UB aids MTV2 in video mash-ups

While frustrated parents and neglected girlfriends may be contemptuous of the ever-evolving videogame industry, joystick enthusiasts everywhere will no doubt praise an up-and-coming video series that puts their favorite pixilated characters in the center of music television.

Those responsible for this strange concoction are right here at UB.

MTV2, UB's Center for Computational Research-located between Knox and Capen Halls-and the Buffalo-based company IBC Digital have come up with a unique way of combining music videos and videogame characters. The CCR has digitally recreated popular videogame characters in order to emulate popular bands and play their songs on MTV2.

This new media-crossing medium is called "video mod," a term that has been adapted to the MTV2 series title.

Videogame junkies can see Twista's "Hit the Floor" video injected into the environment of the Playstation 2 videogame "L.A. Rush." The wacky adventures of the Spongebob Squarepants Game Boy Advance game match up with Blink-182 in their smash hit "All the Small Things."

"We take the game files that show what characters look like and make them usable for the animator," said Adrian Levesque, multimedia specialist for the CCR.

IBC Digital has done a wide range of work, including technology for one of the Harry Potter movies. The CCR has enabled IBC Digital to get the contract from MTV2 because of the computational super center at their fingertips.

"Having 7,000 computers changes the way you can do science, engineering, animation and teaching. Now you can harness the power of hundreds of thousands of computers to solve a single problem at one time," said Dr. Russell Miller, director of the CCR.

The problem Dr. Miller refers to is one that many companies experience. For IBC Digital, there just wasn't enough computer power available to create such a unique program for MTV2.

A technique called "motion capture" is often used at the request of musicians. In this process, actors perform moves ranging from dancing to how they strum the guitar. While they move, they are covered with sensors so videogame characters can mimic them.

Now fans can do more than just play. They can watch their favorite videogame characters act out their favorite songs.

"Some of the games aren't even out yet, so I think they do it to hype the games up," said Martins Innus, a scientific visualization specialist.

The technology for "Video Mods" is just one of the many services provided to help companies in the Western New York area. They are also working with the city of Buffalo on the highly anticipated Peace Bridge Project that will hopefully make for a more comfortable commute for travelers.

The CCR's mission is to bring business to small local companies by aiding them in the technology process so they can prosper in a competitive technological world. Like IBC Digital, many companies cannot afford or even hold the massive amount of computer technology that the CCR has at its disposal.

One may ask, how many computers could you possibly need?

"3,000 hours takes one hour if you have 1,000 computers," Miller said. "That is why we started working with IBC Digital, because we help them to cut down the time they spend generating one of the videos for 'Video Mods,'" Miller said.

It can take anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 hours to generate one of the "Video Mod" videos. The time spent on any one project can cost a company tens of thousands of dollars and manpower that a computer, or in this case 7,000 computers, can greatly reduce.

"Video Mods" airs on MTV2 every other Saturday at 9:30 p.m. This season features videos from Franz Ferdinand, Good Charlotte, the Beastie Boys, Ciara and Yellowcard combined with games like "Star Wars: Episode III," "Dark Watch," "Destroy All Humans," "NBA Street 3" and "Dance, Dance Revolution." Brand-new episodes will premiere on Monday, Nov. 28 at 10:30 p.m.

There are four animation-packed videos in every episode. Gamers everywhere can now enjoy music and their favorite leisure activity without further blistering their thumbs.

Maybe the trend will even catch on with parents and girlfriends.