Hand Drawn Mapping from Retchy

You read it right. Part of our creative community since 2007, Retchy (aka Graeme Hawkins) is a quirky animator with a curious esthetic sensibility and a taste for making it live. Graeme's work is definitely a soft spot for me. There is humor, illustration and a general air of adventure and sincerity.

Via the message system on vimeo I was able to ask him a few questions about this project and his relationship to modul8 and vjing:

m8.us: In one of your clips you mention that you were making it for VJing and you did not get to VJ or something like that. Is this still true?

Graeme: Yeah I've only just started in the last few months to actually get out there and do some vjing with a friend - that film was just an FCP edit of some content I'd created a while ago and which I'm now using in vj sets. To be honest, my VJ skills aren't really up to scratch yet. I need a lot more practice and content... love playing about with theses techniques though.

m8.us: Are you using a midi controller? If yes which one?

Graeme: I've got an M-Audio Trigger Finger drum pad that I use for triggering clips and cross fading etc, and a Behringer 2000R that I don't really use much.



m8.us: I love the TF. Its quite possibly my favorite. Its a damn shame that it has been discontinued. Can you expand a little bit more on the live drawing mapping project? Your ideas behind it? Motivations?

Graeme: The project was part of my studies at Norwich University College of the Arts where I was doing an MA in animation and sound design. It was really a series of experiments using the mapping technique, trying to find different uses for it other than on architectural, 'static' objects, but I kind of ran out of time for it on the course as I had to move on to other projects. With the first few tests I was trying to create floating, animated objects that I could move the camera around to create the illusion of movement.

The hand drawn version was really just an attempt to get away from the sterile, neon glow of the other tests you can see on my website, and I had grand visions of a really intricate, detailed setup with loads more transitions and movements (something similar to Michel Gondry's White Stripes projection video) but I just didn't have the time or resources to do anything like that. Plus it was bloody cold in the middle of winter in an abandoned warehouse - I couldn't leave the set up over night cos it might have been stolen, so everything had to be done pretty quickly and with very stiff fingers :D

My knowledge of the technology was perhaps a bit limited back then too - it was a struggle to get the dualhead2go even working! - but I reckon I could do something much better now if I were to go back to it.

And with that we both 'got back to it.'

If you're looking for some inspiration overload I highly recommend having a look at Graeme's website and his vimeo page. Personally looking forward to seeing him expand and blend his crazy animations with his ideas for mapping objects.

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.

... updates.

... updates. from mappingfestival on Vimeo.

Shot and edited by Jerome Monnot.

VNBC collective

Quick early in the week post. I am in Geneva now for a few days. VJ'ing (i'll have a report on that by the end of the week) getting a little face to face with my colleagues as well as partaking in the curatorial for this years edition of the Mapping Festival. So far the amount of submissions have exceeded last year with over 200 applicants. Sans comments about the content of the submissions I have definitely noticed two trends. The first is better footage/documentation of performances. The amount of footage with grainy images has gone down. This is probably largely due to the more widespread availability of cameras with better CCD's or CMOS. The second would be video work that contains two screens. It is being formatted with one image beside the other. This is an improvement over previous years where we were required to use our imagination when someone would propose a multi-screen performance. My impression of these efforts ranges from 'what do you need two screens to show THAT for?' to 'instead of just going with two screens for the sake of it they are actually spending time trying to figure out how to work with this "limitation" and be creative with it in a compositional sense.'

Speaking of screens and compositions I received a fun link to a fun and entertaining VJ set by the VNBC collective. Simple one angle shot but I was really happy with the playful humor injected into this work. While there is a distinct lack of a variety of colors the compositions themselves follow a consistent style with the printed materials look and hand drawn animations.

When I reflect back on why I got involved with visuals in the first place I think it came down to that I always enjoyed the energy of dance clubs and dance parties but just dancing around was never enough for me and on some level I thought it would be fun to be able to be involved with operation of the party/club environment. I have definitely found this. When you go through the VNBC web site you see a lot of different work. VJ'ing is clearly not the only thing they do. My sense is that VNBC has a similar idea about what to do with their extra creative energy now and then.

Corps Urbain

Team Modul8 (Boris Edelstein and yours truly) are jetting into Brussles, Belgium for two weeks to break the daily rigamarole with interventions at the Gare Congress (The Congress Train Station) and Les Brigittines. As stated on the site the goal for us is to devote ourselves to the ‘city’ as a living, organic and artistic reality. There will be performances, talks and goes without saying that there will be parties featuring good old fashioned DJ & VJ sets. From the immediate crew will be some of the usual suspects of our friends such as the wonderful photographer Julie Guiches, the venerable photographer and conspirator Benoit Laurent, Former Mapping participants Label ANTIVJ and their acolytes Joanie Lemercier and Olivier Ratsi.

I know, I know. Every time we head out for a project like this 'in the field' I say that I will post photos while I am there with updates as to what we are up to. I commit myself to at least 1 post. Scouts honor. Above all that though I want to jump up and down wildly to point out that this entire effort would not exist if it were not for the astounding tasks undertaken by Benoit Laurent who has been staying up late nights sending everyone emails to give him what he needed so that time may unfold with altered by our magic. If you are in Brussels between now and the 16th please stop by and say hello.

AntiVJ show in Brussels

AntiVJ + Créa Composite / Nuit Blanche 08 / Bruxelles
Hochgeladen von lego_man

The AntiVJ crew consisting of the seasoned modul8 users Legoman, Emovie, Crustea and Aalto, each and collectively have already amassed a qualitatively and esthetically impressive output in both the standard VJ set and the much more interesting augmented reality or 'mapping' scene. This newly uploaded document of a project performed on October 4th of this year is probably the most impressive to date in that it truly brings to the fore all of the talents in this group with both the grasp of geometry and the moving sliced imagery that defines the imagery of some of the individual members.

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~!