Slit-Scan

March 12, 2009 10:07 PM

An Informal Catalog of Slit-Scan Video Artworks and References
"Slitscan^w imaging techniques are used to create static images of time-based phenomena. In traditional film photography, slit scan images are created by exposing film as it slides past a slit-shaped aperture. In the digital realm, thin slices are extracted from a sequence of video frames, and concatenated into a new image." [via]

There are links to many of the examples listed; they're not immediately apparent, but usually consist of the italic text under each bold heading.

posted by carsonb (11 comments total)

brilliant!
posted by Saddo at 10:21 PM on March 12

i've actually seen that 'fourth dimention' video...it is unsane...the man and woman face each other...twist around each other...tighter and tighter into a brownish blur...which slowly untwists...into a tree.

also...the ending from kubrick's 2001 UN-slitscanned.
posted by sexyrobot at 11:07 PM on March 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

If anyone wants a copy of the (rather hard to find) fourth dimension video, hit me up on MeFi mail.

I've been thinking about this for a while, and I think slitscanning has a lot more possibilities than currently implemented. For starters, I think it would be totally amazing in stereo. Radial slit scanning would be a trip, as would a frame with several different slit scan patterns (scanning outward from a center line). Slit scan the three primary color components of the video at slightly different delays, so still things are true to color, but moving things decohere and create interesting patterns.
posted by phrontist at 11:36 PM on March 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

the home version, of course, is as simple as rolling objects (like your face)(or cat) on your scanner
posted by sexyrobot at 12:20 AM on March 13

This catalog was compiled by Golan Levin. His Manual Input Sessions are particularly neat. He helped create a new Bachelor of Computer Science and Arts (BCSA) degree at Carnegie Mellon University.
posted by Crumpled Farm at 12:38 AM on March 13

The ideologically converse progeny of this guy?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:40 AM on March 13

a few more i didn't see mentioned:
- Keith Schofield's videos for Goose and Mims
- Jonnie Ross for Blood of Abraham
posted by progosk at 12:52 AM on March 13 [1 favorite has favorites]

...is one of the strangest sites I've seen in some time. I have no idea how these people got their...
posted by Jonathan Harford at 5:50 AM on March 13

One of my favorite pieces of slitscan work: the classic Doctor Who title sequence created by Bernard Lodge.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 7:35 AM on March 13

Very cool. Thanks!
posted by mrducts at 9:28 AM on March 13

Anyone know where I can see "The Fourth Dimension"? I've googled around and haven't found it anywhere. (Online would be great, but in person somewhere here in NYC would be good, too.)
posted by ocherdraco at 7:51 PM on March 13