Project to Share

Rapid Recap

While not an artistic project, the end result can have creative implications. BriefCam is a video security system that compiles hours of video from a static vantage point, and overlays timestamps on moving subjects to create a condensed overview of events happening before the camera. From the demo footage available, the result shows people occupying the same space at different times but within the same frame. This allows the viewer to more quickly sift through hours of footage, and would reveal motion patterns of those it captures.

The “Rapid Recap” System for Condensing Hours of Security Footage Into Seconds – Link to demo videos

Thinking about re-purposing this surveillance technology for more creative uses is what caught my attention.  Viewing duplicates of a person shown overtime transposed onto the same space can create an eerie visual effect, as well bring to mind how our environments affect our physical interactions. Specifically it reminded me of the graphic novel HERE, by Richard McGuire. McGuire illustrates events taking place in the same spot over the course of thousands of years. From primordial swamps to a rendered future, people, objects, and animals are transposed on top of one-another, cutting through time, only getting glimpses of moments.

HERE, 2014. McGuire, Richard