Chelsey Suarez: Projection 1 Backdrop Mapping

When I began to start the planning for this initial project it was first necessary to find interesting and flat environments to potentially project images on. After some consideration I decided to use the least populated space I could find which resulted in the images seen below. Using a stairwell gave me the flat surfaces that I needed but also served as a literal blank slate to house whatever idea I would later conceive to project on the walls. 

Background for Composition 01

Background for Composition 02

A staircase, or steps, often have symbolic meaning attached to them – rising up to your potential, achieving a goal, moving forward, etc. And these were the themes I wanted to play with when decided what I wanted to project onto the steps. I was made aware of the content that the Beeple’s (Mike Winkelmann) Vimeo page had available and choose to use the design titled “FLUFFF” (loop). This particular design caught my attention because it uses perspective to place the viewer at what seems to be the bottom of a pit – and the pit is layered with luscious greenery and plants that sway as the wind blows, and towards the middle one can see the sun – or what we can assume is the sun. In Mad Mapper, I chose to use the front faces of the steps as the planes for projection. The idea was that as one was going up the stairs they’ll be passing through stages of a journey – the initial challenge, the possible objection to the obstacle, embarking on the journey, experiencing conflict while on the journey and finally the resolution. To show this idea through the steps and the graphic design that was decided upon I staggered the quads in the input window where each rising step and quad would be slightly closer to the “sun” element of the video. After finalizing what each step would show it was important to adjust the opacity and blending features to create a more realistic depiction of the greenery on steps.

First implementation of attaching the image of the green field onto the staircase.

Final Composition

Updated the transparency of the mask for the stair railing handle. 

The second composition I used another image taken from a stairwell. The entire space was essentially made up of giant concrete blocks and because the first image/idea dealt with mixing solid material with nature, I decided to focus on solid material and fluidity in such a material for this next composition. When one sees a concrete environment the descriptors that come to mind are: static, strong, immobile, etc. I wanted to help the static environment be able to show motion. After spending some time exploring the Mad Mapper designs I felt as though the “bricks” design gave me the ability to create seamless movement on the concrete blocks. I was able to adjust the speed of the brick's movements and control the flickering of the transparency of the brinks as they disappeared and reappeared in the surface. As with the previous composition, it was important to adjust the area being projected from the input window to create a more realistic image.The motivation in creating an environment that explored the juxtaposition between known static materials and kinetic movement was to show how everyone and everything for that matter can be molded and reworked to serve a new purpose. We aren’t static individuals and neither are the environments that surround us. 

Final Composition

Updated composition where the bricks for the first quad follow the indentation of the concrete block.