3.12.2024

Punting the River Styx in Cambridge, UK - Wobbulator, Feedback and OBS FX - Part 2

Continuation of previous post: using OBS, overlayed (source) footage with Wobbulated version of same, including feedback camera processing and additional layers of pre-recorded material. Also, layered in processed footage from a custom video circuit developed during Sean Hollowell's Intro to Video Circuits class (at Polyphase Portal). 

Here are some more samples of resulting processed footage:





Punting the River Styx in Cambridge, UK - Wobbulator, Feedback and OBS FX

I finally got the kinks worked out of my system configuration and now can overlay recorded (source) footage with Wobbulated version of same (sometimes luma keyed), layer in other pre-recorded material (flames, fog), and also include feedback camera processing. 

Here are some samples of resulting processed footage:






3.02.2024

Fire and Water - Wobbulator and OBS

As part of my ongoing process of OBS discovery and use, I recently was able to configure my system flow to support both my Wobbulator rescan feed AND the original feed being sourced to the Wobbulator. There is a slight delay of a frame or two perhaps, but most importantly this allows synchronized key overly effects to be recorded. 

As a note, I've found the Camo Studio app (for Mac) to be extremely useful in processing the video feed from my rescan camera (a Hi8 camcorder). It allows full control over frame resolution and frame rate, signal parameters such as luma, gamma, saturation, sharpness, as well as adjustment of zoom and relative placement/offset of the raster image. This latter function makes it easy to align the camera rescan manually - to center it and zoom to eliminate the CRT borders as desired.

So for your enjoyment below are a few samples of my "go to" rowing video clip showing various FXs and overlays.






2.11.2024

Audio Reactive Spirit Howl

Here are some examples of using and audio reactive OBS scale-to-sound plugin for processing of the footage of Sylvain and Ghyslaine Staëlens's spirit sculptures that I had originally recorded at the 2022 Outsider Art fair. (Note other processing samples these posted previously.) 




Spirit Bark / Spirit Howl Redux

Here are some examples of OBS processing of the footage of Sylvain and Ghyslaine Staëlens's spirit sculptures that I  recorded at the 2022 Outsider Art fair. (Note other processing samples these posted previously.) Several of these examples show great feedback depth due to luma keying out the white gallery walls.








2.10.2024

OBS processing - Part 7 - Celestial Dancer.

 Some nice samples of OBS processing of a Celestial Dancer.








Feedback Processing in OBS - Part 6 - Golden Butoh Dancer

Final examples of video FX processing found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. The samples are all based upon feedback processing and reaction diffusion rescan effects within OBS.

Demons or tormented souls for possible inclusion in River Styx video program. 



Feedback Processing in OBS - Part 5 - Audio Reactive - Golden Butoh Dancer

Now something a bit different - audio reactive processing examples of video FX processing found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. The samples are all based upon feedback processing and several available plugins (Move Transition, Scale to Sound) within OBS.

Demons and/or Celestial Dancer for possible inclusion in River Styx video program.  Or just plain fun?




2.04.2024

Feedback Processing in OBS - Part 4 - Golden Butoh Dancer

Now some more examples of video FX processing found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. The samples are all based upon feedback processing within OBS.

Demons and/or Celestial Dancer for possible inclusion in River Styx video program. 







2.03.2024

Feedback Processing in OBS - Part 3

As mentioned in the previous post, as part of the class "homework" assignment, Andrei Jay tasked participants to focus on generation of reaction diffusion field patterns in OBS feedback processing. In these experiments, a video of lightning is used to help "trigger" the diffusion patterns.





Feedback Processing in OBS - Part 2

As part of the class "homework" assignment, Andrei Jay tasked participants to focus on generation of reaction diffusion field patterns in OBS feedback processing. (Such diffusion patterns are a common element of Andrei's own work, as well as his hardware devices such as the RPi-based Waaave Pool and the new HD-based Gravity Waaaves. [You can find to more about his image processing products here.]

To get these reaction diffusion effects, it's important that the feedback camera be zoomed into the source frame pretty deeply (unlike the feedback shown in the previous post of rowing on the lake - where the camera was not zoomed in at all). Also, constant fine readjusting of various color correction filters such as gamma, saturation, brightness, and contrast is required to trigger and maintain the diffusion feedback generation.












