Live Cinema Language and Elements - Mia Makela.pdf

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LIVE CINEMA:
Language and Elements
by Mia Makela
MA in New Media
Submitted to the New Media program,
Media Lab, Helsinki University of Art and Design
April 2006
This thesis is protected by CREATIVE COMMONS licence.
www.creativecommons.org
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Abstract
This thesis reviews and explores the influences, characteristics and elements of live cinema, a
recently coined term for realtime audiovisual performances. The thesis discusses the possible
language of live cinema, and proposes “vocabulary and grammar” for this contemporary field.
Keywords
live, live cinema, realtime, visuals, performance, participation, projection, VJ, cinema, language,
digital, space, time, loop, laptop, software, montage, composition, effect, synthesiser, software,
magic lantern, shadow theatre, synaesthetics, color music, visual music, lumia, expanded
cinema, Gesamtkunstwerk
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Contents
Title
Abstract
Table of contents
1. INTRODUCTION
4
1.1. Motivation
1.2. Introduction
1.3. Contributions
2. BACKGROUND
9
2.1. Shadow theatre
2.2. Magic Lanterns / Cinematography
2.3. Colour Music / Lumia
2.4. Video Art / Extended Cinema
2.5. Non-narrative cinema
3. ELEMENTS OF LIVE CINEMA
22
3.1. Space
3.1.1. Digital space
3.1.2. Desktop space
3.1.3. Performance space
3.1.4. Projection space
3.1.5. Physical space
3.2. Time
3.2.1. live versus real time
3.2.2. Loop
3.3. Projection
3.3.1. Spatial projections
3.3.2. Media facades
3.4. Performance
3.4.1. The role of laptop performer
3.4.2. “Liveness”
3.4.3. Gestural interfaces
3.5. Participation
4. LANGUAGE OF LIVE CINEMA
52
4.1. Cinema language versus live cinema language
4.2. Montage
4.3. Composition
4.4. Visual effects
5. CONCLUSIONS
67
Bibliography
3
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. MOTIVATION
This thesis explores LIVE CINEMA, also known as the practice of creating audiovisual realtime
performances. One of my motivations for choosing this subject is my own work, which consists
of live cinema performances and workshops. I have noticed a huge wave of interest towards this
creative form, even though there is still a lack of available information. It would seem that
realtime performances still belong to the underground, even though museums and cultural
events have started to include live audiovisuals in their program. Nevertheless, it is difficult to
find any critiques or reviews of audiovisual performances in the art or commercial publications,
as this creative practice still seems to be linked to club scene and VJng, (Video Jockeying) 1 , and
considered to be entertainment rather than an art form.
It would also appear that until recently no books covering realtime audiovisual creation existed,
even though the practice has a long history and tradition. One reason for this could be that it is
difficult to describe exactly what live cinema constitutes; it includes many different fields, such
as music, visuals, performance public participation, etc. There is a clear lack of discussion
about the contents of live cinema, which is not helping in the development of this practice.
Furthermore, if vocabulary and grammar are missing, discussing content becomes a challenge.
My main objective in writing this thesis is to map the essential elements and characteristics of
live cinema and to offer insights which I have learned from my practice and studies in this field
during recent years. My focus encompasses certain elements, which I have found to be
paramount in live cinema and reflect upon them. Therefore, I attempt to build “live cinema
grammar”, as my hypothesis for the thesis is that there is a live cinema language in existence, it
has simply not been written yet.
1 The term “Video Jockey” was first used to describe people who presented music videos on MTV, and from there
the term metamorphasized to include video performance artists who create live visuals for all kinds of music.
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About my background:
I have dedicated my entire adult life to creating images and visual worlds. I started studying art
in 1993, and discovered that multimedia and video are my chosen fields. I was greatly inspired
by the idea of Gesamtkunstwerk - union of senses - an idea launched by Wagner , has always
been attractive for me. I have been always interested in diverse forms of creation: Photography,
music, video and design. After a decade working on screen based media; creating multimedia,
websites and digital contents, I found the pioneering realtime visual software
MAX/MSP/NATO 3 in 2000 which, combined with the production of affordable laptops, began
the revolution for live visuals. This meant that it was finally possible for me to get out into the
world and show my visual worlds to the public in live situations, rather than producing works
and sending them to exhibitions. This affected my creative process, by enabling me to combine
intuition and improvisation in a live environment, and has had a profound influence on my
whole life style.
2 According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesamtkunstwerk: “Gesamtkunstwerk ("total work of art",
or "complete-art work") is a German term attributed to the German opera composer Richard Wagner
which refers to an operatic performance which encompasses music, theater, and the visual arts. He felt that
in ancient Greek tragedy, these had been fused, but at some point they drifted apart — he was critical of
current opera which he felt emphasized the music too heavily and did not contain quality drama.
Literally meaning "synthesis of the arts", the term is also commonly used (especially by Germans) to
describe any integration of multiple art forms.”
3 NATO.0+55+3d modular, authored by 0f0003.MASCHIN3NKUNST, released around the year 2000,
comprises a set of QuickTime externals for Max
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