Friday January 26th I will be at MOD club presenting some specially made projection mapping for the Icy cavern theme party Whiteout
Facebook event : https://www.facebook.com/events/1980640345533715/
You may have heard about my friends who built Toronto’s most famous art car, Heavy Meta. The project is one of many well conceived and executed plans to come out of The 4tress. The local Toronto shop is the home for this creative collective who hail from all walks of life . They come together with a multitude of skills creating some excellent experiential art like Heavy Meta, a fire Breathing Dragon built from an old school bus . They had a great first year traveling North America sharing this epic moving art and now that 2018 is here they have even bigger plans and are looking for help raising funds for a new project and some dragon upgrades .
See the team in these shots at The 4tress now hard at work building an awesome set for me to project some frosty effects onto.
Meanwhile I am here working on how to render ice and convincing lighting effects shining through it like this so it can be projected onto the the stage set creating an illusion of depth with refracted light.It should be a cool event (forgive the pun) when we have it all together on stage at MOD club this Friday !
Toronto Light Festival (featuring Heavy Meta) The Toronto light fest in the distillery district is on again now till March. The free outdoor event hosts a series of light sculpture installations in this historic location. This year featuring some great new additions like the fire breathing dragon Heavy Meta and team of hot fire masters and dragon tamers. It’s worth a walk through to see some art and there are a few good places to eat there too. I hope to see more projection mapping in light festivals of Toronto in the Future and hopefully participate in one locally or possibly in another city.
Thanks too BlogTO for sharing this piece on the Light Fest.
Thanks again for reading the live video art blog. More reviews , projects and event announcements coming soon.
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My appologies to anyone who recieved an unfinished draft version of this post yesterday, it was accidently published. Thanks for your understanding .
Inspirational, award winning projections from around the world.
The best of the best examples in the field of projection mappings are from across the pond in Europe and other light art supporting nations. It’s not that we don’t have the talent here in NA , WE DO . It’s the support of these larger than life creative public shows that is lacking. Projection Competitions and light festivals are pushing designers to do their very best work and showcasing them on the ultimate large scale HD canvases.
Events like IMap in Romania , The Berlin Festival of Lights and even a large one happening in Sydney Australia offer a deep program of world class projection arts for viewers to enjoy (scroll dwn to the videos below for some amazing inspirational work).
The cost of such installations are impossibly prohibitive to any grass roots creative collective – so that bill needs to be covered by a major sponsor or government organization. Unfortunately in North America I feel it is harder to get major support for projects that do not include immediate profits or marketing returns. Also I’ve found the way our modern cities are built there are very few appropriate and interesting buildings available to project upon. Light pollution is a major issue for us and I envy all the historical cities that have these old town squares that are historically preserved and not filled with massive animated billboards , street lights and advertisements. There may be more opportunities in the USA because they simply have more buildings and cities. In all of Canada we have only one Capitol building in our one federal capital city but in Europe every small country has a selection of historical castles and state buildings just begging to be lit up. I have been lucky to work on a few very creative and ambitious commercial projects over the years at venues like Casa Loma in Toronto and for digital marketing firms like Big Digital and Jam 3 inc. Casa Loma is actually a very interesting large scale canvas with a lot of creative possibilities and I hope to work on another creation there in the future. I would love to see more high quality large scale public projection artaround Toronto but there have definitely been some great achievements in our neck of the woods.
The show at the Parliament building in Ottawafor Canada 150 is a great example of a public large scale projection mapping animating a historical or iconic building with high detail themed 3D visuals. The Montreal based Moment Factoryis responsible for some of the most exciting stage show and public installations around Montreal, Ottawa and many international locations. Software Touch Designer , the acclaimed interactive visual tool often used by Moment Factory and many others is developed by Toronto development company Derivative .Â
I have yet to attend an international projection mapping or light festival but I will be very soon. I had to cancel plans to attend Berlin Festival of Lights last October due to a big project at home.
The festival in Berlin Germany is one of the biggest and has inspired several sister events around the world like IMapp .
Some of my early inspiration comes from watching videos of these awe inspiring public events from over seas. Around 2010 to 2012 I started seeing these amazing videos from Germany, France and Amsterdam by creative agencies like MUSE Agency from Amsterdam. MUSE is possibly now closed because I haven’t seen anything from them online in about 5 years but they deserve massive cred for paving the way for the medium.
