While investigating tracking precision for motion control timelapse filming in VR I had a thought, and then sidetracked myself for half a day designing various Tilt Brush/Vive pendulum rigs. The first one is very simple, but worked beautifully:
If you have Tilt Brush, I’ve made the sketch available for your delectation [Dropbox link – 1.94MB]. It’s a lovely place to spend some time.
After having a lovely time working together on visuals for Ball Park Music, Sam Cromack asked me to help him create a world for the debut single from his solo project, My Own Pet Radio.
Combining 3D printed characters, robotic controlled animation and a twee black and white aesthetic, this shoot was just as much fun as you’d expect.
Tim Shiel composed the award-winning soundtrack to mobile application Duet, a mesmerising, minimalist, and wonderfully difficult game.
Brisbane orchestral composer Ryan Walsh found himself thoroughly addicted to Duet and decided that he’d make things much worse by arranging the soundtrack for a 16 piece orchestra.
Tim asked if I’d be interested in putting together live visuals for the show. We met up in Melbourne, planned out the storyline of the set and how we’d translate the 2D, minimalist visuals of the game into something immersive.
Then I spent a couple of weeks building 3D versions of the game, and making those simple rotating Red/Blue balls into an epic journey through space, building weird mechanical cityscapes and crashing suns into planets.
For the show I did live visuals and also programmed lights via Ableton Live, creating a rather special, immersive 45 minute experience. It was performed for a rapt audience on 15th May, 2015. Here’s a 15-minute section from the middle of the show, with my visuals overlaid in some sections to get a proper feel for the animation style:
WAAX are a band of punk-as-rock, hectic kids. Their track “Wisdom Teeth” had been creeping up on Triple J and Unearthed for a couple of months, and needed a quick clip that would match the intensity of their sound and live presence.
I’m fascinated by timelapse, and I’ve wanted to shoot someone sleeping for ages. Not in a creepy way, you understand. It’s just that slow-motion and timelapse videos reveal stuff we don’t usually get to see as humans shackled to linear time. As a VJ I do a lot of thinking about different ways of using projection. I’ve used projection mapping in the past on buildings and inanimate objects. So sleeping dudes seemed like a completely obvious next step.
It was surprising how little convincing was required to get Little Odessa on board with the concept. My pitch was “All four of you, asleep in a bed together, with a projector blaring in your eyes. It’s likely to be the worst night’s sleep of your entire life.” They were instantly, unanimously in favour of the idea.
Graetzmedia worked with NEXTDC on the launch of their M1 Data Centre. I was addicted to the music of The Glitch Mob at the time, so suggested their track Warrior Concerto to director Dan.
Then spent some serious time animating titles in SPACE using After Effects, with lots of Trapcode Form, Optical Flares, and Particular, and epic camera moves.
Remember when I made a toaster remotely explode on cue and shoot flaming bread into the air?
Good times.
For this Graetzmedia production I created an animatronic, pyrotechnic toaster, animated the closing logo and motion control camera moves, and did general Shoot Things for a couple of days of silliness around Brisbane. Silliness I was able to immortalise by editing a Behind The Scenes clip:
Bonus Points: The skateboard smashing scene was shot at the house of my good friend Jum. I hope he will use this piece when he eventually goes to sell the house.