OT: VISUAL LOOPING question for Mark

["Rick Walker \(loop.pool\)" <GLOBAL@cruzio.com>]

 Dear Mark,

I'm fascinated by the concept of visual looping.  Can you tell me a little
about your work?  What programs do you use?  What platform are you on (Mac
or PC)?  Do you use 'found' or sampled images or do you film or animate 
your
own? What kind of equipment do you use to project live?   I can't seem to
find computer projectors for under $2500-$3000.
which is way out of my league.

     I see images all the time that I would love to loop and project while 
I
improvise my looping music,  I think of that phenomenal sequence of the
leaves whirling about in American Beauty........just one of the most 
sublime
existential moments in film history if you ask me (that's a gorgeous
understated score by thomas newman -- thanks jon durant for that
recommendation).

      I have an incredible sequence on video from a british mystery series
where you see an out of focus image of several objects moving by from right
to left with a strange and industrial sounding random glassy sound going on
in the background.  It takes about thirty seconds to come into focus, by
which time you realize that you are looking across several production lines
at a glass factory.  I took the audio samples and found several beautiful,
serendipitous and musical loops out of the glasses rhythmically clinking.
I'd love to make a 20 second visual loop out of that.   Even crude 
animation
or black and white, grainy super 8 films would be great to loop.

    I am reminded of a piece also, that Laurie Anderson did on tour years
ago.   The huge screen was dark green, out of focus with dayglo lime green
tracers  running randomly across the screen.  It took the better part of 
the
piece of music (which I can't even remember any more, if that tells you
anything) to realize that we were not watching beautiful avante garde video
but , rather, the night vision videos of the U.S. bombing the hell out of
Baghdad.   The beautiful dayglo green lines were anti aircraft
tracers.........it was exquisitely beautiful and existentially chilling at
the same time.  It really made me think which is one of the
great by products of watching or listening to great art.

    Thanks for your time and your post.   yours, Rick Walker (loop.pool)

p.s.  I'd be happy to send you my c.d. for taking time to answer this
queery.  Just send me your snail mail address.  You might like it.   A lot
of people have remarked on it's cinematic quality and I am a very visually
oriented musician.