Proposal 1st Draft

Project Definition

 

This project aims to collect and screen audiovisual data from humans such as pulse rate, mimics, gestures, breathing sounds as a reaction to designed sounds, light effects and edited videos using micro phoning, video recording and screening techniques inside of a ‘coffin’ that is designed, built, modulated and programmed to experience an installation, which is themed as:  ‘human life & death’.

 

Goals and Objectives

 

I have several goals that are related to varied parts of the project. I have listed my goals as follows:

 

Media Environment Based Project Goals:

 

-Finding/recording footages related to a theme: ‘life and death’

-Editing the videos according to the theme

-Designing the proper sound effects for the final video

-Designing the light effects

 

Project Atmosphere Creation Goals:

 

-Building the coffin with correct measurements

-Integrating the screens, speakers, microphones, lights and cameras successfully

 

Project Launch Goals:

 

-Screening the videos inside the coffin

-Playing the sound effects

-Turning on & off the lights according to the video

-Recording the sounds and videos of the people inside the coffin successfully

-Receiving the pulse rate data

-Screening the data correctly

 

Background Information

 

I have been questioning life and death for a long time. I have been thinking about the bad moments of humanity as well. With this project I have the chance of creating an installation, which can encourage people to question this topic as well. The coffin that I will be creating is not a real one. I just want my coffin to be able to record physical responses and emotions.

 

 

My challenge is to push myself to find and capture several footages for different characters that will be experiencing my installation. By creating various audiovisual effects for this installation, I will be very experienced on video and sound design. I will also understand how videos, angles, sounds, light games and etc. can affect humans. On the other hand when it comes to representing my installation I will be programming. I will generate a program that mixes all of the collected data of the person inside the coffin and reflects them to a wall with a projector. This program should be very successful in order for audience to understand what is going on with that person inside the coffin. So I will also gain information on programming.

 

This project is about my personal opinion of life: which I perceive as a chain of events that suggest you choices. I want volunteer people to consider their choices that they have made in their lives.

 

 

Target Audience/User

 

Age based Target Audience/User: My target audience is people age between 18-60.

 

Idea Based Target Audience: My idea is to reflect human life and the inevitable end of human kind: ‘Death’ with the videos, lights and sounds that I will be designing. This installation is about an environment where I will be creating an experience based on the idea of ‘Life and Death’. I would like to collect some biological data such as pulse rate, which will be determine the projected videos and the other effects that I will be designing. So the person who is inside the coffin should be able to give some responses to the environment and has to be able to understand the concept in correct way.

 

Health Issues: I don’t suggest people with heart conditions, hearing problems or people with very sensitive eyes to experience my installation.

What are the related topics in other disciplines?

 

– Sound Design

– Video Design/Editing

– Light Design

– Live footage Recording

– Micro-phoning

– Programming

 

What are the similar projects, web sites, art works and etc.?

 

It was very for me to find the similar works for my project because it is a combination of many media environments. The first similar project is an installation. In October 2012 when I was in New York I visited Guggenheim Museum. One of the exhibitions really affected me. This exhibition belonged to Rineke Dijkstra. The work was The Krazyhouse (Megan, Simon, Nicky, Philip, Dee), Liverpool, UK (2009), Dijkstra filmed teenage habitués of local clubs dancing to their favorite music. Presented as multi-channel video installations, these works showcase their subjects’ teen personas and methods of self-expression, revealed in how they style themselves, and in the movements of their bodies. Two video works made in 2009 at Tate Liverpool expand the artist’s interest in the empathetic exchange between photographer and subject to include the affective response.

 

This installation gave me an inspiration of recording people’s responses. Here are some scenes from the Krazyhouse.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy4CnhaPn44&feature=related

 

The second project is about visualizing heart beat rate and determining the upcoming texts according to the pulse rate. data This is basically what I am trying to do. The only difference is using videos rather then texts. I want the heartbeat of the people to determine the videos sequences that will be screening. So this project can really help me.    

http://vimeo.com/38388664

 

http://www.azumio.com/apps/heart-rate/

 

Detailed Project Description

 

I am planning on building a coffin, which includes several audio-visual elements. I want to cover the interior of my coffin with screens that will be playing videos that have the theme: ‘Life and Death’. These videos are collections of footages shot by me and shot by other people. I am also planning my coffin to have some speakers, microphones and lights aimed to play the sound effects, record sound data from the subject inside of it and create a extraordinary lit environment. These elements would help me to increase the effect of my theme and my idea of experiencing the death and memories from life.