Today you can attend great mapping focused events like IMap in Bucharest Romania, The Berlin Light Festival and in Leon in the South of France is the historically famous light festival where it all started in Europe. All these are destination special events for any fan of the art of projection mapping and general illuminations. I hope to attend and also compete in one of these events in the near future. In North america there is not really comparable mapping competitions but that will hopefully change in time and I aim to be part of that new wave( if there is a will there is a way).
Right now I am really impressed by incredible works from the likes of Limelight3D mapping and production groups like Maxxin10sity projected onto some beautiful building architecture around the world. Check out these winning entries at IMap Bucharest Romania. This massive building provides the canvas for one of the largest projection shows in the world.
IMapp 2017 winning submissionÂ
This level of creative production is beyond what any commercial project would aim to achieve. It takes major sponsorship support dollars to pull it off and still holds its creative integrity by not being turned into a massive advertisement or branding exercise. I do hope to design or contribute to a massive projection like this in a competition setting like IMap in the future.
Winning entry for IMapp 2016 is possibly favorite piece I have seen by the excellent Limelight 3D Mapping company.Â
Panasonic provided projectors for this production and in this video they partially reveal how it is possible to create such immense scale and high detail projection shows. linking over 100 projectors together to playback the amazing works of the projection design competitors from around the world. You can see the special rigging employed to line up all the beams perfectly and how they arranged several arrays on scaffold towers pointing at different angles to ideally cover all visible surfaces of the building.
MAXIN10SITY is the projection mapping company responsible for much of the technical and creative design that powers these shows. Just like in our LiveVideoArt.ca projects they use advanced digital media servers and video mapping software but on a massive scale it seems they can cover any size building with high detail animations.
Learn more about IMap in Romania on the official website. IMap is one of the world’s premiere projection mapping festival showcases. Every year presenting the best of the best mapping animation submissions from around the world.
Click for the IMapp website
MAXIN10SITY is a major player in projection mappings . Also from Romania and a partner in realizing the IMAP projects. They are a team of design curators , technical specialists and amazing animators putting on some of the largest and most impressive shows across the world.
Watch these two stunning presentations on the Palace of Karlsruhe a large museum in Germany.
I really think these companies and competitive public showcases are pushing the boundaries of the art form and setting the bar for other projection productions to aim for be they commercially motivated or for free public entertainment.
There certainly are a huge amount of talented installation designers and animators here working on some amazing productions so I would love to see a international level competition emerge near me that showcases some of our best of the best projection mappers. LIVEVIDEOART.CA would differently submit to compete or want to assist the production .
In a future post I want to discuss some of my favourite animators and interactive experience designers like digital sculpture master Luminokaya and Android Jones who are using custom full dome projection systems and 360 render techniques as well as take a look at MICRODOSE VR a interactive virtual reality visual performance tool designed by some really smart guys including performing artists like Android and a favourite musician of mine Blue Tech .
Hope you enjoyed the post and we see you again at LIVEVIDEOART,CA , please subscribe and share.
Wacom Intous Pro An independent long term user review by Scott Vj Guy
(Live video art is not sponsored by or affiliated with Wacom company this is just a story of my user experience)
The drawing tablet is my main input device on the computer when using creative software. It is critical for using Zbrush, Photoshop and Maya in certain workflows. I also now use it when doing more complex video mapping setups that require lots of warping and edit point adjustments. I have worked with several models and sizes over the years and owned the Intous 3 and 5 medium size.
I don’t enjoy using the smallest version nearly as much because its cramped and does not offer as much detail across the screen. I have large hands and like to rest on the surface so the large version feels good but it is too big for most desks and not portable. The medium is perfect for me.
Touch and wireless feature are nice bit build quality and durability suffer in the latest versions. It is lighter and smaller.
My Intous 3 was great but brokedown after about 10 years after heavy use and some rough transportation. I got the version 5 as a replacement around two years ago.
It was nice at first with wireless connection and a touch panel feature. I do really enjoy that touch feature in some programs and the new take on the scroll wheel with 4 modes was very useful. The pen that comes with the v5 is a bit smaller than the old one and I liked the old larger version. I think for my bigger hands the side button is easier to hit on the bigger intous 3 stylus.
