Set Layout #2

After working a very long time on fixing the wobble on the existing video footage, I managed to get my hands on a really good lazy suzan, thanks heaps to Simon.

This was the layout of my new set.  You'll notice that I dispensed with the lighting tent concept, mostly because you couldn't really see what was in the jars very clearly and really, a few shiny lights on the jar edges aren't that big of a deal.

Jar Set Shoot #1

Here is the layout of the first set built to create my jar animations.

I tried to incorporate the concept of the lighting tent but due to a lack of a lazy susan (and not wanting to pay $40 for one) I went budget.  It involves, a curled up piece of paper for background (without edges), a metal frame drilled and fixed to a plastic breadboard, a platform made of a sticky-tape dispenser inside, a shoelace, 3CD's, tape a Blu-tak (shown below) which attaches via a drilled hole in the breadboard surrounded by another CD, baking paper wrapped round the top and sides and three spotlights tied to my tripod with shoelaces above the baking paper.

Jar within my lighting tent.

Side-view showing curled paper backdrop.

Close-up of the rotating platform (with 10 degree outline for still movie test.

My home made "lazy suzan".

The resultant video produced with this method left a lot to be desired, particularly from a wobble perspective.  I'll post the video, and what it looked like after post soon...

On a side note, this video is of one of the jars but using still images rather than video... You can see my template with every 10 degrees showing but worth a look anyway:

Uses of Canopic Jars | eHow.com

I was looking at formaldehyde and jars and came across the Egyptian use of Canopic Jars...

Uses of Canopic Jars | eHow.com

Test Cycle of iPod Jar

Here is a test animation showing a jar rotation.

What to jar next?

I'd like a larger jar to enclose a miniDV cassette and something that will take the 2.5 inch external hard drive.

Still not sure what to place in the pickle jar and the two original baby food jars...  I'd like to capture gaming... maybe a DVD would work, or BlueRay though I don't have any of those.

I'd love to purchase a broken/damaged iPhone (since they are very topical atm) but is it worth the money on such a project?

Filling jars & making new ones...

So, the jars from last night have been topped up with Gelatine.  They look relatively good, except I am worried that the phone jar has too much of a colour difference despite my attempts to ensure a smooth blend.

Some new additions to the collection include:

• USB key
• Oil (actually vegemite)
• Micro SD card

Complete set as at today, above.

Complete set as at today, front.

Untethered Jars (In progress)

The jars that were created last night have successfully set and look good. Now to top up the gaps... Here is what they look like now:

iPod Shuffle w/ headphones

XBox communicator

Nokia phone

Film roll

In Progress... New Items in Jars

Here is a shot of some not yet set items in jars...

Cleaned Jars

After Washing, removing stickers, and removing paint from lids, here are my new, clean specimen jars...  My finger tips hurt from all the sanding and scouring.

Cleaned, empty jars.

Potential items to be placed in jars...

Roll of film

Mobile Phone - thanks to 3 Mobile @ANU

Mini Photographic Keepsakes

iPod Remote plus Headphones

Original iPod Shuffle

SD and USB storage

iPod 3G accessories

Additonal Jar Collection

Jars of various shapes and sizes yet all maintaining a basic clean shape.

Now, to empty, clean and strip the paint from the lids...

Oh, and a special thanks to David for helping with the selections.

[AJ] Australian Journey's Work Proposal - Jarred Objects

Aims/subject of the proposal

• What is the nature of the work you are proposing?

The work will be a set of nine 360 degree photographed objects, each held in glass jars suspended in liquid.  These jars will have fake specimen tags adding to their "authenticity".  These photographs will be presented as spinning objects within a browser.

• What is the subject matter of the work?

Drawing on the 360 degree views of items presented in the Australian Journey's Shoebox and my fascination with the jarred mud and sea creatures done on the Antarctic mission, and just generally with scientists historically taking specimens, this work will make comment on modern life now as the jarred items will include electronic and common household objects.

• How many works do you intend to produce for this project?

There will be one web page presented with these nine objects shown in a standard 3x3 grid, possibly spinning based on the mouse-over event.  Optionally, it would be fun if such spinning could be accelerated depending on user interaction, ie. fast or slow mouse-over.

Research/working process

• What's the historical or conceptual basis for your ideas?

History shows that we take specimens of existing objects for later study.  Within the Australian Journey's exhibit, you not only see evidence of this with the jarred objects, but with the entire "jarred" set of cases, holding, coins, dresses, wool, instruments, etc.

• How will you go about developing these ideas, and what visual material and other research will be involved?

 As a commentary on modern life, as if these items were found and jarred in the future, the objects will have a technological focus, highlighting the irony of placing electronic things in liquid.  Themes include communication, entertainment, technology,   Such items include:

1. a mobile phone (Nokia 8210)
2. an original iTalk iPod attachment
3. an XBox wireless headset
4. a post-it note with a shopping list written on it.
5. iPod headphones
6. a Micro-SD or SD card.
7. Concept of LCD TV printed onto Acetate or Tracing Paper to have an opaque object.
8. -
9. -

* Q. I'm looking for feedback and other ideas in regard to what items could be included. 

Methods and materials

• What methods and materials do you intend to use?

Cleaned Jars
Objects suspended using Gelatin.
Software options:

1. Using Nuke, model the jar and use 3D projection to build a 3D view of the object and use a camera to circle the object.
2. Using the photos themselves, present as a sequential image animation.

Background, etc.  Should be well-lit, all encompasing white background.

* Q. Is the 3D projection idea overkill?

* Q. How would such a bright environment be achieved?

• What new skills do you need to develop?

1. 3D Projection, ties in with my Digital Compositing complimentary.
2. Advance roll-over effect withing the browser... possibly using JQuery, as learned in first year.

Timeframe

• Give an outline and plan of your work in relation to the time available.

Week 3 - Have objects within jars, photographed with labels, etc.
Week 4 - Test 3D projection concept with photos and/or
Week 5 - Webpage setup and layout complete.
Week 6 - Mouse-over functionality introduced.
Week 7 - Review.

* Q. Does this seem reasonable?

Visual Materials

• Provide drawings, diagrams, related visual and research material which may be useful in developing your proposal.

Within the article, Making of Australian Journey's (8 October 2008), senior curator Martha Sear, stated:

"... amazing scientific material gathered on the voyage including – I think this is our favourite named object in the gallery - assorted sea gunk. It is stuff that was trawled up from the bottom of the ocean by the expedition and put in a jar. We have the jar, and you can see the little shrimps and strange creatures that were found under the sea."

Jar containing mud and sea residue.

Test Jar Image #1

Test Jar Image #2

Deadlines

• You should prepare a full-length detailed draft for discussion by the end of week one of semester, and the final version for approval by the end of week 2.

[AJ] Australian Journey's Exhibition @ NMA

NMA - Australian Journey's Exhibit

We visited the Australian Journey’s exhibit on Friday.

The exhibits that stood out were:

1. Maps. The simplicity and unique nature of the diagrams.  Also the story about the equator being too hot to cross and that religion said that beasts found past the equator would be an abomination.  I like the words, looks like latin.  Could the map be animated or manipulated in some way?  Could I make an Australian/Southern map with similar aspects.  NMA Four World Maps Collection

2. Jars of mud and sea creatures.  I could make my own jars… I’m thinking clear liquid with a leaf, a flower, a blade of grass… photographed and represented in a 3D perspective, using some kind of 3D Model plus projection.

3. Musical Instruments - Make a website where you can play those instruments.  Alternatively, try to research heavily the olive-oil tin that was used by the guy for his instrument.  Looking up its history instead.