My Method for Making Glitch Art

I have a method for making glitch art that I have not seen anywhere else. @lpfaust tells me it is a category called datamoshing. But I am not really moshing data I am moshing analog video TV signals.

I will show you my recording rig, how to make the dual VHS tape and some examples of the art that I have previously displayed on my blog.

The Signal Combiner

The basic idea is to run the output from two playback devices into one TV. In order to combine the signal from two VCR's I used a switch box that I found at Goodwill. It was for Stereo Audio but it works fine for RCA video output.

_{Radio Shack Stereo Audio Selector}

I opened it and soldered a wire that crossed the signal from two of the inputs. This makes it send two signals through the output.

The Tapes

The glitches I make take two scenes from the same VHS tape and mosh them together. To accomplish this I run a single VHS tape through two VCR's. In retrospect I could have found two copies of the same movie and run them at two different points in the movie. I picked up some old movies at my local Goodwill for a quarter each.

The scenes in "Left Behind" did not really look that interesting. So I used some segments of "Independence Day" to make my glitches.

To make it I had to open two VHS tapes. I used a hacksaw to make two notches so the tape could come out the back of the tape housing.

_{I named this shot - Fiction}

The Playback Rig

This video shows the rig running. I had to take the covers off the VCR's to allow the tape to run between them. It is very painful to get the system running correctly. You have to start the VCR's at the exact right time to maintain tension on them.

Once it is running I record the images on the TV screen with an iPhone. And end up with this:

Then I take short segments and turn them into animated gifs. The best way I have found for this is to use licecap

_{Crash Twice Large}

See Welcome To Earth Cigar

I also used this same rig to make a video loop with feedback effects in Time and Space Loop

Other Artists

I did find one artist who has done some similar work with looping. Jeremy Daly The videos follow.

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