project

Videodefunct

2008-02-19T09:04:39+00:00

Videodefunct is an experimental research project that focuses on inventing a hybrid vlog. A number of work-in-progress prototypes are being developed in the open source blog publishing system WordPress. A key objective is to design an interactive interface that explores the presentation of online video from a poetic perspective. Videodefunct is being developed by the collective of Keith Deverell, Seth Keen and David Wolf in the School of Applied Communication at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

info from the Videodefunct About page @ http://www.videodefunct.net/

Seth Keen from Videovortex explained the system on the videoblogging group mail list

Thanks Jay for the post on the videodefunct project.

The project certainly has been influenced by Adrian Miles work with vogs and his writing on softvideography http://vogmae.net.au/drupal/
thinking/softvideo03 and the VD collective are similarily interested in exploring video on the Internet moving beyond being single-channel and linear like a version of TV and Cinema on the web.

As you mention VD simply breaks down what would normally be a larger linear video into smaller granular clips, that are tagged and
categorised on posting into the vlog. The user then uses this metadata to reassemble these clips in a customised player attached to
the vlog as a page. In the end the vlog becomes a larger thematic video work made up of a bunch of smaller clips.

In Adrian's rhizomes http://vogmae.net.au/drupal/doing/rhizome I think a similar type of interactivity and granularity occurs where
Quicktime in this case is used as a container to bring in a number of varying content types in varying order. Rhizomes in a way are
configured in a variety of ways to display this content like the customized player page in VD. Both often explore video being displayed simultaneously in more than one frame. (multi-channel)

As you mention we are planning a release of VD as an application / platform after a bit more development and content testing. i.e We
will have it working cross-platform in IE soon. In the meantime we are very open to feedback and questions.

Some more links to follow up on the project:

PROTOTYPES – (Please note QuickTime 7.3.1, Firefox browser 2.0.0.9 or later required for viewing.)

http://www.videodefunct.net/banter/ The Banter prototype is an ongoing audiovisual report on the videodefunct project that provides critique and background details on the system. This example begins to show how interviews can be sliced up and re-assembled.

http://www.videodefunct.net/pedestrian/ Pedestrian (first prototype)
http://www.videodefunct.net/theInvertedPedestrian/ The Inverted Pedestrian
http://www.videodefunct.net/theDrunkenTruth/ The Drunken Truth

VD collective blogs:
Keith Deverell - http://greyspace.com.au/blog/
Seth Keen - http://www.sethkeen.net/blog/
David Wolf - http://dpwolf.net/blog/

David Wolf' s exegesis - Vidgets: The Development and Use of
Interactive, Network Based Video Works - http://dpwolf.net/blog/2007/12/ma-exegesis-now-online/

Blogged notes:

http://www.sethkeen.net/blog/2008/01/30/hammering-vlogs/ - on showinabox as part of the hammering vlog workshop in Amsterdam - differences to VD approach...

http://www.sethkeen.net/blog/2008/02/06/videodefunct-notes/ - videodefucnt notes - tagging

http://www.sethkeen.net/blog/2007/11/06/plain-vanilla/ plain vanilla post on pedestrian prototype
Presentation 1# post - http://www.sethkeen.net/blog/2007/06/01/videodefunct-presentation-1/

no-org.net

2008-01-26T19:51:50+00:00

no-org.net is a Jerusalem art network, launched in December 2003. It serves a platform for experimental projects in the area of netbased and digital art and for the exchange of independent information on contemporary art.

The site is housing an active archive of Hearat Shulaym (Independent Journal for Contemporary Art) and Heara events.

Since May 2005, no-org hosts the Upgrade! Tel Aviv-Jerusalem.

Artists and cultural mediators are welcome to participate in the no-org.net undertaking — publish articles, essays, art projects or links to them, reviews or announcements for independent art events as well as comments and reacts.

Though English is the interface language of no-org.net, it is not necessarily the dominant one. Artworks, projects, articles, and texts in other languages can be submitted and will be published.

