The Web is becoming a more and more powerful archive for film-making that you might not otherwise see. In addition to sites like the Internet Archive / Prelinger Archives, you can now catch up on more recent film, video, and sound history, ca. the 70s and 80s, and works with a decidedly more experimental tilt:

Expanded Cinema, blog by Joao Ribas (via Rhizome.org)

For feeding inspiration to your eyes, it’d hard to do better than Jaoo’s choices. Two of my favorites:

This work by Abigail Child is a perfect example of her knack for cutting together faux documentary scenes with actors, narration-free sound, and brilliantly edited sound scores into subversive experimental works. The results are always witty, and as much about music composition as film. I got to work with Abi while an undergrad at Sarah Lawrence, which was a great way for me to both get inside her head and annoy the real film students. (I was in music.)

Charles and Ray Eames are design geniuses, and they’re finally starting to get mainstream recognition for their film work and not just their (also wonderful) chairs. Their design sense is just as fresh today as when applied to this otherwise-dated Polaroid ad:

I’m betting James at Retro Thing is going nuts for the cameras, too.

In other news, the Eames films are now being made available on DVD. Study them well, and — as long as you makes sure the Eames people don’t find out — go VJ with them. Well, if you can bear to touch them, anyway.

Got a favorite source for online video inspiration? “Curating” your own video history blog? Let us know about it!

DIY hardware isn’t just for abstract and noise musicians any more: visualists are getting in on the act. While on the subject of glitchy visuals from bent gaming hardware, GetLoFi reports this week on several new DIY projects to delight the eyes.

The EX PMX is a homemade analog video synth that … does … something. Something with lasers. And stepper motors, for sequencing audio and video. Good grief, I think you can actually create whole rhythmic sequences just by mechanically switching video inputs. (And as regular readers know, it’s rare that I’m completely stumped on what something does, meaning this gets extra cool points.)

EX PMX homemade video analog synths [GetLoFi]

For fans of glitchy, distorted visuals, Tokyo, Japan was just host to a whole workshop on creating visual bends from toys, Famicom game systems (the original NES, as shipped in Japan), and more. Details again at GetLoFi:

Visual Bending Workshop in Tokyo, Japan [GetLoFi]

You can watch the event in photos and videos at this Japanese site:

Visual Bending Workshop [Photos, Videos, Japanese-language description]

For those new to this, GetLoFi is definitely the best site to watch for circuit-bending, musical and visual. Now back to programming ActionScript, though it sure would be nice to have some hardware to hack, too — controllers and switchers should keep even those who dislike glitchy aesthetics in their own work plenty busy.

[tags]hardware, hacks, DIY, synthesis, video, circuit-bending, Japan[/tags]

Circuit bender Gijs Gieskes does work that can be seen as beautiful kinetic sculptures as much as instruments and synthesizers. That’s certainly the case with his Sega MegaDrive2: watch as he reroutes patch cords via magnetic connections in a lovely tangle of wires, or listen to the mechanical sounds of the device in operation. (This bend isn’t intended as a musical instrument as some of his previous work has been, but the incidental noise of it running sounds great, anyway.) He’s designed the whole thing to pack into a small, wooden suitcase for on-the-go visuals.

And, while we’ve seen distorted and broken video output from game consoles, here the patches create a rhythm of glitchy images. That, and there’s something strangely satisfying about watching Yogi Bear run through a dystopian snowstorm of analog static.

GIESKES.NL/CIRCUITBENDING/SEGAMEGADRIVE2 [Artist site; photos and description]
Bent Sega MegaDrive2 in action [QT Video]

[tags]circuit-bending, hacks, gaming, glitch, synthesis, oddities[/tags]

A portable computer on the back, a DS in the holster, the roaming visualist is ready to spin live eye candy in any situation, with only an S-Video port and four drink tickets to the bar.

Yes, if you happened to catch the wireless MIDI controller here on CDMo before it hit the rest of the blogosphere, I have good news: the download for DSMIDIWiFi is available today. You can now transmit MIDI from your DS to control your computer with no hardware other than a flash cart for running homebrew apps.

And, since Collin and Tob released their source into the wild, programmers out there have a great foundation for creating other apps. That means, not only is the DS Lite a tax write-off for the working VJ, it could be a student’s digital media thesis project, too. (Heck, one piece of software provides both the project AND procrastination options, all in one, compact device …)

File this next to the ndsvisuals project, which transmits via TCP and UDP, and is specially configured for visuals, including clip triggering and ordering, live scratching, and extra visual feedback on the DS screen. Unlike DSMIDIWiFi, ndsvisuals still isn’t ready for download, but you can bet we’ll let you know when it is. And developers / hobbyist programmers, it’s worth visiting the ndsvisuals page for additional ideas and resources — the WiFi communications component was already out there and enabled both projects, for instance.

Via MIDI or UDP, it would be possible to hook up the DS to software like Processing (both MIDI and UDP) or Flash (MIDI with some work, probably better off with UDP) in addition to the traditional VJ apps. Processing + Nintendo DS sounds like an especially tasty option to me.

Lastly, if you’re looking for an easy solution for running all this homebrew goodness, the DS-X shows lots of promise. All you need now is a game to suck up the rest of your time, but I’m guessing you can figure that part out for yourself. (I suggest Mario Kart, naturally.)

Now get that stylus finger twitching:

DSMIDIWiFi Free Download: Turn Your Nintendo DS into a Wireless Synth and Controller (Now Available!) [Create Digital Music]

Nintendo DS as VJ Controller, with vvvv and Homebrew Developer Tools

DSMIDIWiFi project page

ndsvisuals project page

DS-X and Homebrew Apps (probably the most plug-and-play solution) [Create Digital Music]

Our own Jaymis has left CDMotion for a couple of weeks for something called a “vacation”, but he’s left a terrific gallery of images from the Elements 7 / King Unique event in Brisbane. In an intimate club venue, Jaymis fired up his full live performance VJ setup, complete with Behringer controllers and Resolume video; the musicians are full-on with Mac + Ableton + Novation Remote SL. Notice how have some controllers handy frees up the performer to really have a good time and do something, well, performative. Notice, as well, that everyone in Australia — man and woman alike — seems to be really happy and attractive. (Note to self: groom fully before touring Australia, and apply cool sticker to laptop.)

We will, my friends, end the age of “VJ” connoting dull visuals and someone hidden behind a laptop / mixer, and, whether you call them “visualists” or “VJs”, herald an age where live visuals are as much a real performance as live musicians. Result: better parties.

Or, in short, good performance + happy sound and visuals = happy and dancing peoples!

More on this rig when Jaymis is back from Vietnam.

in the mix: Elements 7 Featuring King Unique [photo gallery on a very excellent electronic music site]