer. (70%). 2: Produce a Web Blog* that will include images, videos and text describing the processes involved with this event. (i.e. development, research, experiments, remixes, mixes and promotion ideas) www.harrybirdsemp.co.uk , and a hardcopy (DVD) of video evidence and additional development . (30%)
Reference

www.harrybirdsemp.co.uk WEBBLOG*
www.harrybird.wordpress.com WEBBLOG* Alternative link
www.thisiscomix.com Additional Information
www.vimeo.com/harrybird Additional videos
www.youtube.com/djharryb123 Additional videos

A1        To provide myself with the opportunities to exercise and enhance your knowledge and abilities in the development of a body of creative and technically competent work appropriate to my course aims and criteria at Level 6
A2          To provide opportunities for you to learn from the increased complexity and rig- our of creative production required for this unit.
A3         To encourage you to apply the advanced level of discipline and time-management which are required during the unit
A4          To encourage you to work independently, albeit with supervision, in the development of your work, in a way, which reflects contemporary professional practice. I am also encouraged to work effectively as a team member where this is demanded by your project or subject specialism

Learning Outcomes: On completion of this unit I will be able to demonstrate:
LO1         Demonstrate the ability to rigorously apply specialist knowledge, understanding and creativity in the production of your extended major project
LO2         Demonstrate the ability to manage the complexity of practice demanded by the extended major project by managing your time and work efficiently
LO3         Demonstrate ability in the coherent use of various representation techniques, documentation and presentations to specialist and non specialist audiences
LO4         Demonstrate my awareness of the ethical, social and cultural issues appropriate to the concept of a responsible professional practitioner, whether working independently or as part of a team
Assessment Requirements: A prototype design as defined in my Learning Agreement.
Finished Design (Proof from Video, imagery feedback from the show) 65% (Tutor Assessed)
A Web blog for one of the projects supporting the conceptual, contextual and production issues involved in the completion of Practical work.   35% (Tutor Assessed) Assessment Criteria (specific criteria related to the learning outcomes and linked to the statement of generic assessment criteria matrix):
Evidence of knowledge of key contextual and theoretical issues – Knowledge concerned with contemporary practice acquired from Level 5 and applied and developed to a higher level (LO1)
Evidence of critical concepts represented in the breadth and depth of subject knowledge – The contexts of production (LO2, LO3)
Evidence of realization through the application of technical knowledge and skills – Documentation of the project, its planning and execution (LO1)
Evidence of understanding through critical evaluation and reflection - Relevance of research and relationship of theory to practice (LO3)
Reference Material:
This will vary according to the needs of individual students. I will define Reference Material through negotiation with my tutor(s) and list it in your Action plan/time plan

Tasks
20th February – 24th February: Metatagging sonic tracks with appropriate genre, imagery, illustration suggestions Collect visuals for appropriate tags
24th February – 1st March: Make music and tag it and put it with other music with the same tags and test viewers with these videos generate a certain mood Rapid prototypes to initially prove concept
1st March – 7th: March Devise tests Run Tests Analyze results March 2th –
May 2nd: Refine project based on the test results Perform it in a live performance at our Venue at the Block Party

Free transform/perspective change on Modul8

swanage — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:56:55 +0000

Modul8 allows the user to project on all kinds of angles and shapes, in my recent videos (see below) I have created manipulated visuals that fit onto angled boxes and boards, here I show how I created this helpful technique. (click on it to see full image)

Modul8: Crossfade effects in sync w/ sound tutorial

swanage — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:05:40 +0000

I have been using Modul8 to manipulate visuals in a live performance, in a recent video (look underneath) I used a couple of elements in the software together that create a cool, swift effect that can be done in a live AV installation. Here is how I did it (click on the image to see the whole picture!)

Sound in -> crossfade effect in modul8

COMIX May Mini Mix!

swanage — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:00:29 +0000

Block Party is only a week away, so as a treat, I have decided to produce a new live 10 Minute mix of a selection of music that ravers can look forward to hearing at the event! IT’S DIRTYYY!