So I was enjoying the Intous 5 but unfortunately over Christmas my Intous 5 has broken after only just over 2 years so just outside warranty. The the board inside the device is failing somehow and the tablet will not stay on even with a fully charged battery or plugged in with USB. I think it might be a result of often holding the device in my right hand while I draw with the left in seated or standing positions. The tablet might have over flexed in my usage but I have been careful with it so I feel the toughness of this new version is much lower than the old. There are also many reports of the USB connection port getting damaged from cable bending and causing problems like not recharging or connecting. So I went online to find a replacement used and I got lucky. I found a like new condition Intous 3 for $80 and scooped it up .
Old classic outshines the new fancy version.
I love my new classic 3. The pen technology is the same industry standard that Wacom is known for and the whole thing is slightly bigger and more solid. I think the drawing surface is slightly bigger and the frame around it is much thicker and made of hard plastic. Like the first one I had, I expect it will last a long time if I care for the cord. The latest version is much lighter and made of a softer plastic and I think that was an unfortunate choice by Wacom but possibly to reduce cost. I question if it being wireless is a good upgrade at all? Personally I am happy to not even think about keeping the v3 charged. Apparently many of the problems people having with broken Intous 4 and 5 is starting at the connection point of the removable USB cable used for charging. This port on the v 4 and 5 can easily be broken . Version 3 has a hard wired connection that is quite durable, re enforced even and cleverly connected with 2 channels for the cable to lay into avoiding it ever getting pinched . The 5 was cool and I liked the touch feature a lot but you can’t beat the build of the 3. I would stay away from the 4. It is a first attempt at the new style and was quickly replaced by the 5.
Look for it used . You can find the 3 and 5 used from sellers on common online platforms. Ensure the full drawing surface is working and the surface or connection is not damaged .
I would definitely recommend to anyone looking to buy one of these to do the same as I just did and search for a used Intous 3 for a fraction of the $400 current model.
Pros & Cons :
It is really a personal usage preference if you like the size difference between the Intous 3 and 5 . I like the larger pen and tablet casing on the classic version 3 but a smaller human might better enjoy the smaller lighter 5
ProsÂ
Intous 3 – Industry standard pressure sensitivity tablet
Intous 3 – Hard Surface casing better IMHO than new softer build
Intous 3 – Long and sturdy USB cable that is hard wired to device.
Intous 3 – It’s more durable
Intous 5 – New touch feature
Intous 5 – New scroll wheel with 4 modes
Intous 5 – Light weight
Intous 5 – Wireless
Cons
Intous 3 – Wired , because some people hate wires
Intous 3 – Less custom button and slider functionality
Intous 5 – Softer plastic build
Intous 5 – Overtly flexible
Intous 5 – Weak USB port on device
Z Brush Character by Scott Guy created using drawing tablet.Using wacom intous for concept art pieces like this photo paintover
Verdict:
The drawing tablet is an essential tool for many digital artists so it’s a must have for some, and Wacom seem to totally own the market with it’s line of professional tools . I liked both versions that I have had and the touch feature from the new one will be missed since I am using the classic 3 again but it was unfortunate that the version 5 I had broke. I think the version 3 is much better built and am glad I was able to find one in like new condition . There are lower cost options like the Bamboo but I recommend anyone getting into professional or serious hobby digital art should get themselves one of these professional grade tools and get drawing .
Eurocom Sky X7e . A Portable VJ/VR ready Beast !
An independent long term user review by Scott Vj Guy
For the past couple years I have wanted to move onto a new more portable high powered notebook for show control and portable workstation. I have have been running a mini tower PC for about 6 years and it is getting old and tired from travel plus I am getting more contract jobs for companies that need me to come in and work on location. It was hard to find a system that offered all the power I wanted in a notebook platform. I considered a wide spectrum of computers from gaming systems to tablet hybrids and portable workstations looking for the perfect balance of power and features. In the end I had to make some compromises but ultimately got what I need. After researching and comparing for months and looking at big name and US based custom PC builders I made a discovery right in my backyard .
Once I started leaning toward the custom notebook workstation option I found that the Origin PC EON17 and the Sager NP9876 both custom pc builds from USA I was looking at are the same base system chassis known as a Clevo and it is a system also used by Canadian based builders Eurocom and sold configurable from Eurocom or in pre configured models at Best Buy Online.
