Here's what you get when you throw Avenue, Quartz Composer, IRMapio, two 10K projectors, a dance company and a whole lot of talent in to a blender:

Creative talent behind all this is Mika Ventura, and he kindly explained more of the details to satisfy your geeky needs:

Geneva dance company Diadé hired us to create a backdrop video for their new show "Metro". The whole backdrop had to look like a metro train, so we built a 9m by 3m screen to project upon. The elements had to be independently triggered : opening of doors, tilting of the metro axis, outside view (through the windows), charting speed, insertion of other elements as vehicles or fake billboards, etc.

The need to use Resolume became obvious really fast, as 80% of the content was created with Quartz Composer, like the 3D metro train or the backdrops charting on different layers. The Resolume interface, with its layer levels and its possibility to directly control Quartz Composer elements offered us the flexibility we needed. More over, we had to use two 10.000 lumens projectors connected to a Mac via a Matrox Triplehead2Go. Using IRmapio, we were able to create a soft edge in no time.

Resolume's structure was set up as such :

layer 1 : forground elements, tv noise, flames, smoke
layer 2 : QC metro controlled by slider parameters (published input splitters in QC)
layer3 : QC backdrop and some video loops for the subway station

Here are a few pictures :

Metro setup in Resolume:



Metro setup in Quartz Composer:




For more of Mika's amazing work, check out his blog at http://mikaventura.tumblr.com/ There's some cool stuff to be seen there!

Last year at the lovely VJ Fest Istanbul, I was lucky enough to attend an awesome lecture on the history of audiovisual performances. The lecture was given by Cédric Chabuel, a kind and soft spoken gentleman who performs with his own AV work under the name Ouananiche. It was awesome to get insight in the development of the medium from someone so closely involved with it, all of it well illustrated with striking examples. I was so impressed we asked Cédric to make a written version for the Res blog, so you can now have your mind expanded as well...

Video musical remix is my way of putting together what I know best : part DJ, VJ, director, sound designer and musician. It's an all too simple and too complex mechanic : sample movies and recompose video and music tracks without ever breaking picture and sound synchronization. This is called DVJ, live AV, audiovisual mash-up or video music... Personally, I prefer the term « Video Musical Remix » because it reflects both my intention and the trend it fits in. It's not about remaking the film or video clip, but it's about using picture and sound to create music. Pushing the limits of cinema, video art, concert and digital art, Video Musical Remix is a journey in between codes and languages to define a new genre. As one picture is worth a thousand words, here is one of my first production.


<Un Petit Bonhomme> by Ouananiche

Going back to the source is not an easy task. Researching my first video musical remixes brought me back to 1997, where I can identify two main founding influences.
The first one was on a CD-ROM ( crazy right? ) that came along with the latest Coldcut album « Let Us Play ». On this bonus CD, I found videos that blew my mind. In collaboration with Hextatic, Coldcut used video and sound samples with musical beats. The most famous piece is called « Timber ». The sugar on top was Vjamm, a software that really let us play with their videos on our very computer keyboards. Today, Vjamm was one of the first tools dedicated to video music and audiovisual live.


<Timber> by ColdCut/Hexstatic

Tasman Ridcharson, from the FameFame collective based in toronto, publishes « Jawa Manifesto » the same year to express their vision of video musical remix with a simple expression : «Sex and violence». In a much more hardcore/breakcore tendency, FameFame artists don't add sounds and only use the sound provided by the pictures. « A single frame of Darth Vader instantaneously evokes the whole mythology of Star Wars and that character » says Tasman. That's the stumbling block of remix art : telling a story with combined sensical samples. Jubal Brown, ex-founding member of FameFame, still organizes today one of the most popular event devoted to video mash-up : Videodrome, which attracts a solid crowd every year at Toronto's MOCCA. Here is one of his videos, typical of Toronto style ( Beware : shocking images. )


-Anti-Feelings- by Jubal Brown

Vjing and electronic music are linked since they were born. It was only logical that they ended up together. The same basic techniques : sampling and synthesis. Remix and sampling always go together : cut and pasted elements from an original piece then create new meaning, weather the reference with the original is kept visible or not. For video musical remix it's the same mechanic but you keep the original synchronization of sound and picture. So you can actually see music. It's technically the same process as electronic music using samples, except that it now happens on an editing timeline with more constrains than just sound.
There are many softwares for music and video editing... but very few are really powerful in both sound and video editing. For now, each artist creates his own path through many different tools but it is a clear tendency that in a close future all softwares will be fully audio visual.

But one of the main problem when dealing with remix remains copyright. The twentieth century was the century of copyright. What has originally been a system to protect artists, authors and respect for intellectual property became an arbitrary and absurd limit to creating. Art is copy, and those who want to divert, quote, remix, illustrate from existing creations now have three choices :
- Clear the sample, i.e. get the proper authorization from the copyright holder ( in other words be insanely wealthy )
- Ponder if it's worth the risk over and over to finally accomplish nothing
- Take all risks and try to look cool before the FBI nails you

The copyright situation today is in total contradiction with art and culture history. Brett Gaylor gives a great example in « RIP! A remix manifesto » : Walt Disney creates an empire ripping off popular culture fables (Sleeping Beauty, The Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin... ) but sues anyone getting near Mickey Mouse image.


<RIP - A Remix Manifesto trailer>

Occasionally artists, producers and copyright holders reach an agreement, when hollywood movies are remixed for commercial use by the collective Addictive TV. These products are « official remixes ». In my case, after playing live with pirated material many times, I was offered movies to remix by adventurous producers. « Next Floor » by denis Villeneuve, « Les Manifestes en Série » by Hugo Latulippe and more to come. If intellectual property and copyright stakes are of any interest to you, I suggest you check out this compelling conference by Lawrence Lessig, founder of Creative Commons.


