Part Time TouchDesigner Developer

I’m a multimedia artist and Stanford professor looking to hire a part time, contract TouchDesigner programmer to help develop interactive animations for a commission to be installed in a new building at Stanford University opening early next year.

The piece is a permanent artwork consisting of dynamic projections onto five custom glass triangles, which react to input from four Femto Mega cameras. The glass is suspended in a five story stairwell. The content is focused on the history of data science and computation – think old maps and star charts, jacquard silk patterns, combined with contemporary dark matter simulations. The projection mapping will be fussy, because the projections have to align to complex sandblasted patterns on each triangle, as well as the edges of the triangles.

I want to work with someone interested in creating and layering movement that is lyrical and gestural. I’m more likely to work with shaders, than 3D models. My aesthetic is painterly and textural while also computational: Here is a related projection-on-glass project I did many years ago (shout out to Michelle Higa of Slanted Studios, and Dev Harlan, both who worked with me on this piece). More images here on my website.

I’d like someone to start ASAP and work 20 hours /  2-3 days a week on this including one day a week in my studio in Palo Alto through the end of December. From mid-January through mid-March 2025 there will likely be some intensive on-site work in the building site fine tuning the content and interaction after the glass is installed.

This is an art project, not a corporate gig, but I have the funds available and pay on time. I also always credit folks who work with me and am open to your suggestions and input on how to make this project something that will be loved by the community here.

required skills:

– TouchDesigner experience coding for public interactive installations

– camera tracking using TD inputs

– projection mapping in TD with pixel level alignment internal to the images

– interest working with analog-feeling, composited, multi-layer animations

– multiple screen outputs a plus

position info:

-part time – roughly 20 hours per week for 20 weeks

-starting now through mid to late March 2025 (with time off for holidays)