CREATIVE MEDIA PRACTICE: ISADORA

Isadora for me was the one programme in particular that I looked at in this module that both excited me and infuriated me.

Isadora was created by Mark Coniglio. It's initial purpose was to enhance the performances of Troika Ranch, a media interactive dance company he was associated with. Isadora, according to its own site, is 'easy, flexiable, reliable and powerful'. It's an extensive programme that allows a wide range of inputs from its audience, from a simple mouse click to voice control and even motion, to create a truly awe-inspiring media experience.

We were set the task of creating an interactive media experience set around the theme of Halloween. Having just been introduced to Isadora that day and being told of its almost unlimitless possibilities did, in short, blow my small, Welsh mind initially. Normally I like to know the constraints of a project so I know my limits, however being told I could do everything with anything instead of expanding my creative horizons brought to a crushing thud. I was a bit overwhelmed. Members of my team were suggesting ideas and I had no idea if they were possible or impossible or what I could add or what we should take away.

Plus then there's the 'easy, flexiable and reliable' programming that comes with Isadora.

 

For someone who admittenly isn't much with programming the maze Isadora's presents you again frazzled me. In the end I was resorting to following the little red paths you create like a 5 year old with a 'follow the snail trail' game in a childrens magazine. We made a product eventually that I was proud with, but I felt personally coming out of Isadora that I was never in control of anything.

However, I don't want to appear like I hated or didn't appreciate Isadora. As someone who is a fan of allowing audience interaction I could see the benefits of Isadora in so many ways. I think I would need more time and experience of the product to gain a full benefit. This was a case of a kid being given the keys to a Ferrari when he had only recently passed his driving test. A surreal analogy, but one that I feel would suffice for explaining my relationship with this product.