Opto-Phono-Kinesia (OPK)

Opto-Phono-Kinesia (OPK) is an audio-visual performance piece in which all media elements are controlled by the body movements of a single performer. The title “Opto-Phono-Kinesia” is a play on the possible synaesthetic state involving connections between vision, sound and body motion. Theoretically, for a person who experiences this state, a specific colour could trigger both a sound (i.e. a particular note) and a body action (i.e. a flick of the hand). This synaesthetic intersection is simulated in OPK by simultaneity of body movement, and audio-visual result. Using the Gesture and Media System 3.0 (GAMS) motion tracking system, the performer can dynamically manipulate a complex immersive system using two small infrared trackers. With the FlashTrack 3D mapping software, single note melodies, drum hits, samples, and audio loops can be programmed to be triggered anywhere in 3D space. Individual parameters (filters, reverb, delay) can be altered in real-time using changing x, y or z coordinates or velocity. Simple geometric videos are also triggered in synch with each note of the single-note synthesizer melodies