Widescreen overlap

[samsc]

Kind of a hard sell to a client. I can hear it now, "why do I need a catalyst if watchout can do that?"

Tyler

dmx control.
Catalyst is a live tool.

[tylerr]

dmx control.
Catalyst is a live tool.

Correct but still a hard sell for some.

[samsc]

Correct but still a hard sell for some.

i went to the watchout launch 3 years ago.
i know what it does.
dataton and myself had kindof this competing product thing going.
we both did show control software as well.

i always focussed much more on live control, and live manipulation.

there are many many ways to produce the final result.
including using very simple technology live just a dvd player.
you can do all the blending, all the effects in post-production. you dont need anything else.

it depends on what else you need to happen.

in the watchout system, there is a single timeline ( or used to be ) and everything has to be preprogrammed in a specific order at a specific time.
you can only go forwards you dont have individual control of the elements in your 'composition' -live.

i was trying to do something that was useful in live environments where you didnt know exactly what was going to happen, when it was going to happen or how it was going to happen.
something that was a little freer than one single timeline moving forwards.

[tharding]

Precisely why I have gone with Catalyst!

I guess the main thing I was referring to was the blending features.

You can't beat the live manipulation abilities of Catalyst. Offers a much wider range of uses.

My clients in the corporate world love the option of incorporating graphics/logos etc. at the last minute especially given that rehearsal time is so limited on many of these events.

[samsc]

My clients in the corporate world love the option of incorporating graphics/logos etc. at the last minute especially given that rehearsal time is so limited on many of these events.

Watchout - has its place - if you need more graphics intensive stuff - or you have been able to tie everything down in the production and post-production process.

but my experience doing shows and trade shows for the last 15 years, has been that clients havent often got things sorted out, and dont ever get them sorted out.

Sometimes they have no idea what they are doing or why.
Its all a bit of a hack -

But they still need to get a show out of it - in the easiest way possible, and they need to see and experience variations of things as easily as possible, so that they can decide in the show context.

I tried to do something that is 'suck it and see'.

I tried to do something that doesnt always require much preparation - something you can fiddle with - and still get effective results.

[samsc]

I guess the main thing I was referring to was the blending features.

the blending stuff comes from watching a lot of abstract art films at various film coops in the last 20 years.

i always like the way film artists like stan brakhage
http://www.fredcamper.com/Film/BrakhageL.html
and many other sites....
created visual experiences by printing in certain ways on optical film printers.
thats why there is a random play mode....

I always liked the experiments with film loops.

So in the software a key thing is to be able to do rhythmical effects like play 2 loops together - of slightly different lengths - with a different blending mode.
You then get a visual rhythm set up - and the image doesnt repeat - its like a sampler.

Im quite influenced by experimental films....