#learned how to do datamosh effects

[bopsterlobster]

"This was never your challenge, and I have won."

[zytes]

youve probably gotten this question before, but how do you make your work? whats your process? ive loved your art for months now and im so intrigued

No worries, I like answering this kind of inquiry! It allows me to drop some unfamiliar terms and links to a few different resources that I’ve used in the past when I needed a niche tutorial or something.

Unfortunately the answer isn’t something that I can make overly succinct, as it’s the culmination of around 7-8 years worth of experimentation and unhinged graphic design experiences - I’m not sure how I’d put that into a brief format. But, in as short a length as I can manage, it’s a combination of software and hardware based techniques — a lot of experimenting with different tools (after effects, photoshop, GIMP, loads of different apps, some browser based tools, some AI-based tools, fractal generators, etc etc etc) and pushing myself in weird creative directions.

On the hardware side, I use a few different hardware widgets called glitch video synthesizers to distort analogue video signals being played back on an old CRT - take photographs of the results with a DSLR - and upload them onto my PC. From there, I just start fucking around in different software with the images and videos that I had captured. Basic edits first, then usually some compositing or superimposed, collage-style stuff that combines a bunch of different styles together. Over the years, I’ve built up a huge repository of my own work, which I constantly go through and remix, recycle, and innovate on as my experiences and interests shift. That’s the basic pipeline, in essence. I generally stick to using my own photos, but creative-commons stock photo websites are also a fine place to source images from + with the recent rise in AI-based art generation, there are even more tools becoming available to use; which is super exciting, and gives an artist tons of creative and imaginative license if they use AI like a brainstorming partner.

For more specific information, Glitchet has a nice compendium of different tutorials and resources for anyone interested in the wider glitch aesthetic - which is good, as it’ll introduce you to the jargon which typically makes the initial learning curve so steep. You’ll learn the difference between a pixelsort and a datamosh, as well as why and how those effects can be achieved using myriad software.

TL;DR: mad scientist wizard magic (slipshod creative adventurism), a few hours of each day, and my insatiable need to scratch the creative itch that fills my most cerebral moments - a little foundational education at an arts college, a lot of YouTube design tips, and a general sense of creative direction also help but that stuff usually comes with time and taste.

Hope this is a sufficient answer! Thanks!

[k1nz]

out of interest... how do u make ur edits... theyre rlly neat >_< !!

im glad u like thm!!!! my earlier editz were made using picsart n photomosh bt ive been using ibispaint 4 my later ones!! i still use photomosh sometimes? n for my glitter edits i use glitterphoto! ive used a few other things bt only like once or twice i cnt remember :/

in my earlier editz id use multiple images 2 layer thm & stuff but iv been doing tht less lately, finding better ways 2 make stuff look glitched out (im looking in2 datamoshing 4 this bc i like th look it has but i haven't gotten th energy 2 rlly try yet)

iv gone thru a lot of processes & itz kinda smthn i do in th moment! im often nt feeling too great when i make these, even if theyre nt vent ones chsnjg i jst recommend messing around w fx and saturation n brightness and hue! photomosh is a good place 2 start bc u cn jst randomize effects & learn wht u like to see in edits ig? srry this might nt be too helpful bt if u mention a specific edit i cld tell u how i made it!

[notforyoutoc]

Activity 3

1. Datamoshing involves editing and manipulating the data of video, audio or other media files to alter the visual and auditory result when it's file is decoded (“How to Datamosh Videos”).  The effect created when this process is applied to a video file results in moving images being moshed together. Datamoshing is used to create glitch effects through either corrupting, removing or replacing I-frames so P-frames can be applied to the ‘wrong’ picture (“What is Datamoshing”). The datamosh effect is popular in the music culture as scene in Drake’s “Hotline Bling”, music video. 

