Pause: Art Science

Some say videomaking is an art; some say science. Artists find it a medium burdened with a load of physics. Scientists think it as creative medium. Some of the happiest videomakers, however, combine deep technical knowledge with lively imaginations. They turn the potential of the medium toward surprising results.

Say you have a box that receives electrical signals and uses them to control the various parts of the video wave. It could, for example, use the frequency of the incoming signal to control the chrominance of a picture--or of specific pixels. The incoming amplitude might control luminance, or you might modulate the picture with it. Let's call this box a video synthesizer. This box allows you--or anything you plug into it--to play video and audio the way you play a musical instrument.

Now, picture this. You tape an EEG sensor to your head. The EEG sends a signal to your video synthesizer. Your brain waves control hue, color saturation, and brightness of each pixel on a monitor. They also control the frequency and volume of the sounds you hear. Take control of your brain waves and you start generating moving images and music. Right off the top of your head, so to speak. To change the show, change yo…