Beyond motion graphics, or is it?

To give you an idea as to the power of some of the tools available to us, coming from the OS (Open Source) community I would like to share two very different videos. They are simply some of the thousands of projects created with PD (PureData) a free open source program mentioned in my comment to Jenna's post below.

Although originally a program designed to control and manipulate music, it has evolved, thanks to the OS community into one of the most used real-time graphical/auditory, performance programs in the world. The program however is capable of controlling absolutely anything you can somehow connect to a computer (including wireless of course), including robots, projectors, cameras, phones etc. etc. No limit but your imagination.






In this video that was shown at TED's "Full Spectrum" auditions,  Onyx Ashanti demonstrates "beatjazz", music created with two handheld controllers, an iPhone and a mouthpiece, and played with the entire body. The software is Pd controlling three Arduinos which are open source hardware controllers.

pure data live music visualizations

I really want to do something like this at my recital next year. If I can find/design my own simple visualizer I'm going to give it a try this weekend to a few movements of Bach Cello suite 2. Most of the work I find in this style uses recorded music or live performance of computer generated music to trigger the visualizations. What I'd like to do, and what this example demonstrates, is using microphones and acoustic instruments as the triggers. The program will analyze different pitch classes and dynamic ranges to control the animation.
From the link....
"Pianist Hugh Sung demonstrates the use of Pure Data/GEM as a method for computers to react to live audio input and generate responsive visualizations. In this clip, Hugh performs selections from Charles B. Griffin's "Vernacular Dances". This performance took place on Sept. 30, 2008 at Wallenstein Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, presented by Music Bridges International"