Instructor: Morgan Barnard
The Notion of "Frozen Memory" and my attempt to Visualize It Using Interactive Video  

What Is Interactive Video?
Interactive video has traditionally been described as a combination of video and computer technology in which an external source of physical action, choices or decision affects in which the program unfolds.

My midterm explored this idea by measuring the luminance values generated within a single video clip of trains in acting as a "trigger" to call up different segments of interviews. The interview clips, which were being called up dealt with my fellow classmates first experience using the subway system.

The Notion of a "Frozen Memory"
I am building upon the midterm by expanding and exploring the notion of "Frozen Memory" and attempting to create a refreshing visual experience for the viewers using Max/MSP that deal with this notion.

I believe that and am exploring the notion of memory, which in my view a way of freezing a particular moment of time especially when events are being recounted by a person who experienced to another who has not.

I wanted to use the interviews, in which people recalled their first driving experience to me as a connection point with the frozen first still image at the first of each interview, which is underplayed with the moving traffic. So I wanted to show that while certain memories are frozen in time, life continues one and as the year pass by they become less and less accurate.

I am sure that if I had heard the same stories being recounted by someone else who was with the person telling the story, I am sure that the story might differ from person to person, so in way we each decide what we "freeze"and remember years down the road.

I am now using a clip of a continuous video clip of highway traffic which is five minutes long to act as a source in which the luminance which is generated acts as a trigger in calling up a selected video clip. I broke the video clip into six individual clips so that it is easier for me to calculate a value and then use it to call anyone of the corresponding six video clips. I then used a jit.matrix function to basically capture the first single frame of the start of each interview and this will act as a background overlay as the video is played.

I then had to create a way to visually reinforce to the viewer the different stories that are being told so after calculating figures and getting some help with Luke, I was able to create the white overlay which moves from one point of the screen to the next as a new interview is called in, over a purple filtered overlay to basically note the sequential order of the interviews, which are in the following order and are triggered by the luminance value generated by the six portions of the traffic video.

First Video: Anh
Second Video: Anil
Third Video:Matt
Fourth Video:Robert
Fifth Video:Rucyl
Sixth Video: Susan


I should also mention that I would like this piece to be shown using one monitor. The traffic portion of the video as well as the interview clips can be shown side by side. In attempt to truly visualize the notion of a "frozen" memory, the final two videos which will be shown side by side will be fair pixilated. The reason for this is to relate upon the notion that memories are very often very fuzzy and not clear so I just wanted reinforce this visually.