KEEP YOURSELF CLEAN Exhibition: Online

Virtual Reality and gaming tools are rapidly becoming the essential vehicles of expressions for audiovisual artists during the Covid-19 imposed restrictions on public events.

We know, we know: no virtual experience can substitute the actual audiovisual event. But that is not the point. The point is experimenting and evolving beyond boundaries accordingly to the contingencies we face in a particular given time.


Audiovisual art as every form of art expression is driven by the tools available, the internal factors such as time and budget, and the external ones, such as venue restrictions or the total lack of them.

Now a lot of digital artists are facing the same problem and they are responding in different ways. The Russian audiovisual art collective VOLNA decided to turn their first solo exhibition: KEEP YOURSELF CLEAN into a virtual reality experience using Unreal Engine.

The video gaming tool is being widely use in audiovisual art and virtual events. It allows you to simulate real-time scenes and lighting effects.  Exhibition visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the surroundings of each installation and can move freely in the room and choose any observation point.

The following works were reconstructed for the exhibition: the audiovisual installations NEUBAU (2016), Powerline (2017) and Rotor (2018), the light installation Octave (2018), the installation Vague (2019), and two kinetic light installations, Duel (2019) and Nymphéas (2020).

Despite the site-specific nature of the works, the overarching artistic principle behind all of them is the search for a universal language of pure forms. These forms, which correspond to the abstract subjects of the installations, are refined during an extensive detailing process, minimalist in their expressiveness and often even have a functional nature.

The eight installations generate intimate spaces where the viewers sits in contemplation of the structural semiotic elements that compose them: light, sound, movement. Each room triggers different emotions slowly revealing themselves while we explore the space and embrace its unique atmosphere.

The primary expressive element in VOLNA’s work is light and its various characteristics, its interaction with space, as well as its movement, the rhythm of chiaroscuro and the way chiaroscuro scenarios unfold in relation to time. Some works include synchronized sound, created to interact closely with the light’s dramaturgy.  

The virtual exhibition space itself is hetero-topic and at the same time proportional to the original exhibition locations. The model exhibits displayed inside it are as close as possible to their real prototypes and preserve the original structural details, including the nature of the lighting and scenarios behind each of the live installations.

The original sound design and ambient sound environments are reproduced, and each work’s context and theme are discussed in an accompanying text.

In conclusion the exhibition Keep Yourself Clean attempts to embrace all the real and virtual layers of information that make up each of the works, and then let the works themselves become the determinants of perception.

Each of the contexts will “re-sort” in the virtual world, rethink and obey the laws of perception, and each work, in turn, will become an experience of sensory contemplation.

Contact

The post KEEP YOURSELF CLEAN Exhibition: Online appeared first on Audiovisualcity.

ATHENS DIGITAL ARTS FESTIVAL: 10 July – 10 September 2020 ONLINE

ADAF is an audiovisual event constantly evolving along with the new creative trends and breakthroughs within the digital arts, without loosing the core vision of its foundation days.

Every year the organisers finetune their artistic program through their open call for audiovisual artists, to keep themselves up to date with the ever-evolving new media art landscape.

From the initial focus on video art, installations and live performances they have been widening their program up to include Virtual Reality experiences (VR), Web Art, Video Games and more.

The Athens Digital Arts Festival has been founded in 2005 and it is the pioneer longest living institution in Greece dedicated to audiovisual culture and digital arts. This year, as other audiovisual events, ADAF is responding to the Covid19 crisis with resilience and creativity.

Their 16th edition ADAF ONLINE| TECHNOTRIBALISM will be accessible to everyone through the internet. More than 5,500 audiovisual art proposals from 100 countries around the world are the source for the ADAF 2020 program selection.

The 2020 year theme reflects upon our primitive status in the foundations of the new hyper-informational world, where the data-flux is absorbing the entire existence reaching the status of God.

Is technology serving us or we are serving the data-totem by providing our more sensible information, giving up our privacy for a greater good?

Algorithms, already present everywhere in the digital realm, are reading us better than ourselves, better than our friends and siblings and in the name of  optimization of our virtual experience, we are gradually letting them make decisions for us, filter our perceptions predict our behavior, our bio metrics, our emotions.

All manifestations of culture can now be experienced on a digitized basis, translated to a language (code, DNA) and stored for everyone who possess it to experience regardless the circumstances. Markets and Money are transfiguring into intangible algorithmic byproducts. Everything to serve the information flow.

