Animated GIFS and the Internet

The internet has a long-standing history of both compassion and regret for the animated GIF.

First, an animated GIF is nothing more than a Graphics Interchange Format image, which was one of the first image formats for the web, that has been programmed to progress in a series of frames.

This image, for example, is a 6-frame animation which has been directly lifted from the 1985 Nintendo game "Super Mario Bros" and it repeats.  It is actually 16x16px originally, but has been enlarged to be about 300x300px.  It contains 3 different colors:  a dark brown, a light brown, and black.

Facebook does not allow animated GIFs to run as animations.  Instead, an imported animation will remain as the first frame only.

MySpace used to allow animated GIFs and they took over.  In fact many said that it made the site appear too abrasive in general.

Twitter at one point allowed animated GIFs as profile images, but this ceased to be allowed.  If you installed an animated GIF prior to November 2012, then it works.  But after that point, the service ceased to allow them.

Google+ allows animated GIFs to function as profile icons.  That is sort of a plus.  Because while some animated GIFs can be abrasive, if they're produced correctly they can be quite interesting.  Also, with the disadvantage of IOS (all iPads and iPhones) not allowing Adobe Flash Player to run, making Flash animations unseen on those devices, animated GIFs have a special place in those circumstances.

First Experiment: Featuring "Galaga"

SupaMural Stopmotion 1 from StereoMedia.Org on Vimeo.
We worked today at a studio in Erector Square, former site of the A.C. Gilbert Company, for the project to begin pioneering some new techniques.  We're currently troubleshooting some of the issues with paint, because as you can see, every time you paint over the old image to re-locate it to the left or right, it requires the use of more white paint.  After a couple of times doing this, it can get pretty soppy.  These are issues that will be addressed at the next discussion.

Spotlight Camera

During this troubleshooting period, we're using hand-cut stencils on a limited basis.  Learned a bunch about labelling these images.

Stopmotion is the process of taking a series of images with objects on screen in different positions.  This can be done with clay, pen and ink, legomen, and in this case, stencilled spraypaint.

Keep in mind that the complexity of the installation is mainly in the way that the art is applied / re-applied.  This can be prepared for by predicting the challenges, and then more challenges will be discovered when you actually start experimenting with different techniques.

As you can see, in this image, the traces of previous positions of the ship can be seen because the paint wasn't given proper time to dry, perhaps.  Ways this could be avoided / averted are by using a lower-pressure can, or by using a fan to dry the paint before re-applying the image into the next position.  Considered was the use of masking tape, simply painting onto masking tape and then removing it.  But that almost makes sense to paint the object onto something which can be re-positioned...  And that might be a better technique for the video, possibly...  So it's something to consider.  

A storage system of organizing these smaller version 8x10 stencils (where 1px=1cm, in these cases) are held in a 3-ring binder.  The stencils, before they're painted, look quite neat.  Organizing the stencils themselves by layers, and with names (such that the "Fighter" object stencil indicates which way is up, and the chronology of each layer is indicated by a number in the upper left hand corner), does the best way of keeping the project organized if you're working with a team or a group.  

Stay tuned and we'll learn ya more about Supa.

Concrete Goals

Project budget is extremely reasonable, considering the scope of the project.  That's not to say that more people can contribute or benefit from the available rewards.  Here's the link to that page.

Public Arts Projects

Animated Wall.

Create a series of stencils based on the shapes from actual games.
Then re-create scenes from classic games using stencils.
Use a camera to create a series of images for use in a stop-motion film.

Note:  The Wall Will Not Remain Animated When We Leave The Room.
In Fact, Note that The Wall Was Never Moving.  It's a Camera Trick.
But It's Extremely Time Consuming.  That's Why It Looks Cool On Film.

Proposed Location:  ArtSpace
Status:  Invited (awaiting funding)

Macro Wall.

Large-Scale Wall (30' Minimal).  Exactly precise to the original game.
Proposed images are still being considered.  Email SupaMural@Gmail to suggest.

Proposed Location:  None Selected
Status:  None

Educational Products

A kit which allows you to produce your own SupaMural in your hometown on any sanctioned space.
Includes all of the information necessary to create your own animated 8 bit street art.

Website
A reference center full of all the information necessary to produce your own.
You're reading it right now, actually.

Book
Basically the information on the website, formatted neatly for a coffeetable.  Educational information about the history of computers and gets into some of the graphics analysis that takes place in the art program.

Video
Based on the art project.  Fosters the political message and explores some of the sociocultural evolution which has happened around videogames, as well as the history of computers and consoles.  A better description would probably not be a bad idea.

The budget has been devised to break even, so that the work takes care of itself.  Sounds like a ton of work for $2500 but kids at coffeeshops are working harder.  It's just to break even.