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User Preferences: Tech Q&A With Adrien M And Claire B

Each week we chat about the tools of the trade with one outstanding creative to find out exactly how they do what they do.

Each week we chat about the tools of the trade with one outstanding creative to find out exactly how they do what they do. The questions are always the same, the answers, not so much. This week: Adrien M and Claire B.. Click here for more User Preferences Tech Q&As.

Who are you and what do you do?
Adrien: I’m a juggler and computer scientist. I worked at the (French) National Institute of Research in Computers and Robotics (INRIA) 10 years ago.
Claire: I’m a graphic designer and stage designer. I have always loved creating imaginary spaces through images.

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Together, we are now creating performances and exhibitions that fall between art and technology.

Cinematique (2011)

What kind of hardware do you use?
We mainly build Hackintoshes to have perfectly adapted hardware for our projects at a small cost. We use also a lots of Kinects and Wiimotes to build interactions, but also Wacom tablets and various kinds of captors.

What kind of software do you use?
We develop all our own software. Mainly eMotion and some custom patches for Quartz Composer.

What piece of equipment can you simply not live without?
Adrien: My laptop…
Claire: Idem…

Hakanai (2012)

If money were no object, how would you change your current setup?
Well, we like to make big things with a small setup. We use very low cost video projectors, and we are happy with that. We would just like more time to create.

Is there any piece of technology that inspired you to take the path you did?
Not really. When we started our mix between dance and computer in graphics in 2003, the approach wasn’t so similar. Mainly technical and formal pieces were presented, but nothing like the things we wanted to do.

What is your favorite piece of technology from your childhood?
Adrien: MacPaint and HyperCard both from Bill Atkinson on the first Mac. My father bought it when I was eight years old, and after that KPT Bryce from Eric Wenger and Kaï Krause when I was 13.

Un Point C’est Tout (2011)

What fantasy piece of technology would you like to see invented?
Short term:
- Long range Kinect-style camera. The actual 5 meter limit makes it really difficult to use on stage.
- Thunderbolt external graphics card that works, in order to use laptops instead of Hackintoshes.

Long term:
- Powerful enough Raspberry Pi style computer.
- Short throw laser led projectors at full HD resolution with enough power.

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