PixaVex - Visit to Robotics Lab

 Eric Souther (Philosophical Tools on Patreon) just released a new Touch Designer TOX (processing module) named "PixaVex" - its reminds me a bit of a Rutt-Etra device, but can do a wide range of raster modifications including being driven by internal oscillators. It's a very cool processing network!

I took it for a spin with some archival footage from a visit (long ago) to a small startup company of a friend of mine Chuck Canon - Honeybee Robotics. Here are some examples of PixaVex at work with fairly subtle luminance 'Z' extrusion settings. [turn on audio]

Video Distortion FX - now with Sound FX

 In my previous post from a few days ago, I mentioned that I wanted to add sound effects to the Touch Designer analog video distortion network that I developed. Well, I did that -- and here are a few examples with manually-triggered tape speed distortion and white noise interference.

(I notice that the Blogger video encoder has really filtered / reduced the visual static noise in the uploads, so please take my word for it that the white noise is much more apparent on the processed source footage.)

Golden Butoh Dancers

Golden Butoh Dancers

Cham Dance

Video Distortion FX - retro video

 I recently came across a FB Reel post by the artist VJ Kuru who does a lot of live performance work processing with his custom Touch Designer networks. In this post he mentions that he was able to create a video glitch network with only 5 TD nodes. (Actually, if you exclude the required video input node and the optional Null output node, he got his glitch effect with only 3 TD nodes...) 

I was intrigued and so decided I would try to figure this puzzle out -- his Reel showed only the most basic info, but I could see the set of nodes he used, as well as his manipulation of the NOISE TOP's amplitude parameter. So that was my starting point. And after several hours of messing around, I finally found some (rather extreme) settings that essentially duplicated his shifting wavy bands of raster & chroma distortion effect.

This got me playing around with simulating other sorts of analog tape-like distortions. Over the course of the afternoon, I added vertical roll distortion, tape dropout noise, and static like from dirty VCR playback heads (or a badly tuned TV set). Here is a snapshot of the TD network I ended up with (obviously much larger than a 5 node solution...):

Then I tried adding audio white noise sync'd to the visual white noise but I found it too annoying recurring at the frequency of the visual effect. So I dropped that one. But, I still have one other idea for audio distortion to add in -- a tape transport speed irregularity that affects the soundtrack (but not the image). I'll probably get back to this in the next few weeks. We'll see...

Meanwhile, I'm sharing some examples (below) of my current retro analog video processing network  based upon found footage of the Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan:

Video Noise Distortion - retro video - a few more samples

Here are a few more examples of processed footage using my retro analog video processing network described in my previous post:

UTE Fire Dance

Prayer Wheel

Prayer Wheel

Ancestors

Prayer Wheel Processing Using PhotoMosh Pro

Another very interesting and powerful tool available on the Mac is PhotoMosh Pro (now called Mosh Pro). While this is not a real time processing app -- i.e.: the work screen shows an approximation of real time effects, but any final patch needs to be 'recorded' (exported) explicitly to create an output file for further use...

What is nice about this app is that it has a huge range of effects (most of which have parameter adjustments that can be controlled manually or by LFOs and such), but presents itself as a stackable array of such processing steps (with processing order able to be swapped as desired). It's really quite powerful as you can see below in a few samples - including a Rutt-Etra like effect.

Using the Color Mixer from Philosophical Tools

Eric Souther (Philosophical Tools on Patreon) has released a new Touch Designer TOX processing network based upon the 8 channel Color Mixer hardware device developed by David Jones.  I initially encountered the color mixer while at my first Experimental TV Center artist residency in 1987 - and I immediately fell in love with the beautiful layering of multi channel video "slices", each of which could be keyed and colorized independently before being summed together on output. Eric's TOX network provides a nice emulation of the original hardware mixer.

The sample footage I'm sharing originates from my original video tape library documenting visits in the early 1990s to several Mayan sites including Chichén Itzá and Cobol in the Yucatan Peninsular of Mexico. Selections have been fed thru the Color Mixer processing network to achieve my desired look and texture. 

