computational cinema - beijing corner

beijing corner is a composition created with 360 degree sound recordings and a series of still photos, taken on a Beijing street corner in August 2008. The photos are mixed live in a Max/msp application, composited on one screen and sequenced to the second screen. The audio is arranged with ambisonics using 8 channels. Together the image and audio fill the space with an impression of the streetcorner, passersby, locals chatting and the foodtalls and telephone centers of everyday life. The work is screened in a space with no chairs, to place the audience much as they would be on the street in Beijing.

beijing corner, two screens
8 channel audio
live performance

The most important aspect of this installation is the response of the audience. The participants wandered about the room, at times, looking up and searching for the sound source, which is evidence of their immersion in the event. The lack of chairs confused and disoriented the audience at first, as the space is typically used as a cinema screening room, and the viewers clustered together in the center. Watching the behaviour of the audience helped to develop the concept further, end even though this exercise did not fully utilize the possibilities of the space, it served as a useful introduction to some techniques of computational cinema for the audience.