<Next Floor Remix trailer> by Ouananiche


<Les Manifestes en Série extracts> by Ouananiche

Here is a brief and incomplete summary of international video musical remix artists :
– Coldcut
– Addictive TV
– EclecticMethod
– label V-Atak (Rko,VJMeat,Nohista)
– GiovanniSample
– Systaime
– Vidéosampleur
– Kutiman
– Pogo
– label Dropframe (Skeeter,Wnodtlem,etc.)
– JubalBrown
– Tasman Richardson
– Ouananiche
- Amoeba
- Frank Sent Us

And to conclude, as Jim Jarmush says : « Nothing is original, Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don't bother concealing your thievery -celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said "it's not where you take things from -it's where you take them to." »

Be sure to check out Cédric's work at poissonsmorts.com, and of course feel free to add links to your favorite AV artists via the comments!
Translated from french by MattBen


If you've been keeping up on the AV scene for the past few years, you must have heard about him, and if you ever met amoeba aka haggard celine aka a.av aka acab23 in person, you know he's always good for a funny tale or two. So it's high time we introduced you to the man, the myth, the legend...



What's your background?

When acid house + techno kicked off in the Uk around late 80's early 90's I was finishing graphic design college in Glasgow, and was ideally placed to incorporate and embrace the new emerging design, creative typography, computer, vj and electronic music scenes with a gonzo influenced approach and a creative design based background.

In my graphics I was already influenced by the designers republic, japanese typography, constructivism, sigil magic, psychicTV, video art/visual music and the emerging techno shamanic dance cultures and tribal lo-fi collectives of creatives, and the significances of these new connected cultures as it spread worldwide were something I wanted to be part of, and contribute what I could to it.

Originaly i provided direction and creative content as part of the scottish video arts collective A.'.A.'.A, then i moved on to mixing my content the way i wanted it to be seen. In the beginning when projectors cost more than the club we were using 23 TV's as screens [6 cars to get to a gig back then ; ) ] We performed and mixed at clubs or with artists throughout the 90's for labels, artists and clubs like Rub a dub, the arches, slam, jeff mills, alabama 3, and Soma records.



I set up amoeba.design [http://www.theestateovcreation.co.uk] in 1993, as a creative,thinking, studio.
To use my design and video skills for fun and profit, for forward thinking traditional design and media clients, in order to finance and give me the freedom to produce my own creative audio visual work that I was developing, and that, as we know takes time and freedom to create. Money provides this. Originally based in Glasgow, then london, now based in Brighton, and working for clients in the UK, USA, Europe and Russia.

amoeba has launch styled magazines, re-branded TV channels, banks, labels, clothes lines, art directed tv and press campaigns, directed and produced music videos, and various music and tv, print and cinema campaigns for album/cd/web launches. We also produce a lot of broadcast, title, promo and E.P.K's for MTV, channel4 and ITV. More recently have found myself working for Films, and creating and directing viral and digital campaigns.



In 1997 I stopped vj'ng and concentrated on producing audio-visual content for my own creative projects, and to set up my own AV label and act,
A.AV [amoeba.av] http://www.aavaple.info

I now perform as A.AV at media events, festivals etc. with a full bespoke AV show. I have always specialised in utilising the audio from within the animations and synched motion graphic sequences, creating unique live audiovisual reactive environments from various styles of audio synched creative typographical animations, shot film and AV experimental work.

I have refined the A.AV sound and look over the years with performances at media events, festivals, digital showcases etc, and visualmusic DVD releases on http://www.lightrhythmvisuals.com

You're quite a prolific fellow, working for film, tv and other corporate clients as well as doing more artistic projects. How do you balance it all? Do all these different jobs require a very different approach as well?

I set up amoeba and my website http://www.theestateovcreation.co.uk with deliberate emphasis on thee state ov creation, as that was the brain and psychological state that I was most comfortable with and would be the continual thread that runs through my corporate and creative work since 93. Amoeba was so i can split and divide re-creating different styles and creative techniques and that suits me fine as i never wanted to specialise in one aspect of anything.

Poverty is the mother of all invention, so growing up in business the 90's in the UK, I learned like most of us, to do miracles with nothing, I do almost everything myself, from pitching for the job, meeting the client, doing the visual, creating and designing the content, handling the account and invoicing, so im very very hands on. This helps in business and also with the creative more "artistic" works as I see these new artistic jobs as a treat for me to be enjoyed as the corporate work has paid for my time off in developing new ideas, style and experiments that i can use in these artistic jobs which are then a showcase for my AV work that get clients interested.

Ultimately the end results are I get to play with some great new technologies and styles and unseen techniques and these get to filter into the mainstream culture for my design/tv clients, for example the midi based AV glitch typography i was doing live in 2001-2005 has now found it's way happily into my TV title design, and Promo packages for the likes of muse, the foo fighters and spongebob squarepants, as the clients all saw the more extreme work and asked for a more diluted version for their campaign, which I have no problem doing, as Im a commercial artist who has got to pay the bills, and I see my animations and work as my pick pocketing little children [ charles dickens fagin springs to mind, the street urchins ] and they gotta go and get daddy some money ;)

All jobs are almost generally the same, once you break them down into quantifiable pieces, they just require time, concentration and effort. My approach is usually the same figure out how little work I can do for maximum creative impact, and then timeline the job and head straight for the digital trenches, screaming and punching, only looking up to see if theres a progress meeting or a change in the brief and that working practise relates to print design, viral making, motion graphics or audiovisual reactive environments.

You release work on LightRhythmVisuals. Can you talk a bit about that label?

