Percussion in an electronic environment

This essay is an account of the process of making work for a new percussion/software performance environment built using Max/Msp, with an electronic drum kit as control interface. Each of the works are Audio-visual responses to a number of key stimuli - the experience of urbanness, representations and accounts of mental illness, childhood and memory, and physicality - which are recurring concerns in my work. Submitted along with the supporting text are DVD documents ofthe four main pieces of work, which are presented here as medium-specific 'versions' of the pieces- i.e. edited specifically for for DVD replay rather than as 'neutral' documentation. Also submitted are the materials needed to perform each of the pieces, including written performance instructions and the Max/Msp patches (containing the relevant media) for each piece. *[N.B.: A DVD was attached to this thesis at the time of its submission. Please refer to the author for further details.]

Advanced Media Control Through Drawing: Using a graphics tablet to control complex audio and video data in a live context

This paper demonstrates the results of the authors’ Wacom tablet MIDI user interface. This application enables users’ drawing actions on a graphics tablet to control audio and video parameters in real-time. The programming affords five degrees (x, y, pressure, x tilt, y tilt) of concurrent control for use in any audio or video software capable of receiving and processing MIDI data. Drawing gesture can therefore form the basis of dynamic control simultaneously in the auditory and visual realms. This creates a play of connections between parameters in both mediums, and illustrates a direct correspondence between drawing action and media transformation that is immediately apparent to viewers. The paper considers the connection between drawing technique and media control both generally and specifically, postulating that dynamic drawing in a live context creates a performance mode not dissimilar to performing on a musical instrument or conducting with a baton. The use of a dynamic and physical real-time media interface re-inserts body actions into live media performance in a compelling manner. Performers can learn to “draw/play” the graphics tablet as a musical and visual “instrument”, creating a new and uniquely idiomatic form of electronic drawing. The paper also discusses how to practically program the application and presents examples of its use as a media manipulation tool

Substitutive bodies and constructed actors: a practice-based investigation of animation as performance

The fundamental conceptualisation of what animation actually is has been changing in the face of material change to production and distribution methods since the introduction of digital technology. This re-conceptualisation has been contributed to by increasing artistic and academic interest in the field, such as the emergence of Animation Studies, a relatively new branch of academic enquiry that is establishing itself as a discipline. This research (documentation of live events and thesis) examines animation in the context of performance, rather than in terms of technology or material process. Its scope is neither to cover all possible types of animation nor to put forward a new ‘catch-all’ definition of animation, but rather to examine the site of performance in character animation and to propose animation as a form of performance. In elaborating this argument, each chapter is structured around the framing device of animation as a message that is encoded and produced, delivered and played back, then received and decoded. The PhD includes a portfolio of projects undertaken as part of the research process on which the text critically reflects. Due to their site-specific approach, these live events are documented through video and still images. The work represents an intertwining, interdisciplinary, post-animation praxis where theory and practice inform one another and test relationships between animation and performance to problematise a binary opposition between that which is live as opposed to that which is animated. It is contextualised by a review of historical practice and interviews with key contemporary practitioners whose work combines animation with an intermedial mixture of interaction design, fine art, dance and theatre

A Human-Computer Duet System for Music Performance

Virtual musicians have become a remarkable phenomenon in the contemporary multimedia arts. However, most of the virtual musicians nowadays have not been endowed with abilities to create their own behaviors, or to perform music with human musicians. In this paper, we firstly create a virtual violinist, who can collaborate with a human pianist to perform chamber music automatically without any intervention. The system incorporates the techniques from various fields, including real-time music tracking, pose estimation, and body movement generation. In our system, the virtual musician's behavior is generated based on the given music audio alone, and such a system results in a low-cost, efficient and scalable way to produce human and virtual musicians' co-performance. The proposed system has been validated in public concerts. Objective quality assessment approaches and possible ways to systematically improve the system are also discussed

A proposition for how musical competencies could benefit 3D character animators when synchronising performances to pre-recorded music using Khumba as a case study

Research Report Master of Arts in Digital Animation (Coursework and Research Report) University of the Witwatersrand Faculty of Humanities The Wits School of Arts June 2017Even though a significant amount of research has been conducted over the years on film music and animation, these two fields of academic study mostly developed independently from each other. Little attention has been given to these two fields in terms of how they are deployed together, particularly after the ‘Golden Age’ of Hollywood filmmaking. This study, from an animation perspective, contributes to this need for research with an investigation and eventual proposition that will elucidate and advance the integration and contemporary deployment practices and processes of music and character animation. The aim of the study was to identify and suggest the ideal musical competency set a character animator would benefit from and, to propose an approach for notation in which these competencies are used to digitally animate characters moving to the beat of pre-recorded music for a 3D animation feature-length film. A qualitative research approach was followed and the research methodology consisted of a historical analysis, studying current practices and the analysis of a case study. The South African 3D computer-animated feature film, Khumba (2013), produced by Triggerfish Animation Studios, was used as the case study. Reasons for its suitability were twofold: Firstly because the researcher could easily access the animators (which was essential) and secondly, because the film had the musical scenes required to conduct the research. The focus was on the musical scenes in the film. The integration of animation and music in a scene was analysed, allowing the researcher to show how Khumba animators could have benefited from the suggested musical competencies and from using the proposed method when animating musical scenes. A universally agreed approach for notation in animating-to-music doesn’t exist. However, a method known as the bar sheet was used by earlier animators, requiring them to have a basic knowledge and understanding of music. This study proposes the reintroduction of an adapted version of the original bar sheet, digitised for assimilation with contemporary technology. A plug-in for Autodesk Maya was also proposed as an output of the research. Ultimately, this research has the potential to lead to a heightened proficiency of character animators when animating musical scenes in 3D feature-length films. In addition, the research could prompt a universally agreed approach for notation which combines traditional and new methods and techniques. The adoption of this approach could also lead to changes in the working practices of film making teams and the work flow within production pipelines.MT201

