Week 8
Let’s talk about colour theory! I have been reading “If it's purple, someone's Gonna Die: The Power of color in visual storytelling” by Bellatoni (2017) to determine how to incorporate color theory knowledge into my projection designs. Essentially, Bellatoni uses her research and experience to demonstrate the power behind colors as it relates to emotion, reaction, and awareness – predominantly from a Western perspective.
According to Bellatoni, in storytelling “bright red is like visual caffeine” while “steel blue and dark indigo are associated with intellect”. Her (surface-level) analysis is accompanied by visual references and thinking prompts which has been a helpful starting point – prior to playing with Adobe Colors to determine potential palettes for Assignment #1.
In addition, I had the opportunity to connect with Alex Kurina, an award-winning designer and media artist from Toronto. I was able to chat about his past-projection work and best practices moving forward for myself. Key takeaways from our conversation include:
Projections of complex shapes with a single projector may be difficult to achieve and therefore playing with “flat” or 2D designs would be an ideal starting point.
Be cautious of shadows as they may alter your design
Projectors with more luminance are easier to operate with and provide a level of clarity needed with detailed design work.
Practice, practice, practice! This will be a process of trial and error (and oh boy wasn’t he right!)
Projection as a tool for activism #5
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Projection as a tool for activism #5 〰️
In 2021, the United Nations Climate Change Conference commonly referred to as COP26 was held at the SEC Centre in Glasgow, Scotland. A group of 10 activists including Shale Must Fall, Gastivists, and Climate Camp Scotland projected messages such as “Clean gas is a dirty lie”, “Cut methane now”, and “ban-fracking now”.
Shortly after, when the employees with the official venue projection team noticed what was happening – they tried to counter and drown out the messaging by adding rainbow backdrops, which only brought further attention to the original messaging. Unauthorized projections clash with authorized projections!
Photo by Graeme Eddolls
References
Bellantoni, P. (2017). If it's purple, someone's Gonna Die: The Power of color in visual storytelling. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
McGrath, D. (2021, November 16). COP26 projectionists engage in projection mapping battle. AV Magazine. Retrieved April 18, 2022, from https://www.avinteractive.com/news/projection/cop26-protesters-clash-official-venue-projectionists-projection-fight-16-11-2021/