One of the perks of working in a university is that you get to play with the latest bits of kit.
I was asked to get involved in one of the new multimedia courses springing up around the U.K. in the mid nineteen-nineties. Surprisingly, many were in engineering departments. I believe the first was started by engineers at Bradford University around 1993.
One element of our new course was digital video. We were all encouraged to understand how it worked. As a result I was allowed to borrow one of our new hand-held video cameras and take it home. It was great fun filming our children when little, playing in an inflatable dinghy in the natural pool on the beach at Sandsend.
I know that sounds like a frivolous waste of taxpayers’ money, but we needed to know how to use these new technologies ourselves, and understand how they might relate to other parts of the course and what their possibilities might be. Silicon Valley technology companies often allow staff time to ‘play’ with new software and equipment because it generates innovative ideas. In our case, it led to course developments and research funding.
Handling a video on a computer was not straightforward then. You had to run it through programs to digitise and ‘render’ it into a viewable form. You needed to be aware of the type of video coding (‘codec’) you were using. Only then could you begin to edit it or write programs to do state-of-the-art clever things such as spotting objects and faces. There would be a lot of ‘re-rendering’. Computers were so slow that every stage took ages. Nothing was automatic and effortless like now.
Back home, I realised that the camera made it easy to create stop-motion animation. With my then eight year-old daughter’s lovely wooden dolls’ house, the figures that went with it, and her enthusiasm and child’s take on family life around her, this, below, was one of our first attempts. Yet another example of something that would be much easier with today’s software. You wouldn’t even need a real dolls house. I know which I think the most fun.
She made up most of the story and moved the figures, while I mainly operated the camera. Surely, the story is not based on her own family, is it?
Adorable!
ReplyDeleteYes, cute. There's a second one to follow up when I've got it ready.
DeleteSeveral years ago we helped a niece make one at a place set up for children to do just that. It was good fun and we and she were pleased with the result. Now where would I have filed that I wonder.
ReplyDeleteWe had a good time working on it together. Sounds like I've got you searching through your computer files.
Delete"There are lots of stairs" - there are!
ReplyDeleteIt keeps all the dolls very fit.
DeleteAs someone who owned a dolls house as an adult and learnt to make miniature furniture, that was a lovely reminder of a child creating a story for her house.
ReplyDeleteChildren are very creative. It sounds good fun making the furniture. We still have this house in the loft.
DeleteI didn't see a lavatory in that doll's house. Did they have a khasi round the back? As for the fellow on the computer up in the attic, he is the spitting image of you!
ReplyDeleteIt's above the kitchen. You missed it as you usually do.
DeleteI expected a comment from you about apostrophes and was all ready with examples such as pig trough, ants nest and weavers cottages.
DeleteMeaning is everything. All punctuation marks are merely devices to assist in the transfer of meaning.
DeleteWhat a delightful thing to have.
ReplyDeleteIt is. I'm just getting the follow-up ready, which is even better.
DeleteThat is a really sweet video - bravo! I love to hear English children speak - and Molly pronounces so well. (Interesting: "Dad's still playing at the computer"... )
ReplyDeleteThe automatic subtitles have been added when watching on YouTube if there's anything not quite clear. They are pretty accurate. As mentioned above, there is another to follow. It was great fun making them, using the lovely dolls house.
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