Virtual Bodily Harm

Physical Interaction - The Wii remote is an offensive weapon

In the latest case in the ongoing debate on violence in video games, Rockstar Games won an appeal against the decision by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) banning its latest game 'Manhunt 2' . The game revolves around a deranged character who has to escape from an asylum, and hunt down those who put him there. It's basically a first person shooter in the horror genre, and it's gore and violence earned it an AO (adults only) certificate on first release in the US. A modified version was later released with a M (mature) classification, but these mods were not enough to get it through the BBFCs testing.




Members of the game industry were not quite sure why 'Manhunt 2' was given the full ban by the BBFC, as the levels of violence were no greater than many other games that line the shelves in game shops, and it's also claimed the violence is watered down compared to that featured in countless horror films that all receive classification. Digging a little deeper into this story, I discovered that the primary objection by the BBFC was that the Wii version made full use of the wii-mote. Now instead of just point and click executions, you actually get to stab the bad guys. Or hack then to bits with an axe, or you can use the wii-mote to saw their head off. No longer are you sat calmly behind a desk dispensing your own brand of justice, your physically going through the motions, swinging your virtual chainsaw around your living room. And you thought the Wii was a family console.
The BBFC believe we are training the next generation of serial killers, who are right now honing their assassination techniques and stealth skills. As gaming becomes more immersive are we really likely to see an increase in violent crime? I think not, nor is here a place for the game/violence debate.But the notion of violent interaction with a mouse and keyboard being acceptable, while the exact same interaction acted out physically is not, is an interesting topic for debate, opening up questions about physical interaction and society

Stereoscopic Images

After seeing the Kentridge projected installation mentioned in the last blog, I've been researching visual perception and the idea of stereoscopic images. Am working on the idea of using two video camera filming the same scene from two different angles(maybe the camera are inside an installation, pointing at the viewer. The two films could be projected side by side large on a wall. The viewer would wear stereoscopic glasses to see a giant 3d projection of themselves inside the installation. This is just the beginnings of a rough idea at the moment. I've bought some stereoscopic glasses on line so i can experiment over the break (if they arrive in time through the Christmas post)

William Kentridge - the Hove exhibition

William Kentridge - What Will Come (has already come)
Regency Town House - 13 Brunswick Sq

Today i went to see another exhibition by William Kentridge (this one is in Hove), where there is a animated work called What Will Come (has already come). This is a really intriguing installation, -the animation is projected into a circular table from above, in the center of the table is a mirrored tube, which reflects the image on the table. Its only by looking at the reflection that the animation becomes clear, as the projected image appears warped if viewed directly.
The installation shows a dreamlike sequence, a darkly surreal journey through war and human spirit, animated charcoal strokes erased and redrawn repeatedly as nightmarish images morph into the next with fascinating fluidity.

It's a very engaging piece, Kentridge plays with the viewers perception, offering an alternative way for them to observe and construct a narrative to the hallucinatory imagery.
The exhibition itself is located in a battered old regency house, and i couldn't work out if it was in the midst of being redecorated, or it had been painstakingly created to look like that. Either way it's transitory make-shift feel perfectly suited the scratchy discordant style of Kentridge's work.

The other work i was especially interested in was his Stereoscopic Photogravues exhibited in the University of Brighton Gallery at Grand Parade. Again Kentridge experiments with the viewers perception by allowing them to see the stereo images through specially mounted lenses , which also use mirrors to bounce the image into view. When viewed, a single image is perceived, and has a great depth of field that is not seen on the flat images when viewed from the side.

Have been thinking about these techniques with regard to the current project, and am interested to see if i can work with mirrors to shape the viewers perception while interacting with video input. not sure yet, still working out some concepts.