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.

LPM report Part II: Who I met

LPM08 - Synesthete (Todd Thille)
Originally uploaded by synesthete

As noted in the previous post about LPM (contrary to uncommon belief) is not just about performances. Included in its name is the word 'meeting.'

In part 1 of this report some familiar faces were present. While there were many new faces that would be impossible to recall fully there are some of note that I cannot help but mention.



The first would be Todd Thille. I had faint memory of his name here and there from the various articles floating around about his involvement in VJ'ing. We did actually initially meet in Berlin for the micro-avit but it was very brief. At LPM I got a chance to chat with him more about his adventures in VJ'ing and working in the VJ field. Until recently he was involved in the much talked about Artificial Eyes. His web site reveals that he is not only interested in the image but also in creating images with plants and rocks.

Todd was also very active at LPM. Taking lots of photographs and assisting with installing projectors and running cables as well as helping Toby in directing the chaotic energy of LPM into constructive talks that were followed by taped interviews.

On the 2nd day of the festival Todd mentioned that a directional video system was arriving. I had seen articles about this DMX controlled hardware and my thoughts about a mirror attached to a projector in order to control its beam were always 'we can finally use an image as light.'





This leads me to the presentation of the company Video Moving System or more commonly known in the VJ tech circles as VMS. CEO Thomas Kuhne and Kjell Bruno Tait delivered a very clear message that images could not only be moved within the screen but could also just plain move. VMS not only makes this simple yet dynamic piece of hardware but also publishes DVDs that showcase some of the best VJ talent working with these systems. Thomas was equally excited to meet up with Justine and I having a) known about the influence of the Mapping Festival for some time and and the fact that the majority of the artists that he has produced DVDs for use modul8.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Blanca Perez-Bustamante aka whiteemotion or for short whitee. Blanca is as she would phrase it the back ground bright energy of the VJ world in Spain and beyond. She is currently working on finishing her doctoral degree with her work focused squarely on the audio visual movement. She conducted interviews with all of the performers and when she interviewed me it was clear she knew what she was looking for and how to ask about it. She also teaches the upcoming generation about what we are doing and what tools we are using. We often focus our attention on the performers and festivals. As spectators we are not really expected to look beyond that. Its a blog such as this though that gives the possibility for highlighting the efforts of those unseen. My cup is raised high.

There were really a lot of other people but I just can't recall much more after that cup and I have a lot of other things to write about here so I will leave it at that. Ok... another big cup for the entire LPM team! You have me itching for next year.