Feedback Processing in OBS

I recently started a class in video art techniques using OBS - being taught by Andrei Jay thru polyphaseportal.xyz. The first class covered basic feedback techniques, filters, and whatnot. So I wanted to play around with processing based upon an input video clip - in this case my favorite River Styx 'standby' snippet of rowing on the lake. 

The format (framing layout) is based upon my desire to keep some of the original source "seed" visible (on the left 1/3 of the screen), allowing the feedback slices to trail off to the right. Here are a few samples of the results:





1.29.2024

Upstream Gallery Annual Juried Photography Show 2024

I'm pleased to announce that one of my recent video time-lapse composite pieces, Spirit Howl, is going to be in the upcoming 2024 Photo Show: Ordinary & Extraordinary at The Upstream Gallery.




Thursday, February 1, 2024: Opening day of exhibition, 12:30pm-5:30pm.

Sunday, February 4, 2024: Opening reception, 2:00pm-5:00pm.

Sunday, February 25, 2024: Last day of exhibition, 12:30pm-5:30pm.  Curator's Talk 3:30pm.

Location

8 Main Street, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, 10706 

www.upstreamgallery.com 

Gallery Hours

Thursdays & Fridays: 12:30 - 5:30 pm

Saturdays: 10 am to 5:30 pm

Sundays: 12:30 - 5:30 pm


Still Frames Timelapse

Playing around with processed footage, thinking about how to make interesting "hard copy" output - decided to do a "time-lapse" sort of thing taking photos off the TV screen over the course of video playback of processed footage of my video camera panning over two figurative sculptures. (See previous several posts showing processed footage of sculptures by the artist team Sylvain and Ghyslaine Staëlens -  shot by me at the 2020 Outsider Art Fair, NYC.)

Used Photoshop to composite the sequence of still images shot off the monitor into a time-lapse. Because I had been hand-holding the camera while taking the photos, the monitor screen was often askew in each image. I decided to play off of that randomness as another source of "noise" as I lined up the various frames in each composite strip.

Below you can see the results of two sequences I pieced together. The tall totemic image is of a pan from top to bottom of a voodoo-like standing figure. The piece is named "Spirit Howl." The long landscape-format image is of a pan across a spirit riding in a boat. The piece is named "Spirit Bark." The output is printed on a metallic white luster coat archival paper which works beautifully to give a visual "zap" to the video-sourced images.

Spirit Howl © 2024

Spirit Bark © 2024
Detail of Spirit Bark © 2024


1.28.2024

Analog Video Processing Using DIY Hardware

Here are a few examples of processed footage using various circuits developed during the "Intro to Video Circuits" class (described in previous post).








Note: The source video footage being processed is of sculptures by the artist team Sylvain and Ghyslaine Staëlens -  shot by me at the 2020 Outsider Art Fair, NYC.

DIY Analog Video Processing Hardware 101

 I'm excited to be taking a class (started last November) entitled "Introduction to Video Circuits" taught by media artist Sean Hallowell, a member of the Polyphase collective. (Refer to link for a listing of their most current classes being offered.)

Starting with basic RC filters and whatnot, we've moved on weekly thru various circuit component such as comparators (to isolate sync), oscillators (for chroma burst & other FX), buffers, switches and so forth. It's been interesting, at times frustrating (debugging breadboard circuits), and yet quite fun! 

When I got out of art school, I had wanted to learn more about video circuitry - as I thought one possible job might be working in a TV studio maintaining equipment. (Anything would beat doing construction, a skill which most of my male artist friends seemed to fall back upon...) While living in SF, I went back to technical school and received a degree in Electronic Engineering. However, when I emerged into the job market with my new knowledge, I found myself working at a small microcomputer startup, Micromation, located in the lovely North Beach neighborhood of SF.  I was doing hardware diagnostics and programming. Although I continued to make video art, somehow the video/TV engineering thread got dropped as I went deeper into life as a full-fledged software engineer. So imagine my joy at now returning to the world of video engineering 50 years later - after retirement. Learning the basics of signal processing and glitching...