LRV is fantastic creative AV label, I've full support for ben sheppee, he has kept the quality control over the content tight and groundbreaking. Every release from the first to the last has been special, and his effort and time spent on these projects has helped lift the AV scene to levels of acceptance within the corporate and creative industries. He has been one of the scenes founders and has supported and promoted mine and other artists work from the beginning, that has to be admired and respected. He put out my last project the A.P.L.E DVD thee_microglitchmachinefunk AV.EP
A.P.L.E [arrange.process.loop.edit] a DVD/AV.EP with free bonus HD Loops and remixes form other creative AV artists, available here
[http://lightrhythmvisuals.com/store/product/lrv-dvd-amoeba-aple/]

More examples of A.AV// LRV work can be found here [http://www.theestateovcreation.co.uk/aav_visualmusic.html ]

Can you describe your work process?

hmmm…..far too varied to do that, from a-z and back again on repeat ; ) interspaced with extreme bouts of lethargy followed by a manic creative flourish and moments of lucid clarity as you realise you just understood and solved a new problem. I use all software that gets the job done, still do vectors in freehand x, layer up everything in photoshop, animate everything i can in after effects, edit and cut in FCP, model in c4d, and use every other graphic/creative code environment that is necessary to the job in hand. If I cant do something then I either learn or hire in creatives who can do it to the standard I need.

How does Resolume fit into all that?

For my live Audio-Visual performances and media events and clubs it's my performance software of choice. My live a.av performances are typographical based, dub infused environments, built on delay, hiss and reverb, live cinema elements of motion graphics, av tracks and av tools being mixed in and sequenced via midi or o/c. I heavily utilise the audio from lots of pre-rendered edits/loops/tools and sequences. I like to glitch and effect the audio via osc, plugins, effects and the playhead. I incorporate these live elements over midi synched sequences with 95% of the audio of the performance coming from what you see on the screen. With the added vst plugin support it provided the best platform for my audio-visual performances.

For live cinema or short film festivals it's perfect for creative audio and video mixing from the one laptop with great results, and its a reliable tool live.

I also utilise resolume for creative AV sequence creation, tweaking parameters and effects, setting up palettes of presets and batch rendering av loops glitching type and fragmented motion graphics, screen capturing the results at pro res 4:4:2 I find it very useful for creating new effects for typography and transitions.

I use other software for other live and video purposes but find for AV performance with audio control, resolume is the one. With the new added features in R4 the output mapping, effects etc it can only help improve the quality of AV performance work and the creative scene.



Do you use Resolume for your corporate/non-VJ work as well?

As i said i use it as a motion studio tool as well, it serves me many purposes, I've used it to create quick adjustable opening credits and end credits for TV shows, i used it in many MTV stings and promos for effects and mixing, Ive used it for live branding campaigns with reactive logos etc., and I made a protest DVD for the band Politeca [http://vimeo.com/album/219227] with 10 music videos that heavily used resolume to comp/mix and create sequences for the final music videos.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/album/219227/video/8664009[/vimeo]

How do you perform live? Any particularly juicy bits of gear you bring with?

these days for solo "turn up and play at a music festival or club" av performances i'm minimal only about 5-6 a year mostly in the uk, europe, and russia.
I mostly do funded installations, organised media and digital events now with short bespoke av performances/talks and workshops.

However saying that I'm just back from a moscow techno session where i was playing with my old scottish mate edit-select and my set up for that av gig was a laptop/ipad/thats all i need for clubs.
For my club music based av stuff, im not usually the headliner so I don't need a mediserver or 4v or 4 laptops and 2 mixers and a mind controlled midi footpedal board, all i need is my laptop touch osc and resolume.
I usually have a creative opening set to perform that i've spent years planing and i don't need many effects or crazy screen splitting or other technology etc. my av performance is specific, direct and pre-planned with happy accidents helping things along the way.

For other events, performances and installations its a different matter and always event specific, and within whatever budget I'm allocated.

You organized a remix competition a while back, offering your loops up for free and inviting people to remix your work. What was the idea behind that, and how were the reactions?

Reaction was great with 70 subscribers and 4 final mixes. It was an experiment in unselfishing myself from my work, to give something back and hopefully encourage creativity. When ever I do workshops or talks etc. people always ask about my content, it's where i send people to grab loops to experiment with, and as they are very cool hd av loops they can't really complain ; ) on my DVD on lightrhythm the aple.EP theres 23 free HD loops on this for people to mash up.

What are some of the more memorable projects you've done over the years?

Broadcast work i'd say my MTV work especially the promo work for bands. Advertising I'd say the Playstation TV advert that i directed and produced, design and music video wise id say campaigns for product.01 and the elektrons. AV performance VJ and Video related here's a wee list of things im happy about…getting creative and experimental av work accepted and on to terrestrial TV has been one of my main achievements ; ) with one of my animations being shown at 8pm on ITV



Setting up an occulture 8hr 4 screen audiovisual hypnogogic ritual performance with theta waves generators inside a blackout space, directing and producing a soft porn chillout dvd made in ibiza over 3 months in a studio under a swimming pool in a porn millionaires mansion that went all apocalypse now ending up with a truck in a swimming pool, illegally throwing up guerilla typographical terrorist projections over and in london during the reclaim the streets events 96-97, and performing at many criminal justice bill events 1995-2008, AV-IT UK 2000 where I showcased my live AV performance and met jilt van moorst and his av software flowmotion, being initiated orthogonally into the russian VJ scene by vj.eps and subsequently performing and surviving the Kazantip Festivals in the Ukraine from 2007 till now and now performing and doing workshops with creative people in Russia, puking on a policeman from the vj booth in brighton, leaving all the gear in the carpark and driving home, dragging a promoter out of the after party by the neck and frog marching him to the cash machine, getting bunged an extra £200 from Andy Wetherall after 12 hours of machinefunk when he blew the yardi gangster sound system at the club and bolted with the words…you aint seen me right!…i could go on ….



And what can we expect from you in the future?