Note that edited / selected segments of these raw processing flows will be used in my upcoming River Styx video: the specific section of the program deals with the Journey thru the Mayan Underworld (descent into flames and darkness) and the Voyage to the Ancestors (climbing the sacred mountain into the Sky realms).

Flames Samples 2 - Re:Struktr Processing

 

from the Fire & Flames series

Flames Samples - Re:Struktr Processing

 

from the Fire & Flames series

Wind Chimes Samples - Re:Struktr Processing

 

from the Wind Chimes series

Swimming Sample - Re:Struktr Processing

 

from the Swimming series

Sinking Sample - Re:Struktr Processing

 

from the Sinking series

Floating Samples - Re:Struktr Processing

 

    

from the Floating series

Fire Dance Samples - Re:Struktr Processing

    

From the Fire Dance series

Return to posting after a long break...

 It's not that I haven't been making stuff, but I've been unfocused in terms of posting stuff. 

I've done a lot  more Prayer Wheel explorations using the Signal Culture Re:Struktr app. I've also gotten much deeper into Touch Designer processing networks as well over the last few months.  And I've done more work on my River Styx video script - including investigating / testing  various text-to-audio AI services. So far, I'm leaning towards ElevenLabs voices...

So, next I'll be posting sample stuff in a somewhat chronological order next.

Using a Touch Designer Networks: Pixelate

 

The Pixelate tool was originally developed by Eric Souther on his Patreon site Philosophical Tools. (Turn on audio!)

At Work in the Studio

 

While working with the array of Signal Culture apps, one issue that emerges is that the apps do not directly support portrait mode aspect ratios, rather shifting everything into landscape mode. This can be disconcerting and a bit difficult to work with visually - until I remembered that my second monitor (which I use to display final output of the processing chain) can be rotated 90 degrees to be vertical. Bingo! (See above... Turn on audio.)

That coupled with the easy one click video file rotation available in MacOS Finder completes the workflow.

Using Re:Struktr app - Prayer Wheels 2

This new app from Signal Culture allows very interesting wave-form driven flicker-based transitions between two channels of video. In this example, a number of Signal Culture apps were used in tandem: Input Amp -> Proc Amp -> Frame Buffer -> Re:Struktr -> Syphon Recorder.  (Turn on audio!)

Using Re:Struktr app: Prayer Wheels

This new app from Signal Culture allows very interesting wave-form driven flicker-based transitions between two channels of video. Very powerful. In these example, sine/triangle wave driven transitions, frame buffering, and  color tinting features have been utilized. (Turn on audio!)

Using Re:Struktr app (con't.)

Footage of UTE Fire Dance combined with reaction diffusion system patterns.

This new app allows very interesting wave-form driven flicker-based transitions between two channels of video. Very powerful. In this example, sine wave driven transitions & color tinting features have been utilized. (No audio)

Some more sample processing using Signal Culture's new app Re:Struktr -> flicker warning!

 

This new app allows very interesting wave-form driven flicker-based transitions between two channels of video. Very powerful. In this example, sine & triangle wave driven flicker transitions have been increased  to a fast rate and keying & color tinting features have been utilized. (Turn on audio!)

Sample processing using Signal Culture's new app Re:Struktr

 

This new app allows very interesting wave-form driven flicker-based transitions between two channels of video. Very powerful. In this example, sine wave driven flicker transitions have been reduced to a very slow rate - like a cross fade. (Turn on audio!)

Spirit Bark - Processing Samples

Here are some (.gif) samples of the range of video processing that I have been applying to footage of a 'Spirit Bark' assemblage sculpture by the artist team Sylvain and Ghyslaine Staëlens that I recorded at 2022 Outsider Art Fair in NYC.

Eventually, selected segments are destined to be included in my currently under script development multi-part video program entitled 'Crossing the Styx.'

