Scotch Egg was a very interesting character with musical influences which really surprised me, especially since he is a breakcore producer. He mentioned various classical composers as heavy influences on the four albums he produced. Strauss, Bach, Moondog were three he mentioned. These influenced him as they produced there music in a very simple way. He could relate to this as he only uses 3 layers of sound while also limiting himself to sounds created using the Nintendo Gameboy sound library.
This concept of limitation is what interests him as it forces him to be more creative when producing. This for me was also very interesting especially in modern times where people have the tools to create with almost limitless possibilities. The result of which, in the majority, is overindulged work.
Limiting yourself is a concept which can encompass anything; it doesn’t just exist within the realm of music. For example, a painter may limit themselves to just one or two colours for a painting. Forcing themselves to intelligently develop there initial idea to work with this limitation.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Interactive: Understanding Interactivity
To get a better concept of what interactivity actually means I have begun to seek out the source of “interactivity” and why we as human beings require it.
In ancient times, through interactive play, people would “…learn how to coordinate manoeuvres and how to strategise. People played games for these purposes alone. (Miller, unknown Pg 8)
One could therefore say that this might be one of the reasons as to why we like playing interactive games nowadays. Once we learn how to manoeuvre and strategise our way through various tasks throughout our lives we instantly receive a sense of accomplishment. This alone is reason for the large success of interactive games nowadays.
It was not only games and storytelling that are believed to be the precursors of modern interactive entertainment, but religious rituals also. Together “they help to define some of the critical components required to create satisfying interactivity”. (Miller, Unknown, pg 14)
There are also a number of well respected writers and artists who can be said to have an influence on what is meant by interaction. William S Burroughs took his audience by storm when he launched his “cut up” works, where he would take text in “which he cut into fragments which reassembled in a different order. He believed that these rearrangements enabled new meanings to emerge”. (Miller, Unknown, pg 12)
As for the exceptional modern author James Joyce, many now believe his novels to be a pioneer of digital hypertext. (Miller, Unknown, pg 12)
Nowadays, it is easy for us to forget the practice with which the verb “interact” was once used. “To interact simply meant to relate on multiple levels to others. It implied a kind of group dynamic that one would foster in the classroom or meeting sessions…influencing each other…people working together”.(Marshall, 2004, Pg 14 )
That use to be the meaning of the term “interactive” up until the age of New Media. Now the term has evolved. “New media is interactive. In contrast to old media where the order of presentation is fixed, the user can now interact with a media object. In the process of interaction the user can choose which elements to display or which paths to follow, thus generating a unique work. In this way the user becomes the co-author of the work.”(Manovich, 2002, unknown)
Therefore one can say that interactivity entails a sense of empowerment for the user, where they acquire a sense of control over the amount of time they spend and the information with which they choose to engage in. When someone surfs the web it is unspecified and unpredictable except by the user themselves. Hence control is given to the user. This can be challenged however as this “interactivity implies only apparent control”. (Marshall, 2004, Pg 16)
- Miller, Carolyn H, “Interactivty Storytelling: A Brief History”
- Marshall, P. David. New media Cultures. London: Arnold press, 2004
- Manovich, L. The Language of New Media. unknown
In ancient times, through interactive play, people would “…learn how to coordinate manoeuvres and how to strategise. People played games for these purposes alone. (Miller, unknown Pg 8)
One could therefore say that this might be one of the reasons as to why we like playing interactive games nowadays. Once we learn how to manoeuvre and strategise our way through various tasks throughout our lives we instantly receive a sense of accomplishment. This alone is reason for the large success of interactive games nowadays.
It was not only games and storytelling that are believed to be the precursors of modern interactive entertainment, but religious rituals also. Together “they help to define some of the critical components required to create satisfying interactivity”. (Miller, Unknown, pg 14)
There are also a number of well respected writers and artists who can be said to have an influence on what is meant by interaction. William S Burroughs took his audience by storm when he launched his “cut up” works, where he would take text in “which he cut into fragments which reassembled in a different order. He believed that these rearrangements enabled new meanings to emerge”. (Miller, Unknown, pg 12)
As for the exceptional modern author James Joyce, many now believe his novels to be a pioneer of digital hypertext. (Miller, Unknown, pg 12)
Nowadays, it is easy for us to forget the practice with which the verb “interact” was once used. “To interact simply meant to relate on multiple levels to others. It implied a kind of group dynamic that one would foster in the classroom or meeting sessions…influencing each other…people working together”.(Marshall, 2004, Pg 14 )
That use to be the meaning of the term “interactive” up until the age of New Media. Now the term has evolved. “New media is interactive. In contrast to old media where the order of presentation is fixed, the user can now interact with a media object. In the process of interaction the user can choose which elements to display or which paths to follow, thus generating a unique work. In this way the user becomes the co-author of the work.”(Manovich, 2002, unknown)
Therefore one can say that interactivity entails a sense of empowerment for the user, where they acquire a sense of control over the amount of time they spend and the information with which they choose to engage in. When someone surfs the web it is unspecified and unpredictable except by the user themselves. Hence control is given to the user. This can be challenged however as this “interactivity implies only apparent control”. (Marshall, 2004, Pg 16)
- Miller, Carolyn H, “Interactivty Storytelling: A Brief History”
- Marshall, P. David. New media Cultures. London: Arnold press, 2004
- Manovich, L. The Language of New Media. unknown
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Interactive: Research
Installation: Shadow Monsters
Recently I have come across a few pretty cool interactive installations, the first being a very simple but ingenious concept for shadow puppets in this case titled “Shadow Monsters” by Philip Worthington.In the installation Monsters appear from shadows cast by the hands of participants, reacting to gestures with sound and animation.
