COSTART feasibility project concerned with computer support for creativity

Here is another paper I found that is quite interesting. It is a survey of artists using digital technology and their relationship with the technology and their design process.

It speaks a lot about how computers can dictate the structure of an artists work through the systematic and procedural behavior of the software. And how some artists choose to use computers as they understand and co operate with this structure and others have to be careful their work is not dictated by it.

Artifact 3 Creativity. Possible ideas

I have had a few thoughts as to possible ideas for my third artifact.
I want to investigate new technologies affect on the design process of creating sound design. And its effect on the creative outcomes sound designers achieve.

Is new technology promoting or hindering creativity in sound design through its affect of the sound design process.

Possible ideas for the artifact are;

1)Interviewing individuals about their relationship with the technology they use to create sound design.
Asking them how they relate the technology they use to the creative outcomes they achieve.

2) Compare two examples of innovative sound design for film. One from a Pre digital era that was seen as extremely innovative at the time compared with a present digital example that is also seen as extremely innovative at present. Then show these two examples to a test audience and ask them to speculate on whether the advances in technology have made the creative outcomes of these two pieces more innovative.

3) Hold a focus group with multimedia practitioners to discuss their ideas of creativity. How they think new technology promotes or hinders this through its affect on their design process.

4) Try and replicate an old piece of sound design using new technology and ask people to judge whether the outcome i can achieve with new technology is more effective than the original.

Creativity? research paper

How can computers be partners in the creative process: Classification and commentary on the Special Issue

This is a peper i would be very interested in reading however i cannot afford to buy it but the abstract seems to outline the question I am trying to test.

The different ways that computers can be involved in creative work are examined. A classification based on four categories of human–computer interaction to promote creativity is proposed: computers may facilitate
(a) the management of creative work,
(b) communication between individuals collaborating on creative projects,
(c) the use of creativity enhancement techniques,
(d) the creative act through integrated human–computer cooperation during idea production.

The idea I am most interested in is point (d) "the creative act through integrated human-computer cooperation during idea production"
Particularly the ideas encapsulated within this and my question of sound design process.

I have sent an email to see if I might be able to get hold of the paper for free. Otherwise I will have to just take inspiration from the points listed above.

Artifact 2 to 3 Creativity?

I have investigated new technologies affect on the design process and method of creating sound design. I found that new technology can make the design process easier and quicker. I now wish to expand on this and begin investigating new technologies potential for creating effective sound design and also its potential for expanding creativity.
This is going to be difficult as I am potentially trying to measure creativity. How can I test new technologies potential for better creativity?
The question I am facing is whether New Technologies affect on the sound design process as I have already discovered (making it quicker and easier) is having a positive, neutral or negative affect on the creative outcomes of sound design.

Possible answers I can imagine are;

1)New technologies impact on the sound design process has lead to lazyness and lack of thought. It has had a negative affect on sound design by making it too easy and everyone just makes the same sound using the same technology at the click of a button.

2)Sound design outcomes have remained just as creative as ever, creativity is the product of innovative thought, not process.

3)New technology has enhanced the possibility for creative outcomes. By speeding the design process and allowing for more innovative effects to be used easily more people are making more creative ideas easily and quickly.

All of these possible answers sound as plausible as each other and could equally be justifiable. I need to think of a way of testing new technologies role on sound designs creative outcomes through its affect on the design process.

Artifact 2 Sound design process initial analysis

I think the differences between the creation of the two effects is clear, however i do not think the implications of what this entails are. The Digital method was much quicker and easier. It took hardly any time at all and was extremely simple. The traditional method however was long and drawn out and required much more planning and resources. So it is clear to say the new method is quicker and easier. However the implications of this are not so clear. Just because the new method is quicker does it neccesarily mean it is better?
In my next artifact i want to look at whether the effect new technology is having on the design process of sound design is having a positive or negative effect on sound design outcomes. Taking in to consideration whether new technology is allowing for more or better creative outcomes or whether it is just speeding these outcomes up.

Artifact 2 sound design process Digital Reverb

This is the video with the digital reverb. I added the effect in adobe premiere immediately after i had finished editing the video. It took a matter of seconds to drop the effect onto the audio file. I could then very quickly an simply adjust the parameters of the effect to create different types of reverb from a large low Hall type reverb to a small high room type reverb.

Artifact 2 Sound design process Natural Reverb

This is the video shown below with Reverberation added naturally by re recording the sound in a real world acoustic situation. I took the audio from the video and played it in a large hall and re recorded it. I then took this re recorded audio and placed it back onto the video. The Whole process took a lot longer than adding the digital reverb. I had to find a space in which to rerecord the audio and then take the audio from the film and play it very loud through speakers in the space and re record it using a mic. This obviously took more equipment and time. The method of re recording also took longer for me to hear the effect I was creating. Instead of simply listening to the audio and affecting its sound in real time I had to listen back to each recording individually and change parameters such as the positioning of the mic and speakers accordingly this again added to the length and spontaneity of the process.

Artifact 2 New technology and the sound design process

In this artifact I want to investigate New technologies role in the process of creating sound design. Focusing on how new technology can affect the design process by speeding it up and making it easier. And also focusing on the effectiveness of the creative outcomes this new technology can achieve.
I have made a video of a character in the dark so the viewer cannot tell how big the space the character is in is. The audio for this video was recorded as cleanly as I could with no reverberation. I am then going to add reverb to the characters voice in a traditional way by re recording the audio in a large space such as a church or hall to capture the real reverberation of a space. Then I will add reverb to the audio using a modern digital reverberation device.
I want to compare the effectiveness of each method for achieving the goal of making the character in the film sound as though they are in a space. I also want to compare the process of creating each type of reverb. Looking at how long each took to make, how easy it was and also the creative possibilities each provides.
Here is the video with no reverb effect added;

Walter Murch, Worldizing

Walter Murch pioneered the effect I am using in my next artifact experiment. Re recording audio in real world acoustic situations to create the illusion it is in a space. In this video he talks about the technique and draws parallels between this traditional technique an modern digital reverberation effects.