Struan Fraser
  • Product Design
  • Prototyping
  • User Research
  • Creative Code
A place to say hello

Another Alpha Channel Experiment

My infatuation with alpha channels is growing

Requires a cyberpunk backing track

Stressing out

Stress! That’s my aim. I wanted to go further than last time. It’s clear to me that time is an important element as the last sketch felt disconnected and loose. This has much more of a satisfying, disconcerting* feel to it. Whenever I use it I feel like I’m becoming more stressed just by appearing and moving in the image. It almost makes you want to stop moving.

I suspect this won’t be the end of my interest in alpha channels. I’ve been looking at an awful lot of old VHS covers on pinterest which may have something to do with it.

It works by allowing the red alpha channel to move around in real time but only occasionally capturing the blue and green channels’ frames. They also have a blend mode applied to them as appeared in the previous sketch.

Hopefully I’ll be able to produce a p5js version some time soon so I can share it around but until then I’ll settle for just listening to Carpenter Brut until my ears bleed –

* Forgive the oxymoron

Some Bonus Mistakes

    Struan appears with a blue hue in an office. A larger image with a red hue appears super imposed over the original image. Struan is waving.
    Struan appears with a blue hue in an office. A larger image with a red hue appears super imposed over the original image. Struan is looking pensive.
    Struan appears with a blue hue in an office. A larger image with a red hue appears stretched and super imposed over the original image. Struan is confused.
    Six inverted images appear of Struan each with a different hue. The first is full colour, the second is inverted, the third is red and inverted, as is the fourth, the fifth is green and inverted and the last is blue and inverted. Struan looks very suprised and is waving.
    Struan partially appears in an office environemnt. A distorted image appears beside the webcam feed that appears to show a broken webcam feed.
    Struan partially appears in an office environemnt. A distorted image appears beside the webcam feed that appears to show a broken webcam feed. Struan is waving.
    Six inverted images appear of Struan each with a different hue. The first is full colour, the second is inverted, the third is red and inverted, as is the fourth, the fifth is green and inverted and the last is blue and inverted. Struan is talking to someone out of shot.
Published 27 September 2018