Please send us any suggested materials to review@no-org.net

Semanal project - create & post a video once a week in 2008

2008-01-02T23:58:03+00:00

Last November I took part in NaVloPoMo - videoblog posting month. it was a lot of fun and was a good way to remember to do something creative in between working. I know a lot of people can't help but be creative all the time, but I find sometimes I get so tired from work that I become passive and tend to watch more than do. so this was a good reminder to get into the habit.

in 2008, Semanal is happening - similar to NaVloPoMo but posting one video a week instead of one each day. this is much more manageable for me at least as I can usually make one on the weekend. the hardest part then becomes finding time to watch everyone else's videos!

http://semanal.ning.com/ is the Semanal site - a worpress blog is also being setup (I'll post the link here also once available). usually people post their videos to their usual video hosting site (eg blip.tv, youtube, archive.org etc) and their blog if they have one, and also post a link / embedded version to the Semanal site. this time you can post to the wordpress site blog also, which will have an RSS feed so you can easily watch the other contributors videos (or watch them directly on the blog site as I tend to do)

I'd love to see more Australian videos there from friends and creative people I know / know of! they can be any type of videos - personal, talking to the camera, gig videos, shows, interviews, arty & experimental, generative, computer generated, Second Life video - whatever you'd like to do. there's a mixture of beginners and more established video producers, so everyone is welcome. sometimes someone picks a theme and people use that, other times they do what they like. you can use your phone camera, happy snap portable camera, webcam, HD / professional camera, or even do remixes of archive.org or other existing footage - whatever suits you. it's a good way to practice different techniques and see what is in the imagination of others too, and even just a good way to learn a new skill such as web video and/or software / video editing techniques. the community for the project is great too - very supportive!

from http://semanal.ning.com/ :
"Every week in 2008, we're posting videos. 52 videos by the end of the year. Post on your blog, on Seesmic, Facebook, YouTube, whatever, wherever and however. You can do anything you want. As long as it moves."

Rupert explains the term Semanal chosen for the project :
"Semanal is Spanish and Portuguese for 'weekly'. And I think it has a nice echo of the English word Seminal, defined here as:
"Highly influential in an original way; constituting or providing a basis for further development: a seminal idea in the creation of a new theory."
and at Wikipedia as: "a work from which other works grow... an intellectual or artistic achievement whose ideas and techniques have been adopted or responded to in later works by other people"

hope to see your videos there!

Mapping Public Spaces: A Digital Fringe Project by Greg Giannis, Melbourne

2007-10-20T15:22:19+01:00

Mapping Public Spaces: A Digital Fringe Project by Greg Giannis

Digital Fringe seeks participants to join a collaborative new media work that involves mapping Melbourne through walking, mobile phones and new media. You will contribute to a 'map' of the Melbourne CBD that reflects participants take on the city. Interested parties will attend an introductory talk and then participate on the walk.

We will rendezvous @ Horse Bazaar, 397 Little Lonsdale St. Big Smoke this Sunday 14th October @ 2pm. It will take about 3 hours, please email or greg.giannis@vu.edu.au for more details.

Text us a message to 0427 917 527 (for use in a Digital Fringe art project)

via http://horsebazaar.com.au maillist

SLOZ - Australia's Second Life News Source

2007-08-10T21:56:59+01:00

"SLOz is a site devoted to bringing an Aussie slant to the Second Life experience. Launched in November 2006, SLOz believes that Second Life at the very least may bring a new approach to internet-based interaction, and we want to cover the fun ride to be had along the way. We'd like to hear from any SL members who have Australian-specific events to promote in-world, or even just a heads-up on something new and interesting happening. We cover business, health, education and anything in-between."

[sydney] Mars Hill Cafe hosts local music competition

2007-08-10T11:21:02+01:00

Mars Hill Cafe in Parramatta will be organising and hosting a local music competition that will allow up and coming and established local music acts to perform several acts each in the popular Church Street cafe.

They will compete for the chance to record a 3-track EP recording session with 2 tracks from the competition and a third recorded studio style in the performance space.

Supported by a grant recently awarded to Mars Hill Cafe by the Parramatta City Council, the 10 best acts from the competition will be recorded and released on a compilation album later in the year.

Local Musicians (from any suburbs covered by Parramatta Council) are encouraged to apply. Styles included will be: Singer/Songwriters, Folk, Acoustic Rock, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Acoustic and Country.

Applications for the competition will be taken throughout August and single-song auditions will be held on the 25th of August.

Each artist chosen for the competition will perform 3 songs each for the final competition on the 23rd of September.