The Sky X7e2 is a hefty but really cool modular Notebook computer packing high end desktop features. Four drive bays (2 are M.2 PCIe) and four RAM slots. The X9 model can even support 2 1080 GPUs in SLI for extreme GPU power. The motherboard inside uses a PC spec socket 1152 Sky Lake or Kabby Lake CPU that is great because the chip is more efficient than most mobile options. The size of the machine is actually perfect for me. I love the full size backlit KB and the solid feeling when resting my hands on the chassis. The monitor hinge is good and tight and display is safely encased in a fair amount of hard plastic. There is no Optical drive in mine and only one HDD so hardly any moving parts.
There is a 4k 60hz screen that does look incredible or 1440p 120hz option available. I got the 4k but I sort of wish mine had the 1440p screen because 4K is maybe a bit more pixels than needed on a 17 inch screen. I think I would maybe trade for the faster 120hz screen at 1440×2160 resolution if given the chance.
For me the video outputs are the piece de resistance on this computer. All these systems have the same 3 dedicated video outputs . HDMI + Two 2 x MiniDisplayPort 1.2 .
The Sky X7E2 is specially built for power users with a budget for computing power. Special features like high tech cooling system under a nice back lit full keyboard with number pad. Not to mention Bluetooth, Four USB3 and Two Thunderbolt ports, card reader, finger print scanner, webcam, NV G-sync support and some quality builtin speakers!
This 17.3 inch Notebook system is packed with features and options. Feels durable, well made and assembled so I hope the build quality is good over time. Fins on cooling vents are a bit flexible but maybe meant for just keeping debris out of there.
Basically this system is a high end frame that’s as good as the components you put in it and several companies have adopted the frame.
It’s a beast book but I am looking for power not pretty.
It does what’s expected of it very well but not everything is perfect.
It’s very heavy on its own and with the power pack you have to carry around it is a real load. Some would consider it too much to carry around all the time but I am fine moving it from house to car to location as needed but I do feel it every time I pick it up. Battery unfortunately does not last any more than 2 hours and less if you are doing anything GPU intensive but that was expected as spec. I am going to see if I can find a higher capacity compatible battery. I only have strong issues with the power supply. In addition to it being heavy with a short cord the power supply plug in back of computer is a bit shallow and can easily pull out. This is sometimes caused by the weight of the power block hanging below. Not really a complaint but it would be nice to have a touch display option.Â
The base system is extremely expandable. I upgraded from the stock config 16gb up to 32 gb of DDR4 RAM and added a new 500gb SSD
This system I have plays the latest games at the highest settings in 1080p 60 FPS with ease , getting 30 to 40 fps at 4K . Tested Star Citizen , Assassins Creed Origins, Destiny 2, Steep, For Honor and more. I have been enjoying plugging it into my 55inch 4K display for gaming in screen mirroring mode and using a bluetooth Xbox One controller to play .
I also use multi monitors in extended display mode with creative applications like Maya Zbrush and Adobe creative suite. Once set up this is fine when spanning over to a 4K screen but I have run into complications connecting multiple screens with various resolutions. In order to read text on the built in 4k screen you are forced to enable text scaling in the Windows display options and this can sometimes conflict with certain apps and the way things look on others screens like smaller external 1080p displays.
Now this is a Windows related issue and not anything to do with the quality of the laptop. It is something specific to running a 4k screen on a notebook. If there is a way to set scaling for screens individually in windows this would be better.
Multiple 4K Display outputs like a desktop GPU (1x HDMI, 2x MiniDisplayport)
Massive expandability with 4 drive bays N2m PCIE drive support
Dependable desktop class intel i7 Skylake quad core. Latest Kabby Lake Options available
1x Thunderbolt, 1x USB 3.1C, 4x USB 3.0 (lots of connectivity)
BlueTooth, fingerprint scanner
Full size backlit keyboard
Excellent speaker system
Cons:
Heavy . 8.6 LBS heavy plus a power supply that weighs in at least 5 or 6 pounds. 13 + lbs is a lot
4K display is only 60hz
2 hours or less battery life
Power supply cord should be a bit longer and it is very heavy.
Power supply plug in back of computer is a bit shallow and can easily pull out. (common Pc laptop issue )
No Touch screen options
Limited camera options
Verdict:
The Sky X7E2 does everything I expected very well. For more casual lifestyle computing I would pick up a small hybrid tablet laptop but Ultimately the Eurocom Sky7 delivers High speed , High Power, High resolutions capabilities. It weighs a ton but I can deal because it gets the jobs done and I make a point of landing demanding jobs that are often spanned across multiple locations or traveling to do VJ performances and installations.
Here is some of the latest gear I am using in my kit rn and why.