 

My videos will basically be about human life, regrets,  bad moments in history and good memories. So all the videos will be familiar to people in terms of the common feelings that humanity shares. I would like to push people to feel that this live that they are living in, can change. I also aim to show them that they might become the protagonists in every situation in life.

 

In order to make people involved with the installation I will use their heart beat to determine the sequence of the videos.

 

At first I will try to launch my coffin properly in terms of screening the videos, hearing the sounds and playing the light effects. Then I will try to integrate some cameras, microphones and detectors that can record human pulse rate and can put this data as an output. My aim on integrating detectors, cameras and microphones, is recording subject’s biological responses and reflexes inside the coffin.

 

The second phase of the project includes projecting the data, which I will be getting inside the coffin to a wall. Aim of this part is to share the experience that the subject is having inside. This part requires programming. I will be using Processing and Ardiuno to collect data and to create the interface of the screening program.

 

In the third phase of the project I plan on copying the collected data and burn it to a DVD. So that can the subject can see his/her own reactions in the coffin.So this installation general aim to give people some kind of judgmental perception towards life but at the same time reminding them that they are the ones inside the coffin and they would be the one who is going to be ‘judged’.

Scope of the Project

 

In this project I will be using many disciplines such as; sound design, video design, light design, live footage-recording, micro phoning, programming and screening. I will be building a coffin where I will also be creating an audiovisual environment that tries to make people react towards the happenings inside.

I am not planning on collecting lots of scientific data. My aim is to collect physical reactions of the volunteer and his/her pulse rate.

 

My main aim is to make people understand how life affects us and how sometimes we feel regret for the events happening around us. This project of course includes my understanding of life and death and tries to make the audience and the volunteer to feel that.

 

 

Required Know-How and Resources

 

This project requires me to deeply learn Processing and Arduino inorder to program.

 

Needed Know-How Abilities

 

– I have to know how to do a live broadcasting

– I have know how to record sound properly and broadcast it.

 

Need Resources

 

I need some volunteers who can accept getting into my coffin and be comfortable about it for 2 minutes.

 

H/W needs, S/W needs, other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Difficulties and Risks

 

– Failure on building the coffin that includes cameras, speakers, lights, – – microphones and screens

– Failure on programming the pulse rate determined video sequences

– Failure on screening the data in a collective way

– Failure on creating the effective videos that would make people react or make them feel something

– Failure on creating the effective sound effects

– Failure on creating the effective light effects

 

 

Phases of the Project

 

–  Shooting and gathering videos

– Editing the videos

– Designing light effects

– Designing sound effects

– Building the coffin

– Integrating the lights, speakers and screens to the coffin

– Testing the audiovisual devices inside the coffin by launching the designed videos, sounds and lights effects.

– Integrating the microphones, cameras to the coffin

– Testing the microphones and cameras (if they can capture data)

– Building up the heart rate device

– Collecting pulse rate data

– Programming the screening program

– Projecting the data inside the coffin to the exteriors

–  Launching the program that includes and process all these data

 

 

Criteria of Success

 

By the end of this project:

 

– I should finalize my effective video, sound and light design

– I should build my coffin with the correct measurements

– I should integrate my technological elements to my coffin properly

– I should be able to collect data

– I should be able to screen data

– I should be able to copy and distribute the data

 

In order to be successful I should full field all of these steps.

Rather than the technological part of the project there is one more challenge that I should overcome. ‘The Effectiveness of the Audiovisual Elements’ that I will be creating. My project can collect data, screen copy and distribute them but if they don’t make people to react or feel then the project will not be accomplished in content.

 

 

 

Project Schedule

Leave a Reply