Close your eyes and connect to your data-doppelganger your mirrored algorithmic self to your digital footprint. You are part of techno-tribalism, you are part of ADAF 2020.

Contact

Website

Facebook | Twitter | Vimeo | Instagram | Youtube

The post ATHENS DIGITAL ARTS FESTIVAL: 10 July – 10 September 2020 ONLINE appeared first on Audiovisualcity.

About Kusmos Live by Kuflex Lab

During these tough and uncertain times it has been inspiring to see so many audiovisual artists and events coming up with tools and formats to overcome the quarantine restrictions and social distancing.

A few weeks back the guys from Kuflex Lab reached out to showcase their latest tool that stands out among all the virtual/hybrid solutions we have seen so far. Kusmos Live allows to turn online concerts into interactive digital shows. Pretty neat uh?

Let’s dive in and explore how it works. Down to the nitty-nerdy-gritty Kusmos is a custom VJ software written on openFrameworks + VDMX5 + Syphon.

In spring 2020 Kuflex studio began an experimental project Kusmos Live. The purpose of the experiment was to upgrade the Kusmos system in order to create a interactive online home shows.

In 2018-2019 the Russian audiovisual studio experimented with the innovative tool together with SILA SVETA studio on the Therr Maitz concert, Caprices Festival 2018, Nina Kraviz experimental performance at Coachella 2019.

OK, really cool but how exactly does interactivity work? We gave some feedback to Kuflex lab with a few tricky questions to better understand the whole potential of this new audiovisual tool.

KUFLEX: The Tracker program receives depth-sensor data, calibrates a point cloud as we need it (we can rotate the cloud, cut off everything you don’t need keeping only the data of the artist oneself and merge point clouds from two sensors) and sends it to the renderer (UE4 scene).

Scene functions build a 3D model using the data provided by the Tracker and then we can layer all kinds of features with effects on the model and also transform and distort it according to the artistic concept. We also captured video from the laptop’s webcam and sometimes showed its picture. 3D scene acting as the artist surrounding, a set of virtual cameras for capturing from different viewpoints and visual effects were set up in advance in the Unreal Engine. Then the OBS program captures the video of the launched scene and sends it to the video streaming server.

During our second live experiment we tested some new features for the viewers interactive communication with the stream. While Leksha (Smolensk, Russia) was playing his ambient-set, a VJ (Moscow, Russia) was controlling visual effects with the use of commands via YouTube chat in real-time mode. Our team has implemented this function between the concerts and decided not to tell the viewers about it.

During the stream, noticing weird messages in the chat, some of the viewers started to realize that they could not only send a message to the chat but to even affect visualization. In the end the concert has turned into a digital quest. Some viewers picked up effect control by sending particular commands to the chat. We have yet to comprehend how to develop this function in the future.

 AVC: We think it’s a really interesting and innovative project responding to the challenges of the pandemic. In terms of appeal for VJs there is the risk of potentially being extremely limited for the audiovisual artists creativity, and the aesthetic I guess would always be the same.

It would be key for the tool to have a wider range of possibilities of customization for the artists otherwise they might get tired soon. I guess they all want to leave their unique mark in the scene.

KUFLEX: Kusmos is a universal software tool, with the possibility of variability of visual and interactive solutions. As a rule, our team creates a virtual stage specifically for the performance of the musician. Of course, we want to upgrade the program creating a database with different scenes, effects. In this case, the user will be able to construct the scene himself and combine the effects for his live/stream. 

AVC: It’s a bit unusual to keep promoting the idea of “God is DJ”. Is the DJ persona so relevant the viewer wants to watch during the entire show in a virtual environment?

KUFLEX: Regarding Kusmos Live project, the Kuflex team is collaborating with various musicians. We wanted to support the performers. So this approach determined the emphasis on the figure of the musician on the virtual stage, under whose musical personality, sound we come up with a visual solution. We do not just shoot a video with a musician, as is often done in broadcasts, but create a digital avatar that changes depending on the script, music and VJ control.

At the same time, Kusmos Live is primarily a show, a kind of mix of live performance, a computer game and fantastic movie. The virtual camera can fly through digital space, we can switch to different visual elements of the scene and include additional visual effects to the music.

