It’s Media Mania Month at Nerd Nite Ann Arbor! We’re focusing in on the life after “the death of film” by exploring the process behind and the art created with non-digital photography with historic camera expert Ross Orr. We’ll hear from Martin Thoburn, an interactive filmmaker who finds endless ways to expand his video-based art beyond the screen. Andy Ross might know more about microphones than any person to ever speak into ours – and he’ll be telling the story of the impact of mic amplification on modern music. Join us for a deep dive into audiovisual awareness, plus drinks, laughs, and a spin on a vintage 35MM Carousel projector.
When: Thursday, February 18, 2016, doors at 6:30 pm, talks at 7 pm!
Where: LIVE, 102 S First St, Ann Arbor
$$$: NO COVER! Courtesy of the Ann Arbor District Library!!
Ross Orr – Are Film Cameras Dead, and Why Not?“Didn’t Kodak go bankrupt?” After the year 2000, sales of photographic film plunged by at least 95%. Yet there’s still a dedicated fringe who appreciate film’s tangible physicality and distinctive look. In a digital age, why are new converts dusting off decades-old, chunky, glass & metal cameras? For this talk we’ll bust out the 35mm Carousel projector and look at examples of why “slow photography” matters even today.
About Ross: Starting with a bakelite Argus at age 8, Ross photographs Ann Arbor (and beyond) using cameras from every era. He bought his first copy of Photoshop in 1995, but celebrates his ongoing love for the photochemical image at silverbased.org and on Flickr. He has contributed numerous articles to MAKE: magazine, including the DIY panoramic pinhole camera chosen for The Best of Make: Vol. 1. He also helps coordinate the web’s largest camera encyclopedia, camera-wiki.org.
Martin Thoburn – Beyond the Video FrameTake a walk beyond traditional filmmaking and into the world of interactive video art and video mapping. Our journey will go behind the scenes on how this artist’s projects were created from concept to execution. Discover more about the strange world of video beyond the rectangular screen.
About Martin: Martin is a local animator and artist working in a variety of different media. He has produced and directed several short films, both animated and live action. Determined not to be confined to any one medium, Martin continually explores photography, live video mixing, design, collage, animation and motion graphics. Working with both modern and antique technologies sometimes in tandem, his work explores the uniqueness of the medium, technology, and/or tool. He is involved with YPSI24 and the Ann Arbor Film Festival and you can follow him on Twitter @duiceburger, or visit martin-thoburn.com.
Andy Ross – Music and The MicrophoneThe invention of the microphone dramatically changed popular music, and allowed for the development of a more personal, intimate and emotional style of singing. We’ll look at, and listen to, this development.
About Andy: Andy is a web and graphic designer, and a widely exhibited artist here in Ann Arbor. He’s also a dedicated amateur musician and singer, and he has taught courses in popular culture and its impact. Find more about him at andyrossdesign.com or follow him on Twitter @andyrossdesign.