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abstract

“There has been little in the way of innovation in the combination of sight and sound since the Llumiar brothers!???” (Unknown Internet Quote).

This is at first glance a bold, brash statement, but with further thought it does bare a certain truth. Today with powerful multi-tasking computers, new innovations are sure to happen! With many performance restrictions being lifted and advanced techniques being developed every year the ‘next big thing’ should be right around the corner?
Just for a moment imagine the visuals of Fantasia being produced to music, with direction by real-time human control. Could their be a way of producing visuals that responded to music and understand the mood of the piece, is it possible for computers to calculate this? At the moment I don’t think this can be so, unless extra data for the song was used that predefines the mood at a given point.
At present the best method would be for a hybrid system that allows a computer to define beats and timings with humans interactively controlling the mood. How would this be accomplished? What methods could be utilised to allow for a natural communication between machines and us?
This project centres on human interaction with music and the visuals that can be generated via their response to both. The aim in mind is to produce visuals that are controlled in part by music and has elements that can be altered in real time by a user. Such a system could find good use in large nightclubs that strive in offering the ‘next thing in entertainment’. Many clubs use huge projector screens with set visuals looped on them, Often images of the club itself are replayed with a few filters thrown over them. Whilst functional loops are soon noticed and the crowd knowing that they have no control lose interest.
What would it be like if the crowd were controlling visual by manipulating triggers that altered computer-generated imagery? This, with the aid of the music could prove extremely popular and add to the feeling of participation between the crowd and the environment that they are helping to produce. This is often lacking and is an area that shall probably experience vast growth within the next few years. Already arcade games are being released in Japan that involve performing dance moves to progress to the next level (more complex song).

inovations.doc

PRidgway.zip

inovations.doc

PRidgway.zip