Video
Marcell Marias has been working with video and music since the 1980’s. He has produced music videos, documentaries, mock commercials, and video installations. He has also performed as a VJ in Funky Photons, playing various gigs including the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Bellevue Arts Museum, and many club gigs in Seattle.
His current focus is upon integrating synchronized visuals into live electronic music performances. Funky Photons is also being resurrected, with new projection screen designs and new Modul8 software.
Sculpture Dimensions:
H. 3m x W. 3m D. 1m
Weight: 22.5 Kg
The project was initially inspired by a number of things including a book, The Art of the Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht, video mapping art, and the desire to make an interactive, audiovisual installation.
After being awestruck by the beauty of the photographs in the book, I contacted Kenneth Libbrecht, a Caltech Physicist, and asked for permission to use some of his photos in an art project.
At the same time I was researching video mapping and gained knowledge of the Mapping Festival in Geneva. I saw some amazing installation and performance documentations, which further inspired me to start a video mapping project. I wanted to map complex shapes and the snowflakes were a perfect complement.
Mr. Libbrecht kindly granted me permission to use his snowflake photos and I was on my way to masking and animating them. I also used 3 snowflake shapes to make the 13 aluminum snowflakes which comprise the projection surfaces.
For the sculpture I decided to use aluminum, as it is lightweight and light in color. Modularity was important, so all parts bolt together easily with 1/4″ bolts and wing nuts. I incorporated a tripod stand using the two lower legs so it can be freestanding, but I also made two lower legs without extensions so the sculpture can be hung. All the surfaces of the aluminum snowflakes were sanded so it looks like frost grew on them, and the radiating support arms were also sanded.
The snowflake photos were animated in Modul8 and exported as Quicktime movies into After Effects, where corresponding snowflake shapes were used as masks. These movies were then imported into Modul8 and used as the main visual components. A full frame mask of the snowflake array was made and adjusted, vector by vector, as the mask was projecting on the actual sculpture. This mask was used as the main output mask over the animated snowflake layers in Modul8, which then projected onto the snowflake shapes of the sculpture.
The projector I decided to use was a Canon SX50 for its higher 1400×1050 resolution and its fine LCoS panels. This is mounted on a heavy duty Bogen tripod, but can be ceiling-mounted for installation.
My intent from the beginning was to make this an interactive piece, so I incorporated midi-triggering of music sequences along with the video clips. The music used in this video is my song “Eye” from my “Positive Energy Revolution” release. Tracks containing drums, bass, synths, and effects were laid out in Ableton Live and mapped onto buttons of a 64-button MIDI controller. Then the same button mapping was used to control the corresponding snowflake animations in Modul8. This triggering of both music and video clips at the same time makes for a very interactive, immersive and fun display of complex video mapping art.
I hope everyone enjoys this and I wish to share this with as many people as I can. I will also continue to develop other designs, expand upon the interactivity if pieces, and push the boundaries of this exciting art form.
This is a performance of an Interactive Audiovisual Installation with original music and visuals by Marcell Marias.
The Snowflake Mapping Project consists of a modular aluminum sculpture, video projector, and visuals and music triggered live. The performer plays the audio and video simultaneously with a 64-button MIDI controller, whereby the video is mapped onto the aluminum snowflake shapes, and the audio plays through active monitors.
The snowflake shapes originated from photographs taken by Caltech Physicist Kenneth Libbrecht and used by permission. I also animated and effected the snowflake photos in order to achieve all the imagery that is mapped onto the aluminum shapes. The original photos are amazing and can be seen at SnowCrystals.com
This video shows a demo of the Vortexya Video Kaleidoscope, built by Marcell Marias. The video feedback works on the same principle as audio feedback, where a microphone is placed in front of a speaker which carries the amplified mic signal and a howling feedback occurs.
Video feedback works on the same principle, where a camera is pointed at a monitor which carries the camera’s signal. The camera in the VVK has been modified to over-saturate the colors, providing for a smooth, very colorful display.
The monitor can be turned left and right, changing the angular relationship between the camera and monitor, and therefore the shape of the feedback. By altering the tint, saturation and brightness of the monitor in real-time, the feedback signal is further morphed.
The camera’s zoom control also allows the user to zoom into the feedback, drastically changing the patterns. Interrupting the feedback signal by putting hands or other objects between the camera and the monitor also allows for intricate interactivity.
Using a combination of all of these controls and interaction, an infinite variety of kaleidoscopic patterns can be achieved intuitively.
This is a short teaser video of Marcell Marias performing a live set at Circus Flaminius on March 19th, 2011 at Club Motor in Seattle. Marcell is joined by dancers Madisun Ave. and Roxie Moxie for this Burners Without Borders benefit.
The performance included new material composed for this show and performed on Ableton Live 8 with APC40 controller. Audio was recorded with mono mic on camera so it’s not ideal.
Marcell Marias live, featuring Henta on vox, at Black Rock Equinox IV. Tiger Lounge, Seattle. This was a Burners Without Borders benefit show.
After several days of challenging production, we have completed Henta’s first music video. We mixed existing DV footage of original natural visuals with HDV footage of Henta singing and it was definitely a great learning experience to get it all working properly. We hope you enjoy it. To learn more about Henta, go to Hentamusic.com
Marcell Marias performs original compositions in surround sound at Total Immersion II – Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, Seattle, June 13, 2009.
Using Ableton Live, Reaktor 5 and ReMote SL25 for control, he bathed the audience in moving, circling sound, while three screens of original visuals served as optic stimuli.
This video includes excerpted clips with a stereo mix of the full quad performance. Henta joins Marias for the song “Lotus”.
Video of a Henta & Marias performance at Total Immersion II, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, Seattle, June 13th 2009.
This was a live quad surround performance mixed to stereo in this video.
Total Immersion II featured 3 screens of visuals and some of Seattle’s top electronic music producers and performers, including David Miles Huber, Ludington GT, StringStation (Jim Bartz), Henta & Marcell Marias.
For more information about Henta & Marias please visit www.myspace.com/hentaandmarias
Henta performing LIVE with Marcell Marias in a magical and immersive surround sound concert at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, Seattle, on June 13th 2009. Featuring songs from ‘Daisy Dancing’ and her new album ‘Laserium for the Soul’ (to be released in August), together with a special performance with StringStation. Other performers on the night were David Miles Huber and Ludington GT.
Henta & Marias were using Ableton Live, Reaktor 5 and ReMote SL25 for control and their original visuals were projected onto 3 huge screens.
This video includes excerpted clips with a stereo mix of the full quad performance.
Henta and Marias performing “Falling” and “Lovedub” live.
This was a mock commercial for Poptent, where Marcell shot and edited the footage. Original Zorbeez jingle composed and performed by Henta, who also did the voiceover. This was a fun experiment to see what can be done with something so ridiculous as a piece of cloth, within a set time length, and with original catchy jingle music.
