September 26, 2007
October 23, 2007
PRESENTATION CRITIQUE
Watching myself give last week's presentation, was excruciatingly painful. I even hate hearing my own high-pitched voice over answering machine. The positive notes are that I was decently dressed, as I usually always try to look at my best or at least professional before any presentation and it was overall much better than any other presentation I have recently given. I have to say that I wasn't trying to present my thesis idea, as I thought it was an exercise more focused on the actual presentation skills than anything else. Given that disclaimer, I did a slightly better job than expected and although I had rehearsed a million times, I am starting to believe that I do a better job when I haven't rehearsed than when I have, as improvisation when I used to perform was what I did best. Now, to the negative notes: my voice doesn't seem very well modulated or controlled as my emotions highly transpire and I never seem to look confident enough. I did do a decent enough job not to look at the screen too often, but I also don't seem to engage in truthful and sincere eye contact since I sort of glance over people. I think I sound competent and experienced but my tone is fairly boring and my body language very uncomfortable. There is definitely more room for betterment and maybe repeating in front of a mirror was what made this presentation slightly better than the past.
November 04, 2007
PERFORMANCE AND POSSIBLE THESIS IDEA
CONCEPT
For the rest of this semester, and possibly the next one as well, I have a very ambitious plan. And if this experiment goes well, then I might have a good starting point for my thesis.
I plan on creating a multimedia performance piece that includes dance, sound and video inside an interactive environment.
The major elements of this performance are:
1. The dance choreography I am writing now, which will be hopefully a product of collaboration between me and dancer/choreographer Lucia Nicolussi Perego from Italy together with the Compagnia Era Acquario, which i was a part of until 2000.
2. The audio piece that takes natural sounds (rain, earthquakes, waves) together with local South East Asian percussions (tablas and drums) and manipulates them through scientific algorithms (the Tsunami algorithm for example) and through the use of live data feeds from website such as NOAA or USGS.
3. The video or still imagery, which i am going to leave for last, will include wall projections or projections on fabric, of natural elements, buildings and water, to dynamically create a set and a stage without resorting to traditional methods.
4. The interactive environment will include a few hidden switches and clues for the dancer to manipulate the lights, audio or video in order to have full control over parts of the performance, while leaving breathing room for improvisation as well. It could be a wearable device as well as a piece of software responsible for the interactivity.
WHAT I WOULD WANT FROM YOU:
- Feedback and criticism;
- Help in writing grant proposals, maybe finding grants, and finding a venue for this performance;
- Any type of scientific or art related resources;
- If anyone wants to help, please!!