More of the same as before but more so.

No time to hybernate this winter, get out and VJ with this fresh footage.


FancyType2 flash text animations by Patrick Jansen
9 out of 10 housewives agree: this Flash pack really makes your type more fancy, even in cold water. Now with new and improved animation technology, FancyType 2 will wash your laundry cleaner than ever!


VHyes by Dan Wise
Warning! Do not attempt to adjust your monitors. An unidentified frequency has taken control of the horizontal and vertical wavelengths of your signal. Try to remain calm while the VJ conducts a troubleshoot test of the system. Big Bother is not watching you.

Resolume is made with a specific purpose. Instead of cramming as many features into the interface as is humanly possible, we try to make an intuitive and fast live performance tool.

With that in mind, it's always a pleasant surprise to see people use Resolume for a completely different end. Usually installations in exhibitions are the playing field of people with beards and glasses, tinkering away with their self written software. But why re-invent the wheel every time when you don't need to?

This is what Will Copps must have thought when he put together his AV installation 'Digital Synthetic' for the Smithsonian.



Using the power combo of Ableton Live and Resolume Avenue to provide the playback and effect manipulation platform for the installation, he didn't have to worry about writing custom software to do this. That doesn't mean there wasn't any tinkering involved. As Will explains:

I control it via MIDI. The interactivity is tied to a SONAR sensor that is connected to an Arduino board. I uploaded some unique code into the board through the Arduino coding environment (based on Processing) that tells it to send one value to the computer when someone is close and another value when no one is there. I then use a Serial-to-MIDI converter that translates those values into MIDI signals that I send into a virtual MIDI cable through MIDIOX/MIDI Yoke.

In Resolume, that then controls turning the value on the Trails effect Feedback from a low level (when no one is around) to 100% feedback (when someone is in front of the piece). In Ableton Live, these MIDI signals control an overall reverb level (more reverb when someone is in front of the piece) and also to control clip launching.

Basically I have about twenty different audio tracks running simultaneously. I have several different clips for each track recorded as loops, and I have programmed Ableton to launch most of them randomly. The loops are all different lengths, so the chances of Ableton ever playing the exact same thing twice are incredibly slim. Also, when someone walks in front of the piece, it triggers a couple unique clips on some of the tracks, so the viewer is effectively altering the course of the audio forever.

For even more AV integration, Ableton is sending midi to Resolume as well.

To get the synesthetic effects, I send MIDI out from Ableton clips into Resolume. Most of the audio tracks have what I call "ghost tracks" next to them... they are there to house MIDI clips that don't play any sound. I draw automation in these clips and send the data out through a Midi Yoke cable into Resolume, where the data controls specific parameters on the visuals. So, for example, if one clip plays a long synth chord every 280 bars for 10 bars, the "ghost clip" will send data to increase the opacity of a blur effect for those same 10 bars.

There are some limitations to this method as far as what I can do, but it definitely serves my purpose!

We couldn't agree more. Will has raised the bar for what you can do with Resolume besides club VJing. Now let's see where you can take it!

For more info on the project and an all too recognizable little setup story http://willcopps.com/?p=692. And for more info on Will himself http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/index.cfm?entity_id=79156&source_type=Ap

It's been a while since we last had an artist profile, but we're back with a blast. It's with great pleasure that we introduce you to the hard hitting work of Nohista. Known to his parents as Bruno Ribeiro, he's a film-maker, graphic designer, live performer, but above all an amazing AV artist that leaves you with ringing ears, bleeding retinas and gasping for breath.



How did you get started doing AV projects?
I got into a/v projects 5 years ago. In my early work, I composed a/v tracks based on movies samples, using emphasis or alteration to transform the original meaning of its narrative process. I focused on synesthesia and image manipulation to create a new video language based on visual rhythm, music and violence.Besides making music with frames, I wanted to use these samples, in a complex layering of sounds and images, to build a strong and disturbing experience for the audience. Sometimes during a screening, the crowd will start to dance or shout. It's kind of funny looking at people dancing on gunshots and explosions.




As I wanted to work on new ways of performing music and video together, I made a live
performance, called NOBODY. With Katia Petrowick, we worked on a choreography that we shot in a weekend. My goal was to build a human synthesizer that I could control and play as a real instrument. To push further my experimentations about the visual representation of sound, I used recordings of the dancer's body in a digital choreography.



In FORMOL, a performance with Gene Mark, my attempt was to create a mechanical form of life, through an allegorical representation of a human body. To do so, we designed custom instruments, rotating machines, breathing devices and percussive metal arms.

http://www.nohista.org/?portfolio=formol

Recently I also worked on a play/performance called @ROBASE about a scientific experimentation and Internet. Through video and sound, I controlled a disintegrating centrifuge. It is a complicated set-up because it involves a lot of computers, videoprojectors, dmx, smoke machines, 5.1 sound, and real humans.



You're on V-Atak. Can you talk a bit about what that label is about, and how you ended up there?
I'm part of this label since 2007, it focuses mainly on a/v works from different international artists, like Rko, Tasman Richardson, Tzii, Ripit and others. Eclectic and deviant a/v works can be seen through Dvd Releases, and at festivals. I went to some V-Atak screenings in Paris and was really impressed by the performances that I saw. It was inspirational and as I noticed similarities in my work and artistic aspirations, I got in touch with the label.

http://www.v-atak.com/

Canada and France seem to be epicenters for AV artists. What are some your influences in the past and present?
Yes, there are awesome artists and festivals in Canada. I have played several times there, and I'm actually moving to Montreal next year. You should watch Tasman Richardson's works, a Toronto based artist (also on V-ATAK) he is f****** awesome.
http://www.tasmanrichardson.com/
My influences are really wide but it's mainly a lot of music, movies experimental videos, the human body, nature, science, weird and loud noises.

