Sunday 26 April 2015

The pub that never was


This will form the opening sequence of the aforementioned video-mapping project at our pub. It will rise up to fill the whole space of the projection 'screen', obliterating what is there and has been there since about 1740.

It is a collage made by chopping an old photo of the 17th century Packhorse pub in nearby Southstoke, stretching and tweaking it to fit exactly over the real pub frontage. The obvious repetition of certain details won't be so obvious when it is projected - or so I am hoping.

The intention is to allude to the three gabled building which originally was built about 300 years ago, then it will crumble away to be replaced by the 1740 gentrified facade which was simply stuck onto the front, creating a wall which is almost 2 feet thick.

When you see the projection of the 1740 front, for a while you will be tricked into thinking that you are looking at the real thing, but it will just be light that you see, and lots of it.

An ordinary powerful projector gives out about 700 lumens. The projectors we are using will give out 15,000. That's why you are tricked into thinking you are looking at the real building.

Because the light is so bright, you can build a building block by block, and you can have it fall down block by block as well, with the help of computer programming.

You would not believe how much work has to go into the making of a 5 minute film such as this - so far I have spent days on it, and it's not even me who is making the video.

The logistics have taken up most of the time. I have been negotiating the use of a young, Spanish girl's bedroom for siting the projectors, and she can hardly speak any English. Money is understandable in all languages, though.

All that remains now is to settle on the sound-track, organise the block-booking of several car-parking spaces for the audience, and - this is quite important - make sure a nearby street-light is covered on the nights, without upsetting the council.

Sometime in June I want a holiday.

12 comments:

  1. I was a frequent lunch time cider drinker at The Packhorse Pub. In December 1980 I sat in the garden and penned an obit poem to John Lennon.

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  2. I thought you were paying some geezer seven grand to do this for you.

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    Replies
    1. We got a better, cheaper geezer and have cut-down on the costs by doing all this so he can concentrate on making it look as nice as possible.

      Delete
  3. Are you aiming to make lots of dosh?

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    Replies
    1. No, loose loads of dosh. It's a community project.

      Delete
  4. Now that sounds very impressing! And yes: I believe you instantly how much time one needs to make a - good - short film/video!

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  5. Am hoping
    The work
    Of the geezer
    Will be
    A crowd pleaser
    And credit due
    Will go to you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thinks
      The geezer's work
      Reflects on him
      And if it stinks
      Then they will talk
      Of blaming me
      For fucking it all up with my interference.

      It fell apart a bit toward the end.

      Delete
  6. A very cool project, indeed (including the cheaper geezer).

    ReplyDelete