Andrew Sacher

“StoryCorps is a national project to instruct and inspire people to record each others' stories in sound.” “StoryCorps celebrates our shared humanity and collective identity. It captures and defines the stories that bond us.”

“The project is modeled after the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the 1930s, through which oral-history interviews with everyday Americans across the country were recorded. These recordings remain the single most important collection of American voices gathered to date.”

Two permanent venues live in NYC @ Central Station and the former site of the World Trade Towers. An additional two mobile studios are currently traveling the country and should arrive in Los Angeles in January of 2006.

I’m particularly interested in the project as it relates to my thesis and the “Technophiles Anonymous” booth. Check out the blog and interviews on www.storycorps.net/

Posted by andrew at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm continuing to explore various personifications of the Technophiles Anonymous booth character. Above is a "mechanical emoticon" option that could offer a simple and powerful animation technique that may be worth exploring further.

Posted by andrew at 09:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

As discussed, we will be focusing scheme "B" for the next pass on the thesis layout. Below is what I have from individuals (to date) regarding their own spaces. If your name is in white you still owe me a digital sketch ASAP (See previous "Preliminary Thesis Show Diagrams" post for instructions). This post/image will be updated as I receive more information, so please check back.

Posted by andrew at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year-olds

The following are excerps from a recent study sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation Study of Entertainment Media & Health:

“Young people [8-18] today live media-saturated lives, spending an average of nearly 6.5 hours a day with media. Across the seven days of the week, that amount is the equivalent of a full-time job, with a few extra hours thrown in for overtime (44.25 hours a week).” Over 28% of this time is devoted to the computer, not including schoolwork, and videogames. That is the equivalent to ONE THIRD of a regular workweek!

“The typical 8-18 year-old lives in a home with an average of 3.6 CD or tape players, 3.5 TVs, 3.3 radios, 2.9 VCRs/DVD players, 2.1 video game consoles, and 1.5 computers.”

“The majority of young people say their parents don’t impose any rules on them regarding their use of TV, video games, music, or computers.”

“Young people’s use of “new” media such as computers and video games does not seem to displace their use of “old” media such as TV and music.”

“About a quarter (26%) of the time young people are using one medium, they’re doing something else media-related at the same time (such as listening to music while using the computer, or watching TV while reading a magazine).”

“This study is based on a nationally representative survey of 2,032 3rd to 12th grade students…”

LINK: Kaiser Family Foundation

Posted by andrew at 09:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Above is a diagram of the “2006 IMD Thesis Show” based on the student program requests discussed in CTIN-555a on 10/20/05. This schematic is to scale and shows how a 2-stage configuration may be configured. Below is a 1-stage (plus annex) configuration, reflecting some modifications to square footage requests. Please note that these diagrams are preliminary, intended for discussion, and do not reflect final decisions.

Everyone should sketch a (digital) diagram that shows the potential layout of his/her thesis show space (I will show you how to do this if you need help). Please use the color scheme, and approximate font sizes, in the example below. Email and/or post a Photoshop file (with the fonts as a separate layer) and I'll insert it into the next layout.

Posted by andrew at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Walt Disney Imagineering is conducting a playtest for a new interactive theme park experience. This is an extremely rare opportunity for IMDers to get a behind the scenes look at an Imagineering project in current development. Please know that individuals will be required to sign a non-disclosure contract with Disney. Email me and/or post (here) before this Friday if you would like to observe/participate. I currently have the following people on the attendee list:

Anthony K.
Jessica R.
Kellee S.
Ken L.
Matthew K.
Mike Stef.
Noah K.
Scott G.
Tracy F.

Date: October 22nd, 2005
Time: Early Afternoon (I will send emails with a specific timeslots)
Location: Glendale, CA (address and directions will be included in my emails)

Posted by andrew at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Errol Morris' "First Person" TV series begins with a provocative fast paced INTRO sequence. Many of the images feature eyeballs, typewriter components, optical devises, film and recording equipment. The rapid-fire visual candy appropriately evokes themes of point of view, research, and filmmaking. I’m considering a similar aesthetic, with different visual icons, for the “Technophiles Anonymous” introductory segment.

