Observations at 80km/h
An observational derivation of 80km/h (2003/4), an art-experimental short film by Singaporean filmmaker Tan Pin Pin
How long does it take to drive across Singapore at 80km/h?
I traverse the country in one long take. I start the camera rolling at an eastern point (the steeple of Changi Airport) and stop recording at a western point (Tuas Checkpoint). With no cuts, I document every inch of the country. I keep the speed consistent at 80km/h so that this document has cartographical value.
If the same route along the Pan Island Expressway is recorded every year, Singapore's topographical changes can be mapped with previous recordings. This is an ongoing project undertaken once a year.
This cross country document is a mere 38 minutes. Its duration is its message.
- Tan Pin Pin
Data extraction was performed on the piece by extracting stills and calculating the number of times a selected data type was triggered from the start to the end of the film. Five attributes were used for this project:
• Distance and roadways travelled
• Underpasses and overpasses
• MRT crossings: Track over and track under
• Vehicles overtaken
• Vehicles overtaken
• Scene brightness: luminosity
These attributes were then plotted on a timeline and visually represented using various 2D motifs, as an interpretation of the visual forms used in non-linear video editing applications.
This links back to the form of the original piece - a film.
The final outcome was realised through laser-cutting and engraving of acrylic. Each attribute is displayed on an acrylic panel, with data points stretching from left to right across the timeline of the original film.
By stacking the individual panels, the entire timeline of 80km/h can be visualised as a whole.
