This is the opening sequence of Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Rear Window. The original digitized (via YouTube) film clip was played on my computer screen using MPEG Streamclip and simultaneously screen recorded using QuickTime. The newly recorded version was then played via MPEG Streamclip and again screen recorded using QuickTime, and so on.

As the signal decayed, the video slowed, stuttered, became higher in contrast, and eventually darker and darker, resulting in the interesting illusion of the scene taking place later in the day with each subsequent rendering. After 18 iterations, the film became almost completely black, with only the appearance of what seem to be small fiery flares visible in the darkness.

The grid below is a composite of all 18 passes simultaneously – best viewed in full screen!