[LAU] interactive performance

[drew Roberts]

On Monday 23 June 2008 16:57:05 Atte André Jensen wrote:
> Hi
>
> I just brainstormed with a friend and came up with the idea of
> integrating the audience in my chuck based electronica performance. All
> of the music is parameterized anyways, and since chuck understands OSC,
> I thought this might not be so difficult. I do realize that it's not
> easy though, especially since I have no experience with this.
>
> So I'm looking for some way to let the audience affect "something" that
> sends data to chuck (preferably by osc). Hopefully something that'll
> allow a crows (at least more than a handful) of people to interact in a
> way that they can actually recognize they're in fact affecting the
> music, although no in a precise, "solo-instrumentalist" kind of way,
> more of a collective gesture.
>
> I googled a bit, but didn't hit anything useful (maybe because I don't
> know how to ask), so did anyone here try something similar? Any tips,
> hints, software, approaches, not-tos, links, whatever would be highly
> appreciated.
>
> Anyways a few thoughts:
>
> 1) Something that reads from an usb-device and sends OSC would (I think)
> be easiest to handle.
>
> 2) I keep coming back to a web-cam based solution, since it's easy to
> carry and setup + all tweaking is done in software, as opposed to
> building some huge, DIY hardware controller. We already have a VJ, so e
> could project some of the input to provide visual feedback to the audience.

The first idea I had when you mentioned a cam was to have some way to 
determine the density of people in the view and change a musical parameter 
based on that.

Or the brightness of the are in view?

Or motion in certain defined regions?

Sounds like it could result in fun.

Or the colours in view... Blue and the music mellows out, red and things get 
jumping?
>
> 3) Another possibility is using some of the other ready-to-use,
> mass-produced (= cheap) controllers readily available, like a dance-mat
> (although that is limiting the amount of people able to interact with
> the system at the same time). Are there any obvious devices I should
> look into?

all the best,

drew