2. Data-bending/ image bending is the process of altering the data of a file in a software application that it is not originally intended for (Briz, “Databending 101”). This is easily achieved by altering the data of an image file in a text editor to create glitches in the image file. Data-bending or image-bending is a relatively simple method to create glitch art. 3. Glitch-a-like vs. “Natural glitch” A natural glitch occurs as the result of a human error causing a computer to unexpectedly malfunction (Moradi, “GTLCH Aesthetics”). These ‘pure’ or ‘natural’ glitches occur accidentally and are often perceived as mistakes or errors in the file. Glitch-a-likes produce similar results as natural glitches; however, they are intentionally created by glitch artists and do not occur by accident. Glitch-a-likes are created to resemble the visual effect of pure glitches. They are deliberate, designed and artificial whereas natural glitches are accidental, found, and real (Moradi, “GTLCH Aesthetics”). 4. Pixel Sorting is the process of altering the positions of pixels in an image to create a glitched image (“How to Glitch Images”). This method involves taking a horizontal or vertical line of pixels and sorting the positions of the pixels. The pixels may be sorted based on different factors such as luminosity or hue. Pixel sorting is most commonly achieved through computer scripting or programming (“How to Glitch Images”).   5. Hardware-Bending also known as circuit-bending, is the process of short-circuiting the hardware of an item to cause it to malfunction and result in a glitch (Hammer, “Crafting Malfunction”). This is commonly done to battery-powered toys, sound mixing software, video cameras etc. This method of creating glitches allows the artist to have creative control with the object at hand.

Works Cited

Briz, Nick. “Databending: the Foundations of Glitch Art.” Databending: Raw Data, nickbriz.com/databending101/databending.html. Accessed 13 October 2020.

Hammer, Steven. “Crafting Malfunction: Rhetoric and Circuit-Bending.” Harlot, www.harlotofthearts.com/index.php/harlot/article/view/261/173. Accessed 13 October 2020.

“DataMoshing: Learn How to Create This Viral Effect.”  RocketStock, 30 June 2017, www.rocketstock.com/blog/datamoshing-learn-create-viral-effect/. Accessed 13 October 2020.

“How to Datamosh Videos with Data Corruption.” Datamoshing, 12 Feb. 2017, datamoshing.com/. Accessed 13 October 2020.

“How to Glitch Images Using Pixel Sorting.” Datamoshing, 16 June 2016, http://datamoshing.com/2016/06/16/how-to-glitch-images-using-pixel-sorting/ Accessed 13 October 2020.

Moradi, Iman. “GLTCH Aesthetics.” School of Design Technology, 2004. http://www.organised.info/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Moradi-Iman-2004-Glitch-Aesthetics.pdf Accessed 13 October 2020.

[adad1001dyl-blog]

An evolution of my concept and practice

As my experiments have strayed further and further into practices of data corruption, I have decided to change my topic to failure rather than erasure. Even though there are aspects still of erasure and chance, I feel that failure is the most prominent aspect of my creative direction and practices in my experiments and I want to follow through with these practices into my final work as it has really struck my interest. 

I want to explore further the intersection of computer and human culture, communicating between these cultures in ways that are not intended. I want to distinctly juxtapose natural imagery with digital corruption to show the failure of post-internet ideologies. I have experimented with image corruption, audio corruption... And now I want to explore video corruption. I have been doing a lot of research on ways to do this - I found that using text edit and similar formats of glitching works much better in image formats as these are much smaller files where changing the code will have a prominent effect. So I looked into other forms of bending the data of a video, and I stumbled upon data moshing.

These are my sources of how I learned about and put into practice this technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKmhWnFnlh4&t=154s http://datamoshing.com/2016/06/26/how-to-datamosh-videos/

This is a technique that essentially breaks video files by removing certain frames: removing I frames has one effect, and duplicating P frames has another effect. The theory of what these frames do is stated in the second link above. I love this effect as it breaks the videos in such a unique way.

[stillinreverie]

Week 7: Social Media Ideology, Glitch Art, Critical Engineering and Memes

1. What do you think are the wider societal and cultural implications of the social media ideology described by Geert Lovink?

Geert Lovink discusses Wendy Chun's take on software as ideology and how software (or the operating system) creates a new form of social realism since it attempts to map material effects to the virtual world through visible cues. Linking it to the present context, he argues using Louis Althusser's definition that social media can similarly be thought of a kind of ideology in which users of social media are "called upon" through the process (perhaps - rite of passage?) of creating an online profile. It seems that he is suggesting a master-servant relationship of sorts - social media being the master and users being willing and dependent servants of the media. We see this, in fact, coming to life as more are becoming social media addicts, with a obsessive need to constantly update their social media accounts about the interesting, sexy activities they are involved in. Even though we know that social media companies like Facebook and Twitter are using the data they collect from our accounts for profit-driven intentions (e.g. selling of ads or data to companies), we willingly continue to be active users of social media and freely share valuable information about ourselves.

