Kevin at Newmindspace forwarded this video from New York that shows some folks installing a “pixelator” onto the sidewalk video screens that appear at entrances to NYC subway stops.
This contraption might look good on one of those subway platform screens we have here in Toronto.
4 comments
Fascinating and beautifully simple in execution and effect. A low-tech approach to a high-tech effect. But what is most interesting is that this not a guerilla art project, but one that is done with the co-operation of the Metropolitan Transit Authority and Clear Channel! Something to think about as Toronto continues to sell off portions of its soul: positive deals can actually be made with the devil.
The images on the advertising screens in our subway are probably too static to be amenable to the exact same approach, but I like the innovative thinking.
> the co-operation of the Metropolitan Transit Authority and Clear Channel
Hah, he was being facetious about that bit. Besides the heavy sarcasm, it does say “unauthorized” in the first sentence.
We have been working to create a Toronto-sized one and it seems that most stations will require a small “glare hood” made from black matte paper or foamcore.
It also makes us wonder, how useful is the time on those ONESTOP screens? Mez fought long and hard to have the time displayed larger, but then again, once you’re waiting for the subway there’s not much you can do about being late.
Whoops. I missed that sarcasm. It is hopeless then. We’re selling our city to the devil and, like Faust, there’ll be no escaping our fate.
Wow, those work pretty nicely. I would say though that the TTC platform screens are marginally higher in useful information and marginally lower in irritating flashiness than those screens. Also more static — about 2/3 of the screen is just slow cycling text that won’t pixelate very pleasingly. Now you want a challenging and worthwhile application of this in Toronto, try rigging up a big jumbo-sized Pixelator for those eye-level billboard screens in Dundas Square :-].