 



 Note: The source video footage being processed is of a sculpture by the artist team Sylvain and Ghyslaine Staëlens -  shot by me at the 2020 Outsider Art Fair, NYC.

Spirits Floating - a Selection of Processing Outtakes for River Styx

While entitled as "Spirits Floating", perhaps these should be seen as experiences of the Astral Plane, Dreamtime, Bardo, awakening from deep sleep, or near-death / post-death transition? Selection of mainly digital processing outtakes for River Styx video program. 

Done with a number of different SW apps in my toolbox (and often with rescanning) applied to various segments of found video footage.









Glitch Processing found footage of Golden Butoh - Part 5

Here is the final set of sample examples of video FX processing the found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. The examples are all from a glitch-modified hardware device (called OptiGlitch) produced by the artist & hardware hacker Logan - and sold thru his website Tachyons+. Using a device such as the OptiGlitch, processed footage must be rescanned off the monitor to be usable (have stable sync for record / playback).

Demons and/or Celestial Dancers for possible inclusion in River Styx video program. 









PhotoMoshing found footage of Golden Butoh - Part 4

Here are still more sample examples of video FX processing the found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. The examples are all from a program called PhotoMosh Pro (as describe in previous post). 

Demons and/or Celestial Dancers for possible inclusion in River Styx video program.











PhotoMoshing found footage of Golden Butoh - Part 3

Here are more sample examples of video FX processing the found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. The examples are all from a program called PhotoMosh Pro (as describe in previous post). 

Demons and/or Celestial Dancers for possible inclusion in River Styx video program.









PhotoMoshing found footage of Golden Butoh - Part 2

Here are more sample examples of video FX processing the found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. The examples are all from a program called PhotoMosh Pro (as describe in previous post). 

Demons and/or Celestial Dancers for possible inclusion in River Styx video program.







PhotoMoshing found footage of Golden Butoh

Here are some other sample examples of video FX processing the found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. This time, the examples are all from a program called PhotoMosh Pro running on my Mac. The SW has an endless variety of processing options as each "process filter" has specific adjustments, as well as allowing multiple "process filters" to be stacked on each other for more complex FX. (Filter configurations can be saved and reloaded, parameters edited.) This does require a rendering step for final output (GIF or video). 

Lots of great FX (some of which almost appear analog in nature), and great fun to experiment with! In these examples, I've focused on configuring a rescan / scanline visual FX combined with VCR noise glitch FX to form the basis of processing output.







Wobbulating the Spirit Realm

In this post, I will be sharing some (raw) wobulator-processed found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. Selections will be included in my River Styx video program. Not sure yet if these figures are writhing Demons or Celestial Dancers - or both simultaneously?








1.27.2024

A Wobbulator of My Own - Part 2

So once the Wobbulator unit itself has been constructed and successfully tested, that's only the first step in the larger journey... as discussed in the (previously posted) Wobbulator documentary by Blaire Neil, the device's coils need high power (at least 75 Watts per channel) audio to control the individual deflection coils (H,V, "S" coils). So that means the setup requires at least 3 separately controllable channels of audio power amplification (in my case, I made use of a pair of Sony home entertainment system receivers/amps found on EBay). And you need three sources of audio control. I decided to make use of a software emulation of a Eurorack setup, customized with three channels of oscillators and output gain controls. (The free PD software is "VCV Rack 2".)  These VCV synthesized signals are fed out of my computer via a set of USB audio interfaces (Behringer U-Control units), to the audio power amps, and thence to the Wobbulator coils inputs. Of course, you also need a camera to rescan the Wobbulator's screen. (I found an old Hi8 camcorder on Ebay that does the trick. But there are a lot of video recording possibilities - the only limitation being the ability to manually focus and zoom!)

Below are a couple of examples from my Wobbulator at work in my studio. I have tuned the "H" coil frequency to create accentuated scaliness, and the "S" coil frequency to create the raster wobble.



A Wobbulator of My Own!

