Note:

Phase Four

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My Phase Four site incorporates text, video and audio. For a description of tie-ins with earlier Phases, please read the information contained on the index page.

There are nine iterations of the recorded session.

1.Side A Phone Audio
2. Side B Phone Audio
3. Side A iChat Video and Audio
4. Side B iChat Video and Audio
5. Side A iChat and Phone AV
6. Side B iChat and Phone AV
7. Side A and B iChat AV
8. Side A and B Phone AV
9. All streams merged

Side A and B refer to the two participants. The videos and audio files are divided to allow the viewer/listener to experience a gradual progression from isolated to mixed streams. This gives the viewer/listener the opportunity to make sense of the individual audio streams so that s/he can track the degree of difficulty s/he has making sense of the layered transmission experienced by the participants. This also enables the viewer/listener to identify areas in which the streams diverge from one another in time and sync.

Video is not present in some of the audio streams to give the viewer/listener the opportunity discover if video adds or subtracts from the ability to comprehend. Disruptions in video continuity caused by iChat made it difficult for the participants to concentrate on the messages being transmitted and received. It is curious to note if the site and videos have a similar effect on an audience.

Finally, the last video combines all streams to give an impression of repeated feedback and information overload. Although The video can be watched as a single file, it has been presented in a randomized nine screen setup to introduce an added layer of network interference and feedback. The introduction of a video streaming site comments on the role of a network, such as the iChat network, in facilitating communication. Just as bandwidth and network traffic affected the original iChat and cell phone sessions, it now manipulates the way in which the viewer receives and understands the final page. Some screens may not load, or load slowly, causing overlap. This overlap mimics the overlap and time differences between the original session recordings.

Sadly, I have had to abandon the use of speaker phone. Since it is impossible to switch to speaker phone in the middle of recording, and the fact that I want the conversation to be continuous, there is no way to include it. However, I believe there is more than enough interesting phenomenon created by network transmission displayed. One interesting product of this second session is severe video lag on the side of Justin’s computer. His video lags behind his audio, creating strange effects in continuity and his ability to process his side of the conversation.

Switching to Vimeo from Quicktime has solved the issues of processing associated with the tiled video page. Video now loads, at random, and produces echo and feedback effects.

All I have left to do is to compile the video and export multiple versions of the audio and video files. I am using multiple versions of the session to produce different perceptual ways of representing the conversation. Each one will represent a portion of the way in which the participants received information. The first files will be single audio streams. As the files progress, audio will be overlapped to duplicate the sensation of information overload experienced by the participants.

I came home to check why it was my files didn’t sync and found that they are not nearly complete enough to fit in the project.

I have to find a solution, or I’ll have to make an abrupt change in plans for Phase Four.

I’m disappointed. I wanted to show the separate video and audio files along with the completed site with test video. I have used Quicktime files, but have run into a few issues with the playback. I’m thinking of switching to Vimeo streams to change the dynamic of the page and solve my auto-play problem. The site uses a page on which video and audio overlaps into a feedback loop. My idea come from this site: yooouuutuuube.com. If you try it out you’ll see that the video is tiled on the screen and can be randomized. Sadly, audio only plays from one video source, meaning there is visual overlap but no aural. My site is an attempt to employ both, however loading several quicktime players causes the video to stutter significantly.

One iMac in one room and one PowerBook in another. Using an iSight and a MiniDV camera, we established a connection over the wireless network connected to the internet. Transmission of the iChat session was connected using AIM’s iChat network and not the local area network. This ensured that transmission involved internet rather than just my home network. Using iChat’s built-in recording function we recorded both sides of the conversation. Using the record function of the cell phone we also recorded both sides of the cell phone conversation.

Hopefully, if this worked as smoothly as my test run (or smoother, since half of the phone conversation was missing from the test) I should have everything to compile the final piece.

I’ll throw everything up on my dropbox to show at critique on Wednesday.

Now to working on the second half of the phase: a web interface.

…ok, back to sleep.

1. Distance – although the fact that distance may accentuate some of the nuances of the project, sending images over post to and back from Spain is not a likely prospect within the time allotted.

2. Size – Even if distance were not a factor, some of the ideas I have are far to large to put in the post.

3. Accomplices – Although Jorge and I are happy to work together, many of my artists friends, whom I would love to enlist, are simply far to engaged with their own end of the term work. I don’t think I can drag together a sufficiently large enough posse of artists to pull this off.

4. Scope – My mind is consumed with installation ideas, none of which are practical for this segment of Phase Four.

5. Buck the trend – I’m getting the impression (get feeling) that many people will be taking on the image assignment. I think I would like to do something different.

The other portion of Phase Four which tickles my fancy is the iChat projects. I am particularly interested in the potential that the iChat/cell phone idea has for stimulating discussion regarding communication and feedback. This would feed well into my previous assignments and may have more potential for an installation type design.

On that note, here is a test run of an iChat/cell phone recorded session. Note the feedback generated by the use of computer speaker/mic combination and speaker phone on the mobile.

Is it possible to make one of the steps performative? For example, project the image into a space and have individuals pose within. What impact does this have on the image? What meaning can we draw from it? One thought is to include a person holding a large number indicating the iteration of the image. Does photographing this step become a step on its own?

A second thought is to take a small instant photo (Polaroid or other instamatic) and place it on a large white canvas. This drastically changes the image, rendering it a tiny element on a blank canvas?

I have also thought of the prospect of screen printing the image. It has been pointed out to me that such a process involves multiple steps. Does each step constitute a new transition, or should one include only the completed silk screened print?

I like the idea of involving various media in the transition from image to image. How far can one manipulate an image through the use of various media and maintain the original meaning. Does the meaning become about process rather than end product?