Final Project so far...

Well, I've just been steady adding more and more movie clips to my project. Right now, there are 12 that work, but I guess 14 in total (2 are not completely labeled). As it stands right now, I'm still planning to add music/sounds to each clip in order to complement the visual atmosphere with audio. The original plan was to try and add the music in the same way that I did for the movies, in that the user would be able to scrub back and forth through the movie and the audio clip at the same time and in the same fashion. However, there's probably no way to do this - or at least I haven't figured it out, so I'm still contemplating the way in which I'm going to add sound. So the project is just at a stage of more clips - steady building...

New sound project - Radiohead-Nude(REMIX)

I essentially wanted to make a program that was a lot like my intro piece - where different shapes would react to mouse events and play audio while doing so. I wanted all of the audio clips to be able to form together to make a complete composition, but also one that would be (relatively) unique. As far as the audio clips, I chose to use the separate tracks that Radiohead released to the public for a remix contest for their song "Nude." I figured that users could "remix" the song by activating and deactivating the shapes. Four of the five samples take a minute before they start playing sound, just click the shape to start and roll over them to stop - just be patient. Oh, and I wanted the sound to be the raw AIFF files so that quality was not lost...but there's apparently not enough space for the school's network drive, and so these samples are now really poor quality.

(Note: When you click each shape, each of the individual "stems" begin to play...you have to wait to hear anything from some of them so be patient...Also when you roll the mouse over them, they stop...The trick is to be patient and keep the different elements playing for a while - that's when it really starts to feel like a "remix")

Zoundz TOY

Yeah, this thing basically represents the essence of interactivity - things change when you move different elements, and lights also flash according to different factors (all of which are more or less controlled by the user). This is the future of everything - minimal design and pure interactivity - I am convinced entirely. In this state, the Zoundz model is marketed as simply a toy - in essence it is. Here is a review from Amazon.com:

Zizzle Zoundz

Zoundz is a fantastic interactive digital audio sculpture that uses movable pawn-like pieces on a base to create an infinite variety of original musical compositions accompanied by pulsing light shows. There are seven pieces to place on different sound-and-light hot spots. Each piece has a distinctive shape and color: Six pieces play three different riffs, depending on the hot spot that triggers them; the seventh piece records and plays anything, even your voice. Move the pieces to generate rainbow colors and other-worldly music for a total sensory experience that you control! Touch-sensitive buttons on the base bend and blend the sounds, changing volume, tempo, echo and reverb.Other features include a jack for playing your iPod or MP3 through its built-in speakers, with light show entertainment. There also is an alarm clock; set it to wake up to your original composition! Base is 9" x 7". Runs on 4 AA batteries (order separately). 90-day warranty. Ages 5 years and up.

Amazon Price: $57.99 (as of 04/08/2008)

I also want to point out the iPod interactivity as well, as it too exemplifies a new standard thkat has been added again and again to American toys. Ever since the advent of the iPod media player, more and more products are being modeled around sound, as well as the integration of A/V feeds into mass-marketed products that now range from automobiles to remote-controlled robots. This toy caught my attention right at first because of the colors and lights - initially - and then the overall design and concept made me reconsider its design in a number of ways. Here is an advertisement for Zoundz:

Audio Intro

The flash assignment that I created with audio is essentially just the intro to my labyrinth final project. To go along with the project, I kept the design very minimal. The user is presented with just an anonymous orange shape - a hexagon. When the user mouses over the shape, it begins to spin slowly and play a loop from a song entitled "Corsair" from Boards of Canada's Geogaddi album (which is brilliant by the way). When the user mouses off the hex, it promptly stops motion as well as audio. When clicked, the hexagon spins out and fades away, as well as the sound (which took longer to figure out then it should've). Once this event occurs, the first clip of my labyrinth pops down. After making this intro, I feel that I have to add audio to the rest of my project in the future.