As many of you know, Radiohead is having a video contest dealie. Lance pointed this out to me back in March and suggested that I give it a go. And a go I did give.
First, however, I will discuss why I have decided not to submit my entry.
After I started working on the piece, I read the rules and regulations and reread the original post on Wired. And then I rewatched my piece. Thats when I decided to skip the contest. Its not because I don’t like the piece I made. Quite the opposite actually. But after watching and watching, I realized my piece has nothing to do with Radiohead at all. You could swap it out with any electronica song and it would actually fit a little better. My piece just doesn’t feel Radioheadish.
Also, the contest seems to focus on the notion of Storyboards and Animations. That seems to be what they are looking for: a user-made Paranoid Android type video. Something with a story. Something with characters. Something with personality. And I am afraid my piece lacks in those three categories.
But still, I do like the piece and now I will discuss why I like it.
Firstly, its got some mad crazy super duper beat detection going on. I reused the application I wrote to make the Goldfrapp piece but went a few steps further. I manually input each bass beat, snare, highhat, and arpeggio note, not to mention all the vocals and syllable breaks. Crazy! It took about 6 hours but I think it was the right way to do it. I would have wasted much more time than that had I chosen to do the beat detection algorithmically. But man, scrubbing through that track, over and over, marking every note… it was a carpal pain.
Secondly, it is Processing from start to finish. There is no post processing (oooh, a literal pun!) or editing after the fact. I import the audio data from the analysis, augment it with the direct FFT data from the Sonia analysis, press play, and after it is done, I have the finished piece. This is both a plus and a minus.
The plus is that it kinda rocks to have a full video like this created with code. An unnecessary restriction really, but a bragging point for sure. The minus is that it highlights the weaknesses in my programming. Mainly, the camera object.
I wanted a more robust camera movement in the piece but just didn’t have time to figure it out properly. I played with attaching the camera to springs and changing the target programmatically, but the end result was rather jerky and very obviously springy. Ideally, it would have more of a handheld camera feel, but I just couldn’t quite get there.
Also, the flocking movement feels less organic than some flocking experiments I have done in the past and I plan on addressing this eventually.
I received some nice feedback from fellow Barbarian Andrew Bell and fellow SF friend Mike Creighton. Mike in particular had a big effect on the end result and many thanks to him for his ideas.
You can view the full 200MB Quicktime here.
Or you can watch the Vimeo version below. I recommend the Quicktime for now but once I render it out in HD, I will link to Vimeo HD version.
Weird Fishes: Arpeggi from flight404 on Vimeo.
UPDATE——————————————–
After reading all these wonderful comments from people telling me to submit the video, I relented and added my offering to the 700+ already submitted.
http://www.aniboom.com/Player.aspx?v=210097
Tristan, nice! Good to see/hear how accurate it is. As for time to compute, if you are just referring to the render time, not that long. Probably about 3 hours at this resolution but I have the particle count up really high.
Hey,
I saw your video posted on reddit, thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed it, your art is amazing!
Thanks
Paul
This video is totally suitable. A perfect union. You define the visual zeitgeist in the same way radiohead define the audio zeitgeist. You are videohead.
Beautiful song !
It is sooooo Radioheadish to me. Everyone is totally right about the comments that you should enter it in the Radiohead contest. So, … I am glad you did!
I just have to praise you. This absolutely astonishing. I’m glad you decided to submit.
I do see the chance of this not being a winner, but simply on the fact that when someone watches it on TV, without the this-is-entirely-programmatic explanation, it might not seem so extraordinary. But we know that it is, and you deserve every single compliment for this, and a world of recognition.
Please keep going down this path, for our viewing sake! : )
Well, its a done deal. I was left out of the semi finals so a pox on you all!!!! But seriously, I think it was wrong for their competition, but maybe Mr. Yorke will see fit to twitter me.
muy bueno no cabe duda!! felicidades!
It’s a shame that you didn’t make it through the contest.
Seriously, I want to see the source–it’s mind-boggling to me that this was made entirely in processing, especially the beautiful effects towards the end.
(i don’t actually expect you to show me the source, I’m just saying how impressed I am)
Brain-breakingly awesome. If you released the source for this, I think I would cry with joy. What secrets must lie within!
Awesome. But quick! re-export the video; this time tracking the orb on Thom Yorke’s face in place of his lazy eye as he sings…
Excusez mon mauvais anglais .. c’est magnifique ce que vous faites ….j’avais envie de vous le dire .
Je m’autorise de poser sur mon blog …. faites-nous rêver encore et encore ….
*Mel*
Excuse my poor English …it is splendid what you make ..I wanted to say it to you. I authorize to pose on my blog… make about us still and still dream….
*MeL*
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