Desktop Powered Notebook for show control and portable workstation.
Eurocom Sky Xe7 . A Portable VR / VJ Beast !
Excerpt from my latest user review,
” After researching and comparing for months I discovered a system known as a Clevo and it is also used by Canadian based builders Eurocom. These are bulky but really cool modular Notebook frames. 4 drive bays(2 are M.2 PCIe) and 4 RAM slots and a 8gb GTX 1080 GPU. Packed in with a high tech cooling system under a nice back lit full keyboard w num pad. The motherboard inside uses a PC spec CPU that is great because it costs less and runs faster than most mobile options. Also a 4k screen and the piece de resistance for a VJ all these systems have the same 3 dedicated video outputs . HDMI + Two 2 x MiniDisplayPort 1.2 . Not to mention 4 USB3 and 2 Thunderbolt!”
See the full review here:Â http://vjguy.ca/2018/01/20/user-review-notebook-workstation-eurocom-sky-xe7-clevo/ Product Link :http://www.eurocom.com/ec/configure(2,386,0)SkyX7E2
Micro Projectors
Recently I have used lots of these little mini LED projectors to great effect . If you can manage creative uses of content across multiple projectors at this size you can make projection effects nearly anywhere .
Wanting a set of 4 of these little beauties for my own kit to use on the go and for smaller creative or commercial installations. Link:Â https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1335995-REG/aaxa_technologies_mp_600_01_m6_led_pico_micro_projector.html
Ultra Short Throw Projectors
Ultra short throw units are highly purpose built for creating a surprisingly large screen when mounted from only a foot and a half away from the wall. Recently by combining up to 6Â units I have used them to create wrap around image projection rooms in witch the viewers can walk and not obscure the image.
Ill be following up with another post soon covering more details on current projector tech like Laser ,LED , Ultra Short Throw and micro projectors that will cover the bennifits and best uses for each. Link:Â http://www.projectorcentral.com/Casio-XJ-UT310WN.htm
Laser Phospor Color and Laser Hybrid Projectors
More on this in a later post but this new light source technology is nothing short of a revolution in the video projection installation world. This lampless technology makes current generation projectors last much longer without maintenance and they are far lighter and more durable as well.
360 Camera
I have been shooting all year with the Samsung Gear 360 camera . Collecting 360 footage and experiences and learning how to use the 360 view type creatively. I’ve been getting excellent time lapse 360 shots of my production jobs and it gives a great way to record the all surrounding immersive experiences that I create . Check out my 360 content online on Veer.tv. Â
Mavic Pro Drone As a first time drone owner and operator starting in 2017 and getting into aerial photography I have to say the DJI Mavic Pro has been amazing and I might have a lot more to say about it in a full review post coming soon. I have used it almost everywhere I’ve gone and pushed it in non ideal circumstances. It makes beautiful video and photos that are amazingly stable and it is a dream to fly with several useful autopilot modes. Its also super durable and I may know after having several “emergency Landings” In trees mostly .
After a year of flying and learning a lot of lessons the little guy is flying great and I am in progress of editing a video of our adventures. Look for that post and a full MavicPro review coming soon.
Wacom Intous Pro
The drawing tablet is my main input device on the computer when using creative software. It is critical for using Zbrush, Photoshop and Maya. I have worked with several models and owned the Intous 3 and 5 and now the 3 again. See my up coming Wacom review and why I prefer the Intous Pro v3 over the 4. Link :Â http://www.wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-tablets/wacom-intuos-pro-overview
Modular LED kits,
In the last few years I have been incorporating LED light systems into my staging and artistic projection mapping installations. I’ve used several controllers for LED strips from supplier Holiday Coro including the AlphaPix 3 for addressable LED strip control via Artnet . Connected to the ENTTEC DMX to USB decoder box feeding control signal from Resolume Arena or other live visual software . Link :http://www.holidaycoro.com/AlphaPix-16-Pixel-Controller-V3-p/721-v3.htm
MS Kinect The Kinect motion sensor for Microsoft Xbox1 and PC (support since discontinued) is extreemly useful when creating interactive installations and also for 3D scanning and motion tracking applications. I have been experimenting with Kinect since its release and used it in several live projects
Midi Controller
Akai MPD 226. Professional Build quality , illuminated buttons , Great for expressing yourself during VJ performances.
Trackball
I recently moved back to using a trackball instead of mouse and I like it much better. I also heavily usa a tablet and a Midi Controller when performing but the track ball is a great replacement for the mouse.
