Master of Information Systems

relent is a sacred work within the genre of interactive electronic music. the 20-minute composition is a multi-movement piece for four instrumentalists (saxophone, double bass, and two percussion) and computer that is inspired by the gospel message. relent is specifically about the gospel message that Christ died for man’s sins, rose from the dead, and through faith in him man can be reconciled to God. This project was an experiment in creating a work with a programmatic extramusical structure. in preparation for writing a piece based on Christian programmatic content, this paper presents an overview of research conducted on the intersection between art and Christianity referencing authors such as Harold Best, Nikolai Berdyaev, Hans Rookmaaker, Calvin Seerveld, Daniel Seidell, A. W. Tozer, Steve Turner, and Cornelius Van Til. This work was an experiment in trying to make very direct and specific musical ties to the narrative of the Gospel. Another highly experimental aspect of relent was in the way interactive electronics were used. Each acoustic instrument in the work has its own input and module within the Max patch, extending each acoustic instrument rather than adding an electronic accompaniment component. Additionally, non-traditional notation, both codified and real-time computer generated, improvisation, theatrical instructions, and a completely computer generated movement makes relent a piece that challenges and pushes the boundaries of current interactive electronic music.

The artist discusses the work in Silly Trip Wires, 2020 his Master of Fine Arts exhibition. The exhibition includes an installation, Silly Trips Wires, and documentation of a smaller site-specific version of the work. The Artist discusses the process of transition from military to civilian, and the potential effects that mental trauma from combat deployments can have on this process. This is tied to an analysis of how communicating the experience of veterans to civilians, through artwork, functions to bring about understanding.

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The objective of this thesis is to investigate the history of interactive videos and examine some possible reasons as to why they have never been successful. Because the method of interactivity is often disrupting to the narrative, I wanted to make something that was much more fluid. To this end, I produced Man Alone Interactive, a branching story that allows users to choose their path without stopping the narrative. The purpose for creating it was to see if a different interactive mechanic would aid in the user immersion. In order to fully test this, two versions of the movie were created. One with the relatively standard interactive technique of stopping the story to display the choices and another that had the choices onscreen as the video progressed. The two versions were then used in a study to determine which was more engaging to users. This paper examines the research that led to the design, the process by which the story and different versions were created and the results of the study.

No / In this work we propose a talking head system for animating facial expressions using a template face generated from partial differential equations (PDE). It uses a set of pre configured curves to calculate an internal template surface face. This surface is then used to associate various facial features with a given 3D face object. Motion retargeting is then used to transfer the deformations in these areas from the template to the target object. The procedure is continued until all the expressions in the database are calculated and transferred to the target 3D human face object. Additionally the system interacts with the user using an artificial intelligence (AI) chatter bot to generate response from a given text. Speech and facial animation are synchronized using the Microsoft Speech API, where the response from the AI bot is converted to speech.

Can you feel the groove? Hip-Hop has the rhythmic power to connect individuals while providing an outlet for creative expression. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a disruption in our day-to-day lives, causing a sense of disconnect between each other. The implementation of government protocols such as mask mandates, social distancing, and the transition to virtual learning has caused challenges for teachers in the dance community. I am curious to phenomenologically inquire into the experience of pedagogical connection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Can we connect in a time of disconnection? The purpose of this Motion-Sensing Phenomenological study is to understand the interactive experiences of connection through Hip-Hop dance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants of this study were three Hip-Hop dance teachers who taught consistently, in-person or online through interactive technology during the pandemic. By actively immersing myself in the pedagogical connection, I observed, moved, and sensed this phenomenon in action. I conducted semi-structured motion-sensing phenomenological interviews with teacher to elaborate on their meaningful and connective experiences. Drawing from my participatory sensations and observations, I used the Interactive Function to Flow Model (Lloyd & Smith, 2022) to form my research questions: What connective postures showed when a participant was ready to groove? What connective gestures drew out the moments of connection? What qualities of timing and force cultivated feelings of a connection, and what kinaesthetic sensations were experienced when connections were felt? By stepping into these motion-sensing experiences, pedagogical connective moments emerged between participants, revealing somatic connective meanings in Hip-Hop dance. A deeper understanding of the intricate relation between Hip-Hop, movement, and its connective power within a global pandemic was found tethered within three contexts: a cypher, a partnered dance activity, and beyond a four walled computer screen. From relational positions of teacher and students, connective gestures shaped moments of collective synergies cultivated interactive flow. Despite the barriers of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can feel the groove, and it is clear with HIP-HOP, WE DON’T STOP.

For my thesis project for the Masters of Fine Art in Film and Digital Media, I designed and produced Evelyn Offscreen, an alternate reality game (ARG) that was facilitated by interactive performance. The goal was to create an interactive experience that allowed several players to collaboratively create story across numerous media within the field of alternate reality gaming. The approach used in Evelyn Offscreen was intended to provide a degree of creative freedom to the players that has not been demonstrated in other ARG experiences and to use digital media to capture information about the relative effectiveness of the different techniques that were employed. During the month of October 2009, Evelyn Offscreen invited players to participate in an overarching story as characters. The game existed simultaneously through several media platforms such as Ning, twitter, and blogger as well as scenes located in Central Florida where players could embody their character in a real world setting. The results revealed insights into techniques for massive collaboration of story and player reactions to this hybrid form of alternate reality gaming and interactive performance.

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