What is Video Feedback?
Video feedback is a technique in video production and art that creates a recursive visual loop by pointing a camera at its own video monitor. The resulting image is a constantly evolving and often unpredictable distortion of the original scene, due to the signal degradation, feedback loops, and external influences that occur within the loop.
How does Video Feedback work?
- Setup: Imagine a camera pointed directly at its own screen, displaying the camera's live feed. This creates a continuous loop where the camera captures what it sees on the screen, including itself.
- Feedback: As the loop continues, the captured image gets reintroduced into the system, but with slight distortions and delays due to processing time and signal degradation. These distortions accumulate with each iteration, causing the image to transform rapidly.
- Visual effects: The result is a mesmerizing interplay of light, color, and movement. Geometric patterns emerge colors shift and blend, and the image oscillates between recognizable shapes and abstract forms.
Applications of Video feedback
Video feedback has been used in a variety of creative contexts, including:
- Experimental video art: Video feedback can be used to create visually striking and thought-provoking images that explore themes of perception, reality, and the limitations of technology.
- Live performance: Video feedback can be used to create dynamic and unpredictable visuals for live music, dance, or theater performances.
- Film and television: Video feedback can be used to create special effects or to add a sense of distortion or unreality to a scene.
- Education and research: Video feedback can be used to study the properties of light and vision, or to explore the creative potential of feedback systems.