How to approach Sound Visualization

In the Wednesday Seminar we were shown the many different techniques we had available to us, as well as how to think a little more logically with more digital processes.

The majority of the work shown to us was James' own, and discusses a lot of the technical details of creating visuals for sound, such as manipulating pitch and different levels as inputs to create visuals, and even using visuals as the basis for creating music.

This session generated many ideas for my own project, and whilst I may not have the technical knowledge to hook up a contraption to visualize sound (yet), it doesn't mean I can't execute these ideas manually, with the logical mindset that a computer would use when it activates.

Kinetic Typography

This short little video used many techniques within After Effects, initially conceptualized within Photoshop. The Video uses Keyframe animation in conjunction with transparency, masks. translations and rotations, as well as the graph tool to create added smoothing and weigh to the animation.

Overall, this piece took 5 hours to complete.

Exploring G# Minor: Mozart to motion graphics

In this Lecture, Sara added context to our Studio work by discussing her own work within the field of visualization of sound


The key ideas I got out of it (beyond the ones I came up with to try within my own project) is how the music and visuals need to reinforce one another. If the music is emotive in a particular way, the visuals need to reflect that, helping to sell the narrative of the music.

There needs to be a harmony between the two elements, or the dissonance needs to be thematic.

Essay

Whilst initially given the initial basis for the essay before we broke up in December; we've begun working on the question we'd be choosing to write about, as well as the contents that will make up the work.

The three questions are "Cultures/Subcultures: In relation to graphic design", "Branding/Antibranding: In relation to graphic design" and "Prequels/Sequels: In relation to graphic design"

In this process we will be doing all of our own research and generating our own points to discuss within the essay.

I have decided that I will be exploring the "Cultures and Subcultures" question for my essay.

Visualization of Sound

 

For our newest project, we've been tasked with creating 8 pieces of unique and interesting visual responses out of 11 possible songs, trying to make the responses meaningful and thematic to the songs we're trying to visualize.

For this project, we are to include any number of techniques to create the responses, Including both moving and static pieces.




Because of the vast amounts of tools and techniques available, it's important to define what is and what isn't possible with the constraints Iv'e been given (two pieces a week)


Some of my ideas, right now include;
Rotoscoping myself dancing, seismology graphs, cymatics, kinetic typography, iconography, representing the data; and so forth.