Robert Hodgin

Robert Hodgin lives in San Francisco with his Russian Blue cat and he creates some of the most amazing videos i have ever seen. So i’ve been chatting with Robert trying to work out just how exactly does he make this stuff?

Doc: Hi Robert, thankyou for talking with the knitware team, i can see from your posts on flight404.com you’re a pretty busy guy (with several projects on the go). So let’s get this thing started.

Robert: Bring it! I am so ready for this!

Doc: I knew you would be … I’d like to focus on your work with the ‘processing’ software if that’s ok, for anyone not familiar with it … can you elaborate?

Robert: At its base, Processing is a coding sketch pad. It allows you to explore your thoughts with code without having to get too bogged down by the more left-brained technical aspects that can easily discourage those who want to learn something new. I don’t actually fancy myself a coder. The only language I ever bothered to learn prior to working with Processing was Actionscript. Not even that fancy 3.0 Actionscript. Im talking the base beginner gotoAndPlay Actionscript. Perhaps that is why I was so drawn to Processing. It made coding seem like an attainable skill.

In short, Processing is a Java compiler. But it has some wrappers to make the more difficult graphical aspects of Java much more streamlined and beginner-friendly. But this doesn’t mean it is a slouch. It is quite powerful. I have been doing a bunch of OpenGL effects in my projects and others have implemented libraries to allow you to use GLSL (shader language) to give you even more power. This tool has done very little to limit me. Every time I think, ‘There is NO WAY I will be able to do this with Processing,’ I am proven wrong.

Doc: I’ve been surfing your Vimeo page, there’s some amazing work there, so i’m interested in the creation of these videos … where do you start and how long do they take?

Robert: That’s a tough one. I was having a conversation with a friend recently about the nature of my work. He was referring to my videos as ‘art’ and was saying that they were ’studies’. The reason I say this is I generally think of art as being something that is finished. At some point, the artist looks at the piece and says, ‘No more’. Some would even argue the timing of this declaration is what makes a great artist. The great ones know when to say when.

With my work, it feels more like an endless exploration. Scientific studies. I do post videos from time to time, but nearly without exception, I am posting a video to show how far along I am as opposed to saying, ‘Here is a finished piece.’ The majority of the videos I upload are variations on the theme of magnetic attraction. So when thinking about it this way, I have to answer your question by saying I started years ago and I still haven’t finished.

A more concrete and less art school student answer is that I usually start with pre-existing code from my aforementioned ‘endless exploration’. Often I will get to a place where I can see a couple different directions to explore. Thats when I generally make a video. Next I choose a song. This part is surprisingly difficult. Since much of my work depends on using beat detection, I try to choose songs that have a nice defined beat and no vocals. Lately, though, I have been using songs with vocals because I wrote an application that allows me to easily manually mark where the vocals occur within a song …

(http://www.vimeo.com/658158).

Doc: Have you ever been approached by a brand or similar for a commission … would it be something you would consider?

Robert: I have been approach by a few different musicians and record labels. Most of the requests are from strangers who want a free video. I don’t fault this. Some of the songs I am sent are quite good. Lately, I have been getting many more requests by music video directors. The project we (the Barbarian Group) did with Nervo (nervo.tv) showed that sometimes it makes sense to leave the final creative call up to the client. They wanted us to make some videos of flocking birds so they could work them into the motion pieces they were doing for Fox Horror. We sent them a custom-built flocking birds application that would allow them to tweak parameters to get the right look and once they find that look, they can save out image sequences. This way, they could create as much content as they wanted without needing to come back to us for each new version.

I think this method appeals to music video directors because frankly, there just isn’t that much money in music videos these days. With the application in their hands, they can make as much as they need without having to fork over cash for each new iteration. Plus, they get to have more control over the final look. I am looking forward to collaborating with musicians and directors, especially if I appreciate their work. There are a couple nice projects lined up for later in the year.

Doc: You seem like someone who’s got his finger on the internet pulse … tell us about other sites or work that have impressed or maybe even inspired you?

Robert: You’d be surprised at little I pay attention to the pulse of the internet. Lately, perhaps because of my art school background, I have been getting more and more interested in installations. Especially high-tech high-concept ones. Without hesitation, I list United Visual Artists ( http://www.uva.co.uk/ ) at the top of my inspiration list. I know nothing about the company, employees, or methodology. I just know they produce some stunning work. Amazing attention to detail.

How about a bullet list! Some inspirational folk in no particular order.

• Maxim Zhestkov. http://www.zhestkov.com/
So young and so skilled.
• The Very Many. http://www.theverymany.net/
Another company (person?) I don’t know much about, but I love their (his?) aesthetics.
• Erik Natzke. http://www.natzke.com/
This guy keeps me on my toes.
• Jared Tarbell. http://www.complexification.net/
Lately, all work and no play, but when he does find time to play, look out.

And of course, all the folk at the Barbarian Group. I get so much wonderful assistance from my co-workers. We have assembled a fine group and I often turn to them for help with concept or code.

Doc: If i could magically give you a few more hours a day … are there any other projects lined up or things that you would like to do?

Robert: I have plenty of time for projects… I need more time for everything else. Dinner parties, hiking, archery, trip to Japan, spelunking, robotics, woodworking, learning to drive… yup, I have never had a driver’s license. At 35 years old, thats just sad.

Doc: Thankyou Robert, say hi to the cat for me.

Tags: Actionscript, All manner of distractions, interview, Processing, Robert Hodgin, San Francisco, videos