SmadSteck

Team

In 2005 Aart, Rob and Thijs left my technical team. Aart and Rob started RNUL interactive, a cool design studio creating innovative spatial experiences. Thijs started Vauxlab for the development of sound related software and technology.

This made me realise how dependant I had become of my technical team. With them I created the Frame Drummer Pro, skrtZz pen, DVJ Mixer, SenS I and SenS II. My software had become a complex system that needed specific technical specialists to develop. But since they left me, the knowledge we build up together about audio analysis, video playback, real time audio-visual effects, 3D video mixing etc. also left me.

Fortunately, Timo Rozendal, Mattijs Kneppers and Bas van der Graaff joined my team in 2005. They were new to Max and developing video instruments, but very talented developers. I set up SmadSteck to create a solid environment for them to become Max specialists and visual music software specialists. A very specific field that asked for very specific knowledge.

Since then it became an important task for me to hold the SmadSteck team together and to facilitate them. I also had to make sure they could work without worrying about distracting short term deadlines. This meant I had to do more commercial projects and make sure these projects fitted within the development strategy of SenS. Fortunately, I have been able to work with many clients on cool, innovative projects that helped the development of SenS. Below you’ll find some examples.

SenS

My main project is my audio-visual instrument, EboSuite. With SmadSteck I created many prototypes for EboSuite: SenS II, SenS III, SenS IV, Senna, SenSei and Augmented Stage. SenSei/SenS turn Logic Pro and Ableton Live (popular music software) into an audio-visual instrument. The aim of my software is to create the ultimate audio-visual instrument that merges the creative processes of making music and making visuals into one, unified creative process. In 2012 I renamed SmadSteck to EboStudio. With EboStudio I produced the DVJ Mixer 3.0, Interactive Tracks and eventually, EboSuite.

Selected projects

Games in Concerts was a concert series by the Metropole Orchestra. At the concerts the orchestra played compositions written for video games only. We did all visual projections, mixing live camera feeds with screen recordings of the games and other graphics live. For this we used SenS III’s 3D video mix and real time motion graphics software.

In 2008, Sony Playstation invited us to do performances in Utrecht (NL) and Brussels (BE) for the launch of their new video game Little Big Planet. We created an audio-visual track for them with SenS IV and its 3D video and real time motion graphics software. For the performances we used live recorded video samples of the audience.

For Ray Ban we did a few live video sample performances with SenS IV on Queensday 2009 in Amsterdam. With the real time motion graphic engine I made crazy, sleazy Queensday designs for this performance.

For the Stranger Festival, an online video remix contest, we did a live video sample performance to launch the event’s website with SenS IV.

We used SenS IV for all speaker announcements and event intros and outros at the PICNIC 07 conference in Amsterdam. A virtual host was mixed with motion graphics and live cameras aimed at the audience and the stage. More information on the project page.

End of 2007, Fortis Insurances (a car insurance company) invited us to make a funny video about damaged cars for their online promotion. More information on the project page.

Breaker Breakfast was an integrated campaign for Friesche Vlag convenience breakfast. We produced radio commercials with an interactive online video sampler. Customers could compose a video composition that showcased their ‘morning rhythm’ and share this with friends. This project premiered on MSN and was a finalist for the Spin Awards. More information on the project page.

Senna is an audio-visual instrument for children, based on my professional audio-visual instrument SenS IV. It was installed in the ‘Klankspeeltuin’ (‘Sonic Kindergarten’) and in the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam. More information on the project page.

Deloitte wanted their managers to think outside the box but inside the circle. We created an interactive presentation with SenS IV to which Deloitte management added their ideas live on stage. The audience responded through video messages and Twitter. Stewards filmed audience comments  which appeared immediately on the screen in the pre produced 3d animations. When the sun sank behind the Deloitte building we had captured their collaboratively produced vision on video.

In September 2007, we produced the ¡Viva la Creaçion! project for internet provider XS4ALL. For this ‘WikiVideo’ project, we produced nine compositions together with the general public in nine days with SenS IV. Although these compositions were produced in just one day, we used them for a successful live performance at the film festival in Milan. We were awarded an international Webby Award for this project in 2008. Watch the tracks and find more information on the project page.

For their V is for Victory campaign Nike recruited famous sportsmen Cesc Fabregas, Joe Cole, Andrei Arshavin, Didier Drogba and Rafael Nadal, photographed by John Rankin. During the photosessions a lot of video recordings were made to show the creative process, involving coloured powder dust clouds being blasted on the athletes. Nike asked us to create something cool with this left over video footage, so we created a cool audio-visual composition with SenS IV. More information on the project page.

IDFA was looking for an innovative way to draw attention to underexposed documentaries. So they asked us to make mash-ups of two documentaries on each festival day, live, with the makers. We created five docu-mash-ups this way with SenS IV. More information on the project page.

For the launch of OVI, Nokia’s brand for their internet services, NOKIA and MTV asked us to come up with a concept in typical Web 2.0 style: with crowd participation and sharing. So we created an installation at the entrance of the launch event where all visitors were recorded and then automatically remixed in the main hall in sync with the music of the DJ’s. Many recordings of the DJ and VJ set where shared online by the audience, because they were starring in it!

In December 2007, we were invited to do a performance on visual radio show ‘Freak Night’ with DJ Giel Beelen. For this performance we produced a special audio-visual track in one day on location with SenS IV. More information on the project page.

Mercedes/Smart were looking for a creative way to present their new Smart innovation award. So we recorded the contenders live and made them part of the visual designs of the award ceremony in real time.

For Achmea, an insurance company, we produced a SenSorSuit performance for the opening of their Pling Innovation Awards ceremony.

To introduce the new iPhone G3 we did a performance in the TMobile brand store, early in the morning when the first phones arrived. The performance started with a countdown and the first buyers were sampled live and became part of the show.