So how do you go about making an AV track? What apps do you use, and how do
you choose the material?
Usually it begins with a notebook fulfilled of ideas and scribblings. Once I've collected my material, I use Premiere for cutting/chopping samples, After effects for tweaking/coloring/modifying/cutting/enhancing them, then I split the sound in Ableton live and the video in Resolume. All the samples in both apps are mapped with MIDI notes and I make all the music composition in Ableton, creating patterns, automations, etc...

What's your live setup like, and how does Resolume fit into it?
I use a laptop, some MIDI controllers, a hardware synthesizer with Ableton live and Resolume. During a live act, Resolume is just for video playback. Everything is monitored by Ableton via MIDI. What I like with Resolume is the stability and the accuracy in high tempo triggers, that allows me to create fast and complex musical/visual patterns.



Can you introduce us to mr Roboto?
Mr Roboto is a Thingamagoop, an amazing noise robot directly born in The BLEEPLABS. Besides his awesome look, he has a light sensor on his nose, so noise/tune/pitch is modified by the light he receives from his tentacle or any lights sources. Soon, I'll make a real band with him and some of his buddies.



Running or slow moving zombies?
Slow moving zombies for sure, running zombies are just infected dudes.

More infos and videos:
http://www.nohista.org/

Labyrint is a wonderful video by Belgian artist collective SubSquare. Good visuals + good music = so much win. Now we love a well executed projection mapping project as much as everybody else, but there's always this extra kick when we catch a glimpse of a monitor running Resolume. So if you haven't seen it yet, check out the video, and then read more about the process and the folks behind it in the interview.



Who and what and why is SubSquare?

Subsquare is a Belgian student collective founded in May 2010 by myself, Nick De Vucht and Olivier de Groelard.

We all had the same interests and dreams to start a company that brings more than just one service. We want to bring people together from different fields. I studied Graphic Design & Motion Graphics at the Academy of fine arts in Antwerp. Nick studies Audiovisual Techniques & Film at Narafi in Brussels & Olivier is currently doing Illustration. To our team we've added a Photographer and one more Video - Sound Editor. In the near future we intend to attract more creative individuals to our Subsquare platform.

By combining these studies we want future clients to have all the options available for their projects or events. Currently we bring HD party reviews / Animated Line-up Teasers / Live visual Projections & Video Mapping installations / High Quality Pictures / Videoclips / Graphic design / Motion Graphics & Visual Effects.

Can you tell us a bit about Labyrint? How did the project come about?

I've been Vj-ing for 2 years now and was always thinking about bringing things to the next level, in other words taking the visuals from the screens and into a 3D environment where people can experience the visuals and interact with the sculpture. But I soon realized that all over Europe people were thinking the same and so I became fascinated by this new movement of Video Mapping.

I've always been a fan of Magic tricks, Illusions and Augmented realities. M.c. Escher and Victor Vasarely are just a few of the artists who inspire me.
But when I saw the magical work of Pablo Valbuena a new world opened for me. More options were offered to me, I had more things to explore and more things to discover.

When it comes to art I always love the creative process more than the end result, searching for that one thing that has never done before, struggling to get the best out of an idea. That was my motivation for the Labyrint project and all the projects which i'm currently working on.

Labyrint, the name actually explains the search for techniques of video-mapping.
Just like when people struggle to get through a Maze or a Labyrinth - I had to challenge myself to discover how this process was done.
When I first saw a Mapping sculpture I had no idea how this magic was created. I've done my research but there is nowhere on the internet where you can find a dummy guide to video-mapping. So I thought let this search be the project.

Can you explain a bit about the technical aspects? How did you create the objects, and what software did you use to create the map and the content?

The triangular objects were created in Google Sketchup, unfolded with a sketch up unfold plugin and then projected on A2 Bristol papers so I could trace the unfolded shapes.

When this was completed I've searched for the right shapes and compositions for the sculpture. The Map was created with Adobe Illustrator. Projecting an empty document over the sculpture and tracing it piece by piece with the pen tool. Then I imported this Illustrator document into Maxon Cinema 4D and extruded all the shapes in 3D space. And the magic began when I finally got this digital 3D sculpture. Playing with lights, shadows, materials and other motion graphics techniques in Cinema 4D.

Finally the last stage of the proces took place in an amazing piece of software called Resolume Avenue.

Labyrint was my first video mapping experience - by now I realise that this wasn't the best approach for doing a Map and that there are great plugins and tools available. The one I've been enjoying alot lately is the IR MAPIO plugin ( iRworkshop) for Avenue.



The video shows you rocking out with Avenue and a variety of controllers. What's the setup like?

At my studio I'm using a Mitsubishi HC4000 1080p Projector. All my work is done on a Macbook Pro (2,66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 4 gig ram). I'm loading all my visuals into Avenue with an external HD (Lacie D2 Quadra)
through a FireWire800 cable to speed things up.

For my midi controller setup I use a M-Audio Triggerfinger to trigger all the different clips , columns and layers. And for position & rotation, fades and other effects I'm using a Korg NanoControl.



Any other projects we should know about?

Since the Labyrint project I've been involved in more Live performances and exhibitions. I'm currently working on some different Mapping Projects in which I collaborate with music producers. The idea is to bring a full audio reactive and in realtime audio visual performance with the help of software like Quartz Composer, Max for Live & Processing.

But I'm particularly excited about the invitation that I've got from the Get Set Festival in Oporto, Portugal. This will be my first step to an international audience.

Also I will be doing some Summer festivals here in Belgium, Video-mapping is quite unique when it comes to the nightlife in Belgium - Looking forward to this as well.

All these projects will be captured in High Definition by Subsquare Tv and will be published as my new Vj promo video around October 2011. You can also expect some video tutorials and guides to video mapping in the near future.

