Day 4 - Luca Tornato Serafini

Day 4 at Loos.

Test run day. I hook everything up, position the cameras and turn on the piece. Good and healthy high pitch noise. The first thing I notice is that one of the security cameras do not “lock” perfectly with the scanning rate of one of the CRTs, resulting in areas of the screen that are darker, almost unviewable. Sadly, this camera has no genlock (a type of video signal used specifically to synchronize cameras to other video equipment). I notice the CCTV has a few controls on the back. Fiddling with the “phase control” alters the part of the image which is darker. By fine tuning this knob and enabling the camera Iris, I manage to get the whole screen filled.

The results are even crispier than expected. The first tv shows a perfect image, the second presents some moiré patterns, the third gifts me with beautiful noise. Red and purple dominates in a grid full of overblown granules, all escorted by the fine lines of the cathode ray tube.

Next thing I notice is that having the screens at approximately 1 meter above the ground feels uncomfortable. I realize I need to find a small bench, placed in between the first camera and the print. This will hopefully make the experience more intimate and inviting for the audience to interact.

Finally, I took some measurements of the piece. The cameras need to be at least 50cm from the screen,for better results. To fill the whole screen, the print size will be 0,9x1,1m, placed at 1,5m from the first CCTV. I haven’t found any solutions yet for the TV stands yet, but I have some ideas for the print, which I will further experiment on next time.