Aalto Studios 2017

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Jon Fabritius

Time to move on.

We have packed up our Arabia facilities on December 16th 2016 and joined Media Centre Lume in building a new, ambitious initiative and facility at the Aalto campus in Otaniemi during the next years. While this was made public some time ago, we didn’t yet have a name to go by. Now we do.

We call ourselves Aalto Studios.

To stay up to date, make a note of studios.aalto.fi, where we’ll build up more information on what we are aiming for, and how we’re starting to plan it together with you.

And be sure to like our New Facebook Page to get the latest behind-the-scenes view on our relocation and reignition for 2017!

3D Open-source Digital Heritage and Sustainable Technologies Workshop Dec 1st – Dec 3rd

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Jon Fabritius

Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture’s Media Lab is hosting a workshop and training with public presentations and discussions on open source methodologies, practices and ideologies. The event will take place on 1-3 December, 2016 at the Aalto Media Factory (AMF) in Arabia, Helsinki. The objective of the workshop is to discuss key issues and hopefully come up with some guidelines that can help to make open source initiatives more feasible, successful, and sustainable.

Whether in the arts or the sciences, ultimate success in creative projects is often the result of indefatigable effort. Therefore, during the workshop we will discuss and showcase examples of both failed as well as successful open source projects. In particular we want to focus on the use of open source tools as part of activities involving exhibition and storytelling design. Participants are encouraged to come to the workshop prepared to share, discuss and work on their own projects. Two themes, each featuring an actual project, are offered as signposts, in order to guide the discussion. These themes are:

Data acquisition automation – portable 3D scanning device for heritage communities case study.
From virtual to material – realizing high quality 3D tangible interaction objects for museum exhibition using FabLab.

Working schedule:

Thu 1 December, 2016

9:00 – 9:30 Opening of the workshop (Lily Díaz, Andrew Paterson)
9:30 – 10:30 Keynote presentation (Robert Chave)
10:15 – 10:30 Discussion & coffee
10:15 – 10:30 Presentation of DigGLAM project (Lily Díaz)
11:00 – 12:00 Group and work organisation into teams
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 14:00 Keynote presentation (Raúl Nieves Pardo )
14:00 – 14:15 Discussion & coffee
14:15 – 14:30 Presentation of Veselius VR Facsimile (Angela Hernández)
14:30 – 18:00 Workshop
19:00 Dinner

Fri 2 December, 2016

9:00 – 11:30 Group 1 meets at AMF FabLab, Group 2 in [TBA].
11:00 – 11:30 Light lunch
12:00 – 14:00 Public examination of dissertation, M. Arch. Samir Bhowmik,
Deep Time of the Museum. The Materiality of Media Infrastructures
14:00 – 15:00 Coffee and snacks
15:00 – 18:00 Workshop
19:00 Dinner (everyone pays for themselves).

Sat 3 December, 2016

10:00 – 12:00 Workshop
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 15:00 Presentations and documentation of work done.
15:00 – 15:30 Discussion and concluding remarks.
15:30 – 16:00 Closing of workshop.

17:00 – 20:00 Trashlab and pikkujoulu (little Christmas) party at Temporary.fi (BYOB)

If you wish to take part, send us a 200 word project description, link, and up to 200 word expression why you want to share your failed or successful project in this context. Deadline for proposals submission is 25th November 2016.

Submissions: Saara Mäntylä, saara.mantyla (at ) aalto.fi

http://sysrep.aalto.fi/research/renewable-futures-network/3d-open-source-and-sustainable-technologies-workshop/

Systems of Representation research on heritage and digital culture is the context for these initiatives. The work is supported by EU Creative Europe program, Renewable Future Network project and Hybrid Labs project funded by Nordplus.

Featured artwork: Oldouz Moslemian’s and Martin Genet’s collective MA Thesis project. Oldouz did her thesis last spring as MA student in the Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design MA Programme. The supervisors at Aalto were Maarit Salolainen and professor Jouni Partanen from Aalto ENG / ADDLab.

Welcome!

Aalto Media Factory Video Clinic

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Jon Fabritius

The next Aalto Media Factory video clinic takes place during November and December 2016

Want to make better videos about your research or study project? Want to discuss how to popularise science through videos?

Media Factory is organising a three-day video clinic, targeted to people who are using video as a tool in their work or studies, and want to develop their storytelling, shooting, audio recording or editing skills further. The clinic is an advanced version of our popular “Media Factory video school” -course.

During the course we will watch your previous videos and learn from them. Between the contact teaching days you will continue your current video project and get personal tutoring in developing your project further. Cinematographer Hans Barck, sound designer Ville Katajala and editor / script writer Anna Berg will be tutoring you.

We will have three full contact teaching days: 14.11. 29.11. and 15.12 on Arabia campus. Between these days you will need time to work on your video project. The main teaching language is English, but we also accept video projects which are in Finnish.

Register through this link before the 22nd of October. There will be a limited number of seats available and the participants will be selected on the basis of their need for these skills in their work / studies. We gladly welcome group registrations. If you’re register as a working group, please fill only one application (for the contact person).

