Using light to create imagery and drawings isn't original or new by any means. There are a lot of artists that have played with this medium. Here are some links:
Many many single images from exposures that take several seconds. Figure about 10-30 seconds per frame, around 15 frames per second, setup times, and over 3 minutes long. It took them hours or days to film. The time invested in the skill to do this would have taken much longer.
Visually they are interesting videos and good for education. I'd much prefer pushing the style to achieve more meaningful ends though.
Also if they did it in the way you suggested wouldn't the "navtive" light sources burn out the screen? I think they did a composite overlay, but as I said when I got to the end I was less sure, the precision especially of the thick bands of light really confused me! Any how it is brilliant and I do wonder how you envisage something more meaningful, do you mean, socially, artistically, personally....?
Well, I can't say with any certainly exactly how the Lichfaktor video is being made. More information might be posted by them online. While I don't have specifics, I am very confident that it is not done through a composite overlay as they are interacting with their environment. You can see their ghostly figures throughout the video, in one case he is crawling underneath a table and there is no reason why he'd be doing this if not for being an unaltered image.
The photography is produced during the night so that the background lighting is minimal. If it were shot in daylight then the image would absolutely be burnt out. The light sources they are using are closer and brighter to the final image than the competing street lights. If the aperture is decreased in size it allows for longer exposure times without flooding the camera with background light. This also allows for more time to create the designs.
I believe that this style can be pushed toward ends that go beyond simple entertainment. There is nothing wrong with art for the fun of it. I do desire to be changed by art. It keeps my interest, keeps me coming back and keeps me thinking about it even when I'm not directly experiencing it. This is a personal preference though, by no means do I expect all art to fall into this category. In fact, we all might experience a great deal of burnout and it could remove some of the fun and experimentation! I'd like to see this medium transcend its current use though.
OK, I'm sure you know much more about the specifics than I do, and I love your take on how this was accomplished, because it then get really exciting and complicated and passionate, but that aside, I would love for you to step out on a limb (knowing you can change your mind at any time) and say how you might like to see this medium transcend entertainment. That doesn't mean you have to do it, just what would your ideal be? I think this is really important, not just for you, for all of us!
I love the Lichfaktor video, I thought I figured out how they did it, but then.... I'm not so sure!
ReplyDeleteMany many single images from exposures that take several seconds. Figure about 10-30 seconds per frame, around 15 frames per second, setup times, and over 3 minutes long. It took them hours or days to film. The time invested in the skill to do this would have taken much longer.
ReplyDeleteVisually they are interesting videos and good for education. I'd much prefer pushing the style to achieve more meaningful ends though.
What do you mean by more meaningful ends?
ReplyDeleteAlso if they did it in the way you suggested wouldn't the "navtive" light sources burn out the screen? I think they did a composite overlay, but as I said when I got to the end I was less sure, the precision especially of the thick bands of light really confused me! Any how it is brilliant and I do wonder how you envisage something more meaningful, do you mean, socially, artistically, personally....?
Well, I can't say with any certainly exactly how the Lichfaktor video is being made. More information might be posted by them online. While I don't have specifics, I am very confident that it is not done through a composite overlay as they are interacting with their environment. You can see their ghostly figures throughout the video, in one case he is crawling underneath a table and there is no reason why he'd be doing this if not for being an unaltered image.
ReplyDeleteThe photography is produced during the night so that the background lighting is minimal. If it were shot in daylight then the image would absolutely be burnt out. The light sources they are using are closer and brighter to the final image than the competing street lights. If the aperture is decreased in size it allows for longer exposure times without flooding the camera with background light. This also allows for more time to create the designs.
I believe that this style can be pushed toward ends that go beyond simple entertainment. There is nothing wrong with art for the fun of it. I do desire to be changed by art. It keeps my interest, keeps me coming back and keeps me thinking about it even when I'm not directly experiencing it. This is a personal preference though, by no means do I expect all art to fall into this category. In fact, we all might experience a great deal of burnout and it could remove some of the fun and experimentation! I'd like to see this medium transcend its current use though.
OK, I'm sure you know much more about the specifics than I do, and I love your take on how this was accomplished, because it then get really exciting and complicated and passionate, but that aside, I would love for you to step out on a limb (knowing you can change your mind at any time) and say how you might like to see this medium transcend entertainment. That doesn't mean you have to do it, just what would your ideal be? I think this is really important, not just for you, for all of us!
ReplyDelete