
Business Cards – An Interactive Amusement Park
on the Relations between Music and Image
INTERACTIVE CD ROM
This page contains a description of the interactive CD-ROM that proposes an exploration of the relationships between music and image.
(Note: This CD-ROM was developed in English only)
Based on the soundtrack composed for the experimental animated film "Calling Cards", by Steve Subotnick – watch the original version by clicking here –, the author developed the work inspired by the concept of "Theme with variations".
The abstract content of the film suggested a composition that favors the free manipulation of its content and form. If you would like to watch a short demonstration film of this CD-ROM, watch this video:
The work starts from an initial provocation on the second screen of the CD-ROM:

Translation:
-
Do you believe that there is a meaningful relationship between image and music?
-
Can image and music determine each other?
-
Do you believe it is possible to change the meaning of any audiovisual work of art by changing these relationships?
-
Would you like to change and give new meaning according to your particular vision to the images and music contained on this CD-ROM?
After a new screen with the index, the explorer will have access to the original version proposed by the author and its possibilities of manipulation and variation, creating new relationships between music and image, namely:
-
An editing island with the possibility of re-editing the form of the music in relation to the film (in its original form):
When the session starts, the film runs on the left side of the screen and the user stops the film in the desired position. At the top there is a ruler that contains images from the film and also iconic images that visually translate the original score by analogy, so that the explorer can find an approximate excerpt of the music that he wants to attach to the stopped frame.
The score was all fragmented into small sections that the user can freely attach to the still frames, moving forward and repeating the process, until defining their version, being able to save up to 3 new versions of their preference:
-
A session that offers the possibility of re-editing the form of the film in relation to the music (in its original form) by dragging image modules (from the top ruler) into a new order on the empty film at the bottom. At the end the "explorer" can save up to 3 new versions:

-
A conventional sheet music of the original soundtrack that accompanies the music, turning the pages automatically as the music plays:

-
A possibility for real-time editing of the images as the original music plays. The "explorer" clicks on the images from the condensed film track at the top and the corresponding excerpt is displayed immediately.

-
A PaintedScore was created by mixing the conventional version of the score with images taken from the film. This PaintedScore is actually another possibility for interaction for the "explorer" in that he can improvise a new form of music by randomly playing excerpts of the music by clicking on the PaintedScore, which glows when clicked and plays the corresponding excerpt. This would be an experience musically analogous to Jack Pollock's painting process.

For further reflections on the Music-Image relationship, click here.
Final observations:
-
This work actually consists of a provocation, and proposes an aesthetic reflection on the relations of meaning resulting from the interaction between music and image.
-
The design, editing in Macromedia Director (including programming in Lingo), graphic interface and audio editing were carried out by the author himself.