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Be water, my friend.

Created with

Grad Studio @ECUADSchool Project @PolyU

Deliverables

Digital Media

Role

Designer

Design Category

Digital Media

Caption

Digital interactive installation, projector, camera

Year

2023

Be water, my friend.

April 2024

⏱ 12 min

Digital interactive installation, projector, camera

Sound: Arabesques, CD 74, L. 66: No. 1, Andantino con moto · Aldo Ciccolini

Video documentation of ‘Be water, my friend.’ prototype

Screen recording documentation of ‘Be water, my friend.’ prototype

Design Concept

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“Be Water, My Friend. Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” – Bruce Lee

Behind the scene

In this project, titled ‘Inquiry’, I wanted to continue exploring TouchDesigner, which I had used in the previous project, and delve into creating interactive artwork with motion tracking. I was fascinated by the potential of generating fluid textures and animations through my research on the software. Additionally, I aimed to convey a message to others through an interactive experience.

This led me to reflect on quotes and the concept of fluidity, particularly related to water. I wanted to share the messages of “expect the unexpected” and “not controlling the uncontrollable” which are some of my life mottos. Here are my favourite quotes that align with this theme:

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“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” – Heraclitus

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“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” – Lao Tzu

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「想像水的過程當我站在河婆時，我稱它為『河』當它流到海時，我稱它為『海』當它蒸發後，飄上天，我稱它為『雲』當它落下來時，我稱它為『雨』但它是同一件事只是透過了語言我把它分裂成不同的事。」 “Process of Imagining Water When I stand by a river, I call it ‘river.’ When it flows into the sea, I call it ‘sea.’ When it evaporates, rises to the sky, I call it ‘cloud.’ When it falls back down, I call it ‘rain.’ But it is the same thing, Just divided into different entities through language.” English version paraphrased by ChatGPT3.5 – @yugenkai on Instagram

The Inquiry

How can the minds on water be explored through the medium of metaphorical experience?

Brainstorming and storyboards

A water blob flows into you and takes on your shape.

A water blob explodes when you poke it.

Raise your hand to split the ocean.

The louder you sing, the more unstable the water blob becomes.

I decided to explore the initial concept of a water blob flowing onto and outlining a person. Although this idea presents technical challenges, it is the most interesting and relevant concept in relation to the quote, compared to the other three options.

Special thanks to Sean Arden, an amazing technician at Emily Carr, who provided materials and support that inspired how I could develop my project. I searched for online tutorials and attempted to follow them to build nodes on TouchDesigner. (See Online Tutorial References at the bottom.) With the experience gained from my previous project, I became more familiar with the software and was able to create more than what the tutorials taught.

I created a water blob by using a noisy sphere with a watery texture mapped onto it.

I adjusted the opacity and color reflection to give it the appearance of a floating water blob.

The screen recording in TouchDesigner showcases the design of the water blob.

After being unable to find helpful tutorials on distorting the water blob to match the shape of a person, I have decided to change my concept. Instead, I will focus on creating a hand-controlled movement for the water blob. This adjustment allows me to explore new possibilities in my project. By using my hand movements, I will be able to control the motion and behavior of the water blob, creating an interactive and dynamic experience. This concept aligns well with the theme of fluidity and the idea of not being in control of the uncontrollable, which resonates with my life motto.

I used the computer’s camera along with the motion tracker plugin to track the movement of my hand. The plugin captures data for the transformation of the x and y axis of the water blob, allowing it to follow my hand’s movements.

I also designed the water blob to respond to changes in scale when I pinch or expand my palm.

The screen recording in TouchDesigner showcases the design of the hand tracker and the corresponding data.

I created a waterfall background with adjustments to the lively speed, size, and colour. This allows you to see the water fall and bounce back on the person’s body.

The screen in TouchDesigner showcases the design of a waterfall created using an extruded threshold of the video input. This threshold blocks and reflects watery particles that fall from above.

About the song

I have selected “Debussy: 2 Arabesques, CD 74, L. 66: No. 1, Andantino con moto” as the background music for this experience. Initially, I considered composing my own song since I had never done so before. However, I couldn’t find the time to do it. While searching for inspiration, I stumbled upon one of my previous works titled “Meraki” from 2018. It was a self-introduction video featuring vibrant ink injected into water, and it raised the same questions that I am still asking myself: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? At the end of that video, I wrote, “Hi, I am Melody. I discover beauty.” It suddenly dawned on me that my current work is an extension of what I had done before, and I am connecting the dots when I look back. Therefore, I decided to use the same background music as in my previous work because I believe it perfectly captures the essence of water, both in terms of melody and the sensation of flowing.

The presentation

Unfortunately, I was only able to capture screenshots from the presentation I had with the class. I was too excited and a bit overwhelmed by the positive engagement of my classmates with the artwork that I forgot to take photos. I was surprised to hear that my peers were truly amazed by the work and could sense the poetic beauty of the water’s flow. They felt that the music complemented the water element in the piece. I noticed that people were confused yet curious about controlling the water blob through hand gestures. They were unsure which gestures created which effects. Some of them even moved their bodies to see if the water drops would land and bounce back from their body image. Other comments included feeling struck because they could only stand and let the water slowly flow over their bodies. They found that if they moved quickly, the water did not react as quickly as they had hoped. Some also suggested that I create mockups to demonstrate that the ideal context for the work is in a gallery with a high-quality projector and darker environments where the motion tracker is responsive. Overall, I am grateful for the opportunity to create a metaphorical and immersive experience for my class with this bold technical endeavour.

The artwork captures my cohorts, with a few people standing in front of the camera. On the right side of the screen, you can see someone’s hand creating a water blob.

Conceptual image with Midjourney

Reflection

This work marks the end of the studio for my first term in my master’s study. I feel fortunate and privileged to have been part of this group of intelligent individuals from diverse backgrounds. Throughout this experience, I have learned how to provide empathetic critiques, communicate logically, conduct confident experiments, build communities, create meaning, listen attentively, act responsibly, explore playfully, and care humbly. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and I appreciate the compliments and support that I have received on this journey, which have kept me focused on my passion. Moving forward, I will continue to trust myself, embrace my quiet confidence, and strive to become a better designer.

Online Tutorial References

The water blob (2022, December 16). TouchDesigner教程｜Noise创意旋转球LeapMotion手势互动【教程】 [Video]. Bilibili. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1EG4y1g72Z/?vd_source=a3903a6f3e0c54d172d97b13e72afb37

Water blob texture (2020, April 1). TouchDesigner 中文教程 | 液态流动视觉效果 [Video]. Bilibili. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1LV411o7Ya/?vd_source=a3903a6f3e0c54d172d97b13e72afb37

Waterfall (2021, May 18). Real-Time Interactive Fluid – TouchDesigner & Azure Kinect [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://youtu.be/slLgkXhDqRE?si=61BUMMeDgFHoltom (2021, June 22). Real-Time Interactive Waterfall – TouchDesigner & Azure Kinect [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://youtu.be/UFZQ6-xndqM?si=gcnS54KSARBA2tSI (2020, December 19). touchdesigner教程3 sop粒子进阶教程 Kinect碰撞瀑布下雨效果制作 [Video]. Bilibili. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1bt4y1k7Dj/?vd_source=a3903a6f3e0c54d172d97b13e72afb37

Motion Tracker Blankensmith. (2023, September 8). Face, Hand, Pose Tracking & More in TouchDesigner with @MediaPipe GPU Plugin [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx4Ellaj6kk

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Qué será, será Whatever will be, will be The future’s not ours to see Qué será, será What will be, will be Qué será, será Doris Day – Que Sera, Sera

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