These are all key hardware components in my regular performance and day to day process.
I look forward to adding a future post about software tools .
This year Valhalla Sound Circus was the best new Festi experience for sure.
It was a pleasure being asked to do visuals and staging installs with my friend Roland there this year, located just North of Ottawa in Quebec. We worked with the Valhalla team for days on those stages to try and make them perfect for an amazing crowd of base lovers.
We added video mapping with 2x 10k Laser color WUXGA Projectors, custom built sets and controllable led lighting to both the Drakar and Thunder Ground Stage. Vj performances all weekend by Myself and Roland Csach over some of the sickest DubStep and Jungle beats you can hear while in the woods on a picturesque hillside in Quebec. The Entertainment and performances at this event were second to none with amazing aerialists and fire acts major sound and lighting . I had a great time with my Dub Step VJ sets and using some custom beat reactive effects in the video Projection mapping at Thunder Ground.
We also had some major drone fun and I am stoked to finish my edit of some footage captured and share that out.
I loved the music on the Last night at Drakar stage. The base and the vibe were simply beautiful and kept going well into the next morning.
Kudos to the Valhalla video team who did an awesome job on this recap that is just making me fully amped for next year!
I am already crafting lots of new visual treats for next summer that should really twist some necks.
As it snows here in Toronto a few days before Christmas I want to send a Big Shout out to the whole Valhalla SC team who did an incredible job bringing all the elements together that make a great festival experience.
Dragonfly Twins was a quick projection collaboration I cooked up using a very cool art piece by our friend @Thadea_decora . Some nice results after using Resolume to segment out the areas of the design and make them flow and pop. I wish I had time with this art piece to create more customized animations to do this enchanting design justice. Enjoy these insta posts with some details of the piece.
Another successful installation of the Adidas Predator AR experience .
The Predator Experience is A modified shipping container that contains an augmented projection mapping reality show . 360 video projections surround the guests who step inside the container and experience an immersive audio visual showcase of the Adidas Predator shoe brand relaunch. On top of the projection mapping all around the space, the user holds a large interactive tablet. They can view the shoes close up as AR 3D models as well as a motion captured soccer player showing off some slick soccer moves that you can interact with and activate a cool slow motion effect. Another important element of the activation is the online upload to YouTube of a short shareable video captured live from several feeds and programatically edited into one video with branded bumpers . Users would register to start and then receive this video giving them a chance to share the social media friendly activity.
Projection Mapping and AR combined for incredible digital marketing possibilities.Â
LIVEVIDEOART in L.A
Last weekend I was in L.AÂ providing projection technology and general production design consultations for the Adidas Predator shoe line launch. Working with Toronto/L.A based digital media firm Jam3, We created an amazing enclosed augmented reality that is fully surrounded by video projection mapping . Its all inside this converted shipping container and it is getting shipped all around the Continent sharing a cool futuristic experience and hyping up these sweet kicks.
This weekend it is being activated at BMO field Toronto for the MLS Cup FInal game with Toronto FC. Come say hi and see the cutting edge of interactive digital experiential marketing.
VJ REEL 2017
This is my latest showreel for Vj performances and Projection Mapping . It was a tough editing process having to dig through footage from over the last 2 years or so . I am pretty happy but there are a few parts I see now I want to fix up so I’ll likely do a final cut before posting up anywhere else. Thanks to all my supporters and clients . The Casa Loma work was done on behalf of EMD Show systems and Liberty Entertainment. Stage design work at 2 stages at Valhalla SC in collaboration with my friend and production tech stage designer partner Roland Cash . There is more detailed info on some of the projects in my past posts and some new ones to come will showcase more closely Valhalla and some more Casa 360 projection room stuff.
New 360 videos up on Veer.tv from my recent travels around festivals and shows . At Ever After I was there to shoot some footage of the Heavy Meta Dragon . I shot handheld and with my drone as well as mounting the Gear 360 camera onto and around the Dragon art car.
Heart of Gold 5 was the finale of a great party series I was happy to be part of since HOG #2 in 2012 Thanks to George and Lo Lita for bring me on to do stage visuals and some really cool custom 3d mapping effects. This year I made some flaming heart animations to go along with my steampunk heart locket screen. I think I will compile a few more in this as a set and release these clips for other people to use in projection mapping. This 360 video shows the bitter sweet final track of the night. The party title track from headliner and HHC mega star Darren Styles Heart Of Gold.
