JOHN BUTLER WORKSHOP: SYNTHETHIC INFORMATION - 3D VISUALS AND ANIMATION
28 February 2012 — 1 March 2012
LOCATION: IMPAKT CENTRE FOR MEDIA CULTURE
Between 28 February and 1 March, the British video artist John Butler will give a workshop at Impakt, in which participants can sharpen their skills in working with animation and 3D visuals. Three days in a row, using his own working process as a starting point, Butler will show the way to make short and alarming clips based on “Synthetic Information”: your own form of ironic propaganda.
On March 1st, Butler will close the workshop off with an artist talk and the presentation of the results – that will be broadcasted on Dutch urban screens in Eindhoven, amsterdam and The Hague.
In February, John Butler will be Impakt WORKS artist in residence. Professionally he works for commercial, semi-informative newspapers, but he prefers to use his technical skills to make short animations that show a strong resemblance to military propaganda. Films by Peter Watkins, like “The War Game” are of inspiration to Butler – grimm scenarios where citizens are imperatively instructed, indoctrinated and warned for glooming disaster, like nuclear danger or – in the case of this workshop – financial warfare.
During his stay in Utrecht, Butler will work on short animations by which he thematically offers survival techniques to the current financial emergency – with excesses like fraudulent lotteries, deceitful offers or other trickery. The works are primarily text based but with a strong graphic form, backed up with 3d visuals – to project a vivid message that will stand out in a crowded public space.
In the workshop, Butler invites the participants to dive into the codes that are used to address our fellow citizens: by means of the shock and awe effects you will be joining in on making your own clip, that might resemble a message of public interest. You will be guided by a professional artist towards conceptualizing and producing your own visual message or animation. Results of the Synthetic Information Workshop will be broadcasted on Dropstuff‘s Urban Screens!
The participants are expected to individually bring software like After Effects, Combustion or a 3D-package to the workshop, and that they are able to work with it. Due to the visual objective of the results, sound will be of minor importance.
Want to join in? Please submit your participation via the RSVP button at the top of the page or send an email at rsvp[at]impakt[punt]nl.
Costs for the three day workshop are E25 – including daily lunch and a dinner on the last day prior to presentation. The price for just the closing presentation by John Butler on March 1 for non-participants is E5.