to London and setting up the show

My plane was delayed, we hovered over London for 7 times before we get the OK to land. Already, to start with, we left Beirut a bit late, the reason being "the European skies are congested"... After 2 hours commuting to reach the apartment, I was too tired to commute again to university. I first entered the exhibition space on Wednesday morning. I was freaking out about where will I find a screen to rent, and how will I build the plinth and the shelf, eventually, all happened so smoothly, thanks to Jonathan, and all my colleagues who had already created an atmosphere of DIY collaboration.

I was told to start with sanding my walls and then paint them, this is what happened, then we had to wait for the drying process, and since I didn't have my material on me, I just started removing some of the paint stains off the floor, I managed to place the shelve on the wall. Second day was mainly about hooking up the TV, checking the media player, which was later on replaced with a USB to diminish the number of requested plugs. Later it was setting up the image, figuring out the looping mode on this TV, writing instructions on how to turn on and off the project and finally placing the postcards and the business cards on the shelve. The last day was mainly checking on who needed help and giving a hand here and there.

Still need to unify all of the show's labels and we will be set for the final show!

Unit 2 Assessment starts on Tuesday morning, so I should be finalizing the write up for that now and post it in here.

live performance and edited clips final

Below is the final edited version of the live documentation at bread and danny's as well as an edited version of the clips. It is this version that is going to be showing in the exhibit MADA 2011.

Maya Chami - live performance and edited clips final from maya chami on Vimeo.

Transitional Digital Objects - the first edited version

transitional digital objects - the first edited version from maya chami on Vimeo.

Saroulla Building and Projection on Monday

I will go tomorrow to this location (Saroulla building, where my father's office used to be located and that is facing my school) to take a better view and search for a good spot in the building where I could do the projection. Meanwhile here's a photo that I found on the net, shot by "Bluescape" and posted on "Panoramio". Originally this building embeds two cinemas, one still functioning and turned into a theater "Al Madina Theater" and the other cinema has stopped functioning in the early 90s (according to my father), and is being used as a storage space.

According to Al Madina Theater website http://www.almadinatheatre.com/, the Saroulla cinema was built in the late sixties and was abandoned during the entire period of the Lebanese civil war.

The projection I am planning on Monday does not take place inside the cinema, rather outside it, on the walls of the actual building.

about the live documentation - final decisions

I had doubts earlier whether I would want to show the live documentation as well as the edited clips in the show, I sent Jonathan the edited version of the documentation to see whether it is necessary or maybe if I get rid of the documentation it would be better? Jonathan's opinion was that the 2 films do work together, they could be on the same screen side by side, and that maybe if the films are different lengths then maybe loop them until they are close in timing, I would then have different juxtapositions. Jonathan also mentioned that it would be good if I do the projection onto a wall or a background, a little bit the layers that I use in the animated film (the original plan, what we discussed during the tutorial and that was not applied accordingly during the live, as people helping me set up said that the colors were coming out too dull on the grey door at bread republic).
Jonathan: "This wouldn't have to be a formal live show with invited guests, I could imagine it just projected quite small, almost without people realising it is there, and then document the showing of it. Maybe the projection is very low, the projector kind of hidden under a table, and people are walking in front of it? I am just thinking of ways to connect the film even more to you home city. You have a good documentation of the live show with guests but is it worth more subtle, more hidden projections, without permission, maybe just for you, but putting the films back onto the surface of the city. Hope this makes sense, but obviously there may not be time to do this now, maybe these are ideas you develop in the future."

I was not sure whether I will still have the time to do one more live before traveling to London, but just now I decided to pull myself together and try another live maybe on Monday? I thought I could project live either on one of the walls of the Saroulla building (where my father's office used to be located, facing my school, and where we used to hang out a lot when we were kids) or on a surface at the GEFINOR building (where my mother used to work, and where we used to spend some of our Saturdays, waiting for my mother to finish work).

I will not invite people, whoever is passing could just stand to watch.

GEFINOR is not a very busy area at night (it is the one I use in the crane clip); and since Saroulla is on Hamra's main street, maybe this option will win? I will think more about these 2 options and decide tomorrow.

editing the first version

I just finished editing the first version of the project, to include the sound!

