Re: looping images

["T.W. Hartnett" <hartnett.t@apple.com>]

>I'm really interested in the idea of performance video. It seems possible,
>but I never see anyone really doing it. I saw a band a few years ago with 
>a
>video artist as a band member. The music was a fascinating sort of punkish
>art/prog rock with this amazing video background. All performed right 
>along
>with the music. It was fascinating. Naturally it was too good to be true,
>so they broke up. I really thought I'd see a lot more of that sort of mix
>since, but I've never seen anything like it again. video alongside the
>music, sure, but never created as an actual part of the performance.
>Anybody doing that?

There's a guy in town (Austin, noted home of retarded blues guitarists) 
who has put together a neat setup using super-8 projectors and slide 
machines.  Usually there will be two slide projectors and three film 
projectors, set up on a platform in the middle of the club.  He's got a 
large library of film loops that he's scavanged from garage sales over 
the years that he'll feed in and superimpose as the mood strikes him, 
while more experimental bands play.  The coolest effect I saw was when Ed 
Hall (a local art-punk trio) came out on stage, wearing only shorts, 
painted in day-glo body paint.  There were black lights next to their 
monitors, so they looked really unearthly.  Luke (the film guy) had found 
some footage of an oilwell fire, and had projected this three times, in 
slow motion, aimed so that each of the band members appeared to be on 
fire.  Breathtaking, and on the cheap.
He's worked with various local bands that strike his fancy  (The Flying 
Saucers, Orange Mothers, Ed Hall, Poi Dog Pondering, Sixteen Deluxe, and 
so on).  I think the limiting factor is the size of the club--unless it 
holds at least 500 people, there's not really enough room to set 
everything up without cutting into the crowd space.  
A few years ago I saw an LA Band, Chalk Circle, and they were using a 
portable projection TV system hooked up to a VCR.  They also had a fog 
machine, and the projector would sometimes be aimed out over the 
audience.  When the fog achieved sufficient density, the projection beam 
would become visible, in the form of long. rapidly moving beams of light. 
 They didn't make any attempt to synchronize the video with what they 
played, just loaded up a VHS tape with interesting images and let it fly.

Travis