For any updates on my projects & upcoming tutorials or If you want to follow my work: http://www.facebook.com/pages/VJ-Konstruktiv/121812364571570

Thank you for all the support and interest in my work.

To some people, VJ'ing is no more than moving wallpaper. Of course we know better, but it's always nice to see it being recognized as a proper art form by other people as well. And when it gives people the chance to travel the world showing what they do, it's even better. Rafael is such a lucky person. Check out his work in the videos, and read more about him in the interview.



Overall, Resolume is mostly used by VJs in clubs. Yet you perform more in museums. Do you think people perceive your work differently because of that?

Yes. It’s like if you put one painting in a toilet, and the same painting in a museum: people are going to look at this differently. Maybe it’s unfair, but it’s like that. People go to a club for dancing, and to museums for looking… Recently maybe the trend is to invert the two. Museums look more “disco”, with all these “new media” flashy things, and some clubs are getting more “arty”, with the VJ things… Maybe…
As for toilets & museum, the inversion is already made ;)

Why did you choose video as a medium to express your self in?

I come from photography. I never have professors, but I know that they ask to their students to “suggest the movement into the fixed image”. In video, we have already the movements, so what can we suggest? This landscape attracted me. I begin to do short films, videos. Then I realized that I need a more direct interaction with my works. I began to do performances, where I can create in front of a public (when it comes ;)).



There is a lot of reference to technology in your videos, but also an big emphasis on the human body. What would you say are some of the recurring themes in your work and why?

The only things we can be sure about what we call technology, is that is going to get old, useless, and finally die. Exactly like us. Humans & machines are both very temporary concepts. This time space intrigued me. In a way, is very touching and ironic to see the naïve fascination & fears that people have for the technology they all use… But sometimes I ask myself: what is the real difference between the Morse code in 1912 and the internet technology of 2011? It’s just another way to say “we pour!” ;). Except that now we can say that with colors & smiley’s ;)
Also, what is the difference of what we call the AV scene of today and the projectionist and the pianist who improvised 100 years ago in the cinema, at the time of silent movies? It’s the technology that reveals humans, and not the contrary. Maybe in the future we’re going to have a science to study man not by the words he uses, but via the buttons he presses. So yes, really, technology is a very human concept, and that’s probably why I interrogate and use this in my work.



Can you describe your work process a bit?

Like I said before, I came from photos. Most of the time, I build my videos sequences image by image. I try to compose and decompose actions & movements. I like contradictions, so sometimes I like to suggest fixed pictures into moving images mediums.
I always have a drama, a “narrative” structure. When I began to do movies & performances, I realized that a lot of artists go to the easy abstract direction. So I found it relevant to come with basic stories. That’s why I am considered as a “narrative” video artist. Because I don’t do just decorations. But now I see a lot of artists try to do that, so I think more and more to go in the screensaver direction. Why not? Everything is cyclic . I use big cliché dramatic scenes, and try to finish more subtle. Because I see a lot of artists who try to be complex from the beginning, and finish so so cliché…

During live performance, you bring a lot of knobs and buttons to the table. How big is the live aspect of your work? Is it pressing play on a playlist, or is there an improvisation element in it as well?

It’s more and more and more improvisations. I use a midi controller connected to your fantastic program. Like this and with others tools, I am able to modify the sounds and images like I really want. At events now I use TextEdit along with Resolume during the performance.
I really try to create a moment, something more and more “unique”.
Sure, I also have a base of video sequences that I prepare before, kind of a playlist. I know before the performance some of the “stories” I want to tell. I have a narrative base, and I improvise into it and around it. Like a free Jazz band: they begin with a basic melody, a rhythm, a phrase, then they improvise around, and modify everything. My video-sequences are THE melody, the rhythm. Sometimes, like musicians, I improvise too much: I get lost. It’s scary to be lost in your own wood. But it’s also very exciting. The difference with the band, is that I play all instruments by myself. I use programs, guitars, keyboards, whatever I found to personalize my performance. Maybe I am a frustrated musician... I don’t know. And Yes I like buttons. It comes from my youth. When I see a button, I need to press it. I can’t resist. Sometimes it can be problematic. Like recently when I pushed a wrong button in the Washington airport… It was a beautiful big red one… It needed to be pressed…



You mention you travel quite a bit with your art. What are some of the more memorable places you got to visit?

I remember giving video class somewhere in Central Africa. And very recently I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My hotel was on the mythical Route 66, where the movie “No Country for Old Men” was shot. It was scary ;). I remember also this school for deaf-mute children in countryside of Korea. I made them laugh so much that it creates very strange and beautiful sounds. I recorded this.


Who are your inspirations when it comes to video art?

First of all, animal documentaries & old political TV debate. Artists don’t use this material enough. Lots of strategy & dramas there. They fascinates me both. Of course also MTV, books, movies, people, music, & arts in general.

Are there any up and coming video artists we should be looking out for?

Geumhyung Jeong from Korea have a very new way to use this medium in her performance, far away from all clichés. Recently in USA, I discover the work of Brent Coughenour. I like the way he perverts games and programs to build his performance. Wojciech Kosma in Poland & Ilan Katin in Germany.

Check out more of Rafael's work at http://www.leafar.be

Dan Wise is the author of some the top selling loop packs in our footage library, as well as a very talented VJ and motion designer. He's responsible for the touring visuals for Deadmau5, Muse and Stereo MCs, and aside from live visuals, he does some amazing commercial motion graphic work as well. It's always inspiring to see someone make a living out of doing what he loves, especially when it yields such beautiful and diverse eye candy. We figured it was time to get down to the nitty gritty.

Some of the loops from your UrbanTextures pack are used as demo footage when people first download Resolume. How does it feel that every Resolume Avenue user has seen your work?