Mars Hill Cafe is a popular Parramatta music and arts venue, located at 331 Church Street. Further information about the competition and details on how to apply can be found on the website www.marshillcafe.com.au

Press Release data

Saturday August 25th Auditions

Sunday September 23rd Competition

Contact Number 1300 886634

1st Place 3 track EP Recording Session

10 Winners Included on Compilation Album

Mars Hill cafe 331 Church St. Parramatta

www.MarsHillcafe.com.au

supported by Parramatta Council

1 song for Audition

3 songs for Competition

PDF mags - free pdf zines & calls for submissions

2007-08-10T11:06:43+01:00

PDF Mags is a site listing hundreds of free arts and music pdf magazines / zines. they also have a calls for submissions listings area so you can find out where to have your work published

Electrofringe 2007 - programme is now online

2007-08-09T23:15:45+01:00

Electrofringe 2007 programme is now online. This is one of my favourite festivals, and it takes place annually in Newcastle, north of Sydney, Australia. During the festival Newcastle comes alive with creatives from all parts of Australia and overseas. The umbrella festival is called This is Not Art. Last year's festival was really hands on, which made it extra fun. This year looks set to keep your creative juices flowing also, with sessions such as Physical Computing : 1, Radio Locus Workshops such as Build your own Radio, Mulchwerk, a Dorkshop Sense & Control, a Homemade Instruments workshop Gestural Control & Feedback plus heaps more. The electrofringe website has the full program and a day by day listing of each workshop / panel session / project presentation / gig and happening. The other bonus to the festival is stopping to chat with friends and strangers about the festival and projects everyone has been working on over the year. Some documentation from previous years festivals is on this site, or check out the previous years festivals links on the electrofringe site.

artabase - arts listings site

2007-08-09T22:04:29+01:00

Artabase is a website dedicated to promotion and networking of the arts, on both a local and international scale. Artabase's mission is to provide an accessible, useful insight into the world's art activities. On their website, you can subscribe to arts email lists, and list your arts project and gallery exhibitions.

Eyebeam Fellowships in R&D OpenLab, Production Lab & Education Lab

2007-08-01T23:32:06+01:00

Eyebeam Fellowships

http://www.eyebeam.org/production/production.php?page=felcall

Overview of Eyebeam Fellowships

The application process for Eyebeam's 2007/08 Fellowship program is
currently open. The deadline for applications is August 6, 2007. All
applicants will be informed of their application status by October 1,
2007. The program duration is for 11 months, running from November to
September.

Fellowships will be offered in the R&D OpenLab, the Production Lab
and the Education Lab. The focus of the Fellowships varies depending
on the tools and skills available and the creative objectives and
philosophy of each Lab. Up to five Fellowships will be granted for
2007/08.

For all of the Fellowships we are seeking applications from artists,
hackers, designers, engineers and creative technologists to come to
Eyebeam for a year to undertake new research and develop new work.
The ideal Fellow has experience working with and making innovative
technological art and/or creative technology projects and has a
passion for collaborative development. Fellows will bring this
experience and working approach to their own independent projects,
projects initiated by other Residents or Fellows and projects
conceived collaboratively during the Fellowship period.

Fellows are selected from an open call. International applicants are
welcome to apply although we do not have the resources to provide
travel or accommodation. We are happy to work with selected
applicants, where required, to help them to secure funds to cover
these expenses. International Fellows are responsible for securing
their own visas for the Fellowship period.

Fellows receive a $30,000 stipend and health benefits during their
stay. They are able to take on additional external teaching or
consulting work, but there is an expectation that Fellows will be
working at Eyebeam a minimum of four days a week.

Collaborative partnerships at Eyebeam will be fostered though group
critiques, discussions and projects, within and between the lab
environments and residency programs. Fellows also benefit from
critiques, lectures and workshops by external practitioners chosen
for their relationship to subjects and projects being worked on in
the Labs.

All Fellows are encouraged to share their skills and knowledge with
the larger Eyebeam community by conducting formal and/or informal
workshops with others in the Labs as well as possible workshops open
to the public. There are also opportunities to develop work for
performance, events, seminars, exhibition or other public programming
in the Eyebeam galleries (and beyond) during the term of the fellowship.

Core to our principle at Eyebeam is the brokering of relationships
between artists, hackers, coders, engineers and other creative
technologists and the contexts we provide. The intention is to foster
and facilitate relationships whereby technologists and artists can
come together to germinate and hothouse their ideas, develop new
processes and create new works through a period of immersion in a
social context which is rich in technology, expertise and ideas.

Research Themes

We also support research groups to bring together creative
practitioners working at Eyebeam as well as expert external
participants. New research leads to possible public outcomes
including seminars, public discussion and exhibition.