 Last fall I participated in a hands-on DIY workshop to build a personal Wobbulator. (The workshop was organized and run by the artist Jen Kutler who patiently provided instructions, as well as the required raw materials such as special coil wire and "S" coil armature. All each participant had to do was bring in two functioning B&W analog TV sets - one for the final Wobbulator and one for cannibalized coil parts.)

Below is some workshop footage of me winding my "S" coil and an initial test of the finished Wobbulator. Also, a short documentary on the Paik-Abe Wobbulator.




wobbulator setup in studio
Wobbulator setup in studio with power amps, rescan video camera, and MIDI controller for adjustment of oscillators' frequencies and strength.




Some Wobbulated Video Outtakes for River Styx Program

 In the 80's and 90's I had a number of artist residencies at The Experimental Television Center in Oswego, NY where I had the opportunity to utilize their custom built Paik-Abe Wobbulator unit. It's easier to watch a few video examples than to explain the analog processing FX in detail, but suffice to say that the Wobbulator allows distortion of a CRT's horizontal and vertical deflection raster, as well as adding a third special deflection coil (termed an "S" coil) which creates a sort of S rotational wobble to the raster. One thing to note is that with such signal distortion, the only means to record the Wobbulator's FX is via RESCAN of the CRT with another camera - a traditional analog video processing / recording technique.

Although many video artists have used the Wobbulator in more extreme raster distortion modes, my typical use of it has been to create slow waves, shifts, wobbles to the image. This is then keyed on top of the original footage to achieve the desired dream-like effect. Below you can view a "ghost walking up hill" segment originally processed at ETC (perhaps around 1986?) followed by a recent re-processing addition using the Phosphortron app (described in the previous post).




Some Video Outtakes for "River Styx" Video Program

 The following short video segments show processing of footage from my library of personal video tape (this one from a lake shot in 1982 using an early Betamax portable VCR). The source footage has been processed in various ways including use of a public domain App called Phosphortron (developed by Eric Souther) that layers on the green outlining FX.





Some Animation Outtakes for "River Styx" Video Program

I've been working on and off on the script of "River Styx" now for several years. It's just about ready to go into production.  The focus of this program is on transition (death, dreaming, wake/sleep, reincarnation, and more...) from a psychological perspective, mythopoetic perspective, meditational perspective.

As part of this process, I've been reviewing my library of video footage, both "documentary" travel & vacation stuff, as well as processed stuff (such as done in residency at The Experimental TV Center years ago). I've been employing of a number of software packages (Apps) to perform processing. I have been making use of dedicated hardware (glitch devices, wobulator). And I have made limited use of AI (Dali-E 2 & Crayon) to explore scene generation sourcing for later manipulation in Photoshop and misc. other apps. - Quite a range of tests and exploration!

I want to post a few examples of the AI-derived work for early last year to let you see short outtakes of scenes that may appear in the final full length edit. Enjoy!

Chairon the boatman rowing lost souls across the lake of fire
Lost soul wandering in the Wastelands
Souls waiting at river's edge to board the Ferryman's boat

Time Passes...


Well its been some time since the last post. Preoccupied? Yes. Too busy? Often. Simply just got out of the habit... But I will rectify this by adding a bunch of posts showing my new art activity over the last year and a half. Let me know what you think! Thanks.





2.07.2022

Haiku Variations: Self Portrait As Thai Buddha


Haiku 120 Self Portrait As Thai Buddha #1 (00:15)

Haiku 121 Self Portrait As Thai Buddha #2 (00:15)

Haiku 122 Self Portrait As Thai Buddha #3 (00:15)

Haiku 123 Self Portrait As Thai Medicine Buddha (00:15)


Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear chant/soundtrack] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

2.06.2022

Bon Self Portrait Variations


Haiku 116 - Bon Self Portrait #1 (00:13)

Haiku 117 -  Bon Self Portrait #2 (00:13)

Haiku 118 - Bon Self Portrait #3 (00:13)

Haiku 119 Bon Self Portrait #4 (00:13)



Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear chant/soundtrack] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

2.01.2022

Haiku Variations - Tara & Chod Dakini With Spinning Yantra


 Haiku 112 Tara & Chod Dakini With Spinning Yantra  #1 (00:16)

