Mapping Festival 2013

Screen Shot 2013-05-09 at 13.59.33
The 2013 edition of the Mapping Festival in Geneva, Switzerland is unfolding into its 7th day. Since 2007 it has been a ten day festival, and when this started the question arose as to whether a projection video art festival could fill up ten days in a meaningful way.

As it turns out that with something so technique oriented, where a part of the audience is very often the participant, ten days are just barely enough. Parties, workshops, workshops that are like parties, and parties that are like workshops and then the exhibition that, if you are really into this stuff you will probably want to see it at least three times to absorb it all properly.

Perhaps the festival would go longer if it did not totally exhaust the organizers? I recall that by the fifth day I needed to listen to this just to keep myself awake. While I have not been directly involved with the festival for the past two year, I took a break this year from attending because, seriously, how much fun can one person possibly have for five years in a row?

As usual there is a ton of inspiration to be found in the photos of the festival, and I highly recommend taking the time to drool over them. In the words of a phrase commonly used by Boris “it’s not normal.. it’s completely crazy.”

posted by modul8.us @ 9 May, 2013 0 comments »

Get immersed! FULLDOME UK 2011 Call out

FULLDOME UK

Our friend Pedro Zaz of UNITED VJs is a big fan of full immersion technology. As Modul8 is all about projecting images in a variety (or any) kind of space, it aught to be very tempting to try and project your work in a space that is specifically tailored to immersing an audience in the projected image. The following is information about how you can join up for some Fulldome action.

FULLDOME – CALL OUT to all VJs/ Video Performers of the world

From VJ to VJ,

Have you ever thought about VJing in a Planetarium? Yes? So now it is possible at FULLDOME UK 2011

All you need is to produce content in a Fulldome Master format,
- A resolution of 1080 x1080, 25 or 30 fps.
- Render your clips to the the DXV codec (Mac/PC free download).

Upload a small version of it (300×300) to youtube with the tag FULLDOMEUK2011 (no spaces) and send an email to info@fulldome.org.uk with the link. Music can be of your preference. Alternatively, on show day we will have a DJ. This will be on the 12th through the 13th of March in Birmingham. Bring your loops and we will copy them to our Media server with a hardware interface and you will be VJing in the dome!

We welcome you, VJ.

If you can´t come to our event we would love to hear from you and your ideas of VJing in digital planetariums. It really is a new ground for all of us, Fulldome VJing has only been possible due to recent technological advancements in software and hardware and the also new Planetarium directors being open to the potential of opening up the medium to a wider array of ideas, people and interpretations.

Need more information about the Fulldome medium and some inspiration?
Artslab provides a show on the road.

And Professor Green 360º Music Video Clip.

WHO: FULLDOME UK 2011 is a not-for-profit association supporting artists and researchers working within Fulldome immersive environments. We organise events with the goal to promote Fulldome as an artistic medium in its own right, and as a platform for research in to data visualisation, group collaboration and the effects of immersive environments on our perceptual and cognitive processes. More details HERE

WHERE: Our next event, FULLDOME UK 2011, will take place at the Thinktank Planetarium in Bimingham on 12-13th March 2011. The event will run from 09:00-21:00 Saturday and from 09:00-19:00 on Sunday.

WHAT: A festival program is available and is regularly updated as more contributions to the event are added.

WHY: We see the Fulldome context as a rich site for the development of new material that will satisfy the demand of audiences across the World today for multi-sensory, participatory, immersive content that moves beyond the notion of the ‘screen’ into that of an ‘environment’ that can be appropriate in both educational and entertainment contexts. There is now an increasing acknowledgement world wide of how 3D experiences may change and enhance visual and aural perception. The reasons for this are still unclear and our proposed programme of work can offer ways of developing an understanding through experimentation and cultural/intergenerational exchange.

BUY A TICKET
FIND ACCOMMODATIONS – with helpful hints from locals.

If you can´t really come Birmingham, don´t panic. There are more Fulldome events around the world in the coming months:

Immersive Film Festival
Portugal
April 29th through May 1st.