Research themes for 2007/08 include (though will not be limited to):
* Energy, Technology and Sustainability
* Urban research, urban interventions and media in public space

Artists and creative technologists interested in these research areas
are particularly encouraged to apply for 2007/08 Fellowships.

Application Requirements

Applications received after the deadline of August 6, 2007, will not
be accepted. All applications and work samples must be submitted
through the online form. No exceptions will be made. You can create a
user/password during the application process and log back into the
server to update your application before the final deadline.

Complete applications must include the following information:
* Contact Information
* Resume or CV (rtf or pdf doc)
* Work samples in the form of URLs or uploaded media
* Include a project description with your work sample that explains
your contribution to the piece, how it was meant to be viewed and how
it relates to your proposed project(s).
* Concise responses to all application questions

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please read the guidelines for each of the Fellowships carefully.
Each working environment has different sets of tools and different
mentors/trainers for these tools, so applicants should consider which
environment will best suit their own needs and experience. However,
all artists, technologists and residents have access to resources
across all three labs and programs.

If you have any questions, please email fellowshipinfo@eyebeam.org or visit the online application page @ http://www.eyebeam.org/production/onlineapp/

Find a Bird - make something wonderful!

2007-07-28T23:18:55+01:00

Hidden away on the Watch/Listen section of the the Darrren Hayes website is a link saying Found a Bird?. What is this you ask?
It's a project on the neonbird website involving writing a wish inside a folded note / paper bird & leaving it for a stranger to find. Write the NEONBIRD.COM website on the outside of the note, then take a photo of it & where you left it. Upload the photo to the Made a Bird page.
The person who finds your wish can visit the website and claim their bird.
It's a bit like geocaching but you don't need a gps. And a bit like bluetoothing but you don't need a bluetooth device. And a bit like leaving books in public spaces, but you get to check the website and see what happened to your wish and see how far it went.
Full details are on the http://www.neonbird.com/something-wonderful/ website.

Soundscapes @ Tower of David, Old City, Jerusalem

2007-07-24T21:18:48+01:00

Soundscapes Exhibition, in the courtyard of the Tower of David, Old City of Jerusalem, Israel, wednesday 25/07/2007. Outdoor instruments play compositons as people walk around the grounds. there's a light show also which highlights the instruments playing. it's a beautiful space and the sounds are very melodic.
www.towerofdavid.org.il/
"Numerous oversized instruments, including a harp, drums, tambourines, bells and contrabass, are automatically played by computer command producing an original composition. Mechanical arms play the instruments and each creates its very own sound."
"The instruments have been installed throughout the open-aired courtyard - in the water cistern, amongst the archaeological finds, under the arrow slits of the turrets and appear as an integral part of the citadel."
"The notes produced by the instruments are played at different times, inviting the guest to tour among the instruments and enjoy the special sounds of this outdoor concert."
"The installation is presented together with spectacular lighting effects that mirror the sounds and brilliantly illuminate the ancient citadel at night."
photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliak_com/tags/soundcapes/
view from the viewing tower:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1LzTtMRAQU
different instruments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzxoCTiBHUQ

OZCO Second Life artist residency

2007-06-20T11:22:43+01:00

The Australia Council is offering $20,000 for a collaborative artist residency in Second Life for artists to 'creatively and critically explore new interactive, virtual platforms'.
Visit http://www.ozco.gov.au/grants/grants_new_media_arts/second_life_artist_r... for more details on the OZCO SL residency application.
If you're an artist working or hanging out in Second Life and are interested in applying but need people to work with, contact MichaelJohn Turner inworld, or email him at smit AT mac.com. http://www.michaelsmit.com/

fiducial markers, reactable, table top interface controllers

2007-05-12T10:14:46+01:00

reactable - interface controllers - reactivision - table top interface controllers
tabletop interface controllers and systems are becoming more popular over the last few years. youtube is helping get the word out there - it was interesting to see a post on Stealth Board linking to the youtube video below and the guys talking about how cool it was and that it's the music of the future & it being alien music. !!
sounds like the genres are crossing over.. !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h-RhyopUmc
reactable / reactivision
http://mtg.upf.edu/reactable/?software
http://www.iua.upf.es/mtg/reacTable/
http://www.informatik.uni-trier.de/~ley/db/conf/nime/index.html
http://mtg.upf.edu/reactable/?publications
http://maniaxmemori.net/log/index.php?2006/12/07/2-dialectique-du-caillo...
http://sourceforge.net/projects/reactivision/
conferences
http://itp.nyu.edu/nime/2007/workshops.php - NIME
video processing languages / systems
http://vvvv.org/
http://www.processing.org
http://www.cycling74.com
game of life - genetic algorithm
http://www.bitstorm.org/gameoflife/