Haiku 112 Tara & Chod Dakini With Spinning Yantra #2  (00:16)

Haiku 114 Tara & Chod Dakini With Spinning Yantra  #3 (00:16)



Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear chant/soundtrack] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Chod Dakini & Tara (Haiku Variants with TAVIS Fractal Gradient)


 Haiku 108 Chod Tara TAVIS Portrait #1  (00:18)


 Haiku 111 Chod Tara TAVIS Portrait #4  (00:18)



Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear chant/soundtrack] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

1.31.2022

Haiku Variations - COSM Tara

 Haiku 102 - COSM Tara (00:18)

 
Haiku 103 - COSM TAVIS Tara (00:18)

 
Haiku 104 - COSM TAVIS Tara (00:18)

 
Haiku 105 - COSM TAVIS Tara (00:18)

The psychedelic background source originated by Bill Tavis who created a fractal processed version of this Tara image a few years back. His tumblr can be accessed here: https://billtavis.tumblr.com/


Fractal Processed COSM TARA


Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear chant/soundtrack] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Haiku Variations - Tara & Chod Dakini

 

Haiku 99 - Tara & Chod Dakini with Flower Halo (00:16)

Haiku 100 - Tara & Chod Dakini with Flower Halo (00:16)


Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear Dalai Lama's Tara chant] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Haiku Variations - 21 Taras


Haiku 92 - 21 Taras #2 (00:16)

Haiku 94 - 21 Taras #4 (00:16)

Haiku 95 - 21 Taras #5 (00:16)


Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear Dalai Lama's Tara chant] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

1.30.2022

Haiku 90 - Merkaba Yantra with Meditating Buddha


Haiku 90 - Merkaba Yantra Meditating Buddha (00:14)


Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear chant] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

3 Haikus: Merkaba Yantra with Female Dieties

 Haiku 87 - Merkaba Yantra with Vajrayogini & Dakinis (00:14)

Haiku 88 - Merkaba Yantra with Dakini & Pair of Durgas (00:14)

Haiku 89 - Merkaba Yantra Wireframe with Dakini (00:14)


Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear chant] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

1.27.2022

Buddhaverse Variations - Visionary Haikus


Haiku 69 - Medicine Buddha & Offerings with Prayer Wheel (00:19)


Haiku 80 - Prayer Wheel with Energy Emerging Healing Hands & Offerings (3 panel)  (00:19)

I can hear you now: What? The Blue Pill?? -- Recall that Tibetan Buddhist practice grew from roots in both Indian meditative practices & teachings, as well as the regions own (indigenous) shamanistic visionary religion 'Bon'. And there are many mystical / visionary practices to be uncovered in the hidden doctrine.



Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear chant] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.


Haiku 77 - Prayer Wheel with Energy Emerging & Meditating Buddha Faces (3 panel)


Haiku 77 - Prayer Wheel with Energy Emerging & Meditating Buddha Faces (3 panel)   (00:18)


Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear chant] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Haikus 82 & 84 - Prayer Wheel with Emerging Energy Field


Haiku 82 Prayer Wheel with Energy Field & Emerging Rutt-Etra Buddha (00:20)

Haiku 84 Prayer Wheel with Energy Field & Emerging Flying Dakini (00:17)


Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear soundtrack] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Haiku 71 - Prayer Wheel with Blue Yamataka


Haiku71 Prayer Wheel with Blue Yamataka (00:19)



Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear didgeridoo soundtrack] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

1.25.2022

Prayer Flags and Prayer Wheels - Haiku Variations


Haiku 60 - Prayer Flags and Prayer Wheel (00:19)

Haiku 61 - Prayer Flags and Prayer Wheel (00:19)

Haiku 62 - Prayer Flags and Prayer Wheel (00:19)

Haiku 63 - Prayer Flags and Prayer Wheel (00:19)



Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear 'OM' mantra] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

Haiku 64 - Prayer Flags, Clouds in Blue Sky Breeze

 

Haiku 64 - Prayer Flags, Clouds, in Blue Sky Breeze (00:19)


Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear 'OM' mantra] 



--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 


Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.