A Brief History of the Lecture: A Multi-Media Analysis

The lecture has been much maligned as a pedagogical form. It has been denigrated as a «hot ‎medium» that has long been «superseded» by the cooler dialogical and televisual forms. Yet the lecture ‎persists and even flourishes today in the form of the podcast, the TED Talk, Kahn Academy and the «smart» ‎lecture hall (outfitted with audio, video and student feedback technologies). This persistence ‎should lead us to re-evaluate both the lecture and the role of the media that have been related to it over time. This paper examines the lecture as a site of intersecting media, as «a site where differences between media are negotiated» as these media ‎evolve (Franzel 2010). This study shows the lecture as bridging oral ‎communication with writing and newer media technologies, rather than as being superseded ‎by newer electronic and digital forms. The result is a remarkably adaptable and robust form ‎that combines textual record and ephemeral event. It is that is capable of addressing a range of ‎different demands and circumstances, both in terms of classroom pragmatics and more abstractly, of the circulation of knowledge itself. The Web, which ‎brings multiple media together with new and established forms and genres, presents fertile ‎grounds for the continuation and revitalization of the lecture as a dominant pedagogical form.The lecture has been much maligned as a pedagogical form. It has been denigrated as a «hot ‎medium» that has long been «superseded» by the cooler dialogical and televisual forms. Yet the lecture ‎persists and even flourishes today in the form of the podcast, the TED Talk, Kahn Academy and the «smart» ‎lecture hall (outfitted with audio, video and student feedback technologies). This persistence ‎should lead us to re-evaluate both the lecture and the role of the media that have been related to it over time. This paper examines the lecture as a site of intersecting media, as «a site where differences between media are negotiated» as these media ‎evolve (Franzel 2010). This study shows the lecture as bridging oral ‎communication with writing and newer media technologies, rather than as being superseded ‎by newer electronic and digital forms. The result is a remarkably adaptable and robust form ‎that combines textual record and ephemeral event. It is that is capable of addressing a range of ‎different demands and circumstances, both in terms of classroom pragmatics and more abstractly, of the circulation of knowledge itself. The Web, which ‎brings multiple media together with new and established forms and genres, presents fertile ‎grounds for the continuation and revitalization of the lecture as a dominant pedagogical form

Animators of Atlanta: Layering Authenticity in the Creative Industries

This dissertation explores post-authentic neoliberal animation production culture, tracing the ways authenticity is used as a resource to garner professional autonomy and security during precarious times. Animators engage in two modes of production, the first in creating animated content, and the other in constructing a professional identity. Analyzing animator discourse allows for a nuanced exploration of how these processes interact and congeal into common sense. The use of digital software impacts the animator’s capacity to legitimize themselves as creatives and experts, traditional tools become vital for signifying creative authenticity in a professional environment. The practice of decorating one’s desk functions as a tactic to layer creative authenticity, but the meaning of this ritual is changing now that studios shift to open spaces while many animators work from home. Layering authenticity on-screen often requires blending techniques from classical Hollywood cinema into animated performance, concomitant with a bid to legitimate the role of the authentic interlocutor for the character. Increasingly animators feel pressure to layer authenticity online, establishing an audience as a means to hedge against precarity. The recombined self must balance the many methods for layering creative and professional authenticity with the constraints and affordances of their tools, along with the demands of the studio, to yield cultural capital vital for an animator’s survival in an industry defined at once by its limitless expressive potential and economic uncertainty

