Seasons Greetings from the Modul8 Team

On behalf of the Modul8 Team I want to wish you a busy New Year with lots of projects, festivals, installations, stage design and most importantly good health.

From our end we have delivered to you modul8 2.6. One of its key features is DMX support. So far this has been a very exciting addition for those who are already working with DMX. And for people new to it there may be some things to learn but once you get the basic idea I am sure we will be seeing a lot more VJs working with lighting in addition to their video.


One of the projects that I was able to see and hear that really impressed me in terms of lighting and its implications was the above project by Sigma6. I hope it will inspire you to think about this subtle medium.


This years activities in the live video world could be summed up by the proliferation of outdoor mapping projections. A year ago this practice was limited to just a few individuals and collectives. However the trend has caught on and these type of projects are happening everywhere and in a variety of contexts.

The constants of these are outdoor events where a public building is transformed by mapping imagery to the surfaces of the building. In some ways if done properly this has the effect of something akin to the wrapping of the Reichstage. A public facade that people see every day is renewed by non malicious means, temporarily giving it new life. In my observations of audiences who are in attendance, the reaction is very similar to the 'ooo's and 'ahh's of a fireworks display. The positive sides of this are twofold. The VJ gets pulled out from the club and the concept of synesthesia is brought to a wider audience.


Back in the DJ/Dance world we are also seeing more work where customized structures are created for more immersive experiences. Immersive though has emerged not necessarily as something the surrounds the audience completely. In fact that could be considered counter productive as human beings don't have 360 degree vision, and the DJ who is almost always the focal point of the dance party can only be in once place. By that sort of deduction a more realistic definition of immersive could be defined as an area around the DJ that enhances the experience of the music.


Not to imply that there is no place where projections behind you are not useful. The above link is a rare example from Udart that documents the use of modul8 in the event world. Here the video is a component of a social event. There is no DJ. The focus is in providing a unique environment for people to enjoy not the music or the visuals but each other. While the doc is entirely in Dutch but most of the references here that are modul8 related are highly visible. Highly practical and straightforward. The way we like it.

Looking forward to a great 2010.

DVblog features Grrrridwave

I am not sure how and when I stumbled on DVblog. My first impression from the typeface on the header and the use of QuickTime as the media format of choice was that it was a bit 'old school.' But upon further browsing of the content presented I put aside my preconceived notions and absorbed myself in the breath and depth of the point of view it provided.

In the past I have extolled the virtues of UBUWEB and will continue to do so. Despite this high regard it also takes some time to find things as there is no real way to browse content by style or genre. And that is not a bad thing, it just requires some patience and the possibility that you will not always get exactly what you are looking for. I, and other colleagues do agree though that looking at something that is off the beaten path is a healthy practice. What DVblog has to offer is straight up great curatorial delivered on a weekly basis.

I was really delighted to have received a message from Doron Golan requesting permission to include Grrrridwave.

Just to share one of my favorites of past DVblog posts:

I used to be a big fan of generative art, and still do support efforts in this area. However a shot like this shows how much is left to be explored in our own reality.

Have a most joyous weekend.

Artist feature: Betsy Kopmar

If you read posts here fairly frequently you might notice a tendency on my part to drift more towards the abstract. I do try to avoid the word 'artistic' because in my view anything within the criteria that one sets of themselves can be bestowed with this label. I may have actually already written that here before. I'll have to make a note to myself so as not to repeat that one again.
Nevertheless the work of Betsy Kopmar definitely falls into what most people would categorize as art. Using a Cinema 4D to create her materials and then Modul8 for performance, her most recent work demonstrates that what cannot be expressed in words or familiar symbols.

Her most recent work "Night Fishing with Cormorants" has been receiving attention from several avenues. A showing at SIGGRAPH led to an impressive article in the press box of Animation Magazine. I am not sure about the chronological order but the piece was also included in issue #69 of Stash DVD Magazine. The work will also soon bring her to Europe for a showing at the Anima2010 Brussels Animation festival. In Betsy's own words this is "a wondeful way to share this powerful and expressive tool set with a broader audience of filmmakers and artists." I do look forward to seeing more of that.

Old school still rules anew and other stories

With Modul8 2.6 now out there in the world I await to see what kind of things will start popping up on Vimeo and elsewhere that take advantage of the new features. For now there is still a lot of excitement going on with what is there. The above loaded in freshly yesterday, Visualicious (aka Chika) and Parisgraphics mix it V4 style for monthly Chip Music event in Philadelphia delivering heavy with the pounding (by 8 bit standards) track OMG GUITAR from Animal Style. I got to hang out with Paris for a bit during my visit. Even though he is not an m8 user I think it is worth mentioning that he has some pretty interesting hardware for doing his stuff. He explains it very clearly in this video. Lets play!


If you live in the UK, part of your taxes goes to fund the BBC. If you are into VJing you get back more then just programming and web content. You also get access to lost of really nice video footage that they just don't know what to do with. So all you VJs in the UK, you have 1 up on everyone else with this bountiful harvest.


In the domain of that ever notorious 'mirror' filter that just won't die here is at least something bizarre and entertaining that struck me coming down the vimeo pipe. The people involved took photographs of the attendees and the projected them. Perhaps the lesson for me here is that often the most obvious and simple things can be highly gratifying. The good news for these folks is that the new Movie Folder feature will cut their work down a bit making faces bigger, faster.

Mapping Festival / Vision´R open for submissions!

While we are in entering the hibernation of caves of winter this is the perfect time to start planning what we will do to celebrate the return of Spring. Those projects you have been working on for many months should be given a proper public airing. And just now the deadlines for two of these opportunities have sprung.

Most readers of this blog know that the birthplace and home of Modul8 is also home to the Mapping Festival. Next years edition is now set on the calendar for May 6th through the through the 16th. Unlike previous years where we required applicants to send in DVDs we have converted the entire process into an electronic one. Instead of having to mess around with a DVD we require that you submit your project using the now ubiquitous Vimeo. If you do not already have an account with Vimeo obtaining one is free of charge. The time to submit your project is now and the deadline is January 4th, 2010.

Slated for around the same time as the Mapping Festival is the Avit affiliated Vision´R in Paris. More didactic, Vision`Rs mission is seeking "radical *here and now* live images." The initial proposal deadline, to be followed up with more extensive information, should be submitted via email by December 10th with the following information:

Name: (group/artist) + number of participants
Contact: email + cell phone
City + State:
A short presentation txt about intention and content.
Pictures (if possible): photographs, video
Proposal type : (performance, speech, workshop, showcase...)
Proposal duration:
Website: url

Send all of the above to: vision-r(AT)reseaux-creation.org (Mail object "vision'r 2010").

Personally I always look forward to seeing all of the submissions. It is kind of like receiving lots of gifts from people all over the world.

Good luck!