Re: OT: VISUAL LOOPING question for Mark

[Mark <sine@zerocrossing.net>]

Hi Rick!  I'd love to help you.

The programs I've used are Arkaos
(http://www.arkaos.net/site/en/prod_downlo.html), and Prophet by Vidvox
(www.vidvox.net)

both have free trial versions.  I think someone from Vidvox might be on 
this
list...as that's where I heard of it... anyway, both are good for different
reasons.  You'll really have to try them to see.  Both are designed to 
trigger
media clips via a midi note message.  Vidvox gives you a lot of control 
over
each video clip (via cc messages), and plays back ANY format that 
Quicktime can
read.  This includes Flash animations, which run VERY well and are small.  
Full
screen video can be more problematic, but it does work on my Powermac 
7500/g3
300 with 168 of ram.  Vidvox is only available for the mac.  Warning: the
current version would NOT work with a blue and white G3  using a midiman
midisport 2x2 usb interface.  A big problem as far as I can see.  Vidvox 
claims
it has something to do with the OMS to USB interaction, but it was the only
program I could find that had a problem with the midiman midisport 2x2.  It
works fine with my serial port midi interface.

Arkaos is dual platform.  It has less control over video playback, but it 
does
come with a bunch of effects that can be used with still images and video
clips.  All the effects have motion in them, so it's a cheap and quick 
(although
sometimes very cheezy) way to get movment without the size of a quicktime 
video
file.  Arkaos doesn't seem to be Flash file savy, which is a shame.  It 
also
seems to load your videos into ram at a 16 bit color bitdepth, which can be
noticable.  I don't care though, and it's better with older machines.

Ah, and there's the question of projectors.  Yup.  I've got the same 
problem.
They're still very expensive.  I had use of some while in college, but 
those
days are over.... so were my video performances.  I now work for an event
production company (think Java One conference) and we've got video 
projection
gear here, (we rent most of the big stuff) but I've yet to try and barrow 
it for
my own use.  Some places rent them too.  I saw a noise/media show by a 
group in
the SF area that calls themselves Omnimedia and they seemed to have a few
projectors.  I'm not sure if they rented them, or own them.  I'm friends 
with
one of them, and I'll ask him today and get back to you.  If you do buy or 
rent
one, make sure it has svga in (it's a standard computer monitor interface) 
or
you'll need to have a computer with a rca or svideo output. (the 85/8600,
95,9600 power macs had them standard, as did the higher end beige G3 macs) 
 I've
got a $500 Fuse video card that captures and plays video really, reallly 
well.
I mainly use it for editing small videos.  Watch out for low end video 
capture
cards, as their frame rate can be LOW.  This can be OK for video 
performance and
web/computer work though.  A lot of times I'll only capture at 15 fps to 
make
editing faster.  I use Adobe Premiere 6 and After Effects 5 for editing and
processing.  AFTER EFFECTS RULES!  I just got the production bundle 
version and
it is tres swank.  Each layer can be manipulated in "3D" and have it's own 
light
source.  Very cool.  I haven't had too much time to play with it, as I'm 
working
on a CD project and my job thinks I should come in and do stuff every day. 
 The
nerve!

you don't have to send my your CD, but it sure would be swell.  I'll trade 
ya!

Mark Sottilaro

Ar

"Rick Walker (loop.pool)" wrote:

>  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.