Future Cinema

Transmission Fluid

My concept for a new type of screen is a liquid substance that can display images in a manner similar to reflections appearing in water. One of my inspirations for this concept is the portrayal of scrying pools in folklore, in which individuals would gaze upon the surface of the water in order to observe events that are in another time or place. The substance would not be as thin as water but a bit thicker, maybe similar to silly putty allowing it to be stretched and shaped to allow for a customizable display of images and moving pictures.

I also thought it would be interesting if the substance was capable of conveying not only visual information but allowing for interaction with other human senses. Images could be touched and different textures and temperatures experienced, scents smelled etc. The substance could be taken further into the realm of science fiction by being used to fill virtual reality tanks in which individuals would be immersed in order to create a full sensory experience.

The substance would enable this by not only being able to display images and other sensory information but recording and storing this information. It would be able to store a variety of experiences which could be modified and edited by the user’s interaction with it in real time. The scenarios would be able to be experienced by the individual immersed but also could be recorded and viewed by others. It could also be used to record the dreams of individuals sleeping within the virtual reality tanks. This function could be used for entertainment, as a form of artistic expression, and for the purpose of dream analysis.

Data from separate sources of the substance could be mixed together or interact with each other to create pools of information and allow for the sharing of a variety of human experiences and forms of narrative expression. Since the substance serves the purpose of transmitting various kinds of information and media I was trying to come up with an appropriate name for this new kind of screen but the term “transmission fluid” was already taken.

Tags: Transmission Fluid

better documentation of Polyvision

find out more about Josef Svoboida’s work here: http://www.svoboda-scenograf.cz/en/polyekran-polyvision/

Tags: Screens

Seeing Through New Eyes: Evolving VR Technology

Melamed, Erica – Future Cinema Assignment 1 – Due Sept 23 2015

Seeing Through New Eyes: Evolving VR Technology

Erica Melamed (211575545)
CMCT 6507/FILM 6245
Professor Caitlin Fisher
Assignment 1: Short Screens Paper
Due: September 23rd 2015

Following the rise of individual cinema screening, future technology will see this trend expand exponentially. The latest virtual reality (VR) gadgets are clunky, limited in their mobility, and have to be lifted to suspend the experience. Evolving contemporary VR technology from goggles to contact lenses accompanied with a noise cancelling Bluetooth headset will resolve some of the drawbacks of the current technology.

Switching from goggles to contact lenses will remove the hindrance of weight. The Bluetooth headset to accompany the contact lenses will prevent external noises from infiltrating the virtual reality created. The lenses and headset can be turned off and on from a button on the left headset. Sensors on the right headset will allow for volume control as well as scrolling through content. Returning to the left headset, the power button will support the mobility of the technology. For example, while taking a plane ride or another example of extended travel, one can simply temporarily turn off the headset and contacts to check the remaining duration of their travel.

The filming necessary for this technology would involve a first person perspective. This would allow for the viewer to feel a part of the film being viewed, while not interrupting the desired plot of the narrative. Based on this perspective, lighting and cameras would have to either be hidden in shrubbery or areas which could be hidden from view.

Beyond the headset and contact lenses, an accompanying application for mobile devices will allow for the screening of narratives beyond mere virtual reality. An accompanying application will allow for the viewer to choose the next steps of the narrative being told. In this way, one can begin to see the possibilities of interactive content through this technology. The filming necessary for this format would involve a camera similar to that of Google’s 360 degree camera. The 360 degree camera would ensure the immersion of the viewer into the technology, where they are no longer a passive viewer but an active agent in the course of the narrative. The storylines of the content will have to be adjustable to that of the viewer’s choices. As there would be little narrative if there was no direction, prompts will appear to allow for some direction in the narrative.

While the technology allows for individual viewing or interaction, there will be opportunities for joint viewing. The accompanying application would include a feature which would allow different users of the technology to view the same content at the same time. By extension, if one was to pause the film being viewed on one of the devices, the film being played for the accompanying individual would remain paused until the first person resumes the content.

The direction of this technology echoes that of current technology, only extended. With the described extensions, cinema viewing would no longer leave its audience with peripheral vision to distract them from the narrative being told. Furthermore, the lenses will allow for the viewer to feel immersed in the narratives put forward. This technology will serve the interests of individual viewing, joint viewing, as well as interactive content.

sorry, everyone!

after i allowed open registration about 200 spam accounts signed up and overwhelmed the site. i think i’ve deleted the bulk of the spam now. I will sign all of you up manually, using the email addresses I have on record. sorry for the confusion. Caitlin

Link to our channel

Here it is:

http://auras.ma/s/73Z6j

Tomorrow’s class: 10 a.m. Nathan Phillips square

Hi everyone – we will meet tomorrow morning at our regular class time just inside main doors at Nathan Phillips square. We’ll explore the first project and then head to Trinity Bellwood to explore the second. We have at least two cars so I *think* we should be able to drive over to the park together, no problem. Please come ready to experience the works – if you have a mobile device that will run aurasma, bring it!

The link to fordproject’s Channel is
http://auras.ma/s/9odU3

Please post the second channel asap!

It promises to be a nice day – thank goodness. Looking forward to seeing you all, experiencing these projects and wrapping up our discussion.

Tags: admin, projects

ThePirateBay’s latest direction

I thought this would be appreciated here.

http://thepiratebay.se/blog/236

ThePirateBay are planning to take piracy to a whole new level, by removing people from the real world and taking them to a new, digital pirate paradise!

The first person who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.

Rob Ford Civilization mod

Facesoft, or Napstarter

http://nickm.com/poems/upstart.html

Celebration of the Simple

It seems to me like there is a movement towards simplicity in new interactive media. Just as some people involved in the cinema decided that long takes may be the future, some people in interactive cinema and game developing seem to have decided that it is time to use what is freely available to further technological advancement.

There are several interactive shorts on this page: http://www.shortoftheweek.com/category/style/interactive/. Some of them make use of up-to-date technologies, but the most interesting video on there is an Arcade Fire music video, which, instead of turning to some modern concept which will be obsolete in a year, utilizes google maps, in order to create a personalized interactive film, which will connect the band’s music with a feeling of nostalgia for childhood.

Similarly, games have been embracing this simplistic ideology for some time, going back to Limbo or Super Meat Boy. My current addiction is a game called TagPro (tagpro.koalabeast.com) which is a basic capture the flag game which looks like it was designed by an amateur.

This celebration of the simple will paradoxically be extremely important in the advancement of new media. There is a reason why a film like Primer is more frequently discussed than the Abyss!

Tags: new media, robot overlords, simplicity