Final Proposal
Abstract: I propose to create a simplified laser effects show that is cheaply and easily made, so that it is available to everyone who wants one. Also it is easy to use and interactive with any music playing.
In my short encounter with this subject called timearts, I have found it to be the most diverse and most quickly expanding of all the art forms I have partaken in. from video art to reactabes to LED graffiti. It is the last of those though that really caught my muse, the idea of light as art. However, instead of graffiti I turned towards light shows.
Normally when we think of light shows, we think of those fancy pictures made of light and spectacular pyrotechnics that we have seen at rock concerts from, essentially, Pink Floyd and onward. However, lasers were originally used as a form of art, back to a performance of Faust in the late 1960s. In that light, no pun intended, I believe that it should not be something exclusive to only those who have the excess money to sponsor it. Instead it should be accessible to everyone, and that is my goal here.
As the final project in my exploration of 4D art, I would like to attempt creating a laser effects show. However, unlike most shows that are controlled by expensive switchboards, I aim to create a low-budget show that is controlled by the music itself.
This laser light show has no circuitry attached., and therefore requires no expertise in the electric, programming or engineering fields. In fact, he only materials I will need are a laser pointer, an old styled speaker and a mirror. Brining the budget for this project well under thirty dollars, by my estimation.
The design is really quite simple. First the small mirror is attached to the face of the speaker. This can be done either by directly gluing it or by rubber-cementing it to a piece of latex that can then be stretched over the speaker. Once that is set up the laser pointer, preferably green as it shows up more strongly than the reds, is directed at the center mirror so that it reflects either onto the ceiling or the center of a wall.
The basic idea is that when music is played, it causes the speaker to move to the beat. This is the reason that an older speaker system is preferred, most new styles have a cover over the speaker that does not vibrate. So unless one has a speaker system with a subwoofer lying around, old cheaply made speakers shake the most. Naturally when the speaker moves, the mirror moves with it. When the mirror moves, it changes the path of the reflected beam. So as the music plays, and the base pumps the speaker, the reflected light creates designs on the wall. Designs that are made solely by the music.
The final result is a cheaply made laser effects show that, not only is it available to everyone, it is unique every time you use it. Also, best of all, there are no adjustments needed; you can simply set up the music playlist and never have to touch a button again (except for skip).