I will export the material and will post the first version soon!

the live documentation - the edited draft

This is a draft edit of the documentation of the live show of the final clips that I planned on July 30th, 2011, at 9:00 pm, at the outdoor of the Bread Republic café, Beirut, Lebanon.

documentation of the live show in beirut - transitional digital objects from maya chami on Vimeo.

final edited clips - white heels

transitional digital objects - white heels - 2011 from maya chami on Vimeo.

final edited clips - wave building

transitional digital objects - wave building - 2011 from maya chami on Vimeo.

final edited clips - slide flower

transitional digital objects - slide flower - 2011 from maya chami on Vimeo.

final edited clips - pinochio

transitional digital objects - pinochio -2011 from maya chami on Vimeo.

final edited clips - plastic purple heart

transitional digital objects - plastic purple heart - 2011 from maya chami on Vimeo.

final edited clips - crane

transitional digital objects - crane - 2011 from maya chami on Vimeo.

final edited clips - bricks

transitional digital objects - bricks - 2011 from maya chami on Vimeo.

final edited clips - buttons

transitional digital objects - buttons - 2011 from maya chami on Vimeo.

final edited clips - ladder

transitional digital objects - ladder - 2011 from maya chami on Vimeo.

final edited clips - marble

transitional digital objects - marble - 2011 from maya chami on Vimeo.

the live documentation in the actual show?

Concerning the documentation for my project.
In our last tutorial session, I agreed with Jonathan that I do a live show in Beirut, and show it along with 1 edited version of the clips in the final show in London.
I did the live in Bread Republic, an outdoor café in Beirut, and used 2 cameras, 1 front and 1 back to record the event.
Now I am editing the live, but I am finding the idea of showing the "Live in Beirut" in the show in London a bit useless, I could just upload it on my blog and instead show an edited version of the actual animated clips in London. The reason is: While I am editing, I am realizing that why would I want people to waste their time watching people, in another location, watching the same thing they are about to watch. I thought of splitting the screen: screen 1 documentation and near it screen 2: the video = then I thought it is unjustified and I don't have the split screen on my agenda, I didn't even research it for this specific project.
So I am thinking to leave the documentation for the blog and 1 version of the edited clip for the show. People wouldn't have the patience to stand still for more than 15 minutes watching 1 artwork.
I will be sending Jonathan the edited version of the live show to know what he thinks of all this and whether he approves my decision.

the live documentation

Bread Republic, Hamra, Beirut, Lebanon

30 July 2011, 9:00 pm

An outdoor café with a capacity of approximately 80 people seated outdoors.

The live show took place in this location. I invited my contacts via facebook only, since the place doesn't fit a huge number, so I needed to limit the invitation myself.

I didn't reserve the whole place, just asked the owner and organized the rest of the deal with the manager earlier that week. So some of the people were there for the invitation, and others were just hanging out when the live of the final project happened.

Feedback was very positive in general, A commented that viewing the clips edited instead of 1 clip after the other was essential, the layering in the live and playing bits and pieces of the clips added a "mood" that suits the audio and that is personal. T and R decided that the next time this should be played, I should ask Ziad Nehme, whose voice is featured in the audio, to participate live in the event, with a band if possible, other feedbacks were also encouraging and positive, these are the 2 main ones I adopted.

Some important issues to take care for future lives though:

- The sound's volume was a bit low, despite the fact that I had volumes of both speakers and the iPod turned all the way up. The speakers are purchases (for the show in London) were outdoor speakers, they simply don't do the job outdoors, on the street, when cars are honking and people on the street are talking.

- Self criticism:

I should find a way to be more relaxed in another live, before the show, maybe ask a performance artist or an actor/actress to give me tips that help me to freak out just before the live.

- When the software (Modul8) is shut down then run back, I should either remap the midi controller or upload the saved version of the edited buttons, otherwise, I will end up manipulating the live from the laptop screen!

An edited version of the clips is on its way, I will be posting soon here.

List of to dos and to remember before the live show!

The live already took place last Saturday at Bread, an outdoor café in Beirut. I will be showing documentation soon! but first, I will have to upload the steps, one by one, for archiving purposes. Above is the to do list and the material needed for the live (prepared before the show). I should add on the list a multiple outlet for all the plugs! and a good surface (or screen for the projection) as the grey door was desaturating the colors in the rehearsal, so I had to replace the door with a white wooden board.

I will write in detail about some of the steps listed in the picture above later on.