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BACKGROUND WORK THAT IS THE PLATFORM FOR THIS MODEL

a.  First interactive combined screen artist collaboration form Iowa City, New York and LA through satellite in 1980. The artists found innovative ways to do their pieces, often building a performance on the screen as if they were all in the same space. The magic of collaboration using the new then available tools of graphics and computers and interactive space was found.

b.  First mixed media show in lasers, computers, video and big screens, and specialized music at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City in 1989: Alexander Scriabin’s “Prometheus: The Poem of Fire. This show was not promoted widely, because it was seen as an experiment few would pay to see. Troyer attended the dress rehearsal, which was sensational and arrived for the one show opening. Hancher Auditorium’s huge lawns were crowded with people. The auditorium was all ready filled.  Hancher decided to do two more performances that night and the crowds waited.  Even the show at Royce Hall at UCLA 20 years later with Collaboration of Wilson and Glass was not as exciting. 

c. Troyer was hired to create mini -mystery programming and other original shows for a wireless group who had point-to-point customers in Des Moines, the twin cities and Chicago (1978). This was also the time that she was doing video clips at her club Rosebud. Thus video clips and new content for wireless delivery were introduced.

d. In the late 60’s as a media student, Troyer was upset at the lack of a platform for an artist/technician to work between departments. Departments were autonomous and often competitive: Art, music, theater, television, computer, engineering, writer’s workshop.   There was not communication.  She suggested a model for communication between departments to her friends/ teachers Ted Perry and Hans Breder.  A proposal was written for an integration of the arts called InterMedia.  Rockefeller and Ford foundation grants were received and the schools of InterMedia and the New School for Music were founded. Now they are both PH D programs at the University of Iowa.

e. The New School of Music was important because the new synthesizer was available and electronic music was explored. Troyer produced and directed the first feature film with synthesized and combined real music track called Nine O’clock in the Afternoon in 1969 and 1970. It was shown in Europe and opened at the Elgin in New York.

f. The first playpen: Troyer designed and built Grand Daddy’s in 1976.  This club was the ultimate in experience disco environment and then evolved to Rosebud, the ultimate in a nightclub setting.  Buddy Rich played his drums on a floor and backspace of colors that changed to his drumbeats.  It was a visual disc jockeys heaven and the people attended in throngs.  It was a cross over club with battles of the bands, shows of master hypnotist, and multi-media for charity events. Iowa City is centralized between Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha and St Louis.

Leon Russell, Muddy waters and many other greats said it was the best nightclub, (acoustics and layout and sound and visuals, video screens, of any nightclub in which they had played). Troyer had not really been in other clubs so had nothing to compare her club with.  Technology that was available at that time was combined with other innovative tech integration. Rosebud was destroyed in 1980 and she moved to LA.

g.  In 1986 Troyer presented the Hollywood Palladium manger the “playpen” concept for their club.  She was a consultant there and noticed many came to the Palladium to televise shows.  Troyer saw the great savings if there was a set club studio where the great shows were captured. She wanted a curved high-resolution backset for an Immersive space for the integrated space.  Troyer found the military projector for that purpose.

h. Troyer formed the MetaShell concept in 1981 and has been building the tools ever since. In 1990 Paramount offered to back After Hours Live. All areas (TV, foreign distribution, etc,) signed on for the idea.  Performing stars were lined up.  The main technologist at the time, however, nixed the deal.  He as a film person did not understand the digital world and said that the show would be impossible to produce.  It is probably good it did not happen then.  Now the off the shelf technology and the speed of the memory chips help to support a more seamless exciting show.

i.  Troyer helped design several multi-media international charity events, including a United Way event in Canada which raised more money than ever before for the fund. The show however cost a fortune for UW. Troyer gained an understanding of why there is a need for a support system for charities that do not have their own media departments. 

j.  The U of Iowa has the International Writers and Performing Artists workshop. Many International performance artists attend the workshops because of the InterMedia experience. While in Iowa City, Troyer did a lot of work with these artists, finding how important those artists are to their countries and how wonderful for a world forum for sharing. An artist who affected Troyer greatly was Abu from Ethiopia.  He wrote “I Do Not want to be Born.  He was brought from jail to participate in the international workshop for a year and went back to jail in Ethiopia and was put to death. All writer’s and performance artists spoke English and the talk forums of these writers should have been captured.  These forums are the inspiration for the Global MetaStar Network.

Forum Example:  The artists from Czechoslovakia mapped out how they would with non-violence and as artists get out from under Russian control. They went back to their country and did just that. An Example:  Santa Claus was banned. When Santa Claus was arrested, the many were ready.  They all put Santa Claus outfits on and went out to stand in front of the jail.  The news cameras captured the huge group of men wearing Santa Claus outfits. Immediately it was obvious how stupid that law was.  It was fun, people laughed, and the performance art piece worked as one step for their country and the other countries to eventually be free of the Communist block.

k.  Siggraph: 1992 Virtual Reality exhibit: Participated with group who did the programming for first interactive real time manipulation:  Silver Suzy.  Her image was rear projected and two people in front used two devices to move her through space.