A live cinema performer operates across multiple simultaneous space types, not just the projection

Beginners think only about the projected image, but a performer is really working in several spaces at once, each with its own design constraints. Makela distinguishes five: digital space (files, codecs, compression on disk), desktop space (the software interface/patch on the laptop screen), performance space (the physical area of action, including collaborators like dancers), projection space (the volume filled by the images, including non-flat surfaces), and physical space (the venue shared by audience and performer, which contains all the others). Naming them separately makes visible design decisions that would otherwise be neglected — e.g. that the physical space dictates projector placement long before any image is chosen.

Examples

Site-specific setup: physical space dictates projector placement; projection space is a curved wall; performance space includes a dancer; desktop space is optimised for quick switching; digital space was prepared at home.

Assessment

For a live set in a club, describe one design decision in each of the space types that affects the audience’s experience.