Wearable performance

This is the post-print version of the article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2009 Taylor & FrancisWearable computing devices worn on the body provide the potential for digital interaction in the world. A new stage of computing technology at the beginning of the 21st Century links the personal and the pervasive through mobile wearables. The convergence between the miniaturisation of microchips (nanotechnology), intelligent textile or interfacial materials production, advances in biotechnology and the growth of wireless, ubiquitous computing emphasises not only mobility but integration into clothing or the human body. In artistic contexts one expects such integrated wearable devices to have the two-way function of interface instruments (e.g. sensor data acquisition and exchange) worn for particular purposes, either for communication with the environment or various aesthetic and compositional expressions. 'Wearable performance' briefly surveys the context for wearables in the performance arts and distinguishes display and performative/interfacial garments. It then focuses on the authors' experiments with 'design in motion' and digital performance, examining prototyping at the DAP-Lab which involves transdisciplinary convergences between fashion and dance, interactive system architecture, electronic textiles, wearable technologies and digital animation. The concept of an 'evolving' garment design that is materialised (mobilised) in live performance between partners originates from DAP Lab's work with telepresence and distributed media addressing the 'connective tissues' and 'wearabilities' of projected bodies through a study of shared embodiment and perception/proprioception in the wearer (tactile sensory processing). Such notions of wearability are applied both to the immediate sensory processing on the performer's body and to the processing of the responsive, animate environment. Wearable computing devices worn on the body provide the potential for digital interaction in the world. A new stage of computing technology at the beginning of the 21st Century links the personal and the pervasive through mobile wearables. The convergence between the miniaturisation of microchips (nanotechnology), intelligent textile or interfacial materials production, advances in biotechnology and the growth of wireless, ubiquitous computing emphasises not only mobility but integration into clothing or the human body. In artistic contexts one expects such integrated wearable devices to have the two-way function of interface instruments (e.g. sensor data acquisition and exchange) worn for particular purposes, either for communication with the environment or various aesthetic and compositional expressions. 'Wearable performance' briefly surveys the context for wearables in the performance arts and distinguishes display and performative/interfacial garments. It then focuses on the authors' experiments with 'design in motion' and digital performance, examining prototyping at the DAP-Lab which involves transdisciplinary convergences between fashion and dance, interactive system architecture, electronic textiles, wearable technologies and digital animation. The concept of an 'evolving' garment design that is materialised (mobilised) in live performance between partners originates from DAP Lab's work with telepresence and distributed media addressing the 'connective tissues' and 'wearabilities' of projected bodies through a study of shared embodiment and perception/proprioception in the wearer (tactile sensory processing). Such notions of wearability are applied both to the immediate sensory processing on the performer's body and to the processing of the responsive, animate environment

The Animator: The 26th Society for Animation Studies Annual Conference Toronto June 16 to 19, 2014

The 2014 Society for Animation Studies conference hosted by Sheridan College was from June 16 - 19, 2014. As Animation Studies continues to develop as a discipline, the dialogue that has opened up between more traditional academic research into the field and what we might call ‘industry-facing’ or applied research has become more important. The critical study of animation from within higher education institutions like Sheridan represents one of the many areas in which the industry can grow. Every SAS conference has its own distinct tone and flavour because we are truly international in our membership and we devolve conference organization annually to the host institution. This means that this year’s conference is strongly allied to Sheridan’s industry focus – not least with Corus warmly welcoming conference goers to their HQ for parts of the conference. SAS provides such a welcoming environment for new members, and a terrific forum to discuss animation from a multitude of perspectives. It is within this fertile and nurturing atmosphere that we decided to focus our conference on the animation artist. As a tribute to all artists whose efforts fuel our work, and in the spirit of the centenary of celebrated National Film Board of Canada animator, Norman McLaren, the 2014 SAS Conference is named “The Animator”. Keynote speakers included Scott Dyer, Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning and Chief Technology Officer, Corus Entertainment Charile Bonifacio, Animator, Arc Productions Ltd, Canada Professor Paul Wells, Director of the Animation Academy Loughborough University, UK Michael Fukushima, Executive Producer of NFB’s English Animation Studio National Film Board of Canada Panel Discussions McLaren Legacy Panel: The Centenary Year - Nichola Dobson, Terence Dobson, Kaj Pindal Stop Motion, From Local Community Members - Chris Walsh, Bret Long, Nora Keely, Mark Mayerson Conference Twitter account: @AnimatorSAS2014https://source.sheridancollege.ca/conferences_anim/1000/thumbnail.jp

The use of motion capture in non-realistic animation

The Use of Motion Capture in Non-realistic Animation explores the possibility of creating non-realistic animation through the use of motion capture. In this study we look to the particularities of cartoony/non-realistic animation while trying to as-certain if it is viable to create this type of animation through the process of motion capture. This dissertation will, firstly, expose the historical, theoretical, technical and artistic context. There will be a brief description of important landmarks and general overview of the history of animation. There will also be an explanation of how animators’ will to mimic real life motion, led to the invention of several technologies in order to achieve this goal. Next we will describe the several stages that compose the motion capture process. Lastly there will be a comparison be-tween key-frame animation and motion capture animation techniques and also the analysis of several examples of films where motion capture was used. Finally there will be a description of the production phases of an animated short film called Na-poleon’s Unsung Battle. In this film the majority of its animated content was obtained through the use of motion capture while aiming for a cartoony/non-realistic style of animation. There is still margin for improvement on the final results but there is also proof that it is possible to obtain a non-realistic style of animation while using motion capture technology. The questions that remain are: is it time effective and can the process be optimized for this less than common use