Over the last few weeks I've been attempting to create a video walk-/fly-through/explore? of the hybrid spaces I've been making from LiDAR scans. I like the concept still, but I think the execution is still off. One of the issues I've been having is a skill-lack problem - controlling the camera in Blender (the program I'm using to create the environments) is new to me, and I'm having only partial success so far. My goal for this coming week is to go through some more tutorials on the topic and figure out how I can get a better result. If all goes well, I feel this concept could be really interesting for mid-year exhibition, but I don't want to put all my chickens in one basket just yet.
Below are some example stills from a mock-up. Currently the camera isn't tracking as I'd completely like it to, but I've figured out how to position it in space and along a pathway. I'm still trying to decide how "grounded" it needs to feel - how even a distance from the ground, if there is a ground axis, it remains - at present it's creating a very 'floating through space' feel (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but is something to be mindful of). These works do remind me a little of space rocks, or extraterrestrial objects - a nice name perhaps... There is also a little too much digital noise in some of the scans (may replace in future), though I feel that that's possibly not the worst thing and could be minimized in obviousness with attention to lighting and positioning. Saying that, I don't want to over-tweak things but also want to create the effect I'm looking for effectively. Part of me wonders if putting this into Unity (another 3D program that I can use with my headset) and simply filming a walk through of the scene may be simpler than trying to create one in Blender. If I have time, I'll attempt this over the next couple of weeks... Part of me wonders if this subject matter in particular works better as a still work than a moving image.
Test footage below:
For critique this week I'm intending on presenting my pohutukawa hybrids - since trialing them in studio, I've been working on a video file in order to better control pacing (prior to this was just playing the series of images as a slide show, but could not control the timing of it). I've also done some minor adjustments here and there on lighting, and create a few new images to better illustrate the 3-dimensionality of the objects. (Additional images below)
Draft video below. Noticed a fun effect while watching it wearing over-ear headphones. I'm not sure if it's because of my ears or whether it's the static noise in the headphones, but there's a quiet cricket-like sound that's created. For me, when watching moving image works, especially with natural subject matter, there's an underlying expectation that there may be audio. In this context, with the semi-real nature of the subject matter, my brain imagines the sounds of insects living on the bark and lichen objects. I think the idea of virtual/digital crickets accompanying the world is curious - what does that static noise add to the work, and what does the digital noise in the work tell us about our expectations and capturing of natutre?
As my work is feeling very same-same at present, I'd like to focus on more actual filming work alongside these works - I've been slacking on the standard video experimentation recently, and I think it's important to balance out this highly digital work with some more 'analogue' projects. Sound recording experiments were put on hold last week due to the rain, however now that the stormy weather is passing I'm intending on getting back into the garden to resume that project. I'm also very much missing working with 3D objects in 'meatspace' (i.e. offline/non-digital space!).
As the 3D scans are technically digital objects, I'm curious to see how they could function if printed. My intention is to take the files to Make Shop and see if I can get some small 3D models made. I'm also curious about some of the normal maps (the maps of spatial and textural data, example below) created through the scans may look if brought into a real-world object too. I would like to see if I can get these printed onto fabric. If so, they could be interesting grounds or source objects for AR works...
Summary of things to do over the next few weeks (whilst prepping for midyear review!):
- figure out Blender camera tracking issues + finalize plan for filming
- finalize hybrids position in virtual space for "
- if there's time, test hybrids in Unity + film walk through
- film small test works with phone (focusing on local and domestic micro-ecology)
- record sound experiments once rain stops
- talk to Make Shop re. 3D printing
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