Cinema Fabriqué : a gestural environment for realtime video performance

Abstract

This thesis presents an environment that enables a single person to improvise video and audio programming in real time through gesture control. The goal of this system is to provide the means to compose and edit video stories for a live audience with an interface that is exposed and engaging to watch. Many of the software packages used today for realtime audio-visual performance were not built with this use in mind, and have been repurposed or modified with plug-ins to meet the performer's needs. Also, these applications are typically controlled by standard keyboard, mouse, or MIDI inputs, which were not designed for precise video control or live spectacle. As an alternative I built a system called Cinema Fabriqué which integrates video editing and effects software and hand gesture tracking methods into a single system for audio-visual performance.