call centres, video magazines & more from India

2007-04-07T04:23:59+01:00

I'm back in Auckland again for work, and have been catching up on emails over the Easter weekend break. A couple of emails to the Sarai reader list have led me to read about workers in Gurgaon (an industrial city with many call centres near Delhi) and watch videos from Indian women in villages producing their own video magazines.
---
The first email was a blog post by Shivam Vij called "Who is a Bairagi?" asking questions about OBC (other backward classes) in India and do people there really know who these people are and how they live. The post was from a journalist who sometimes writes for Tehelka (the people's paper). The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has lists of names / castes for people classified as OBC. The Delhi list can be found here and full list for Indian regions found here. There's even a Questionnaire for consideration of requests for Inclusion and complaints of Under-Inclusion of backward classes in Central list - criteria such as Social, Economic and Educational.
---
Another email to sarai reader list highlighted a new law resource in India - Between Law and Justice: A Law and Society Reader, a DVD database with (so far) over 400 articles on topics such as :
1. Legal histories
Colonial
Postcolonial
2. Constitutional promises and perils
3. Siting struggles: human rights and social justice
4. Roti, kapadda aur makaan: law, livelihood and development
5. Supreme, yet fallible
6. Crime and punishment
7. Access to justice
8. Citizens/denizens
9. Edge of desire: law, gender and sexuality
10. In a minority
11. Green justice
12. Media law & free speech
13. Governance
14. Life of law amidst globalisation
15. Legal education
16. Interdisciplinary challenges
17. International law
---
Another email was a promo for a new documentary :
"INDIA UNTOUCHED - Stories of a People Apart" is a new documentary directed by Stalin K. and produced by Drishti. Drishti is a a collective of film & documentary makers in India.
Video Volunteers is part of the Creative Visions foundation and aims to setup Community Video Units and train local Community Video Producers to produce video magazines based on local issues which are screened monthly in 25 villages reaching more than 10000 people in these communities. Members of the communities speak about what matters to them and the CVU allows them to have a voice which is then shared with other members of the community.
http://videovolunteers.org/
http://videovolunteers.org/videogallery.php - to view the videos
India's Frontline magazine has a story about Video Volunteers.
http://videovolunteers.org/video_change.php
[quote]
The impact of social change media
Video empowers the poor with leadership and critical thinking skills and makes them partners in the development process. Even non-literates can learn to make videos in a matter of months. Here are some success stories from NGOs around the world:
* Bangladesh: Village women submitted video testimonies of the domestic abuse they have suffered and avoided intimidation in the village court.
* India: Rickshaw drivers made articulate video pleas that convinced local banks to give them loans for the first time.
* Mexico: Merely the site of a camera and fear of being caught caused police to withdraw from an illegal raid in Chiapas.
* Nigeria: A cholera outbreak was less severe in villages where a video on clean water was shown.
* Egypt: A group of women abandoned the practice of genital mutilation when they heard the call for change from community members' video interviews.
[/quote]
Other related organisations helping to teach people video making skills in India are :
Barefoot Workshops, a not-for-profit media and music based educational organization where adults and youth are taught video, photography, music, and art as a way to document their surroundings, make change in the world, and most importantly, make change within themselves.
Velugu is the largest poverty project in the state working in over 860 mandals in 22 districts and aims to reach 29 lakhs (1 lakh = 100 000) of the poorest of rural poor. Velugu enhances the poor's capacities to manage their resources and helps access public services. SERP's uniqueness is in the blend of professionals and trained activists working at the grassroots. SERP has committed professionals, Community Coordinators who are working with the poor communities. It also creates the necessary critical mass by building the social capital through facilitating the identification of community activists and trains them as barefoot professionals, as paravets, botanists, social activists etc. This cadre of rural development professionals are managed by the mandal federations.
Creative Visions - The Creative Visions Foundation was inspired by the life of Dan Eldon -- artist, adventurer and activist - who was killed in 1993 while covering the conflict in Somalia as a photojournalist for Reuters News Agency. He was 22. Founded by his family and friends, CVF is a publicly supported 501 (c) (3) organization that supports "creative activists" like Dan -- social entrepreneurs who use media, technology and the arts to create awareness of environmental, social or humanitarian issues -- and inspire positive change.