Getting started with video synthesis

Category: Legacy Docs · Tags: — · Posts: 5


#1 — wednesdayayay · 2021-03-03

This is all very much a work in progress.

I wanted to collect all the information necessary for someone to dive into video art.

first of all everyone is welcome to join the Video art study group@Zifor and I started a while back just follow the link. No experience or hardware is necessary this is just a video/audio chat about video art we hold every 2 weeks.

Video fundamentalsThe playlist is simple collection of videos talking about analog video. It can be very helpful to understand how the medium works if you want to understand larger concepts in the future.

Analog video basics video playlist

LZX patchable video standard

A practical guide to video synchronization & frequency ranges

Connecting sync

Cases and power supply

Video synthesis overview

Video basics

Understanding video signals

Bandwidth versus video resolution


HistoryGet to know the old in order to bring video art into something new.

Historic media artists

Historic video devices

Video synthesis in music videos collected from conversations


HardwareVideo synthesis manufacturers and utilities to use within a video system.

Video synthesizer manufacturers

Passive utilities


System planningIf you want to put a LZX based system together you will want to know where production is at and where it will be in the future.

LZX Production schedule

LZX Roadmap 2021-2022

Patch visualization with graphviz

graphviz is a wonderful way to visualize patches or workflows for people who don’t like to draw or want something that is easier to share with others. Taking notes and drawing out your system is a special part of video art.

DIY 19 inch Rackmount

You may find that you want some older equipment to fill in gaps for your system. This will usually mean you are going to end up with a 19 inch rack in your space.

LZX expedition series system build examples

LZX visionary series system build examples


PatchingGetting to know how to patch your system or modules you would like to incorporate into a system is important but can be hard.

LZX Community Patch Book

LZX 3 patch video playlist

VideoPainting w/ cskonopka playlist

Screen Shot 2021-03-04 at 8.19.04 AM

A screenshot from the old (circa 2012) LZX PatchTool app

Flash based

RIP

I love graphviz but have the actual modules pictured along with knob/switch settings was so rad. Cadet / Castle patchingCadet / Castle - Illustrator templates

Cadet - Asymmetric studies

Castle - 001 Digitizing luma video sources

Castle - 002 Digital Sample and Hold

Castle - System concept overview

Castle - Module demonstration

Castle - Series manual


RecordingAt some point you are going to want to record your video work. You may also need help getting an external source into your system.

Video converters and scalers

How to capture video

LZX Post production workflow video


Pre ProductionMaking video samples for yourself or finding ones that fit into your workflow can be helpful. Playing back old videos of your own to further process is such a blast. Memory palace still workflow hopefully will become easier in the future but there are still some good tips in that thread.

Still images for use with memory palace

Gravscapes vol1 video pack

Oscillations video pack

Evaporate video pack

Primitives video pack


Raspberry PiThe raspberry pi is a cheap platform for video art. I made Scrawl as a project at the beginning of the pandemic.

Raspberry Pi based video projects


Software/programmingThere are so many software options when it comes to making video art. There are lots of interesting visual games that have been made over the years for different video game systems and you can find a collection of some of them here. Shaders can be very helpful in a video art workflow when using an erogenous tones structure or anything else that can handle a shader. FFmpeg is a wonderful multi tool for video work.

Software tools

Video games as art

Learning about shaders

ffmpeg info


DIYDIY is very rewarding and can be a great way to get into video art for those who are inclined.

Video DIY schematic archive

LZX patchable standard reference design


CommunityWe like to share video around here as well as talk about it! There is also a link to the archive of vidicon from 2020 (which it seems like has more than just vidicon stuff in it and it doesn’t seem to have our vidicon talk which I linked below)

LZX gallery

Scanlines gallery

Vidicon 2020 Archive

Our Vidicon 2020 presentation


ExtrasManuals for old video equipment archived. The reading list has lots of history and practical information about working with video art.

Video equipment manuals

Video reading list

Popular electronics archive

Enhancer circuit demo

A partial archive of our work


I hope this is helpful

:slight_smile:


#2 — analogbrainsurgeon · 2021-03-03

Excellent! Really well done, thank you

:slight_smile:


#3 — Z0NK0UT · 2021-03-03

Fantastic! Thank you.


#4 — Maytoast · 2021-03-03

Wow. You’re awesome dot com!


#5 — jsonpayload · 2021-03-21

this is awesome!

i had a similar youtube playlist for video fundamentals and it def has some crossover with yours: Learning about video - YouTube