Setup IN SPACE T h e f ir st c a m e ra is at t ac h e d a b ove t h e c e ntre of th e sp ac e, a bsolute m inim u m is 4,8 0 m ete r s. T h e sof t wa re is a b le to a na lise seve ra l b e h av io u r s of th e v isi to r ‘s m ovem e nt th ro u g h th e v ide o info r m atio n p rov i d e d by th e c a m e ra: t h e p ositio n, fo r wa rd o r bac k wa rd dire ctio n a n d sp e e d of m ove m e nt, of f-a x is a n g le of th e v isi to r s s h o uld e r s etc. T h e sp e ci f ic a ll y d evelop p e d sof twa re is p ro g ra m m e d w i t h t h e so c a lle d bac kg ro u n d-subtractio n te c h ni qu e to a na l yse m ove m e nts: t h e c a ptu re d p ictu re is a l ways c o m p a re d w i th a n p ict u re of t h e e m pt y ro o m that is re c o rd e d in adva n c e. Eve r y a b e r ratio n of p i xel in t h e re a l-tim e a na l ysis of t h e v id e o p ict u re to th e p re-re c o rd e d m o d el of t h e e mpt y ro o m is inte r p rete d by t h e sof t wa re as m ove m e nt.
Pipo Tafel
dance film installation
T h e se c o n d c a m e ra is p osi tio n e d o n t h e s h o r t e n d of t h e wa ll op p osi te to t h e bac k d rop in 0,8 m h eig ht in a sp e cia l m et a l cu b e t h at c o nt a ins a ll ele ct ro nic e qu ip m e nt (P C, inte r fac e s, a mpli f ie r). T h e silh o u et te of t h e a nim ate d s h adow is g e n e rate d w i t h t h e fo llow in g set u p: t h e o u tlin e of a v isi to r is re c o g nize d by t h e sof t wa re a n d c a n b e t ra nsfo r m e d in i ts dim e nsio ns - c a n b e rot ate d etc. - w i t h t h e bac kg ro u n dsu bt ractio n te c h niqu e. A well illu min ate d bac kg ro u n d w i t h su f f icie nt inf ra re d lig ht info r m atio n is a n e c e s s a r y re qu ire m e nt fo r a tid y o u tlin e re c o g ni tio n. T his m et h o d is c o mp a ra b le to t h e b lu e o r g re e n sc re e n u se d in f ilm a n d v id e o te c h niqu e.