The Music:
There Was A Time (Kenny Dope Remix) – James Brown
Not Alone (Doorly Remix) – Calvin Harris
New York, New York (Chew Fu Big Room Fix) – Frank Sinatra
Cheap & Cheerful (SebastiAn Remix) – The Kills
Show Me Love (ac Slator remix) – Robin S
Bonkers (Doorly Remix) – Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden
Hometown Glory (dub fix) – Adele
Zero (Zero Erol Alkan Rework) – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

See you on the block! xx

download it from our website: www.THISISCOMIX.com

3d Mapping development video

swanage — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:09:36 +0000

It is just over a week until our show at the Block Party 2, I decided too release some video of my Vj installation working, so i can give people a clear understanding of what i am trying to achieve. it’s a work-in-progress prototype filmed in my room, The size of the projections and blocks will be bigger in the show.

Visuals have been squashed, this is a early prototype:

Size of projection expanded too a more realistic size (the light of the projection isn’t visible towards the bottom of the foam boards due to lack of space in room it was used in!)

Comix Made a new Showreel too Promote The Block Party on May 2nd

swanage — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:49:29 +0000

I have put compiled a new Showreel with all off are latest loops, So we can keep fans up-to-date with our work, The release of this Showreel has been aimed at our target audience. The timing was carefully chosen, the general aim is to to remind everyone that COMIX are more than alive and performing in venues nearby!

Visual Content progress and Stage Decor

swanage — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:39:00 +0000

After the most recent conversation with Tim(W.a.y.f), I decided to spend time working on visual content for the event, I was eager to create visuals for the stage decor. The plan is to have three solid blocks built with foam board that will be attached to the wall by thin wire, these will be lit by chopped up projected motion graphics mapped onto it by visuals that will be specifically designed for it. The idea off these visuals is to replace traditional LEDs and stage decor with projections.

I wanted the blocks off foam board to be slightly more interesting, maybe have different sizes and shapes. and placed in interesting areas all around the stage, this was the vision I originally had, this is physically possible, but not possibly in reality because the final details of where the stage is going too be, how much space I have to work with and where it can be placed ‘legally’ cannot be confirmed until the very last few days off prior to the event, this would of left me with very little time to create and chop visuals up, with this in mind, I thought it be beneficial too keep the mapping simple, so on the day of the event, mapping the decor will be easier and faster giving me more time too work the other elements in the venue.

I want all off the visuals on all off the screens in the venue too be triggered off by the output of the bands and the DJs from the main mixer deck, These are some recent tests using sounds from ableton live too modul8:

In the past few months, me and Sam have been developing and building content and visual style for the block party, with live performances in venues across Dorset, we have been working with similar targeted audiences to the people that we are expecting to come to are show!

Here is a teaser of recent show at The Old Firestation in Bournemouth, for We Are Your Friends:

Here is are February Showreel that was designed to show viewers what visuals we are using and basiclly summing up are style: solid and clean.

Phone call from our Manager!

swanage — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:16:04 +0000

Tim from We Are Your Friends head office rang me to check if everything was going smoothly with organizing and planning the performance on May 2nd. He gave me feedback off the 3d project plan that me and Sam created for him, he thinks the stage will be moved further to the right of the building, his biggest concern is the venues lamp shades where the pool table is normally placed, he thinks it could be quite tough to remove it, i am slightly concerned that it might interfere with the visuals. Tim said that we cannot confirm details such as these until the final week/10 days, he said until then, he advises us to work on the visual content (the visuals that we will use when we perform) and music that we want to play.

Whilst I had the opportunity to talk to him, I wanted to discuss a new idea, I wanted to make the visuals on the projectors more interactive with the sound, I figured it be interesting if i could use sound to trigger off the opacity, size, movements and effects of the visuals on the screens that will surround the bands and performers, He did not see a reason why we could not do this! I mentioned to him what type of cables that I think will be needed, and luckily for us, the sound technicians that are responsible for the sound will have the required equipment for me too have the opportunity too sync the sound of the bands/djs outputs with the visuals on screen, i feel it will be a slick addition to the overall performance that will inevitably make the whole event more interesting and exciting! Very interactive!

In this video below, I show how I transfered sound output to modul8 on a different machine, and a example off some colour effects triggering off with sound.

Photos and 3d design

swanage — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:06:33 +0000

We went too the venue again to get additional photos to help us with designing a 3D template to help us show our manager and lectures what exactly we want to achieve and produce in are venue. We had already taken photos but the venue was too busy and we found it too difficult too create a 3d view with the busy imagery that we managed to acquire!

Photos:

Photos taken by me, Cinema 4d work by Sam, Edit by Harry Bird.