When I was originally asked about including my content with the Avenue download I was definitely flattered. I’ve been using Resolume for many years and it’s a great piece of software, so to have my work associated with it is very exciting. Because UrbanTextures is a little bit different to what people may be expecting from VJ content, I hope it will help to get people excited about the possibilities of what you can do with some interesting clips and some decent software.

You've also done some interface design for tv and film productions. What's it like working on an 'enhance' scene?

Working on content for Film & TV is great! There are obviously a lot of cliches with film graphics, and the ‘enhancing a poor quality image to reveal something crucial to the plot’ sequences are some of the funniest. Anyone who has ever used a computer knows they don’t ‘beep’ every time you press a key, you can’t look round corners in CCTV footage, and you can’t hack into the CIA database in under 60 seconds...using your watch. But due to a combination of filmic mythology and convenient script writing, I’ve spent part of my career enhancing car number plates, making viruses flash on screen as laughing skulls, and showing network security breaches in giant red flashing letters. It wasn’t all comedy though, I think I also made some stuff that looked pretty cool too!


Awesome 'enhance' scene compilation on Youtube. Although Dan didn't work on these specific scenes, we thought the whole thing was too funny not too include ;)

How does working on commercial and corporate projects relate to working as a VJ? Do you have a similar approach for both, or does one require a very different skill set than the other?

On one level they are polar opposites. Corporate work can sometimes be restricted by both vision and brand guidelines, which means there isn’t always the potential to create something original. VJ work on the other hand is a lot more open, with no real rules, and is much more free and unrestricted. However, there are also some brands and companies that are very forward thinking. Lifestyle brands and companies that want to get the attention of younger audiences, for example, often take elements from youth culture and draw upon music scenes, events, vjing, and street art for inspiration. So the gap is often not as large as you’d think. I also believe that as we become a more visually aware, culture, people’s expectations about production values are changing, and the application of better designs, slicker interfaces, and a visually rich user experience, all bring people closer to the world that VJs and other digital artists live in all the time.


Very slick motion graphic piece for Skype

You're one of the founders of All City Collective, which is focused on street art. How does that relate to your work as a VJ?

For me, starting All City was always a combination of celebrating all the art that was out there, and fulfilling a desire to express myself more. There’s a lot of scope for experimentation on the street, both conceptually and with the different mediums you use. I have always loved the idea of free, anonymous art, accessible by everyone. It’s stripped back, raw and honest. This sense of experimentation and liberation definitely feeds into my work as a VJ. On an aesthetic level, I’ve always had a thing for dirty, run down streets and buildings, which certainly fed into the UrbanTextures pack. Work on the street is also very transient and can be gone the next day, so the value you place on it changes. It’s even more special when it’s there, but you learn not to get so attached to it. This is very similar to projected video, which only ever exists in a single moment.

Your loop packs range from textured gritty content, to a graphic vector look, to a glowy, dreamy, sometimes almost technological look. All in all very diverse. How do you manage all these different styles?

While I think it’s important as an artist to constantly develop your own technique and style, I also believe it’s even more important to keep challenging yourself to develop new ways of expressing that style. As someone with a passion for visual things, I get excited by the diversity of styles that exist in film and motion graphics. Whenever I see different pieces that look cool, I think about how I could take elements of the concept or treatment and mix it with my work to develop something new and different.

Where do you get inspiration?

These days I can find inspiration anywhere, from idents on music channels, to animations on console games, to iphone/ipad apps. I Live in East London which is very creatively vibrant place, and this also has an influence on me. Club flyers, posters, street art, independent shops, clubs nights, galleries and exhibitions all have an effect too. Websites like ffffound, lookslikegooddesign and tumblr also make it much easier to find quality work.

Can you describe your working process a bit? Do you sit behind AE and fiddle around, or do you have a specific something in mind and sketch everything out in detail before hand?

My creative process usually happens in two parts. Firstly, I think you need a strong concept as a starting point, to create a framework within which to work and a direction in which to go. This then gives context, which is the beginning of all my work. After that it’s all about the execution. I always start with a lot of ideas which I feel I have to try, and get out of my head. Even if they don’t all work it’s good to just get them out. Then I can look at what is working best and develop those ideas further. This is where experimentation and ‘happy accidents’ can shape the final outcome. Once I’ve gone through a few rounds of this, and have a whole load of ideas fleshed out, I can tweak, play, and remove bits until I’m happy.

What's your tool set for creating content, application wise?
I live with After Effects, Photoshop and Illustrator open most of the time, with some C4D thrown in for good measure. Though I constantly remind myself that they are only tools. If I’m trying to achieve something, and I need to draw it and scan it in, or use a piece of custom software, then I will. I don’t let the limitations of the software limit my work. Lately I've been working with some great programmers and developers on a few creative projects, where the only solution is to create bespoke programs and functionality to realise the concept. This highlights how creative problems can be solved both technically as well as visually.

Does making a loop pack come fluently, or do you ever start on something and eventually set it aside because it doesn't work out?
For me, the creative process is always one of tension, and I think that if you aren’t constantly questioning what you are doing and why, you aren’t going to produce your best work. Sometimes ideas don’t always work out, and having the confidence to delete something that isn’t working (even if you spent a long time on it), ultimately makes you a much better creative, and the work you produce stronger.

When is a loop pack finished? Do you smack it together on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, or is it the result of months of meticulous tweaking?

It can definitely be really hard to stop fiddling with your work and say ‘that’s it!’, it’s finished. When you yourself are the client, there aren’t the same deadline and budget restrictions that mean you HAVE to finish a project by a certain time and in a certain way. It takes discipline to say enough is enough. For me, when I can render the clips out, have a play in Resolume, and like what I'm seeing, that’s usually when I think it’s ok to release them into the wild. I think it’s very important to finish things and move on, you get more done and you learn a lot more.


