The Video Monolith is one of the more unusual projects I’ve worked on, far from the usual two-dimensional confines of the digital medium. The goal was to develop a portable and inexpensive freestanding display to present video, audio and animation to special event visitors. The content included life-sized projection of a host presenting program information and other client messaging. My role was to develop the design of the physical Monolith display, integrating it with the site and its intended usage.
The final result demonstrated the dramatic effect of seeing video outside of its normal screen confines. With a more anthropomorphic, human-scaled screen and aspect ratio, the video of the speaking host was a much more compelling presence. The target audience, like most of us, has long since learned to filter out the video messaging that pervades public and private spaces. But watching a full-sized person standing and talking — in a form very different from the typical video shrunk to fit on a horizontal display — is not subject to the same automatic dismissal. It demanded at least a moment of passer-by’s cognitive processing, and often prompted longer pauses — whether for curiosity about the medium or interest in the message itself.
View this gallery for more images of the Video Monolith installation.