Boxx

I got it, I got it! I've been putting it together........ time to go hook up my dual monitor!

Tecknikart Magazine

It's a little late but today I received my copy of the December issue of Tecknikart magazine featuring images from my Dermal Display animation. Click here to read (and see a larger image).

Cryonics magazine feature!

Okay so I knew this was coming but I didn't want to lead on until I received a copy for myself. Alcor's publication "Cryonics" magazine has a special issue (Winter 2006) that just came out devoted to the relationship between nanotechnology and cryonics. They asked if they could do a feature on me regarding my interest in both of those topics and my art and animation work, in particular my Dermal Display animation. Click here to read the feature.

Snakie (or Mr. Snake)

Still trying to determine if I am okay with using my current Sony Handicam and other resources for Television greenscreen work. Today I decided to try another green screen test run. The last two were so unsatisfactory that it would have taken me eons to manually animate points around my subject. This time instead of using my green screen I used a neon green poster board that I clipped to a closet door. I decided to use the poster board because the color was so much brighter than my actual green screen. I also took some good advice to heart and used a flood light on the poster board. For my subject I used a knitted snake puppet that I made a while back (there you go Lady K!). Remember that Mom! I had to find just the right position, and this was somewhat difficult, a matter of precision really, trying to keep the puppet close enough to the greenscreen to avoid creating shadows (which I knew would cause problems later), but on the other hand if the puppet was too far away from the green screen the light wouldn't be on him and he would be too dark. So there I am, one snake handed with the camera on it's tripod just far enough away that I have to stretch my free hand over the flood light cord as far as my legs and body can possibly stretch (what a sight that must have been, sorry no footage of that). I had the camera screen facing me so that I could make sure I didn't create a shadow or move myself accidentally into the shot. After I reached far enough to hit that little tiny record button on the other side of the camera I kept my eye on the screen and did my puppet movement and voice bit but I had to monitor so closely (and keep myself positioned so perfectly) that I am a little nervous as to how I am going to shoot movie length material of a subject(s) without a problem (which I will need to do for that big project I keep mentioning to you). I think I will have to run another human test with the new set up. Anyway when I was done I set up a composite scene in my program, imported the footage and applied a linear keyer to it, I dragged that tolerance bar and immediately I knew it was golden! I then had some grey residue left over from where the green was but when I moved the clean up bar, zap, all gone! This is how it should be! Okay, time to get up and dance! Then I made a background magazine image just to have something interesting to show you (since this was just an experimental piece) and fit with the footage you saw in the first Mr. Snake mini movie. Click here to go see the MOVIE!
My only remaining question here is, if I can get rid of the greenscreen with a human model, will I be able to render out to a quality (size & res) that is acceptable for television (with the cam)?

Lifeboat

On March 15, 2006 KurzweilAI.net reported that Robert A. Freitas Jr., my collaborator on the Dermal Display animation was awarded the 2006 Guardian award (click here to be re-directed). Lifeboat contacted me to let me know as they included my work and link in their release. You can read it here.

Fast and the Furious

There is a Boxx Tech workstation on the way and I can't wait!! But I'm going to have to... I'll keep you updated. I'm so excited.