Mehmet Akten Personal RSS Feed http://www.behance.net/memotv The public playing with Body Paint Installation at Tyneside Cinema as part of Clicks or Mortar. thepixelpalace.org/clicksormortar Watching the gentleman (at the end of the video) playing with it for ages was especially touching. More videos and info at memo.tv/body_paint Video of the dance performance coming soon. Music "Ridicule and self ridicule" and "Veals" by Ultre, ultre.co.uk http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Body-Paint-(2009)/220121 The public playing with Body Paint Installation at Tyneside Cinema as part of Clicks or Mortar. thepixelpalace.org/clicksormortar Watching the gentleman (at the end of the video) playing with it for ages was especially touching. More videos and info at memo.tv/body_paint Video of the dance performance coming soon. Music "Ridicule and self ridicule" and "Veals" by Ultre, ultre.co.uk http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Body-Paint-(2009)/220121 Sat, 02 May 2009 19:02:59 -0500 Real-time audio-reactive piece http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Amoeba-Dance-(2008)/220119 Real-time audio-reactive piece http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Amoeba-Dance-(2008)/220119 Sat, 02 May 2009 18:52:44 -0500 Working with Arnold Agency and Todd Vanderlin+Ryan Habbyshaw from their R&D team, we created an interactive display for Citizens bank in branches in major cities in the US. Using motion tracking, the pedestrians can interact with the display, signaling birds to come flying in and drop coins, grow plants, create wind to blow the plants around and spray pollen etc. The display is also time-reactive, automatically theming itself depending on time of day. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Interactive-Windows-(2008)/220128 Working with Arnold Agency and Todd Vanderlin+Ryan Habbyshaw from their R&D team, we created an interactive display for Citizens bank in branches in major cities in the US. Using motion tracking, the pedestrians can interact with the display, signaling birds to come flying in and drop coins, grow plants, create wind to blow the plants around and spray pollen etc. The display is also time-reactive, automatically theming itself depending on time of day. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Interactive-Windows-(2008)/220128 Sat, 02 May 2009 19:16:42 -0500 "Roots" is an interactive musical/visual installation for the Brick Table tangible and multi-touch interface, where multiple people can collaborate in making generative music in a dynamic & visually responsive environment. It is a collaborative effort between myself and the Brick Table creators Jordan Hochenbaum & Owen Vallis. It will premiere at the Minitek Music + Innovation Festival September 12-14, 2008 in New York. The essence of the interaction, is that you control parameters of a chaotic environment - which affect the behaviour of its inhabitants - which create and control music. To breakdown very briefly without going into much detail: * There are vinelike structures branching and wandering around on the table. They live and move in an environment governed by chaos. * Audio is triggered and controlled entirely by how and where the branches move. * You - the user - control various parameters of the chaotic environment. Parameters which range from introducing varying amounts of order, to simply changing certain properties to let the chaos evolve in different directions. There are varying levels of interaction, ranging from traditional one-to-one correlations - 'this movement I make creates that sound', but also to more complex relationships along the lines of 'this movement I make affects the environment in this way which sends the music into that direction where it evolves with a life of its own'. The visuals are purely generative, as is the audio, and as user you can play with the parameters of that system and watch and listen to the results... You can find more info on the project at memo.tv/projects/roots_minitek_festival_2008 and the bricktable official site: bricktable.wordpress.com/ http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Roots-(2008)/220140 "Roots" is an interactive musical/visual installation for the Brick Table tangible and multi-touch interface, where multiple people can collaborate in making generative music in a dynamic & visually responsive environment. It is a collaborative effort between myself and the Brick Table creators Jordan Hochenbaum & Owen Vallis. It will premiere at the Minitek Music + Innovation Festival September 12-14, 2008 in New York. The essence of the interaction, is that you control parameters of a chaotic environment - which affect the behaviour of its inhabitants - which create and control music. To breakdown very briefly without going into much detail: * There are vinelike structures branching and wandering around on the table. They live and move in an environment governed by chaos. * Audio is triggered and controlled entirely by how and where the branches move. * You - the user - control various parameters of the chaotic environment. Parameters which range from introducing varying amounts of order, to simply changing certain properties to let the chaos evolve in different directions. There are varying levels of interaction, ranging from traditional one-to-one correlations - 'this movement I make creates that sound', but also to more complex relationships along the lines of 'this movement I make affects the environment in this way which sends the music into that direction where it evolves with a life of its own'. The visuals are purely generative, as is the audio, and as user you can play with the parameters of that system and watch and listen to the results... You can find more info