Thought I would have a go at making 8-bit images. I decided to make everyone in the group (Try and guess who is who)
I created them in Illustrator by showing the grid on the background, and creating a single square, or ‘pixels’. I used the ‘snap to grid’ option to make it easier. I then drew the outline of the image, with black pixels, before adding coloured pixels.
This is Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. It’s a video game based on the recent film. What’s interesting about it, is that it’s been made in a 16-bit style, something which we havent seen in gaming for a long time. It’s a great example of what i want the visuals to look like.
I’m looking into 8-bit music with Alex, Sam and Max. I think it would be a really interesting element of music to explore, and we could experiment with different ways of creating it.Here are a few ideas which we have discussed:
Venue based VJ set
Create a chiptune visuals set at a venue. Decorate the venue with an 8-bit theme to make the experience more interactive for the audience. Record the VJ set.
Create a music video for a chiptune song
Use pixelated graphics to create a music video for an 8-bit song which we would create, giving it a narrative.
Use Light guns to create ‘sound triggered’ actions
Tamper with light guns
Title: Designing the User Interface (Interactive Media) and Performance Video (Digital Media Production)
Outline Context/Brief
The brief is to make a musical instrument and perform with it. Creating a piece of dynamic improvised performance on the subject of ‘belonging’.
(what does ‘belonging’ mean)
For those specialising in Designing the User Interface (Interactive Media) you will concentrate on the making of the instrument as a user interface, on usability, the nature of tactile and haptic feedback, the semiotics of the interface etc.
For those specialising in Performance Video (Digital Media Production) you will focus creating emotive expression through effecting video and sound in a performance and on real time effects programming effects, video mapping, etc.
The brief poses a number of questions that we would like you to discuss, comment on and perhaps even pose solutions to: In this society what constitutes a performance, how close does a performer have to be to the audience, is something streamed over the web live, is something that is generative a performance etc, what is an interface, what happens when work becomes play etc?
We will look at range of subject including general usability heuristics (rules of thumb), semiotics, GUI’s, notations and language.
Approaches might be as diverse as physically making instruments or using the web as audience and performers,
Software/Hardware
Real-time video and audio processing (output video FX) using Ableton and MAXMSP feedback from sensors from Phidgets or Arduino and MAXMSP or Wire or Processing.
