Journal entry: 11-12-01

Final Project: Projected Image
I plan to hang a window near a wall. As a viewer walks up to the window their image gets projected on to the window. I can use a webcam to capture the image and a Sony projector to project the image. I also would like to distort the image somehow. The distortion can happen digitally or as the image get projected. I like the idea of using a filter on the projector because the image will be softer and more organic instead of being digitally rendered.
The audience for this piece would be people walking through a space (gallery). Images displayed could be either single static images or live feed images. The images might be of 1 or more persons, depending on what was in the field of view. If I use static images it would mean having to use a computer and Director. I would be conveying a moment in time. Some of the viewers would not realize they had their pictures taken, this adds to the freshness of the piece. However, I could use streaming video, so that the image changed constantly as people moved in and out of the field of view. This could be very interesting used in conjunction with the filter. The filter could also be moving creating different images. This could invoke more interactions with the piece by the audience.
The interaction with the piece would be different depending on which direction I pursue. If the image is static on the window but being changed due to the filter, the audience might view it as an ever-changing single image, which they look at, contemplate and walk away from. However, if I use live feed from the web cam, the interaction changes drastically. I would think that the audience would be more inclined to stand in front of the window longer while moving about as the projected image distorts and changes with them.
I have always The user will have no real control of the piece but will be interacting with it by moving around and watching their image change depending on the where they are and how the filter is moving. If the image being projected is static then the user might try to recapture a new image of them, since the first image projected was take while they were unaware. If the image being projected is live video, the user will interact with what they are watching by moving around in front of the window.
Constraints of the viewer are important to be considered. This piece is most definitely about seeing. Not just the projected image but the window itself. The fact that a window is the canvass of the projected the image invokes the idea of looking out at something. Each person will bring their own experiences and ideas of windows with them as they look at themselves in a different way. This piece would not have the same impact if the user has little experience with windows or seeing images of themselves. I do not expect for the user to be touching the piece. Though they may be drawn to the frame of the window. The window frame will be from an old house and have a rustic feel to it. The window itself will not move. The movement of the user could help enhance their experience, but is not necessary for them to have an interesting interaction because a filter will be placed over the projector and will be moving slightly to distort the image.