on the project at memo.tv/projects/roots_minitek_festival_2008 and the bricktable official site: bricktable.wordpress.com/ http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Roots-(2008)/220140 Sat, 02 May 2009 19:38:02 -0500 "Pi" is an interactive audio/visual installation commissioned by Trash City of the Glastonbury Festival to be shown at the festival in June 2008. Working with arts and technology collective Seeper, our concept was to take a 50ft tent, and convert it into a giant audio/visual instrument - all of the music, audio and visuals inside the tent are generated and controlled purely by the movements of the occupants. More information can be found at memo.tv/projects/pi_glastonbury_2008 http://www.behance.net/Gallery/PI--Glastonbury-(2008)/220146 "Pi" is an interactive audio/visual installation commissioned by Trash City of the Glastonbury Festival to be shown at the festival in June 2008. Working with arts and technology collective Seeper, our concept was to take a 50ft tent, and convert it into a giant audio/visual instrument - all of the music, audio and visuals inside the tent are generated and controlled purely by the movements of the occupants. More information can be found at memo.tv/projects/pi_glastonbury_2008 http://www.behance.net/Gallery/PI--Glastonbury-(2008)/220146 Sat, 02 May 2009 19:54:29 -0500 http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Gold-Dust-(2008)/220123 http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Gold-Dust-(2008)/220123 Sat, 02 May 2009 19:10:25 -0500 My Secret Heart is a music and film installation & performance commissioned by Streetwise Opera with music composed by Mira Calix and sound design by David Sheppard. Working with video artists Flat-e, we created a film to accompany the 48 minute performance, as well as versions for an installation and short film. Streetwise Opera are a charity who use music as a tool to help people who have experienced homelessness move forward in their lives. They run a weekly music programme, resident in 10 homeless centres around the country - and also stage an annual production which gives their performers the chance to star in quality shows where there are high-expectations, no compromise and no patronising. The voices you hear in the music, and people you see in the film, are from Streetwise workshops around the UK. 100+ Streetwise performers also sang at the My Secret Heart premiere at the Royal Festival Hall in December 2008. My Secret Heart is about their story. The film has an abstract narrative derived from individual conversations with each of the Streetwise performers. It is a direct emotional response to their stories combined with the haunting beauty of Mira Calix's composition. Instead of focusing on a specific plot, the film embarks on a complex journey through various states of emotion, starting from pre-birth through birth, curiosity, exploration, excitement, playfulness; through to fear, anxiety and isolation. While it maintains a relatively dark and eerie mood overall, intertwined with the feelings of desperation are strong elements of hope. The visuals were created primarily with custom software written with C++/openFrameworks, with some Quartz Composer elements, rendered AfterEffects sequences and live action footage. The custom C++ app is audio-reactive and user-interactive, allowing the visuals to be 'performed' live with full control over the behaviour of the virtual inhabitants of the cylindrical aquarium-like rig. More info at official site mysecretheart.co.uk and memo.tv/projects/my_secret_heart Photos and stills at flickr.com/photos/tags/mysecretheart/ Tour information can be followed from myspace.com/mysecretheartuk http://www.behance.net/Gallery/My-Secret-Heart-(2008)/220133 My Secret Heart is a music and film installation & performance commissioned by Streetwise Opera with music composed by Mira Calix and sound design by David Sheppard. Working with video artists Flat-e, we created a film to accompany the 48 minute performance, as well as versions for an installation and short film. Streetwise Opera are a charity who use music as a tool to help people who have experienced homelessness move forward in their lives. They run a weekly music programme, resident in 10 homeless centres around the country - and also stage an annual production which gives their performers the chance to star in quality shows where there are high-expectations, no compromise and no patronising. The voices you hear in the music, and people you see in the film, are from Streetwise workshops around the UK. 100+ Streetwise performers also sang at the My Secret Heart premiere at the Royal Festival Hall in December 2008. My Secret Heart is about their story. The film has an abstract narrative derived from individual conversations with each of the Streetwise performers. It is a direct emotional response to their stories combined with the haunting beauty of Mira Calix's composition. Instead of focusing on a specific plot, the film embarks on a complex journey through various states of emotion, starting from pre-birth through birth, curiosity, exploration, excitement, playfulness; through to fear, anxiety and isolation. While it maintains a relatively dark and eerie mood overall, intertwined with the feelings of desperation are strong elements of hope. The visuals were created primarily with custom software written with C++/openFrameworks, with some Quartz Composer elements, rendered AfterEffects sequences and live action footage. The custom C++ app is audio-reactive and user-interactive, allowing the visuals to be 'performed' live with full control over the behaviour of the virtual inhabitants of the cylindrical aquarium-like rig. More info at official site mysecretheart.co.uk and memo.tv/projects/my_secret_heart