We try to achieve the effect of real interaction with the viewer as well. Our team is developing a function of interaction through chat – viewers’ comments fall into the scene, they can affect the content through certain chat commands. But Kusmos can be used by artists of other genres. In the near future we want to try to create a dance performance. Now we are discussing this idea with one Russian choreographer.

We will explore the topic of distances – where physical space ends, digital begins, the relationship of body and sound. Both dance and music will take place in live format.

Technically, the performer will find himself in different areas of camera scanning, on the screen we will observe how his digital avatar changes. Again, it will all be like shooting a movie in one shot and in real time!

AVC: We truly appreciate the viewers becoming active, participating and communicating with the stream. That creates a collective experience. Could people really tell if this was a live performance or not? It feels like the interaction should be more meaningful somehow, with a bigger impact to the overall audiovisual artwork.

KUFLEX: Our team worked on a concert from different cities. We thought about how best to organise remote control of virtual cameras and effects. And suddenly our creative director had an idea to manage content through Youtube chat. During the broadcast, he wrote commands like cam1 (switching camera 1), stars ( the star effect was launched).

We intentionally did not talk about this function in advance to get the quest. As a result, some viewers guessed and began to help in managing the scene. We explore different possibilities about other ways of interaction.

In the future we want to create a client application for connecting to the broadcast via a mobile phone, desktop PC screen or VR. We intend to develop Kusmos as an art tool. Our team believes in a power of collective interaction. We want to give a palette of visual solutions, effects. Let’s all together create beauty here and now! This idea is a sincere inspiration for us. 

AVC:  We would like to know more about how the collaboration you have done with Leksha where the viewers were controlling visual effects with the use of commands via YouTube chat in real-time mode.” How does the input of data modify the visuals? is it like a live coding or common human language and how it is related to the VR software?

KUFLEX: Usually in an offline format, we work like this: musicians play music, and VJ manages visual content live using MIDI controllers. Some effects are linked to the amplitude of the sound. But in a situation where we did not have the opportunity to be onsite will all team, we decided to make control through chat commands.

We wrote a special function for our software that receives data from chat on YouTube using the Google API. We came up with several commands, for example: cam1, cam2, skin1, skin2, electric noise, lasers and the like. And when someone in the chat wrote one of these words, then a certain visual effect or a corresponding camera was included in our program.

In general, we have an idea to expand the number of commands and their appearance, so that it looks more like live coding. For example, add numerical arguments to the commands, which will additionally specify the parameters of a particular visual effect.

As for virtual reality, we have plans to create our own application for viewers who can watch live broadcasts using VR devices, thus more deeply immersing themselves in the atmosphere of the digital scene and additionally receive personal effects. 

 AVC: Fascinating this idea of “universal tool” for content in real time and interactive show. We think it’s important now to dig more into the idea of how it can involve more people in the creative process. It opens new ways of investigation on how to make every audiovisual experience unique, not only in terms of the aesthetics of the piece but also regarding the narrative.

KUFLEX: Yes, this is the main object of research for us. Usually, a limited number of people can come to the offline exhibition. So we want to overcome any space frames. With Kusmos we don’t have any restrictions online! We can find ourselves in amazing digital worlds that are impossible in the physical world.

Now that Kuflex Lab and its creation Kusmos entered our radar we will most definitely keep following their progression, as always supporting innovation and creativity in the audiovisual art world.

The post About Kusmos Live by Kuflex Lab appeared first on Audiovisualcity.

Dalet Solutions Earn DPP 2020 Security Certification for Production and Broadcast

Paris, France – May 20, 2020 – Dalet, a leading provider of solutions and services for broadcasters and content professionals, continues its commitment to the highest security standards, attaining the DPP Security Marks for Production and Broadcast under ‘The DPP Committed to Security’ program. The marks certify that all Dalet products and solutions are developed, ...

The post Dalet Solutions Earn DPP 2020 Security Certification for Production and Broadcast appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

GB Labs qualifies ATTO 360 Tuning, Monitoring, and Analytics Software to achieve even faster performance

Aldermaston, UK, 18 May 2020: The leader in intelligent storage solutions, GB Labs, has announced a development partnership with ATTO Technology, Inc., a global leader of network, storage connectivity and infrastructure solutions, and has qualified ATTO 360™ Tuning, Monitoring, and Analytics Software with GB Labs CORE.4 operating system. A network built with ATTO FastFrame™ Ethernet ...

