Starting with “Rube Goldberg Machines”, these illustrations are the foundation upon which all other styles of machine like this are based. These cartoons are humourously clever ways to extravagantly do a very simple task such as make breakfast or open a door.
Speaking of breakfast too, a machine such as the ones described can be seen in a film called “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” by Tim Burton and starring Paul Reubens.
This machine “Pee-Wee’s Breakfast Machine”, is a real life version of the cartoons by Rube Goldberg and both have been massively influential on where my head is at presently.
At the moment, I am debating whether my machine should make more than just music and perhaps should have a narrative and a purpose such as making breakfast or opening a door.
An idea I’ve had is to have the machine wake me up by an alarm clock setting off the marble run to make music and possibly breakfast.
This would be a big copy of “Pee-Wee’s Breakfast Machine” but at the same time I believe I can alter it enough to be more original and have a very different narrative, focusing on waking me up instead.
My final bit of research for this post is from a Youtube video called “Creme That Egg!” which, like Rube Goldberg’s work shows a very elaborate “A affects B” kinetic styled sculpture which eventually results in the egg being crushed.
Again these pieces I have spoken about all have a narrative and so again I am wondering about my own piece. Will the music being made be enough to keep the viewers interest? I am going to look into this more after this post so as a final note, here is my proposal I handed in a while ago but have forgotten to upload. I’m terrible at remembering to upload!
My proposal:
Joe Skinner - 10203714
Media Arts – MEDI 259
10/1/2011
MEDI 259 EXPERIMENT MODULE PROPOSAL:
MARBLE RUN MUSIC/THE MECHANICAL INSTRUMENTS
For this module project I am going to be producing what I have titled at the moment, “The Mechanical Instruments” or “Marble Run Music”.
These are just working titles for now, but the actual piece is going to be a combination of chain reactions, cause and effect, marble runs, Dominoes, Drums, and other instruments and objects all working together and affecting each other to make music and sound.
The initial idea for this project began when I was younger, where I played with Lego and other construction style toys.
I started exploring and became fascinated by the mechanical side of inventions, the nuts and bolts of how such things work. As I got older I extended my enthusiasm through looking at processes of mathematics and interconnecting movement, such as cogs and gears, the binary use of computers (i.e. If User answers A, continue with program B etc.) and mathematics itself.
However, it was during the lectures that we had at the beginning of this module, in particular one on “Space and Time”, and the Carousel workshops (of which I took part in Strands “A” and “B”) that I saw how this idea could become a physical reality.
Originally, after working in the Strand “A” workshops on animation and using “After Effects” software, I had planned to combine a chain reaction piece with some form of animation so that the two combined to create an interactive story.
Sadly though, the more I got into this idea, the more I realised that that would be just too much work and there would have been no way of creating such a piece to such a high standard, let alone alongside my other modules!
Going back to the drawing board I went on to look at using the chain reaction side of this project to tell a story somehow, and it was this expansion of the idea which led me onto the inspirational work of Eric Staller and in particular his piece entitled “KNIKKERBAAN”.
KnikkerBaan translates from Dutch as “Rolling Ball”, and the piece itself is a giant marble run created for a reception in a Dutch school. The marble run works by children moving a ship’s steering wheel that releases footballs onto a marble run styled track.
These footballs are then kicked up an elevator by football boots and then dropped down a run, triggering different sounds and lights as it descends until it is shot into a goal at the end and put back on the elevator by a goalie, ready to repeat the cycle.
The almost perpetual movement and consistency of this marble run is what inspired me to create a piece based on a marble run. I would then, instead of using animation, tell a story via music and sound.
From here I have furthered my research into this genre of physical chain reactions and cause and effect by looking at the work of Tim Hunkin, and in particular his Television show “The Secret Life of Machines”.
In this show, Hunkin explains how everyday objects work and then creates his own version of them. Watching Hunkin create his own versions of these objects, e.g. a fax machine, I recalled the “Wallace and Gromit” clay-mation films by Nick Park and the inventions and gadgets they created in those films, for example “The Wrong Trousers”.
