Batman Revolts
Realization of the interactive video installation
about compositing
This interactive video installation with its supporting written information is the realization of the topic compositing within the framework of my graduation – an exhibition about digital filmproduction.
Working methods of compositing can create photo-realistic picture-in-picture assemblies in a computer, using layer techniques. Single layers are selected, turned, masked and moved and computed with each other.
Besides this video installation texts explain these techniques, presenting the example of a city view of Gotham City of the production Batman Begins of Christopher Nolan, 2005.
Septembre 2006
2 PCs, 2 Webcams, Infrared-Cam, DvCam,
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign,
AfterEffects, Combustion,
HLSL-Shader and Live-Videosoftware VVVV.
The installation's goal is to explain the contents of the visitor in the most practical as well as playful way in order to transform abstract digital techniques to real experience. The realization is not meant to illustrate digital techniques only, it also aims in using them as a kind of research strategy.
Interface and software use all ways of digital image processing in order to explain digital images.
The media installation's operation is effected by the visitor's position inside and is based on the outline criteria of the other installations.
he visitor pushes forward a simple story within the installation: It is supposed to help a girl in an uncomfortable situation with Joker. This story is a sequence of a short movie with Batman, which is partly produced in all installations.
The visitor operates the story by blocking the dancing couple's way with mobile mushrooms skilfully. His medial body can move the mushrooms by adequate touches to the front, back, right or left in order to push them to marked goal positions. After several test drives a well directed interaction with a simple picture structure seemed to be more suitable, providing less excessive demands for the visitor.
In this video installation the visitor can see himself from the back. Corresponding to his moves in the exhibition space his media figure manoeuvres through the movie picture. The space is duplicated by the media. Space depth in the picture is simulated by overlapping and reduction of the pictures layers.
The installation creates the illusion of a space continuum – the compositing's artistic goal, by using its techniques in order to let the visitor experience them by interaction.
The assembly of the installation is similar to the Bluebox-method with the decisive difference, that the background does not have to be empty, blue or green. It can have any colour or shape. The person is separated by computer-based algorithms only.
This interactive video installation tries to close the gap between the classical, text-orientated and knowledge-conveying museum on the one hand and the modern, experimental and interactive Science Centre on the other. It provides written background knowledge and combines it with interaction, picking up the topic in a technical way in order to make the working techniques of contemporary compositing understandable for the visitor.
This way knowledge will not be conveyed only – it will become a personal experience.