Morris typically shoots his primary interview with 4-6 cameras including head on (the “Interrotron”), camera left, camera right, Birdseye, and below eye level. The final edit for this show contains more than the average number of cuts per minute, greatly increasing the energy of the subject. In addition, Errol’s interview with the “Mob Lawyer” utilized a three panel clear amber screen to color saturate the background. The advantage to this technique is that it uses fewer lights, is easy to transport, color saturates the background, and avoids heavy spill on the subject.

Posted by andrew at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dean Daley and Scott Fisher have recently discussed using the Zemeckis Sound Stage(s) for the 2006 IMD Thesis Show. This could provide a large, flexible, and convenient home for our department’s big thesis event. To move things forward, Scott has requested that we describe/show how we intend to use the space, if provided.

This Thursday from 5-6 PM we will have a Thesis Show Planning Workshop at the ZML. The purpose of this hour is to “architecturally program” and begin a schematic layout/plan for our individual and group exhibit(s). Please BE PREPARED to spend a few minutes presenting your project needs to the group. Questions you may want to consider include:

? How do you want people to view, hear, and interact with your content?
? What is the maximum (at one time) capacity of your project?
? How much time will people spend (on average) at/in your installation?
? Will people be seated, standing, free to move, facing one direction, etc.?
? How will people hear your project and will the sound be contained/localized?
? Would you be willing to share and/or cycle your space with another student?
? What projection requirements will you have (including screen sizes & projectors)?
? Will you need a light controlled space and what type of fixtures will you provide?
? Does your project require any hanging and/or suspended objects (weight)?
? What electrical/power requirements will be necessary?
? Will you have multiple stations and/or computers?
? How many hours/days will you need to set up and/or test your space?

Please bring graph paper, pencils, scissors, and rulers for the workshop.

Posted by andrew at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Today marked the 25% threshold for thesis and the discovery that I am addicted to my topic. I find myself thinking about my thesis day and night, observing subtle and overt social behavior, reading every article on the subject, searching for 12-step meetings, visualizing confessions, and dreaming about humanities technological convergence.

Yet this addiction seems justified. My project will raise consciousness and encourage people to think about their technological use. I’m obsessing about a type of addiction that will soon explode into a nationwide epidemic! I must become obsessed with, and perhaps addicted to, the topic of technological addiction. The tester has become the tested, in an ironic twist of fate.

Perhaps that is what we all must do with our thesis projects; become completely obsessed with a topic and method of delivery. I’m far beyond interest and passion. My level of investment exceeds a genre and/or domain. Expertise is merely a civilized mask for my expressive and compulsory addiction to thesis.

Posted by andrew at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Helpful Links: One-Way Mirrors Beam Splitting Teleprompters Pepper's Ghost

Posted by andrew at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CONTROL SYSTEM COMPONENTS

HARDWARE:
+ G5 Macintosh computer
+ Hard drive Raid
+ Custom Camera Remote (if needed)
+ Modified “Obsolete Technology” input/switching devise(s) TBD
+ Keyspan USB serial adapter
+ Basic Stamp 2 (analog to digital) input converter

SOFTWARE:
+ Mac OSX Tiger
+ MAX/MSP/JITTER
+ MACBS2
+ Keyspan USB Serial Adapter
+ QuickTime

Posted by andrew at 05:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The USC 125th Anniversary Celebration brought in fewer visitors than expected to ZML/CTIN-555a. In response, Bolas shifted format from 5-10 minute presentations to 30-60 minute presentations and critiques for about half the class. This resulted in a very productive dialogue and feedback session with faculty, staff, and students. The rest of the thesis students/projects will benefit from similar and timely input next Thursday.

Above is a rough (digital) sketch of the potential interface for the Technophiles Anonymous “TA Type” Q&A section. Icons representing the 12 traits of addictive behavior would be eliminated as the user answered the Myers Briggs style questions. Another possibility would be to allow previous users (of the TA booth) to select their addictive type without repeating the Q&A process.

Posted by andrew at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ashley recently pointed me towards Errol Morris’ filmography and I’m creatively SMITTEN and ECSTATIC about finding a kindred storytelling spirit!

As it turns out, Errol tested a very similar idea (to the “TA booth) for direct eye contact interviewing, utilizing an adapted teleprompter and two cameras. His satirical sensibilities and technical genius are revealed in his compelling content, not to mention the comparison he draws between his system (named the “Interrotron”) and the Science Fiction equivalent (deemed the “Interociter”).

Link to www.errolmorris.com/content/eyecontact/inter527.html

Posted by andrew at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)