Week 4
Hi everyone! My name is Isak Vaillancourt, and I am a creative producer, filmmaker, and community organizer from N’Skakamok (Sudbury, Ontario). I’m currently completing my Masters of Arts in Media Production at X University in Tkranto which has been an intensive, however, rewarding experience so far.
My research interests include documentary production, social justice media, research-creation*, and interactive digital media. Graduate students in this program have the option to complete a traditional text-based thesis, or a major research project (MRP), and I have opted for the latter! For my MRP, I will be directing and producing an experimental short documentary titled “Collective Resistance” which aims to explore the theme of Black and Indigenous solidarity through the lens of social justice, intersectionality, and radical kinship. This project will feature dynamic storytelling from the perspective of racialized community leaders, artists, and activists, as well as visual art, dance, and creative expression.
I am currently enrolled in MP8959: Media Production Lab II course which is entirely self-directed. After some reflection, I decided on exploring the world of projection mapping and colour theory with the hopes of applying these skills to the production of my short documentary. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been intrigued by immersive digital experiences and environments – so I am very excited to jump into this learning journey.
In order to reach my learning goals, I will be using a combination of online independent learning modules and tutorials, and connecting with professionals and creatives who work in the field of projection mapping, visual art, filmmaking, and spatial-augmented reality. Here is a breakdown of my two assignments:
Assignment 1: Building a Scene & Value-Scaling
Demonstrate an understanding of basic projection mapping workflow, including, adding, and modifying actors (i.e building blocks of code that handle creative process) into a scene, playing digital assets, building scene transitions, and creating a functioning preview. In addition, explore the powerful feature of value-scaling, which offers advanced control over actors. (i.e., color, hue, pixels, zoom, lighting, control, shapes, etc.) Lastly, experiment with color palettes and color themes.
Assignment 2: Projection-composition
Build a comprehensive and nuanced composition utilizing video actors, colour theory, and custom effects which will alter the graphic stream in a particular form according to the parameters created. This will serve as a final output.
In admission, I will be writing weekly blog submissions of roughly 200-400 words that will document my learning journey, as well as demonstrate an understanding of the historical and contemporary use of projection in radical visual art. These submissions will include, but not limited to, artist references, industry knowledge, videos, photos, and more as it relates to projected media environments.
Projection as a tool for activism #1
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Projection as a tool for activism #1 〰️
As outlined by Dabène (2020) there are three important elements that visual art contributes to democratic processes: 1) enhancing political expression, 2) the empowerment of citizens, and 3) the stretching of the public sphere. The public sphere can then be expanded into three distinct dimensions, sociological (through newly empowered individuals), spatial (through the utilization of new physical spaces and surfaces), and technological (through digital technologies and other technological mechanisms) (Dabène, 2020).
It is in these final two dimensions that projection activism has its greatest impact – through the combination of physical surfaces, digital technology, and audience reception, “projection art establishes a new sociotechnical materiality that includes both its on-site presence and its ongoing digital life” (Buchanan, p.6, 2020)
An example of projection activism that I would like to highlight this week is an action led by the Backbone Campaign, a US-based network. Their artful activism work can be described as “bold, principled, powerful, and invigorates social movements striving for equity and justice”(Backbonecampaign.org) During Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, the organizing team at Backbone rented a 2,000-watt generator and used two spotlights, to shine powerful messaging onto Trump’s inaugural ball.
Photo by Backbone Campaign
References
Anti-hate projections. Backbone Campaign. (2017). Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.backbonecampaign.org/anti_hate_projections_la
Buchanan, A., & Buchanan, A. (2021). Projection art and projection activism. Architecture_MPS, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.amps.2021v20i1.001
Dabène, O. (2020). Street art and democracy in Latin America. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26913-5