The “D.I.Y” nature of Hunkin, Staller and Park’s creations really inspires me and reminds me of when I first became interested in how things work.
This cause and effect solution to working made it a natural decision for me to create a “D.I.Y” musical invention in my own unique and un-conventional way.
As of the 4th of January 2011, I have completed the main blueprints and actual construction of the main machine, which is the piece that will create the drumbeat providing the backbone structure and timing for the entire piece.
This main machine works by using a marble run with an elevator to bring marbles up to the top of the elevator and drop them down a chute onto the heads of drums with enough force to create sound from the drum and then bounce back onto a second track, which returns it to the elevator to repeat the process.
I’ve started with this machine, as the entire piece relies on it being completed and perfected, i.e. the timing and beat had to be laid down first and as close to perpetual motion as humanly possible, so that I can have the freedom now to gather the other materials and tweak the final blueprints of the other music making machines.
To make this project however, I have come to realise through the Carousel Workshops and lectures that working in groups is very beneficial to the overall outcome of a project.
For example, teamwork during the process of trial and error whilst creating must be balanced and co-operative in order for a successful outcome.
Alongside this need for excellent teamwork, I also need good communication between the team members and balance in general. A heck of a lot of patience is needed as well, especially when working with a project such as mine where physics are a large part of production yet I have very little knowledge of the subject!
This became apparent particularly during the “After Effects” and “Rotorscoping” sessions of the Carousel Workshops from Strand “A”, where a lot of work was essential for completing the tasks that wouldn’t be possible to finish without assistance.
To complete my project to the highest level I am capable of, I will be enlisting the help of friends who are also Media Arts Students, (and anyone from home I can drag in too!) to assist me in constructing the machines.
The equipment is all blueprinted, but there are certain effects and techniques which I have developed and applied successfully whilst constructing the main machine and the plans for the other pieces. To help achieve the highest level, I will be explaining these techniques and effects as I build and direct the construction of the project alongside everyone who is willing to help.
This way I am directly involved with the project and can steer it in the best direction for successful completion and quality.
The actual piece will be constructed and filmed in one of the photography studios up on the second floor in Scott building.
I still need to speak about renting out a space but the actual project will not take up much room so even a corner in one of these large studios, out of the way of everyone, will be sufficient.
I understand that I may not get a lot of time to work in these studios, due to pressure on space and time from other students wanting to use it, so to work efficiently as possible, the overall piece will be broken down into individual components and built separately as prototypes outside of the studio to clarify they work correctly, and then re-assembled in the studio and connected together to complete the final installation for filming.
For example, I have already completed the prototype for the main machine and so am now working on the other parts and how to connect these machines to the main one.
I will be presenting this piece as either a video on a show reel, or if it is permitted I would really like to create a mini installation in the same vein of the actual piece, which will combine a marble run and other objects using chain reaction to turn on and off a television which will show the actual piece.
This marble run will be interactive in that the viewer will be able to set off the marble run to view the video of the main piece.
The actual installation will not be very big or complicated which will make it more accessible to anyone, and in view of the materials used, it may appeal to those in the younger age groups.
However the nature of the project can be understood and appreciated by anyone, resulting in a non-specific target audience.
In terms of exhibition space, the physical piece will be able to be moved to a more appropriate location should it need to be.
Bibliography:
Eric Staller – KnikkerBaan. Eric Staller. Eric Staller 2003 – 2007, all rights reserved. 10 Jan. 2011.
Staller. Eric. Out Of My Mind. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Staller Studio Nederland, 2006.
Tim Hunkin/Tv Index”. Tim Hunkin. Tim Hunkin. 10 Jan. 2011.
Also as a final final note, here are links to the influences I have noted here for you to see for yourself ☺ :
“Creme That Egg!” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrCb_fNmSTA
“Pee-Wee’s Breakfast Machine” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWd5D8wUc88
Example of Rube Goldberg’s Illustrations - http://www.google.co.uk/search?um=1&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1024&bih=851&site=search&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=rube+goldberg&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=
So that’s it for this post but check back soon to see how what conclusion I have come to and how things are going from there. :)
Take care,
Joe.
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