Beyond the swing set
"If you're looking for innovation in children's playgrounds, look to Japan."
NYTimes Magazine
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November 30, 2004
November 29, 2004
Robosapien
Robosapien is the hit of this year's American International Toy Fair.
Link to NYTimes Article
November 28, 2004
532 CityScape Panoramas
I explored two types of cityscapes for the 532 immersive assignments. The first was my 14-screen panoramic cityscape entitled “Then & Now.” The second was a series of QuickTime VR panoramas showcasing transitory locations and edges of Los Angeles. In both assignments I focused on two primary elements:
1) Interpretive and immersive representations of place & time.
2) Alternative formats and/or compositions to communicate place & time.
The collage format in “Then & Now” allowed for a broad representation of space and time. This proved to be an interesting compositional opportunity and I chose to represent present day Hollywood with oversaturated colors and undulating space. In contrast, flat space and sepia colored images represented the parallel past.
True spatial relationships were less crucial than aesthetic visual composition. This allowed for a free and less literal interpretation of space and time. Historical adjacency was more crucial than linear adjacency, much like an edited movie compared to a security camera. This seemed popular with the second assignment as many students chose a collage format.
The still-image collage can provide an immersive experience for a group of individuals. It was easy for the group to share their observations about a simultaneous shared experience. However the still-collage relies heavily on the graphical composition and has little interactivity. For this reason I chose a different format for the second assignment.
QuickTime VR proved to be an appropriate means for spatial representation and interactivity. Stitcher 3.5 was fairly intuitive software to use and execute with a collection of 12 handheld photographs per location. The program sells for approximately $150 (educational price) and allows for cylindrical and spherical formats.
LA is a city of transition. The edges of the urban fabric and places of movement had qualities that represented this notion. I chose to shoot most of the QTVR panoramas at the train stations and freeway underpasses. The most successful images had images in the foreground and background as well as static and moving elements.
Once again, I found the interpretive elements more engaging than the literal. The ghosting of live subjects was visually provocative. Even some of the “errors” in stitching of images (I.E. the warped train tracks) were more thought provoking and I found myself wanting to intentionally trick the software from doing a “perfect” match. I plan to continue experiments with QTVR, cityscape collage, movement and time.
November 22, 2004
Keep it Simple
November 21, 2004
532 QTVR Test
I'm investigating Quicktime VR software for the second 532 immersive assignment.
Download file to view one of my test cylindrical QTVRs.
November 17, 2004
532 Immersive 6-9 Test
Above is a 4-screen segment of a larger (14-screen) panoramic collage of Hollywood. The present day environment is mirrored by its contrasting stratified past.
November 08, 2004
FishEye Video-Cam (532/4c)
FORM FOLLOWS:
a) Function
b) Technology
c) Story Content
d) All Of The Above
November 01, 2004
Sculpting Mobile
What do you get when you combine a video camera, MP3 player, mobile phone, PDA, ergonomic design, and (very) near future technology?