Photos and stills at flickr.com/photos/tags/mysecretheart/ Tour information can be followed from myspace.com/mysecretheartuk http://www.behance.net/Gallery/My-Secret-Heart-(2008)/220133 Sat, 02 May 2009 19:23:26 -0500 This is an off-shoot from a visual performance accompanying the Rambert Dance Company at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank, London UK. Originally a flat-e (flat-e.com) project, they approached me to create abstract visual layers containing subtle hints of human forms and motion, which could tie in with the movement of the dancers on stage. Working with footage of the dancers, I got a bit side-tracked and started experimenting and digressing (after delivering of course ;). The visuals in this video clip are not how they will be in the final Rambert performance (which has a different look & feel, as well as other elements filmed and created by flat-e). Neither is the soundtrack in this video clip the music used in the actual Rambert performance, and is not what the dance was choreographed to. This is just a standalone piece born from working on the Rambert performance. When the clip starts, you probably won't recognize a human shape at first, but your eyes and mind will be searching, seeking mental connections between abstract shapes and recognizable patterns, like looking for shapes in clouds. You'll be questioning what you see, is that him? is he sitting? is he crouching? is he kneeling? until all of a sudden, he'll be crystal clear. Then you'll try and keep him in focus, following him as he moves around, tracking each limb, using his motion to construct an image of the parts you can't see. He'll fade in and out of clarity. At times you'll be clinging onto just the tip of his hand swinging round, trying to identify any other recognizable parts. You might see another arm or leg and grab onto it, fighting not to lose him. Then he'll be crystal clear again, and then all of a sudden vanish, literally in a puff of smoke, and your eyes will start searching again... more information at memo.tv/reincarnation The dancers are Robin Gladwin and Miguel Altunaga. Choreography by Alexander Whitley. rambert.org.uk/about_rambert/dancers/alexander_whitley rambert.org.uk/about_rambert/dancers/robin_gladwin rambert.org.uk/about_rambert/dancers/miguel_altunaga http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Reincarnation-(2009)/220116 This is an off-shoot from a visual performance accompanying the Rambert Dance Company at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank, London UK. Originally a flat-e (flat-e.com) project, they approached me to create abstract visual layers containing subtle hints of human forms and motion, which could tie in with the movement of the dancers on stage. Working with footage of the dancers, I got a bit side-tracked and started experimenting and digressing (after delivering of course ;). The visuals in this video clip are not how they will be in the final Rambert performance (which has a different look & feel, as well as other elements filmed and created by flat-e). Neither is the soundtrack in this video clip the music used in the actual Rambert performance, and is not what the dance was choreographed to. This is just a standalone piece born from working on the Rambert performance. When the clip starts, you probably won't recognize a human shape at first, but your eyes and mind will be searching, seeking mental connections between abstract shapes and recognizable patterns, like looking for shapes in clouds. You'll be questioning what you see, is that him? is he sitting? is he crouching? is he kneeling? until all of a sudden, he'll be crystal clear. Then you'll try and keep him in focus, following him as he moves around, tracking each limb, using his motion to construct an image of the parts you can't see. He'll fade in and out of clarity. At times you'll be clinging onto just the tip of his hand swinging round, trying to identify any other recognizable parts. You might see another arm or leg and grab onto it, fighting not to lose him. Then he'll be crystal clear again, and then all of a sudden vanish, literally in a puff of smoke, and your eyes will start searching again... more information at memo.tv/reincarnation The dancers are Robin Gladwin and Miguel Altunaga. Choreography by Alexander Whitley. rambert.org.uk/about_rambert/dancers/alexander_whitley rambert.org.uk/about_rambert/dancers/robin_gladwin rambert.org.uk/about_rambert/dancers/miguel_altunaga http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Reincarnation-(2009)/220116 Sat, 02 May 2009 18:28:00 -0500 after effects, 3dsmax, cinema4d, combustion, motion http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Motion-Graphics-Reel-(2007)/220162 after effects, 3dsmax, cinema4d, combustion, motion http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Motion-Graphics-Reel-(2007)/220162 Sat, 02 May 2009 20:25:25 -0500 A short film looking through the eyes of someone looking to get home in the early hours of the morning after a long night. Post-production done in AfterEffects. Originally created as an audio-visual loop for warp records to be used in VJ sets. Audio track 'Frost Investigations' by Chris Clarke from warp records. More info at memo.tv/the_morning_after http://www.behance.net/Gallery/The-Morning-After-(2003)/220160 A short film looking through the eyes of someone looking to get home in the early hours of the morning after a long night. Post-production done in AfterEffects. Originally created as an audio-visual loop for warp records to be used in VJ sets. Audio track 'Frost Investigations' by Chris Clarke from warp records. More info at memo.tv/the_morning_after http://www.behance.net/Gallery/The-Morning-After-(2003)/220160 Sat, 02 May 2009 20:19:35 -0500