The post GB Labs qualifies ATTO 360 Tuning, Monitoring, and Analytics Software to achieve even faster performance appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

B&H’s New Full-Frame Camera System Captures Extrodinary Imagery

  A simple image can say a lot, and capturing that image is key to the communication a creative needs to generate and further grow an audience. Any professional working within the broadcast industry understands that the imagery behind their video content can speak volumes of information to the audience they’re targetting. And with B&H’s ...

The post B&H’s New Full-Frame Camera System Captures Extrodinary Imagery appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Marquis Broadcast grows business-critical integration services

Development services and product updates improve complex media integrations for companies During these changing times, it’s more important than ever to ensure your company’s disaster recovery and business continuity tools are fit for purpose. Whether upgrading systems for remote working, streamlining workflows across a multi-site enterprise or enabling production sharing, each company has differing requirements ...

The post Marquis Broadcast grows business-critical integration services appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

“Everest VR: Journey to the Top of the World” Edited, Graded and Stitched with DaVinci Resolve Studio

Fremont, CA – April 28, 2020 – Blackmagic Design today announced that the stunning new 8K 3D documentary “Everest VR: Journey to the Top of the World,” produced by Facebook’s Oculus, was edited, graded and stitched with DaVinci Resolve Studio and Fusion Studio. In April of 2017, world famous climber Ueli Steck died while preparing for ...

The post “Everest VR: Journey to the Top of the World” Edited, Graded and Stitched with DaVinci Resolve Studio appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

SINGULA DECISIONS LAUNCHED TO HELP TV BUSINESSES DRIVE SUBSCRIBER GROWTH

New Singula Decisions identity replaces established Paywizard brand, building on its long heritage in the pay-TV industry Relaunch positions company to empower subscription businesses to tap into subscriber intelligence Singula® Subscriber Intelligence bridges the ‘Air Gap’ between subscriber data and being able to use it effectively to proactively engage customers London, 28 April 2020 – ...

The post SINGULA DECISIONS LAUNCHED TO HELP TV BUSINESSES DRIVE SUBSCRIBER GROWTH appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Build Better Content With Dalet Digtal Media Systems’ Platforms

  Every piece of content a creative makes, is essential to their brand. The great thing about the relationship between the broadcast industry and content is the level of expansion that has taken fold, and a lot of this enhancement can be attributed to the many media platforms, such as the ones from Dalet Digital ...

The post Build Better Content With Dalet Digtal Media Systems’ Platforms appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Dalet SaaS Solution Focuses on Business Continuity and Remote Production for Media Operations

Dalet Galaxy xCloud enables media organizations to carry out production and distribution workflows from home and hub during COVID-19 crisis and beyond Paris, France – April 16, 2020 – Dalet, a leading provider of solutions and services for broadcasters and content professionals, made available today an important remote production solution that enables newsrooms and media ...

The post Dalet SaaS Solution Focuses on Business Continuity and Remote Production for Media Operations appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

MediaKind launches Aquila Streaming solution on Google Cloud Platform to power delivery of personalized media experiences

 MediaKind’s Aquila Streaming is a ‘one-stop-shop’ solution that enables operators to launch OTT services rapidly, without compromising on the end quality to the consumer. Deployment follows announcement of Google Cloud as an inaugural partner of the MediaKind Universe Alliance, which was launched in September 2019. MediaKind customers gain wider access to Google Cloud Platform ecosystem, ...

The post MediaKind launches Aquila Streaming solution on Google Cloud Platform to power delivery of personalized media experiences appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Crystal Vision releases four video delays that work with both IP and SDI

Crystal Vision continues its commitment to being the leading video delay provider with the release of four variable video delays that can work with IP, with SDI or with both IP and SDI at the same time and provide up to 32 seconds of delay. Designed to match any equipment with a processing delay, Crystal ...

The post Crystal Vision releases four video delays that work with both IP and SDI appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Never.no inks licensing agreement with Applied Electronics in Canada

~ Partnership with leading provider of integrated media solutions will bring enhanced remote production enabled cloud-based social graphics and audience engagement services to the region ~ Manchester, 26 March 2020 – Never.no, the award-winning audience engagement specialist, has announced a partnership agreement with Applied Electronics. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the media solutions company will license ...