5th Fulldome Festival
Germany
May 12th through May 14th at Carl Zeiss Planetarium.

We strongly recomend you try to attend to these events and get you peripherical vision stimulated!

VJ Zaz

FULLDOME UK 2011
fulldome.org.uk
facebook.com/fulldomeuk

posted by modul8.us @ 5 March, 2011 1 comment »

Festival Fever 2009


Festival season is now upon us. Next week I will be in Vienna to do a Modul8 workshop for the Sound:Frame Festival. This massive festival that is already under way stretches through a whole month with exhibitions, events, performances, workshops and parties hosted in nine different locations. Lets just say that the Viennese like to party and are also going the distance in broadening the public definition of the VJ medium.

My modul8 workshop will take place on Friday, 17.04. It will cover the basics and do some advanced output. As usual I like to focus on what is creatively possible with modul8. With a little bit of luck maybe even a little sneak peak preview of DMX capabilities.

The workshop is free and will take place at wienXtra-medienzentrum (Zieglergasse 49/II, 1070 Vienna). It will run from 16h00 through 22:00. It is recommended that you bring a Mac OS X based laptop running 10.4.11 or higher. A temporary license will be issued for each person who wishes to get hands on experience with modul8.


The following day I will be in Brno, Czech Republic for an almost identical workshop for the Multiplace Festival. I have to say that I am really excited about this. I have seen some really fun and creative work coming out of the Czech Republic. My connection with this festival was through Mapping 2008 veteran VJ Kolouch. A sample of his incredible video work here.

As in Vienna attendees should bring a Mac OS X based computer in order to received a temporary license for use during the workshop. It will take place from 11h00 to 16h00, room 206 at udolni 19, Brno. For more detailed information you can contact akkamiau-at-gmail-dot-com or see the info page on the Multiplace Festival site.


That very evening I will return to Vienna to VJ at Ragnarhof for a party arranged by the Do.Phunk DJ team. It is a birthday party for a friend of my friend Nick Worthington who is one of the organizers of monthly party at this location. I really like the concept of Do.Phunk. They are a group of DJs and party people who really love getting together once a month and decided to make it an official non profit to keep things organized and flowing consistently. Reminds me a bit of our friends Broken Beat.


Just when you thought that things are relaxed and that there is plenty of time to prepare for next weeks adventures then stop. A whole bunch of us Geneva VJ crew people will be busy lighting up this years Electron Festival. The festival as is the title implies a rather large electronic music festival. I have been on deck for this festival for the last two editions. Always a lot of fun. This year is exceptional for me because a) I got to choose what nights I would play b) what artists I would mix for and most importantly c) all the participating VJs are credited on the website for their respective nights and venues.

Just to make it really easy for VJ enthusiasts who will happen to be in Geneva for this here is the VJs teams nights and venues:

Thursday April 9th:
Palladium – KRMT + Tchernoboy
Zoo – Decrepticon
Kab-Ptr – Sigma6
Theatre De L’Usine – La Loutre + Akinetik

Friday April 10th:
Palladium – KRMT + Tchernoboy + POSTBABYLON
Zoo – Matt
Kab-Ptr – Decrepticon

Saturday April 11th:
Palladium – Azadeh + La Loutre + Akinetik
Zoo – Matt
Kab-Ptr – Decrepticon

Sunday April 12th:
Zoo – Azadeh
Kab-Ptr – POSTBABYLON

If you are wondering what the burnt weenie is about this is part of the concept developed by the founders of Electron that every edition would have the theme of the table of elements. This year is ‘carbon.’ Get it?

posted by admin @ 8 April, 2009 0 comments »

S.A.T. = Modul8 outpost in Canada

You love VJ’ing. Why? Maybe because it enriches your life and entices you to explore the uses of media in the projected realm? Now imagine a place that you can go to and study all of these things? If you live in the area of Montreal, Canada you are in luck. At The Society for Arts and Technology (S.A.T. for short) their mission is to bring “together creators who work with digital technologies, fostering collaboration among diverse artistic and scientific disciplines, establishing partnerships with industry and educational institutions and promoting its members at home and abroad”.