A post shared by Heavy Meta Dragon ? (@heavymetadragon) on
It has been a lot of fun this summer tagging along with the team who build Heavy Meta. Toronto’s incredible Pyrotechnical Fire Breathing Dragon Art Car has been all over ontario and the states this summer. I went to some of the events they were featured at to capture some footage of the Dragon in action. I also happened to be doing visuals at some of the events like Valhalla. I have my own interest in this awesome project though as a videographer and VJ. It is Canada’s largest “Art Car” representing down at the Burning Man festival in Nevada and it has been touring around some great events in Canada and US all summer. It’s built by friends and people I know from many years in the Toronto events scene including Producer Kevin Bracken and His Wife Marie the lead designer who I have worked with on several occasions. The team is largely made up of some impressive young women doing a majority of the work and along with some solid and crafty guys this Dragon was built with love and dedication. With all my footage I aim to put together my own mini doc showing the project and crew come together and travel the country breathing fire into some of the continents most creative and fun events. It’s been discussed and so I hope we can arrange a show perhaps next year where VjGuy Is more actively involved.
I was not able to attend Burning Man but I will be making another trip with them in September to the New York Maker faire . Until then you can still see lots from Heavy Meta because there has been so much media attention like CBC arts, Vice and Discovery Daily Planet . Some of my footage was used in this CBC Arts piece. Wishing my Meta Viking friends the best of times at the burn and a safe return home from BRC to Canada.
Stay tuned into my blog for the Full Heavy Meta follow up and mini Doc movie .
360 Timelapse of the Sunset over Ever After music festival Ontario.
Stay tuned and follow my blog for the Full Heavy Meta follow up and mini Doc .
I am heading back up to Quebec this weekend for Timeless Festival on Sept 1st. Last festi of the season and its going to be a great one . Excited to bring some mapping magic to the psychedelic playground that awaits in the woods . Thanks to my Vj pal Mr. Sun and the Timeless ORG for having me up to play.
Piling up the projects and wouldn’t let the rain be a bummer.
Spring was here and suddenly it’s Summer !
It will be hot and sticky here in Southern Ontario pretty soon and I will be fighting to keep sand out of my gear and mosquito out my ear. lol 😛
On my way up to Summer Solstice now. 1 <3
Heavy Meta Dragon Tour 2017 – My friends built a Fire Breathing Dragon Bus ! So I am following them around a bit with and camera and we will see what comes out. I started with some 360 time lapse and shots in the work shop as they completed the project and now they are touring around NA as a mobile music stage and epic fire art attraction. Ultimate destination is Burning man later this summer and . Wishing my viking dragon riders a great journey this year .
(Hyperborea- Ontario Regional Burn)
(Ever After Music Fest – Waterloo)
(Valhalla Music Circus- Quebec bass fest)
Festivals :
Solstice Gathering 2017Â Mon June 19th – 25th – Collingwood Ontario
Vj Guy + Guests  projection mapping Stage installation at Spore in the forest of this blissful members only community gathering. Will be sharing some art and photos so come back.
Valhalla Sound Circus– Quebec – July 13th to 17 - http://valhallasoundcircus.com/
Performing guest VJ sets and working with friend Roland Cash as Video installation technician. Media and AV team.
Eclipse Festival Quebec – August 3rd to 7th – So many great artists and friends all in one place 10 hrs from Toronto. Not performing but I might make it for the good times with friends. http://www.eclipsefestival.com/
Aerial Update and Tips:
Flying the Mavic Pro has been fun . I am looking for more purpose in my flying now and going up with intention and good planning to get shots I am looking for and have safe flights. I have had a few crashes loosing a couple props and having to replace an arm on the drone too. But the thing is very durable and I hope all future landings will be intentional as well after learning many good lessons and training a bit with other pilots. The video and photos I am getting are fantastic tho and I have taken to shooting with a drone very well . I am interested now in getting into more commercial applications and so I am beginning applications for several shoots and areas I want to fly for filming.
I hope to serve some high end real estate clientele as well as maybe get into survey and data collection for various industry that are using drones. I am coining the new operation SGP360.
I have acquired new accessories for the drone :
ND Filter set – better color in bright sunlight
Prop cages (for risky flight situations to protect props and any objects it may come into contact with.