Shadow Monsters
(click work/shadow monsters - then click on the playing video to zoom in)
Outdoor Advertising
I hadn’t thought of doing anything like this but from viewing this website it is now something I will be considering. With the world full of terrible advertising campaigns it is extremely refreshing to see a creative and interactive take on these campaigns.
Recently I have come across a few pretty cool interactive installations, the first being a very simple but ingenious concept for shadow puppets in this case titled “Shadow Monsters” by Philip Worthington.In the installation Monsters appear from shadows cast by the hands of participants, reacting to gestures with sound and animation.
Shadow Monsters
(click work/shadow monsters - then click on the playing video to zoom in)
Outdoor Advertising
I hadn’t thought of doing anything like this but from viewing this website it is now something I will be considering. With the world full of terrible advertising campaigns it is extremely refreshing to see a creative and interactive take on these campaigns.
Monday, 1 December 2008
Interactive: Han Hoogerbrugge
During my research I have come across Han Hoogerbrugge. Hoogerbrugge, form the Netherlands, started out as a painter and cartoonist but now focuses on digital media. He is the creator of the extremely popular Modern Living Neurotica series as well as his current interactive series Hotel, created for the online Submarine Channel. Regarding his work he says "I want to put just enough in one animation to keep your attention, but at the same time leaving you hungry and wanting to see more." This is very interesting to me as he is limiting his animations, forcing himself to be more creative in what is added.
What's great about Hans' animations is that they don’t serve any other end other than to entertain. It's not navigation. It's not informational. It's a mildly interactive form of art that is both stylish and engaging.
Below are some of his creations:
Crisis, What Crisis?
Penis Envy
Public Opinion
Year of the Pig
Hotel
Flow
Interactive: Research
I have been thinking about developing a portfolio website for some time and this is an ideal opportunity to create one. Particularly, as I want to create an experimental website which the user can explore and interact with. An initial concept I have is a 3 dimensional cube which the user can rotate in whichever way they want (around its centre point) using the mouse. This box would be the navigation system for the website.
To get the project underway I have decided to research other websites of this nature, in order to see “how high the bar has been set” and try and get some inspiration. Below details a list of some of the more interesting/original websites I found:
Red Interactive Agency
Donnie Darko
karim Zariffa
Tokyo Plastic
Entrance 4
Typography Kicks Ass
Chris Erickson
Prism Girl
Robert Loffel
HL 2
Quest For The Rest - Jakub Dvorsky
Perpetuu Music Club - Jakub Dvorsky
Podvedomim(The Subconscious) - Jakub Dvorsky
Blanka Sperkova - Jakub Dvorsky
To get the project underway I have decided to research other websites of this nature, in order to see “how high the bar has been set” and try and get some inspiration. Below details a list of some of the more interesting/original websites I found:
Red Interactive Agency
Donnie Darko
karim Zariffa
Tokyo Plastic
Entrance 4
Typography Kicks Ass
Chris Erickson
Prism Girl
Robert Loffel
HL 2
Quest For The Rest - Jakub Dvorsky
Perpetuu Music Club - Jakub Dvorsky
Podvedomim(The Subconscious) - Jakub Dvorsky
Blanka Sperkova - Jakub Dvorsky
New Brief: Interactive
This week the class were given our second brief. To summarise we are being asked to design and develop an interactive project that explores the below concepts:
“…Design boundaries can be thought of as very elaborate systems of control”.
“The users of new media are becoming the content of the form.” (P. Marshall, 2004, New Media Cultures, Arnold Press: London Pp.18)
The process of interactivity, whether on a personal or sociological level, remains an integral part in the way in which we lead our lives. Many theorists suggest that it is interactivity that separates the new media from the old. With regard to computers interactivity is the dialogue that occurs between a human and a machine. Interactive media offer us new forms of empowerment - in the ability to control our experiences; but there is always a tension between these new media forms and concepts of interactivity. Although to some extent the ability to be both author and navigator of a text is an inherent property of interactivity, much of this is implied control; as we are merely operating within the bounds of constructed environments. Whether the process of mediation between the designer and the intended audience is for the purpose of instruction, storytelling and entertainment or purely for the purpose of information, the ‘language’ as defined by the visual, auditory and technical means by which this is achieved is crucial to the success of the audiences ‘experience’. Although there are some highly technical methods of providing audience engagement and interactivity, low tech methods can sometimes be just as effective.
“…Design boundaries can be thought of as very elaborate systems of control”.
“The users of new media are becoming the content of the form.” (P. Marshall, 2004, New Media Cultures, Arnold Press: London Pp.18)
The process of interactivity, whether on a personal or sociological level, remains an integral part in the way in which we lead our lives. Many theorists suggest that it is interactivity that separates the new media from the old. With regard to computers interactivity is the dialogue that occurs between a human and a machine. Interactive media offer us new forms of empowerment - in the ability to control our experiences; but there is always a tension between these new media forms and concepts of interactivity. Although to some extent the ability to be both author and navigator of a text is an inherent property of interactivity, much of this is implied control; as we are merely operating within the bounds of constructed environments. Whether the process of mediation between the designer and the intended audience is for the purpose of instruction, storytelling and entertainment or purely for the purpose of information, the ‘language’ as defined by the visual, auditory and technical means by which this is achieved is crucial to the success of the audiences ‘experience’. Although there are some highly technical methods of providing audience engagement and interactivity, low tech methods can sometimes be just as effective.
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