Week #3

WEEK #3 (Nov 2)

Final Major Project: Revision of the EBS video

My thesis and final major project (FMP) are extensively intertwined. The thesis is a 2 tiered research effort, including a theoretical component oriented towards the development of a new video genre, and the second component is the corresponding empirical research evaluating people's response to the genre.

The final major project (FMP) is the effort associated with generating new clips for Emotion's Brain SECTIONS [(EBS), Ottowitz 2019]. EBS is the fourth video (of an ongoing 5 year effort) aimed at use of the music video format as a novel brain science docu-drama didactic. The additional or new clips for EBS will be implemented by means of After Effects and Houdini VFX (and the capacity of VFX to effect a neurobiological narrative is part of the theoretical dimension of the thesis). The additional clips will aim to further highlight the didactic agenda of what appears superficially, to simply be a music video (i.e. EBS, Ottowitz 2019). The Trim Paths Effect (implemented by means of After Effects) was completed in the last few weeks of the summer break and is briefly summarized in the first Term 4 blog (i.e. Week #1). The main visual effects that will be implemented by means of Houdini software are the Particles Font effect and the Volume Trails or Liquid Lines effect (and possibly the growth propagation effect). I am starting to work on these, had expected to possibly receive some assistance from Kelvin with this effort, but he also appears busy with other duties.

Review of EBS for Candidate Change Points

In addition to the above, at this time, it is necessary to review the EBS video and identify a few points where "neuroscience, subtle documentary-like didactic" changes can be made, i.e. where new clips which highlight neural-circuitry issues can be added. As below, before the video starts, just after the opening credit 'present' (as below), and the very end of the original video, each appear to be reasonable for edit. In other words, substitution of alternate clips at these timepoints should be feasible (and reasonably fluid). A main didactic point for the video will be the difference between the original circuit of papez (Papez 1937) and revision of the relevant neuroanatomical construct to subsequently become known as the 'limbic system' (MacLean 1949). Inclusion of the amygdala along with the original circuit is an important component in the evolution of this neuroscience framework, and this modification will be highlighted at each of these 3 timepoints (in the modified video). Moreover, this issue will be a presented as a "test question" on the empirical research survey.

Storyboard for New Clips at Beginning of EBS

As mentioned above, the main teaching points which need to be included in the start of the video include an orientation to the circuit of papez (CoP), inclusion of the amygdala to the CoP, and some specific reference to the names Papez and MacLean. This however, needs to be done in a manner that resonates w the 'aliens from outer space' dramatic narrative of EBS. As suggested in the storyboard below, one strategy might be to use the classic cover page of Papez's manuscript 'A Proposed Mechanism of Emotion' and text that highlights the key structures in his paper. The scene can transition to the more extended limbic system circuit and an explicit mention of the 'amygdala'. All this could presented as part of an alien radio transmission which gradually transforms to reveal itself as propagating the manuscript as a sine wave. The scene could end as an explosion of the word amygdala, w the explosion emitting asteroid particles that transition to the space background start of the EBS video.

Alien Radio Sine Wave Opening Scene

As a first pass with this concept as above, the following clip would require more attention (its not cool enough!), but may serve as a general starting point. It is only the BBMVBF frame 1 above which is portrayed in the following clip.

Review of Houdini Text Options for the EBS Video #2

An internet search of tutorials for text strategies in Houdini did reveal a tutorial which would allow for an explosion of the 'amygdala text' into particles (frame 2 of the BBMVBF slide above), thus mimicking an explosion of an asteroid. This is the Aposlo Studio tutorial, by Troy Thompson (2020). An image of the Aposlo particle text font is on the left.

As per the bibliography, The well cited tutorial from Swaab (2010) is interesting too, but the wobbly text effect is not nearly as relevant for the EBS video#2.

InDesign Interactive PDF Followup

As per Esmeralda's email response below, at this time, InDesign has currently lost its use of Flash software, thus it may not be possible for me to use InDesign to generate a more user friendly interactive PDF for the thesis. This isn't a crucial issue; with the PDF as it currently stands, there were only a couple spots where the reader would need to exit the PDF to process an internet URL, and these are not even entirely necessary to appreciate the content of the relevant sections of the thesis (most readers are probably not going to exit the pdf to address an internet search, but it isnt a crucial issue). From an internet search, I have noticed that InDesign has had this issue with Flash previously and they did re-acquire their attachment in subsequent versions of the software, so presumably this is some ongoing 'commercial' issue between the companies, which may again be resolved in the future?

Bibliography

Aposlo Studio (2020). Houdini Creating Text Out of Particles.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfWHIIqpDjI

Emotion’s Brain SECTIONS (2019). [video] Directed by William Ottowitz. Finland: Bill Bevan Music Video Brain Films.  Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjSTDil_Bv0

MaClean PD (1949).  Psychosomatic Disease and the "Visceral Brain”: Recent Developments Bearing on the Papez Theory of Emotion.  Psychosomatic Medicine 11(6):338-353.

Papez JW.  (1937). A proposed mechanism of emotion, in Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry 38:724-749.

Swaab A (2010).  Houdini - Procedural Text Animation Tutorial.  https://vimeo.com/17039552