Landing Gear (Highly recommended for everyone)
Hard Case for travel and camping
Got a micro drone to play with for fun
Creating VR Experiences with 360 sphere cam and 3d CGI worlds:
I am trying to get extra creative with VR and make some art that spans across multiple media and can exist in multiple forms. Stay tunes to see my new digital art experiment combining my digital illustrations and 3D renders into VR and 360 cam captures scenes.
Panorama editor
If you want to insert images into 360 scenes they need to be warped into the proper lens distortion shape so it works in the 360 panorama . This tool does that and lots of other cool stuff. http://hugin.sourceforge.net/
Thanks to this blog, Here is a basic tutorial on how to insert logos into 360 videos by warping a normal image like a into a spherical distortion that can be layered on your edits. This is best for placing a non intrusive logo at the bottom or top of the scene that also hides the tripod or other mount. http://360rumors.blogspot.ca/2016/07/technique-fast-and-easy-way-to-add-logo.html
This is the FREE application that will deform your images that I used since I don’t have the Photoshop plug in.
Keep up with my Instagram to see whats going on day to day in VJ land.
March Break saw another theme event for the kids and family at Casa Loma and we created a Medieval knights and dragons visual experience in combination with other exhibits and demonstrations and performances around the castle. I was asked again to create a projection mapping effect for the room we have set up at the end of the tunnel.
This time I had nothing to go on except a vague style guide and some stock content the client requested . I ended up creating a full 3D castle scene and added flying dragon that put the viewers inside  and on top of a story book castle while the fearsome dragon fly by and then the Hero returns at the gates to fight another day.  The animations were very simple but cartoony and light so it looked good, the 3d motion and sound assisted making  convincing and impressive effect.
I ended the scene with some great flaming wall sconces filling the room. I used them throughout the tunnel as well adding to the medieval atmosphere projecting into just the right places with our mini projectors on the articulating arm mounts.
Beauty and the beast Trailer and Character projection mapping . #beourguestto
I was again responsible for the Projection mapping effects for this major theme event at Casa Loma. It was exciting and challenging to work for such a high profile client as Disney and the new Beauty and the Beast remake. I think the results were pretty fantastic and the Castle saw record numbers of people come through for this 4 day event over Family day weekend . Here is a great spot about the show from our friends at Space.ca who came to visit. It was the forst night and I happened to be there when the crew came through and made sure they had a great experience.
Christmas finally came for me when the Machine Gods bestowed upon me the great DJI Mavic Pro (AMAZING)
Mavic Pro Drone As a first time drone owner and operator starting in 2017 and getting into aerial photography I have to say the DJI Mavic Pro has been amazing . I have used it almost everywhere I’ve gone and pushed it in non ideal circumstances like cold weather , mist and high wind and it has been amazing for the most part . It makes beautiful video and photos that are amazingly stable and is a dream to fly . Its also super durable and I may know after having several “emergency Landings” In trees mostly . The propellers are easy to change and drone repair was of one arm was also not expensive. The one thing I think is a con on this system is the fact that you have to use a separate smart device in the controller to have a screen and advanced flight features. I would recommend anyone wanting the best experience from the Mavic to buy a specific smart device that is not a phone like a small tablet to use with the controller instead of attaching your personal phone each time you fly. I have found that using my actual phone that I make calls on to be problematic and inconvenient but it is a small compromise considering all the other amazing features are packed into this Drone.
This Christmas season at the Casa I was asked to create some Wrap around projections for the room at the end of the tunnel under the stable. We used the Vioso Wings show control and projection mapping Media Server system we had for Legends and 6 short throw Casio projectors in the basement of Casa Loma stable building.
We were given a limited amount of pre-cut Spin Master source content to work with and also had to activate other areas of the tunnel . I was able to come up with this idea of re cutting one of the cartoons to play out all around the room. I Re created an episode of Paw Patrol in a ultra wide room wrap around composition. I cut the action scenes from the 11 minute Christmas cartoon and edited it into a 4 minute wrap around paw patrol adventure room.
This effect is a seamless Horse Shoe Shape 270° Projection Mapped room using 6 short throw projectors ceiling mounted on fast rail clamped to the support beams around the room.
This project ran throughout a month long holiday installation presented by Liberty and Spin Master.
I delivered projection mapping , installation, visual design & content production for EMD Show systems and Spin Master – Â Paw Patrol Saves Santa
It should be a cool event (forgive the pun) when we have it all together on stage at MOD club this Friday !
