At vision'R there was a range of artists, visual performers, hardware and software designers. It was a great opportunity to meet first hand designers of many different products available for the live time-based visual artist and performer. Of the many people Bart and Edwin, the creators of Resolume, gave a nice talk about their history and process. Please watch and post.
9 comments:
Why don't we have an interaction design class? That definitely sounds like something I'd be interested in. Coding alone is extremely tedious and boring but important. So being able to combine programming with graphic design would be much more interesting.
It's interesting bringing up cracks and keygens, and I think free software should be available to students. It seems like smaller businesses and even bands who are starting up benefit from the viral, though illegal, distribution of software and music. Unfortunately it's the moneymakers that set the rules and determine these things to be illegal. It shouldn't be such a big issue. It's important to be able to experiment with new things before you commit to buying them.
I agree with Jess, coding is very boring and I think we are drilled into the thought that using code is our only way of interaction. We touch so often in spoken word about interaction, and we have to use it in our capstone it seems the main focus we look at at school is that interaction can only be reached though code. I cant believe we dont have a class that teaches flash? I think that would be much more important too learn then max or php. When I study abroad next semester I have signed up for a interactive design class, im hoping that the class broadens my horizons on interactive programming beyond coding. I like how we have touched in this class how you can be interactive with video by creating emotion.
Also touching on Jess's comment she says "it is important to be able to experiment with new things before you commit to buying them." Well, all of the adobe programs are free for 30 days to use before you decide to purchase them! Ill admit to stealing loads of software from the internet but I do see why large companys dislike it. If it were all free then who would pay these programmers to make the amazing software they create and constantly update?
I say if you are using the software to make money, pay for the software. If you are using the software for pure pleasure or as non profit - then it should be free to you until you begin to make money. Its starting to become a trust thing.
I'll start by commenting on each of the previous comments. Regarding cracked software, you hear less instances of people getting caught with pirated software than you do with pirated media (movies, music, etc). Many companies, such as Adobe and Apple, actually like that users want their software so much that they would get it any way that they can. Before this gets taken out of context, I am in no way saying that they condone the act, but look at where it's gotten some of these softwares. A recent poll was conducted and revealed that 60% (or more) of Photoshop users are pirates; i.e. most people who have Photoshop, have pirated it. In the case of Photoshop, pirated copies are what made it become the standard photo editing program in use by millions of people. So this was a good thing that came our of it. Also, Adobe believes that students who can't afford software while in school and end up stealing it, will know the software, get a job, and purchase it when they get into the working world (I suppose this would be because the sneaker net of college communities wouldn't be around anymore).
As for coding, saying that one language such as Max or PHP is less important than Flash or some other environment, I think would be a misunderstanding of environments in general. If we think of Illustrator, Final Cut, Flash, Photoshop, Max, etc., these are all environments and it could be said that you are "programming" within all of these (there is, after all, a difference between coding and programming). What tends to be the case in this major is that people, I admit this myself, are lazy and don't understand what it is to be challenged. Thinking about using PHP or Max or any sort of text-based coding language scares people in a way that makes them stray away from it because they don't have what it takes to truly challenge themselves. If you give up on only your introductory foray into a language and give up, you're doing yourself a great injustice. By sticking with only what you know and not branching out into different realms of media expression, you get, excuse me, shit that we see in our capstones year in and year out.
People, and I guess I would be challenging the major here, need to challenge themselves rather than sticking to the same old crap. I feel that if you challenge yourself in every language and environment that you have access to and figure out what you like and don't like through continued usage, you are creating for yourself a multitude of options in creating your media projects. This would speak to the Resolume software being coded in C++, a language that many New Media majors at UMaine, never get a chance to learn because they stray away from coding. It goes to show that if you have the patience and the integrity to pursue your passion, you can create your own software or environment that allows you to do what you want rather than succumbing to popular software that may not do what you wish.
"If your just a really good programmer your not really getting anywhere and if your only a good graphic designer you don't know how to put things together". Its good to learn to be in the middle and have an understanding of two different things.
Evolution from video tapes. It's all about finding and using the right tool. Sometimes the biggest problem isn't coming up with the idea but finding the right tool to convey it.
Cross platform coding. Its a commercial thing.
With big companies its understandable that their software gets stolen but when there are little companies trying to survive its not such a great thing. Although the more people that use it the more that will buy it as well. When you can afford it you should buy it.
Open up revenue sources, do more than one thing.
Able to support themselves while still doing what they love, always a good thing to hear and gives me hope.
They are an interesting duo. I hadn't thought of the early days when they had to use straight videotape for vjing. That they would leap into it by writing their own software to do what they wanted.
Their concern about people using the software they wrote without paying is something I've thought about before. It hadn't occurred to me that they view it as advertisement, that the initial people who cracked it would help spread the word that the software in question was a good one.
Jake raises a good point about challenging one's self. I know I am guilty of abandoning coding as an option because it was "too hard". The fewer options you give yourself the narrower your vision will be.
Interaction design would sounds like a key class that new media needs. The perfect combination of coding and images. He is right coders and designers are different minds to combine them would take a lot of hard work to get over personal barriers.
That was the way I got into new media making computers a bit more interesting. Mike touches a bit on interaction design in NMD 102 now and I would consider that his sequence. I don't think he is as ardent on the visual aspect.
This is interesting to see programmers who create their own software and ca make a living from their creations. It is one revenue stream that doesn't require you to sell your soul. This is a good example of software that shouldn't be pirated these guys are obviously not rolling in the dough they are getting by like all of us. I support this kind of ingenuity. Jesse is right if you are making money off the software that is when you need to pay. As student in order for us to learn the software and use it professionally you need to learn how to use it. I think trial periods should be extended for four years as long as you are in classes with that software or want to learn it on you own.
I like Jesse's idea that software should be free for those that use it for pleasure or non-profit. But how would you go about doing that? I just think that we should be able to get all these programs for free to use while we are in school. It's impractical to think that a bunch of college students can afford to buy the software for classes. Final Cut is only offered on so many computers around campus. Trials last only 30 days. I'm pretty sure more college kids are the ones cracking the software. Is that so wrong? 30 days isn't long enough.
I actually wish I new more coding languages. I know most people hate coding, but I do think it's vital to know how to code and be good at design or some other skill, if for no other reason but to effectively communicate with a designer or a coder. I think that was mentioned in the talk. Chris quotes it actually. Programming classes I've certainly strayed away from. After 125 I never wanted to take another one. Maybe if I'd had a better experience with 125 I would have been more apt to take another class.
This lecture actually makes me interested in coding/programming. I've never been a fan of it, finding it to hard, but its really impressive to see the possibilities, and what one can create. I'd like to work with some in the future or learn more about it myself.
I think the duo is great, and brilliant that they came up with their own program for vjing. It makes me feel that there really are no limitations. If you cant find a program that does what you want, create one!
This software looks amazing. I think the most important thing is that you can multiple screen compositions through it. It's pretty astounding that you can run something that intense off of one computer. This would be something really interesting to use and hopefully we'll be able to get our hands on it at some point.
I think that they took absolutely everything into consideration when they created this software and I like the emphasis on both video and audio. Showing concern by saying that 1 frame is .25 of a second and realizing how significant that is.
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