Creative thought experiment
Daydreaming (as usual) on my daily commute, listening to my iPod, I had an idea for a creative experiment. I’d like to make a film on an ordinary journey to a random iPod playlist. “Pfft,” I hear you cry “What’s so special about that?” I’m glad you asked.
The wrinkle would be that the camera (or just a very small lens on an umbilical) would be strapped to my head so that the shot would consist of whatever I was looking at, and I wouldn’t be allowed to cut either the soundtrack or the visuals after shooting. I would have to spontaneously orchestrate the shots live by looking at whatever I thought best embodied or carried the mood of the music that happened to be playing at the time. I also wouldn’t be allowed to choose the tracks in advance: it would have to be the entire contents of my iPod (minus Classical music tracks, which would be too long) on shuffle.
The results might well be unwatchable or just plain dull, but I think it would be an exciting exercise. Lacking either a DV camera or the means to pipe my iPod direct to the tape, I’ve been making this film in my head for the past few days. Some trips work out better than others in terms of the synchronicity between the audio and visuals, but it certainly makes you notice even the smallest detail. It also emphasises the difference between looking and seeing, and the meaning you end up overlaying on what you see can be quite interesting. If I only had a Firewire port in my skull, I could download the results to share with you.
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That sounds like a brilliant idea, I'll have to do it on my train ride home tonight. Pity about the firewire plug though, I know what it's like to be stuck with usb 1.0
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I think it would be a go-er if you ask me. Think live action Koyaanisqatsi.. sort of..
by Gordon @ 22/09/2004 8:09 am • Permalink •
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We thought about this last week, when seeing a person with a eye replacement (is it called glass-eye in english? In german it is), if it is possible to include a camera within the replacement eye and stream the picture outside. Maybe a little bit sick. But I think it is quite interesting. Sort of true life blogging.
by Malte Diedrich @ 22/09/2004 8:10 am • Permalink •
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Ahhh... the pleasures of skull cinema!
by ThoughtBadger @ 22/09/2004 1:10 pm • Permalink •
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Raduza: Hehe
Gordon: Or totally motion-sickness inducing. It could go either way...
Malte Diedrich: Yes, it's a glass eye in English as well. Nice idea, but wouldn't it mean that I would have to remove one of my perfectly serviceable genuine eyes? I'm not sure that my dedication to art stretches quite that far
I do like the idea of having a video system that would be very unobtrusive and would track my eye movements, though.
ThoughtBadger: It's the best kind&mash;and you get some great Director's Cuts.
by bsag @ 22/09/2004 9:09 pm • Permalink •
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I'm now thinking of the contact lenses from the atrocious I Spy...
by Raduza @ 23/09/2004 2:09 am • Permalink •
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Maybe this can be used. And I am pretty attached to my eyes (all of them), too.
by Malte Diedrich @ 26/09/2004 10:10 pm • Permalink •
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