Chronos - a Touch Designer .tox project

Here are two examples of a new Touch Designer processing network which is now available at Eric Souther’s ‘Philosophical Tools’ Patreon site as a .tox file aptly named 'Chonos’. Nice tool! Thoughtful control pallet interface for easy adjustments.

The top sample is the same settings as bottom sample, but with color added back in (reducing Monochrome node setting). 

Note: videos have audio - turn on sound.

Audacity Processing - pt. 2

Here are some sample processed frames using a Kali image (the final image below is the input source).

Audacity Processing

Taking some time to play around with glitch processing via Audacity audio editor, importing .bmp, .jpg, and ,tif files (as raw data), manipulating them with filters, then saving stuff back out (as "raw" data) once again. I find .jpgs are not worth the hassle and really don't achieve much more than linear runs of pixels or complete noise. Of the other two formats, I like the some of the complex RGB spacial layering effects when applied to .tif files that have been saved as planar data (RRRGGGBBB).

Here are two examples of .gif animations built up out of processed frames.

Whirling Dervish

 Here are a few samples of OBS processing of found footage of a dervish fire dance.

8 Channel Colorizer by Eric Souther

These examples show  a couple of the default processing options available in Eric Souther's just released 8 channel Colorizer with oscillators and time displacement mapping. (His Touch Designer .tox Colorizer network file is available on his Patreon 'Philosophical Tools' page.)

In the first demo using my Ghost Bark footage, several of the colorizer bands have 'live' fire video inserted into them from a second file.

The second sample of Eric Souther's TD Colorizer shows the effect of the temporal mapper with the flames video being the displacement map applied to the colorized Ancestors footage.

The final sample shows the effect of the temporal mapper with a low rez star sky rotation time lapse video being the displacement map.

It's great to see new digital tools developed based upon analog tools (in this case multi-channel colorizers) designed in the 70s and 80s by artists like Bruce Hern or David Jones.

Note: even those the last two samples are SD rez, the Colorizer can handle up to 4K 60hz processing  input / output.

Phosphortron 4

A related post - here is the same 'ghost bark' footage (from previous post below) processed thru Touch Designer using a custom-built network I've named "Phosportron4" - after a MAX-based standalone app ("Phosphortron") build a few years ago by Eric Souther & Laura McGough. Like Eric, I tried to emulate the main visuals relating to old green phosphor CRTs - "blur" (decay), "burn-in", and "edge detection." Also, included the ability to mix between source footage and phosphor-induced footage.

What To Do With Reaction Diffusion?

 After those examples posted previously (below), you might ask just how would I incorporate reaction diffusion into my video work? Here is an example compositing with my 'ghost bark' footage.

Still More Touch Designer Distraction

Here are a couple more examples of output from the original Touch Designer network with a few modifications.

Note:  **FLASHING WARNING** for video #2...

More Touch Designer Distraction

Another sample of reaction diffusion processing using Touch Designer. 

Distracted by Touch Designer

Where have I been? No recent postings... Busy learning Touch Designer over the last month or so. Here is a sample of some reaction diffusion processing via Touch Designer. My inspiration came from VJ Kuru who was referring to an informative TD demo by Razieh Kooshki on youtube: https://youtu.be/1YyPJe9nEkA

Spirit Bark updated!

I wasn't happy with the original version of my Spirit Bark panoramic piece, so I decided to take another pass at it. I think the newest version (#2 below) is a lot more dynamic and also conveys the sense of the bark (spirit boat) better.

(See previous post Still Frames Timelapse showing processed video footage of sculptures by the artist team Sylvain and Ghyslaine Staëlens -  shot by me at the 2020 Outsider Art Fair, NYC.)

Spirit Bark © 2024

Spirit Bark 2 © 2024

Celestial Dancer with Noise

Here are a few samples of processing a Celestial Dancer clip for my River Styx project.

The processing includes use of a custom edge-ringing glitch circuit (developed during Sean Hallowell's Intro to Video Circuits class on Polyphase Portal - discussed previously) with additional layering / luma keying / color correction on OBS.

