Klarinet Archive - Posting 000550.txt from 2005/03

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Conducting without a baton
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 10:24:31 -0500


Tony Pay wrote,
>It might be worth posting here something I wrote
>a few years ago, about the possibility of constructing
>a 'conducting machine'.
>
>I hoped at the time that someone -- perhaps a Sibelius
>programmmer -- might take up the challenge of
>programming it, and I contacted them, but didn't
>push very hard. If anyone is interested in collaborating
>with me on the project, I would be interested. (Only
>talented programmers need apply:-)

I'm not volunteering, because I lack the technical expertise you need. I
think the people at Sibelius probably don't know how to do what you want,
either, but perhaps you or they could work with people who design special
effects for movies. If you wanted a mechanical conductor -- a robot --
then you could contact people who design monsters for in-camera live action
effects, for movies such as the "Jurassic Park" and "Star Wars" series.

However, a digital conductor would be far more affordable and more
flexible. Kerry Conran's "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" (2004,
available on a 2005 DVD) uses digital technology that I think could work
for you. (I'm in the process of reviewing the DVD for "Scarlet Street.")
The movie looks similar to a colorized 1930s movie. The graphic design
echoes rotogravure lobby cards from that era. Conran shot all of the
performances against blue screen on a soundstage. All of the locations,
many of the props and some of the characters are digital and some of them
are interactive. The people who do the things you want are still inventing
their job titles, including digital modelmakers, effects animators, digital
effects artists, digital compositors, render-wranglers, tracker-matchmovers
and 3D matchmovers, though older techniques such as rotoscoping are still
in use as well. The DVD includes a good background feature on the making
of the movie. The two commentary tracks are terribly repetitive, alas, but
if you can sit through them, they'll also give you an idea of how movie
special effects technicians might be able to implement what you want. I'm
sending you the credits list privately. It includes dozens of people with
the relevant job titles.

Another option that I know less about might be to contact video game
designers.

Lelia Loban
I'm out of my mind right now, but please leave a message.

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