Pinwheel camera

To represent my concept through a physical apparatus, I have chosen to approach the collection and presentation of video footage in a slightly different manner. Rather than creating something in which to mount a video camera, the apparatus itself will act as the camera as well as the vessel. I have taken the concept of the pinhole camera which, like artist model Darren Glass, I will use to capture the effects of light as the camera itself moves, exposed onto negative film.

To allow for ease of movement, I have designed a light tight cylinder which can rotate to open or close the pin hole with a smaller interior cylinder which spins a bit more freely within the canister. to ensure a relatively even exposure of the film. I will need a dark bag with which to change the film in between exposure to more easily get a variety of exposures in different locations and lighting conditions within the city. It will be relatively lightweight and small for easy transportation. It may also take some experimentation and calculations to figure out the ideal exposure time.

A few hours, several different machines and a shower of sparks later, I had my pieces cut out. Not exactly to my calculations, however careful though. The equipment in the 3D lab was easy enough to use with the introduction workshop with James and the extremely helpful technicians. At this point, the most difficult thing was putting enough pressure on the blade / guillotine which cut the metal sheet into usable strips.

Beginning to assemble it required a bit more careful thought as to the smaller details, such as drilling the pinholes, and figuring out the best and best possible order to do them in. The pinholes were drilled and the metal strips were curved to shape and spot welded together, ensuring they locked into place when the holes lined up. Despite a slight reluctance to brave the welder, it was all go ahead and ready to them weld the cylinders down to the circular plates. This proved to be even a little more daunting by the fact that each technician seemed to be giving me a different bit of advice as to the best way to approach it, but in the end I found myself kitted up with the arc welder in hand...

Where at first it seemed an interesting combination between the video and the use of metal, perhaps that is part of what is making us again push our creative potential and come up with something new and different. Where metal does seem somehow a little more intimidating to work with than, say, wood, it's potential is perhaps a lot more. It also seems to link a lot more with the location of the city in the base of it's construction. When you think city and construction, you think loud drills and sparks and metal scaffolding and solid metal structures and skeletons. A lot of interesting bits and pieces seem to be under construction in the 3D lab, the cylinder / circle / wheel / sphere seeming to be a popular choice. I feel confident in my idea that it will give a different outlook as I have chosen to explore the depiction of video in a different way.