Jitter – Task 8

For my patch, I used a buffer and groove~ to playback a soundfile.  Rather than routing the signal from groove~ to a dac, I used the bonk~ object – an external object which detects attacks/transients in a signal and outputs a list of values.  I used these values and the signal level value to trigger random changes to the coordinates of cells and their colour values in a 4 plane matrix.

I also used the signal strength value to trigger static images at certain levels via a qtmovie object.

If you are using this patch, you will need to install the bonk~ object, which is included with my patch.

Jitter

Having spent a long time trying to implement my ideas as mentioned in my last post, I chose to change tack as I was getting nowhere fast!  However, in completing my two Jitter tasks, I got an idea of how I could have achieved my original idea.  I ended up using randomly generated coordinates and ARGB values to light up pixels in a 4 plane matrix.  Now I realise that a picture slider could be used to send the coordinates of a pixel and the same coordinates could locate a pixel on the same picture (stored in another matrix) to report colour values and generate relevant sound.  I have run out of time for now, but over the summer I intend to  develop this idea.  I think it would be an interesting way to experience a picture.

Jitter Tasks

As I am also studying CMP, I use Jitter a lot at the moment. I am finding it slightly harder going than MSP, but as I get more used to the objects and the different data used for video, things are beginning to move faster.

I have made several attempts at using colour changes to control sound. The biggest problem I have come up against is getting meaningful results. I am trying to create some kind of tangible link between the colour and sound, rather than simply using the data as a trigger for any old sounds.

I am currently working on the second task, which I also want to try to apply to the painting task. I was inspired by Heather’s excellent patch shown in class. My idea is to create a patch in which the user can select any part of an image with the cursor and hear a relevant audio response. It occurred to me people look at paintings differently, some may look top to bottom, others bottom to top, etc. I would like my sonic representation of the painting to offer the same freedom of interpretation. At the moment I am trying out picture-based sliders, combined with a Jitter matrix, each containing the same image. In theory, I will use the coordinates output by the slider to set the area of the image held in the matrix. The selected area will then be analysed and the resulting data used to trigger/generate sounds relevant to the chosen area.
Ideally, the patch will allow for any image to be loaded by the user, but this may be a little ambitious!

LINKS SHOULD NOW WORK!

Soundtrack and Audio-Logo for Commercial

My first attempt at this task, although successful in some ways, is a bit too obvious and possibly too close to the original.  I definitely intend to redo this task and I will probably try to use a longer clip.  The linked file (to follow – divshare won’t upload right now!) is a very rough version – the sound quality is pretty bad!  I think that the logo at the end is too cheesy and that the advert itself is too specific – it would be difficult to do anything very different to the original effectively.

Soundtrack for Animation

Having chosen my excerpt from one of the given cartoons, I began experimenting with different techniques for creating a soundtrack.  Having learnt about the work of Raymond Scott in class and through research, it seemed obvious that the use of orchestral instruments and effects would work for this cartoon.  However, I wanted to try and use more up to date and possibly more abstract sound sources, such as synths.  After much experimentation, it became clear that this method would not be very effective and that a more typical approach might be better.  The R. Scott style approach has been used so extensively for these kinds of cartoons that it is extremely hard to move away from, without subverting the meaning and essence of the cartoon.  I used orchestral samples to create my soundtrack and tried to exploit techniques learnt in class.  For instance – closely syncing the sounds to movements on screen and using instruments to create effects rather than simply using sound effects or samples.

http://www.divshare.com/download/6828252-72b

Persona Task

My first step in tackling this task, was to select a thirty second clip from the introduction of Bergman’s Persona.  The clip I chose to use appealed to me as there are several changes of scene and plenty of movement within these scenes (other parts of the film used static images).  I also liked the eeriness of the selected clip – spiders, blood, slaughter, guts, etc!

On my first attempt at scoring the piece, I quickly realised that using straightforward sound effects combined with a backing track was boring and predictable.  I also felt that because the film is fairly minimalistic it would require a soundtrack which reflected this.  Too much sound going on at once seemed to detract from the effect of the images.

I experimented with synchrosis and found that using abstract sounds for some scenes created very interesting effects, whilst remaining convincing.  I used a sample of water dripping for the bleeding (lamb) scene and, although it worked, I found it to be too obvious.  In the end, I used some sounds created in Super Collider for this scene.  The sounds on their own would not conjour an image of blood dripping, but combined with the film, it is convincing yet abstract and just a little uncomfortable.  I felt this fitted well with the general feel of the clip.  

The spider at the beginning is represented with a sound which a spider could never produce and yet it seems quite convincing and also sinister.  I think this is because similar sounds have been used in films (particularly horror films) and so it is familiar.

http://www.divshare.com/download/6828209-f48