I had the good fortune of being invited to perform at Mutek in 2007 and got to see the S.A.T. HQ. The 36,000 square feet space was the perfect place for mixers of music and people.

For individuals looking to learn about VJ’ing S.A.T. offers SAT[TransForm] offers a series of courses that can teach you how to get your creative VJ juices glowing including one course completely dedicated to modul8! We often receive queries at to the availability of a certified modul8 training facility. S.A.T. is the first to offer it.

Mapping 08 veteran TIND (stands for This Is Not Design) is one such example of the VJs who have benefitted from a relationship with S.A.T. and this influence is likely to be a lasting one as their work graces the VJ oriented pages of the [TransForm] sections of the site.


transit remix test 002 from tind :: thisisnotdesign on Vimeo.

Beyond educating the next generation of VJ’s S.A.T. is also extending functionality to modul8. Of note is the development of Raw Materials, a technology that alows modul8 to access the internet, download content and load it directly into the media set.
In its early test phase the S.A.T. crew used the technology during this past New Years Eve MixSessions celebrations.

S.A.T. has also been working on full immersion projection systems and setups using modul8. They have 4 different systems. What caught my attention was a previous use of the igloo dome environment for an project called DOMAGAYA, “An Encounter with Aboriginal Cultures and Digital Arts.” Inside the dome performances, lectures, events and parties were held celebrating native american culture in the region. Technologies used to entertain and inform.

I have travelled quite a bit in the last few years. Every city has something great to offer. Of course because of my work I get to meet modul8 users and groups in every town. Every customer I have met has his or her own take on how to use modul8 in terms of content, technique and context. VJ’s in Montreal clearly have a tremendous resource in their midst that I would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. (Hey… I am open… know of anything like this somewhere else? Are you affiliated? Let me know). Even if you are just passing through Montreal try to pay a visit. Drop in and say hello. You will not be disappointed.

In 2009 I will look forward to more projects from S.A.T.

posted by admin @ 14 January, 2009 0 comments »

Modul8 Team off to Southwark, London

Long time friends and occasional collaborators Exyzt architectural collective are currently in Southwark for the London Architectural Festival building a ‘a vibrant point of community and cultural engagement during its transformation.’

Along with me, Exyzt were one of the first artists invited to the Mapping Festival. They delivered a narrative performance using a live camera, a large custom graphical map and small paper dolls. In 2006 Boris received an invitation to their MetaVilla installation in Venice.

This is where the collective began extensive use of still camera sequences tracked, stabilized and made into delicious music videos that document the daily activities of the project and the various sub projects that unfolded within. For modul8 and multi-projection the collaboration of Boris on Grrrrridwave is one of the most visually inspiring uses of this technology in conjunction with structures that exyzt creates.

The Mapping Festival of 2007 saw the return of Exyzt with their ‘Re-Mapping‘

Most recently the likes of Frz and Pier built the EdC for Etienne D’Crecy. Built specifically for Transmusicales festival in Rennes, France.

And now on to London.

Similar to the MetaVilla concept the compound features a common kitchen, sleeping quarters, toilets and a sauna.

Boris Edelstein and I will be there in full force augmenting the environment with a fleet of projectors. Yet to be announced is the presence of Mapping Festival mistress Justine Beajouan and other surprise companions. For more local VJ flavor we will be graced by the energies of Toby Spark.

From what I can see from the flickr stream it appears there are students on hand so the there is likely to be a lot of show/tell and sharing of ideas. With a unit of VJ’s on hand and seeing how this always has a strong element of community involved I am really excited. Not to mention that this is my first trip to London and the British isle.

The installation will be open to the public on the weekend of July 3rd (yesterday!) through the 6th and then again on July 10th through the 13th. The address is 100, Unions Street, SE1 ONL, London.

Check back for udpates~!

posted by admin @ 4 July, 2008 0 comments »

« Older articles