The post Never.no inks licensing agreement with Applied Electronics in Canada appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Inside The Mix With Ana Monte And Daniel Deboy

Q: Tell me about the company. What inspired you both to start Delta Soundworks? Ana:Founded by myself (Ana Monte, lead sound designer) and Daniel (Deboy, lead sound engineer) in Heidelberg, Germany in 2016, DELTA Soundworks is a 3D/immersive audio post-production facility. Our projects span across installations, virtual reality, 360-degree films and gaming, as well as ...

The post Inside The Mix With Ana Monte And Daniel Deboy appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Ooyala Flex Media Platform Moves into Its Next Chapter With Dalet

Paris, France – March 3, 2020 – Dalet, a leading provider of solutions and services for broadcasters and content professionals, has made significant advancements with the development of the Ooyala Flex Media Platform. Acquired in July 2019, Dalet has accelerated engineering of the solution across four key areas: User Experience; Core Platform Performance and Features; ...

The post Ooyala Flex Media Platform Moves into Its Next Chapter With Dalet appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Yann Madeleine joins Globecast as Director of Sales France

Globecast, the global solutions provider for media, has announced that Yann Madeleine has joined the company as Director of Sales, France and will sit on the company’s Executive Committee. He will join Globecast on March 16th, 2020. Madeleine replaces François-Regis Grenot who has taken up a role in the wider Orange Group. Based in Paris, ...

The post Yann Madeleine joins Globecast as Director of Sales France appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Mexican Media Giant TV Azteca Captivates Viewers Across Digital, Social and Terrestrial Channels with Dalet

  New York, NY – February 26, 2020 – Dalet, a leading provider of solutions and services for broadcasters and content professionals, today announced that TV Azteca, Mexico’s leading multimedia conglomerate, has deployed Dalet Galaxy five to reinvigorate the company’s content supply chain and deliver robust programming options faster to its audiences across all traditional, digital ...

The post Mexican Media Giant TV Azteca Captivates Viewers Across Digital, Social and Terrestrial Channels with Dalet appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Sinclair Broadcast Group to use Marquis Broadcast production storage optimisation and management tools

Analysis Parking, with enterprise monitoring dashboard, is being deployed across all SBG news operations Sinclair Broadcast Group, one of the largest television broadcast companies in America, is deploying Marquis Broadcast’s Analysis Parking software with a new enterprise monitoring dashboard for its many facilities across the United States. During its expansion, Sinclair Broadcast Group has always ...

The post Sinclair Broadcast Group to use Marquis Broadcast production storage optimisation and management tools appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

Italian Creative Agency Uses Ultimatte 12 for Building Virtual Studio Sets

Fremont, CA – February 6, 2020 – Blackmagic Design today announced that ViSo Video Solutions has upgraded its virtual reality studios, relying on Ultimatte 12 compositing processors and URSA Broadcast cameras, to produce national television commercials and shows, for clients such as Sky Italia, Mediaset, ESL and Netco Sports. Founded in 2010, the company not only ...

The post Italian Creative Agency Uses Ultimatte 12 for Building Virtual Studio Sets appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

LIVEU CABSAT 2020 PREVIEW

Stand F3-21 At this year’s CABSAT, LiveU will be demonstrating its powerful live IP bondingtechnology, taking advantage of the faster speeds and guaranteed high bandwidthoffered by 5G networks. The upcoming Summer Games in Tokyo and UEFA EURO 2020 offertremendous opportunities for leveraging 5G bonding technology for dynamic, round-the-clockcoverage of the teams, athletes and fans. With ...

The post LIVEU CABSAT 2020 PREVIEW appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.

No Static AV Delivers Ultra HD Workflow for Annual Baby2Baby Fundraising Gala

Fremont, CA – January 31, 2020 – Blackmagic Design today announced that LA based event production company No Static AV (NSAV) used an Ultra HD live production workflow featuring URSA Broadcast cameras and ATEM switchers to deliver in house AV and IMAG for the annual Baby2Baby fundraising gala, which raises millions of dollars for the nonprofit ...

The post No Static AV Delivers Ultra HD Workflow for Annual Baby2Baby Fundraising Gala appeared first on NAB Show News | 2020 NAB Show Media Partner and Producer of NAB Show LIVE. Broadcast Engineering News.