More information from info (at) annaberg.fi

Virtual Reality workshop

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Juhani Tenhunen

The first Virtual Reality workshop at Aalto Media Factory gathered about 50 VR-enthusiasts to make virtual reality films and meet others. It shows that the new technology in film making has been well received in Finland. You are welcome to explore the state of the art of VR short-films in Finland at Tennispalatsi on Wednesday 17th August 17:30-19:30. Buy tickets here.

MTV3 made a news insert of the workshop. Please click here to check the insert!

VR workshop website: http://vrworkshophelsinki.fi/

Virtual Reality Filmmaking Workshop

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Juhani Tenhunen

VR-glases

The first 8-day workshop on VR filmmaking 13-20 August 2016

The workshop is a non-profit endeavour to introduce VR to filmmakers, who are eager to explore the exciting artistic possibilities of the format, but may find themselves intimidated by the sometimes daunting practical and technical realities that VR involves.

The goal of the workshop is that by the end of the 8-day-workshop, filmmakers will have acquired a level of proficiency and familiarity with the technology and its storytelling implications sufficient to make them see the unprecedented potential of 360° videos. The idea is to empower artists to use this technology creatively, so that it becomes a new expressive tool in the arsenal they have at their disposal to move the audience and engage with them like never before.

VR-filmmaking workshop website: http://vrworkshophelsinki.fi

Thu 19 May: Satyajit Ray and Modern Indian Cinema

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Juhani Tenhunen

Dr. Ritwij Bhowmik (Department of HSS, IIT Kanpur, India) will give a talk on Thursday 19th May at 17:00 about the most famous Indian film-maker, Satyajit Ray at Aalto Media Factory. The talk will focus on Satyajit Ray’s very first movie “Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road, 1955).” The movie considered as one of best films ever, and received numerous awards and recognitions, which also include the Palme d’Or at Cannes,the Selznick Golden Laurel for Best Film (Berlin), the Kinema Jumpo Award in Japan, the Bodil Award in Denmark and many more. In 1958 it had been nominated for Best Film at the 11th British Academy Film Awards.

Satyajit Ray was one of India’s first internationally recognized film-maker and, even after his death, still remains the most well-known Indian director ever. Despite India’s early entry into the world arena with powerful directors like Chetan Anand and Bimal Roy, Satyajit Ray will be remembered as the first Bengali director to win a Palme d’Or for his very first film Pather Panchali in 1956. Satyajit Ray’s career as a filmmaker is about 37 long years, which exchanged and influenced with the distinguished transformation in the postcolonial history of India. This brief lecture will provide a glimpse on Indian post independence art cinema movement through the work of its most famous proponent. The lecture will offer details of Ray’s early career and his Bengali roots and will try to trace his cinematic genius through very first film Pather Panchali (Song of the Road, 1955) which has been widely perceived as the precursor of a new cinematic realism in India as well as one of the very first entry of Indian cinema into the world stage of modern cinema.

You can find the details of the film here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048473/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_37

Dr. Ritwij Bhowmik: Trained as a visual artist, Dr. Ritwij Bhowmik obtained his MFA degree from Visva-Bharati University (Santiniketan); later he pursued Chinese Art and calligraphy from Northeast Normal University (China), where he was awarded with a PG. Dip. He earned his Doctorate in Visual Culture and Cinema-Study from National Chiao-Tung University (Taiwan). His research interest lies in the area of Modern Bengali Cinema, Indian Partition films and the works of Satyajit Ray. He is working on his fourth coming book on Satyajit Ray’s partition films, which will be published in 2017. Dr. Bhowmik joined Department of HSS, IIT Kanpur in 2013 where he currently teaches Cinema-Study, Visual Culture, Art History, Art Appreciation and simultaneously working as a professional painter and researcher.

Random Hexagons

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Juhani Tenhunen

AMF gallery presents algorithm-based computer graphics by Severi Virolainen from 3rd to 20th May 2016.

The works are created by using GDL language of ArchiCAD and randomness and printed with an inkjet printer. All the works are based on one parametric hexagon, which has been multiplied different ways by using and limiting the randomness. The depth is created by layering hexagons so that the hexagons in the separate layers follow different rules.

Tietokonegrafiikkaa. Työt on luotu ArchiCADin GDL-ohjelmointikieltä ja satunnaisuutta hyödyntäen ja tulostettu mustesuihkutekniikalla. Ne kaikki perustuvat yhteen parametriseen kuusikulmioon, jota on monistettu eri tavoin satunnaisuutta hyödyntäen ja rajoittaen. Syvyyttä töihin on luotu kerrostamalla syntyneitä kennostoja siten, että eri kerroksissa kuusikulmiot noudattavat erilaisia sääntöjä.

Severi Virolainen

arkkitehti, Architect TKK 1992

Aalto tohtorikoulutettava, Doctoral student2015–

Severi has programmed computers since 1979, first on breaks at school and later in his own companies. 1988 Severi founded M.A.D., which is specialized in computer aided architectural design (or BIM). Severi’s diploma work ”Hypermedia House” (1992) was the first diploma work in HUT delivered only in digital form (SyQuest disc).