In addition, he comments how there is an "apparent paradox between the hyper-individualized subject and the herd mentality of the social". We see examples of this manifesting on social media platforms as follows:

"Hyper-individualized subject" - People have an increasing desire to stand out because of the sheer number of people and posts that exist on the platform. Consequently, social media accounts are also being increasingly curated in an attempt to impress, a phenomenon we particularly observe on Instagram. This also illustrates how we are now witnessing an "Inversion of Man" - social media's focus is no longer on the social but on the individual. We take the technoogy that once helped us build bridges (both physical and emotional) for granted. Instead of building bridges, we build towers, even barricades for ourselves. Is social media is making mankind lonelier?

"Herd mentality" - Because people are constantly sharing openly on social media platform about the materialistic aspects of their lives, there is an increasing sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). People have an increasing desire to fit into the community by doing/posting what the people in the community are doing/posting.

A couple of others in the forum have also mentioned a blurring of lines between online personas and reality. People often alter their online personalities to deviate from their real personalities in an attempt to escape reality. As Lovink comments in his article, "profile details such as gender, race, age, and class are not merely “data” but decisive measures in the social stratification ladder." When given a chance, we tend to create a persona that mirrors what is considered most desirable by society - e.g. skinny or toned body, Caucasian, young, rich, good-looking etc. (because in the digital realm technically anything is possible since in some ways it is "unverifiable"). Of course, there are people who create false personas to cause harm to others - by hiding behind a screen they are empowered to offend (e.g. making racist or extremist remarks) or even cheat (e.g. catfishing).

2. What do you think is the aesthetic, ideological or political role of memes, within the context of the self-segregating, doubt-centric culture of the new media landscape? Provide one digital culture or digital art project that reflects this as an example for evidence to ground your response in. (Look to the weblinks on IVLE and learning materials for more resources if you are having trouble.)

More Googled than God, this year [2016] memes provided humour, community and a necessary refuge from a world that increasingly felt like a bad dream. - Emma Hope Allwood, Editor at Dazed Digital

2016 was unofficially dubbed "The Year of Memes" as the 2016 US Presidential Elections saw both sides incorporating memes into their political campaigns and message strategies - perhaps in an attempt to get messages out quickly via social media (after all, "the truth is whatever produces most eyeballs”). Especially since memes often contain humour and references pop culture, it is easy for a meme to go viral. In light of the recent Facebook Fake News Controversy, it was also allged that a Russian Troll Factory had created and spread "fake news" political memes to undermine the Democratic Party's movement / the Clinton campaign and support the Trump presidency (Boyle, 2017). In view of the results of the 2016 US Presidential Elections, the use of memes to influence election results seem to have been effective to some extent.

​​I think memes are just simple and comical ways of expressing a thought or opinion. Like what Lovink discussed in The Principles of Meme Design, oftentimes the creation of memes draws from personal experience, rather than cold hard facts, which makes it easy for someone to relate to the content regardless if it is grounded in truth. This could be dangerous for those who take what they see on the Internet at face value.

Conversely, I see more and more people in this generation using memes as a somewhat lighthearted means to critique and comment on sociopolitical issues (not necessarily to spread fake news) - for example, SGAG often uses memes as social commentary on the political landscape in Singapore. 

People, particularly millennials and Gen Zs, have also begun using memes as a coping mechanism or distraction from the difficult reality. Popular Instagram meme account @MyTherapistSays is an example of this. 

​

3. To what extent do you agree that the increasing reliance on communication technologies by artists and cultural leaders and the simultaneous reduction in understanding of their production are a problem? Compare and contrast two works or texts to provide evidence of your position.

I agree with this to a large extent. Geert Lovink describes Trump's tweets as a "perverse flood of self-expression". Trump follows a sort of modus operandi when he tweets - he takes his personal opinions about various issues and proclaims them to be facts, simply because he says so (in fact when debunked or fact-checked by others, Kellyanne Conway infamously called them "alternative facts"). It is clear from the way Trump tweets that he does not have an appreciation or understanding of the source and in some ways it seems as though he is exploiting the medium to advance his personal interests, and his personal interests alone.

