GETTING HELP FROM ANDREAS

Since I was struggling with my experiment, I asked help from Andreas. After scrutinizing my circuit, he promptly inquired about the resistor I had incorporated. It turned out that I had chosen the wrong resistor, and that was the sole reason my capacitive sensor wasn't functioning correctly. The power of resistors—pun intended—had a significant impact. I required a resistor with at least 1 megaohm resistance, and Andreas graciously let me borrow the correct one. Subsequently, everything fell into place seamlessly. While I was relieved that the conductive paint wasn't a scam, I couldn't help but feel a bit foolish for not identifying such a simple issue on my own.

WORKING ON THE VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF MACBETH

Now that I had successfully illuminated the LED through the capacitive sensor, the next step was deciding on the visual representation of Macbeth. While talking to Ananya, she suggested delving into photography, emphasising the role of imagery and symbolism, along with the significance of semiotics in interpreting art. She mentioned Isidro's lab, which covered these aspects, and I realised the missed opportunity to participate in it. Ananya further recommended exploring a style similar to my year 2 photo book project, where I did a non linear photography project. In that project, I captured the seven stages of addiction from a psychological perspective, presenting it in an abstract manner. The feedback highlighted the theatrical quality of the photographs, aligning with my current focus on theatre from a design perspective.

FINDING REFERENCES

At this point, time constraints prevented me from working on a studio photography project for Macbeth. While the idea of such a project appealed to me, practical considerations took precedence. With the looming final submission and the need to present a fully functional prototype, I realized that conceptualizing an abstract representation of Macbeth and concurrently devising a set design for the photography project would be too ambitious given the available time. Reflecting on this, I acknowledged that had I prioritized the visual aspect of my work earlier, I might have been able to incorporate a photography project. However, given the circumstances, I needed to explore alternatives and adapt accordingly.

Given the time constraints, I pivoted towards creating an archival publication that would compile existing interpretations and designs of Macbeth. This approach would allow me to explore diverse visual representations of the narrative while resonating with the theatrical aspects through design elements such as textures, colors, and interplay of light and shadow.

PROPOSING THIS IDEA DURING CONSULTATION

During consultation, when I proposed the idea of an archival publication, Andreas found it interesting and suggested an additional layer of using AI in this project. He recommended creating a blend of found images and AI-generated images of Macbeth, conducting a study on these images to gain insightful perspectives. While Andreas saw potential in integrating AI for a fresh outlook, I was initially hesitant. My primary focus was on authenticity, aiming to stay true to my exploration of theatre design. I was cautious about introducing AI, as I didn't want to further complicate my research objectives and preferred to maintain a more straightforward approach.

CASE STUDY - JOEL COEN

Joel Coen's approach to "The Tragedy of Macbeth" (2021) caught my attention during my search for references. What intrigued me was his unique blend of architecture and textile elements in the film. Coen, in his interpretation, opted for a distinctive architectural perspective, creating a total of 33 sets for the film. He deliberately departed from previous adaptations, including those by Orson Welles and Akira Kurosawa, and aimed to break away from the ornate style seen in Roman Polanski's version.

In Coen's vision, he stripped down the sets to their essentials, removing embellishments like carpets, torches, and chandeliers. The film's artistic direction drew inspiration from geometric sketches by Edward Gordon Craig, a 20th-century avant-garde theatre designer. Additionally, the sublime atmospheres in the film seemed to echo the aesthetic of "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog," a renowned oil painting by the German Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich.

These references contribute to the film's cinematic dimension while preserving a theatrical feel. Despite the cinematic space, the impression is maintained that one is watching actors perform on a stage. This architectural and textile approach adds a unique layer to the interpretation of Macbeth, providing a fresh perspective on the narrative.

GETTING BACK TO THE CAPACITIVE SENSOR AND SERVO MOTOR

While navigating the visual narrative, I simultaneously delved into the technical aspects. Transitioning from LEDs to a servo motor was a logical step. However, my assumption that the process would be smooth, requiring only minor adjustments in both hardware and code, turned out to be overly optimistic. Facing challenges, I sought help from Andreas once more, we refined the code. Despite these efforts, the servo motor still refused to cooperate. To compound matters, it turned out that I had a faulty servo motor. Fortunately, Terence came to the rescue with a spare servo motor from his Arduino kit. It truly is so nice as soon as he got to know that Ly and I were working with Arduino he very generously offered his kit to us, providing essential resources for my experimentation.

MAKING A DIY BRUSH FOR THE SERVO MOTOR

Moving forward, I turned my attention to crafting a DIY brush that could be affixed to the servo motor. The objective was to create a mechanism where, upon touching the capacitive sensor and activating the servo motor, the attached brush would generate distinct patterns. My choice to explore mark making in this context resonated with my earlier exposure to this technique in my first year studio class. This continued exploration in my second year projects contributed to my affinity for mark making, making it a fitting and enjoyable avenue to pursue this year as well.

I decided to leverage one of the mark-making tools I had crafted in my first year, further exploring this approach in my second year.I considered incorporating this tool into my current project while also contemplating the creation of additional tools with similar functionality.

ATTACHING THE BRUSH TO THE SERVO MOTORR

This experimentation phase provided valuable insights. I recognised the necessity of a proper handle or lever to attach the brush to the servo motor. In the current setup, I had simply taped it to the servo motor handle, but for future iterations, a more presentable and secure solution was required. Additionally, I faced a decision between attaching the servo motor upside down to a surface or making the paper stationary.

Attaching the servo to a surface posed the challenge of restricting its movement, limiting user interaction and resulting in a more predictable outcome. On the other hand, fixing the paper to a surface seemed more practical, offering users greater autonomy to move the servo motor around and explore diverse patterns.