In his doctoral thesis Severi studies ”Algorithms, parametric design and printing buildings”, which will be focused later on. Graphics and other visual arts Severi has created in random occasions along his life time.

Severi on vuodesta 1979 alkaen ohjelmoinut tietokoneita, ensin välitunneilla, myöhemmin omissa firmoissaan. 1988 Severi perusti M.A.D. -yhtiön, joka tietokoneavusteiseen rakennussuunnitteluun erikoistunut asiantuntijaorganisaatio. Severin diplomityö ”Hypermediatalo” (1992) oli TKK:n ensimmäinen ainoastaan elektronisessa muodossa luovutettu diplomityö.

Väitöstutkimuksen aiheena Severillä on ”Algoritmit, parametriinen suunnittelu ja rakennusten tulostaminen”, josta aihe myöhemmin tarkemmin rajaantuu. Grafiikkaa ja muuta kuvataidetta Severi on luonut satunnaisina rupeamina koko elämänsä.

AMF Video School 5.0 in May 2016!

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Jon Fabritius

AMF Video School 5.0 in May 2016!

Do you need to make an interview-based video related to your research or study project? Want to get familiar with Media Factory’s AV equipment?

Come to the next Media Factory video school in May and learn how to make short, interview based documentary videos, such as the Aalto Snapshots. We will also learn how to use Media Factory’s own video equipment that you can borrow for your production later on!

During the five-day course we learn the basics of shooting video and recording quality audio with hands-on exercises. We will also learn how to edit video and audio with Adobe Premiere. During the course the attendants will produce their own, short interview based video in groups. Please bring your own idea for a 3-5 minute interview based documentary film and prepare to present it to your group in the beginning of the week. One idea out of four will be actually produced in each group!

Course topics in brief:

– shooting video with a DSLR: Canon 5D mark II (focus on interview situations)

– recording speech with professional gear

– editing image and sound with Adobe Premiere cc 2015

The course teachers are a cinematographer, a sound designer and a film editor who have graduated from Aalto’s Department of Film, Television and Scenography. They are now ready to give you tips on improving your story and how to make your video look and sound better!

Register here: https://www.webropolsurveys.com/S/151586703121C5B4.par 3rd of May the latest! We will inform you on the whether you were selected for the course before 9th of May. Your professional needs for video skills are the basis of the selection so please fill in the questions carefully.

The course will be held on 16.5. – 17.5. & 23.5. – 25.5. at Aalto Media Factory (Hämeentie 135 A, Arabia Center, Arabia campus). Notice that the group exercises will be shot between 17.5. and 25.5. (requires about one day’s or half a day’s work or more if you’re project is ambitious).

Course schedule:

MON 16.5.

Morning 9:00 – 12:00: Brief introduction lecture: planning your production, basic concepts of camerawork and audio recording. Going briefly through the camera- and recording equipment used during the course.

Afternoon 13:00 – 18:00: Four guided interview exercises in four groups: camera, lighting, recording audio, directing/interviewee. Getting to know the equipment better and learning the roles in a video production.

TUE 17.5.

Morning 9:00 – 12:00: Reviewing the material produced during previous day’s exercises. Lecture: Analysis of the structure of an interview based short documentary (one of the Aalto Snapshots). Starting the group work: presenting and choosing the ideas.

Afternoon 13:00 – 17:00: Group work: planning each groups’ own documentary. Tutoring with equipment and planning.

From 2.12. to 4.12. Shooting the group works (each group approx. 4 hours)

MON 23.5.

Morning 9:00 – 12:00: Lecture: Basics of digital video formats. Editing with Adobe Premiere: importing the material, syncing image and sound, basic editing principles.

Afternoon 13:00 – 17:00: Editing workshop.

TUE 24.5.

Morning 9:00 – 12:00: Lecture: Where to find creative commons licensed music, images etc. that you can use on your video. Group work: editing the videos, guidance provided.

Afternoon 13:00 – 17:00: Lecture: Adding titles and basic color correction. Smoothing sound in Premiere. Group work: editing the videos, guidance provided.

WED 25.5.

Morning 9:00 – 12:00: Finishing touches. Exporting the videos.

Afternoon 13:00 – 17:00: Premiere of the exercise documentaries. Feedback.

No previous knowledge on video productions is required for attending the course. We will use Media Factory’s equipment in the productions but you can also bring your own DSLR for example if you wish. The teaching language is English and the course is only for Aalto’s students and staff members.

More information from Anna Berg – anna.berg (ät) aalto.fi

Wanted a Speaker for Researchers’ Breakfast!

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Juhani Tenhunen

Do you have a paper that you wanted to test with a friendly audience? Or is your research just starting and you wanted to grow your networks inside Aalto? Or do you have an artistic work that you wanted the others to know?

No matter what the reason is the Researchers’ Breakfast is a nice and friendly forum to present all kinds of activities. Riku Oksman has promised to present his paper on 12th April (more information later). As we usually have two speakers, the other speaker slot is still open. Please don’t hesitate anymore, reveal yourself or your colleague and let us know what’s important in your field at the moment.

Media Factory at Aalto University

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