On the other hand, much of artist Amelia Marzec's art focuses on educating the public on the production of communication technologies, addressing the question "How would we respond in the event of a breakdown in communications systems in an uncertain future?". Her installation, New American Sweatshop, for example is one that showcases a manufacturing facility where volunteers repurpose electronic waste to create communication devices for the future. Her appreciation for the production process is definitely commendable and expected (given her background in the arts and design), but even for her she was really only inspired after she had lost her hearing in one year due to surgeries and realised she had been taking communication technologies that so convenience our lives for granted. People, especially in the developed world, have come to point where they forget how to function when communication technologies breakdown (e.g. during natural disasters, power outages) - which is dangerous.

4. Describe some potential applications of critical engineering and glitch studies in works of art and cultural manifestos. Reference at least 2 Digital Culture and Arts projects / works in your response.

Menkman argues in her manifesto that glitch artifacts showcases a platform in critical state and challenges the medium. Kanye West's Welcome To Heartbreak music video makes use of glitch elements through a technique called datamoshing, where 2 videos are interleaved such that intermediate frames are interpolated. The textural glitch art seemingly helped to convey the protagonist's state of flux ("in critical state") and communicates a juxtaposition of his prized possessions against a simple life in the music video.

​The Critical Engineering manifesto similarly advocates for the deep understanding of technology by engaging in discourse and questioning practice of engineering. It calls for users to be more cognizant of the inner-workings and forces that shape the technology, especially as we become increasingly dependent on them. Berlin-based nonprofit Tactical Tech is an example of an organisation that applies this directly in its mission to help people better understand digital surveillance, privacy and activism.

References:

Boyle, L. (2017, November 12). Inside the Russian 'troll factory': How Putin's unlikely cyber recruits deployed waves of fake news articles, memes and divisive social media posts in the Kremlin's information war on the West. The DailyMail UK. Retrieved from  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5074671/Russian-troll-factory-recruits-fake-news.html

Allwood, E. H. (2016, December 31). How memes helped us cope with the shitshow that was 2016. Dazed Digital. Retrieved from http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/34147/1/how-memes-helped-us-cope-with-the-shitshow-that-was-2016

[wurkymaters]

Final Work

ASSESSMENT 3: ERASURE/DOCUMENTATION & EDITING Here’s a link to the video: https://vimeo.com/218434817

My work is responding to the theme of Erasure but throughout the production of this project, I feel like it has progressed to a more sort of documentation/editing type of work. Initially, I thought about Erasure being a form of subtraction or addition to something, ultimately changing the aspects of that object or thing. I experimented with few images of nature and editthem in Adobe Photoshop using simple layering, change hue and/or saturation, vary the opacity levels and some light colour filters.

This created a new image and thought it correlated quite heavily to glitching. I mucked around with glitching images, especially with effects of RGB splitting, displacement and cropping of the image to further the glitchiness. However, from the beginning of this assessment, I wanted to transfer these layering effects into a video format. During the creation of my experiments, I remembered this video by A$AP Mob in their song, “Yamborghini High”, which heavily utilised a technique known as “Datamoshing” directly intertwining with Erasure. I began learning how to Datamosh a tutorial on YouTube. Unfortunately, my edited HD versions of the video did not work with the software and the only way I got around this error was to mesh it with some Standard Definition footage I had. That’s where the title “Moshed Up” sort of came around, it was fucked up, but I didn’t want to name my work that. Like the video wasn’t perfect. It was supposed to be rendered in 720p by 60 fps But now its sorta like 30 fps somehow mixed with 60 fps footage. However, I did have two clips of Dyfan doing tailwhips on my SD camera and my HD camera, so the clip in between those of that weird guy saying, “Now lets go back to high definition”, makes the problem I had in post-production sort of humourous.

As for music choice, I thought the datamoshing technique was sort of arcade-like so I took a remix of DK Country, slowed it down and made it minor sounding. Slowing the track down catered to the overall glitchy vibe of the video.