Ancestors with Noise

Here are a few samples of processing Ancestors footage (originally shots of various museum displays of Greek and Roman statues) for my River Styx project.

The processing includes use of a custom edge-ringing glitch circuit (developed during Sean Hallowell's Intro to Video Circuits class on Polyphase Portal - discussed previously) with additional layering / color correction on OBS.

Punting the River Styx in Cambridge, UK - with Noise

Here are a few samples of processing the Cambridge punting footage for my River Styx project.

The processing includes use of a custom edge-ringing glitch circuit (developed during Sean Hallowell's Intro to Video Circuits class on Polyphase Portal - discussed previously).

Punting the River Styx in Cambridge, UK - Wobbulator, Feedback and OBS FX - Part 2

Continuation of previous post: using OBS, overlayed (source) footage with Wobbulated version of same, including feedback camera processing and additional layers of pre-recorded material. Also, layered in processed footage from a custom video circuit developed during Sean Hollowell's Intro to Video Circuits class (at Polyphase Portal). 

Here are some more samples of resulting processed footage:

Punting the River Styx in Cambridge, UK - Wobbulator, Feedback and OBS FX

I finally got the kinks worked out of my system configuration and now can overlay recorded (source) footage with Wobbulated version of same (sometimes luma keyed), layer in other pre-recorded material (flames, fog), and also include feedback camera processing. 

Here are some samples of resulting processed footage:

Fire and Water - Wobbulator and OBS

As part of my ongoing process of OBS discovery and use, I recently was able to configure my system flow to support both my Wobbulator rescan feed AND the original feed being sourced to the Wobbulator. There is a slight delay of a frame or two perhaps, but most importantly this allows synchronized key overly effects to be recorded. 

As a note, I've found the Camo Studio app (for Mac) to be extremely useful in processing the video feed from my rescan camera (a Hi8 camcorder). It allows full control over frame resolution and frame rate, signal parameters such as luma, gamma, saturation, sharpness, as well as adjustment of zoom and relative placement/offset of the raster image. This latter function makes it easy to align the camera rescan manually - to center it and zoom to eliminate the CRT borders as desired.

So for your enjoyment below are a few samples of my "go to" rowing video clip showing various FXs and overlays.

Audio Reactive Spirit Howl

Here are some examples of using and audio reactive OBS scale-to-sound plugin for processing of the footage of Sylvain and Ghyslaine Staëlens's spirit sculptures that I had originally recorded at the 2022 Outsider Art fair. (Note other processing samples these posted previously.) 

Spirit Bark / Spirit Howl Redux

Here are some examples of OBS processing of the footage of Sylvain and Ghyslaine Staëlens's spirit sculptures that I  recorded at the 2022 Outsider Art fair. (Note other processing samples these posted previously.) Several of these examples show great feedback depth due to luma keying out the white gallery walls.

OBS processing - Part 7 - Celestial Dancer.

 Some nice samples of OBS processing of a Celestial Dancer.

Feedback Processing in OBS - Part 6 - Golden Butoh Dancer

Final examples of video FX processing found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. The samples are all based upon feedback processing and reaction diffusion rescan effects within OBS.

Demons or tormented souls for possible inclusion in River Styx video program. 

Feedback Processing in OBS - Part 5 - Audio Reactive - Golden Butoh Dancer

Now something a bit different - audio reactive processing examples of video FX processing found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. The samples are all based upon feedback processing and several available plugins (Move Transition, Scale to Sound) within OBS.

Demons and/or Celestial Dancer for possible inclusion in River Styx video program.  Or just plain fun?

Feedback Processing in OBS - Part 4 - Golden Butoh Dancer

Now some more examples of video FX processing found footage of Golden Butoh (Daidogei) Dance Troupe from Japan. The samples are all based upon feedback processing within OBS.

Demons and/or Celestial Dancer for possible inclusion in River Styx video program.