Dan banging out a session with his CosmosFabric loop pack

What about approaching a stage design project like the Deadmau5 stage? Do your perceive the different conditions as limiting or challenging?

Personally I like working with limits. I think it helps force you to be more creative, and to go further down paths you may otherwise not have gone down. Limitations shouldn’t be seen as a hindrance to a project, as often, overcoming the challenges imposed by them will give strength to what you produce and help make something more unique and engaging.

What are some the highlights of your visual career thus far?
Working with high profile artists such as Muse, Deadmau5 and the Stereo MCs is definitely something I am proud to have done. I still feel that I am only just starting out producing visuals professionally, so to have some heavyweight names in my portfolio is great. Touring as a VJ is also a highlight, I love travelling and I love the buzz of live shows, so to get paid to do both doesn’t get much better!


Tour visuals for Muse

Do you have any exciting projects coming up?
I have a few things in the pipeline that are definitely quite exciting. I’m working on developing an interactive installation concept at the moment which will look to create a form of ‘volumetric video’ that will react to interaction as a visually abstract, intelligent entity. I’m also moving into some new studio space in the next few weeks, so I'm massively excited about having more space to experiment and try new ideas. I also have a few new VJ packs in development which I really want to get finished!

Who are the people working in your field that we should be on the look out for? Who are the up and coming motion designers?

So many people are out there making really cool stuff it’s always hard to narrow it down. Universal Everything constantly innovate and create amazing work, as do UVA. I also love the work of Joshua Nimoy who programmed a lot of the clever, generative effects in the recent Tron movie. I’m also massively influenced by people who work outside of motion graphics. Artists like Olafur Eliasson, James Turrell, Làslò Moholy Nagy, who all experiment with light and space are well worth checking out if you don’t know their stuff. D&AD also showcase some of the best emerging creative talent, bringing the spotlight onto graduates as well as more established creatives.

One of the great achievements of hip hop music is that it helped the art of sampling evolve into a legitimate musical genre. Ever since the Sugar Hill Gang topped the charts with the epic bass line from Chic's 'Good Times', the game was on.

Now we've arrived in the next millennium, and DJ Jay-E is taking it to the next level. Sampling and remixing classic video clips, cartoons, tv shows, movies and fresh material into one big pop culture mash up, our feet are a-rocking, and our eyes are a-popping. When the member of the ScreenWerks crew then mentions using Resolume to make all this happen, we figure it was time to let you in on the fun.



You're first and foremost a DJ/producer, and Resolume Avenue is first and foremost a VJ app. What gives?

I was always into film and movies and I always wanted to do something with visuals to my music, so I decided I was going to stop my audio DJ shows and get into VJing. I felt there were more creative avenues then just being a audio DJ. Almost like looking at familiar songs in a whole different way.

Can you explain a bit more about ScreenWerks? Who are the members?

Screenwerks is a crew of VJs Steve1der, Jordan Laws, 2nd Nature, and myself, with the backbone and brains of the operation Shecky Green. 2nd Nature and I were just talking one day about getting a crew together of VJs. So we called up friends of ours that are VJs, Steve1der and Jordan Laws. They were down for the movement, and we agreed that we needed someone to make sense of it all. So we called Shecky Green and so we got started.

What inspired you to start adding video content to your DJ sets?

2nd Nature was a big inspiration, all his sets and video content was always amazing to me. From effects and content to turntable skills, he just made me wanna be a part of the VJ world and perfect my style of VJing.



Is incorporating video just a matter of finding the video that comes with the audio samples, or is there more to it?

I think it's more. I think finding video or content is just the first step, but adding layers, effects and other visual candy really makes it YOUR video.

Can you explain the process of creating a VDJ set?

It's different visuals for every gig. If it's a house set it's more ambient and and visual fxs. If it's a top 40 type gig I use a lot of pop culture visuals and movies, stuff people are familiar with.



Is a typical VDJ set a pre-programmed play list, or do you select different tracks depending on the night? How do you work things live?

I keep a 'run-to' crate if I need to push it up to the next level, but most of the time I rely on the crowd and go which way the crowd takes me.

What is your live setup like? What gear and apps do you use, and how is everything connected?

Haha I always run into new stuff, but my current set up is a Macbook Pro laptop with Serato and Mix Emergency. I use this with two Technics 1200s that control Serato and a Pioneer DJM 800. I'm a fan of how the DJM 800 performs on the sound quality and the audio effects, and the fact that it sends out midi. I also use another Macbook Pro with Avenue on it. I use this for added visual effects, ambient, and sound effects with visuals. Like for example if I wanted to drop a sweep noise on a big build up it would have some kind of visual effect with it also. I also use it for the text, and I show the Macbook's iSight with Avenue as well.

Both MacBooks go into a DVI mixer called TV One Task 1T-C2-750 "love this box" that's how both Macbook visuals are combined. The key feature on this is amazing. To trigger both laptops I use an iPad with TouchOSC. It talks to both laptops. So for Mix Emergency I have a template that controls certain mix transitions and effects. On another page I have it triggering Avenue clips and effects.

Have you ever worked with Pioneer DVJ's? What do you think about them?

Never have, I'm a turntable guy.

Sometimes your visual content is the actual video clip, sometimes it's all fresh material, but always there is some additional work done on the video. Do you do all this yourself?

Most I do myself but i have guys/friends that give me new stuff from time to time.

How do you deal with copyright issues?

Knock on wood but no one has said anything. I understand how they could say something but I come from a hip hop background and with that being said I used to chop and loop old records and make a new piece of music out of that. I look at this the same way.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I'm currently finishing up a new mix that's called "Roswell's Chicken N Waffles", a sci fi video mix. It will be on screenwerks.tv and JayEBeats.com soon!