Glitch Art

This article describes a recognised Poopism: a method of video editing that has been used by a number of poopers.

Glitch art

Glitch art is a style used to create glitchy, abstract art and any other sorts of unique artifacts. This was discovered through rendering errors where some frames were not rendered out as expected and thus the frames are broken. The natural approach from glitch art is from the web where the web page does not load correctly or through an incomplete download. There are several techniques used to create glitch art.

Datamoshing

Datamoshing is achieved when one clip gets applied to another clip. This depends on the video compression where it does not store every single pixel in the frame. When compressed it either turns into an I-frame, or a P-frame. The I-frame is simply an image where every single pixel is memorised in the video while the P-frame only records the movement of the I-frame. The most common codec used for datamoshing is the XviD codec, but with the principles of video compression it can be used by other lossy codecs such as WMV and MPEG.

There are two types of datamoshing: The smudging effect and the splicing effect. You can read the tutorial by Sploltoen on how to datamosh using those two methods.

Smudging effect

The smudging effect is where the same P-frame is copied several times to the video clip creating a smudging-like effect.

Splicing effect

The splicing effect is achieved either with a section of P-frames been copied to a different video clip or by removing the I-frames in it.

Databending

Databending is a bit like datamoshing but is done by using software to physically modify data inside the file. Common uses of this technique is to corrupt a compressed file using a ROM corrupter, Hex editor or through notepad. This can be achieved through trial and error.

Hex databending

That category consist of breaking a file by editing its data by using an hexadecimal editor. It generally consists of replacing all the occurrences of a character by another one (sometimes more).

Raw data databending

This kind of databending consists in opening a file (better choose an uncompressed file) as a raw format, that is interpreting a file as another kind of file, like reading a video as a sound for instance. Programs which feature a raw file reader such as Audacity, Goldwave (sounds editors), Photoshop (image editor) can open all files. By opening a file as raw data with such a program, and then by adding effects on the interpreted layout, the original file will be modified as well.

Low bitrate

This one consist in reencoding a media file in a very low quality (bitrate in bytes per second).

Circuit bending

Work in progress

Common software used for glitch art

• Avidmeux
• Audacity
• Any Video Converter
• Adobe Photoshop
• Notepad++
• Goldwave
• Handbrake
• HxD or Frhed (Hex editor)

People who use this style

• Sploltoen
• laromande
• Sid
• Fiv95
• CorruptionSound
• Another Brick In The Wall
• Alfonzopancakes
• INTERGALACTICDEATHRAPE
• mYZterbattyX
• poppop17
• Nineroe
• GameBop
• Iamoutofideas1
• Thatco
• LaVie CestLol
• MrAsir17

Notable glitch based tennis matches

• DrLoule vs laromande
• Sid vs DrLoule
• Sid vs laromande
• laromande vs Sploltoen
• poppop17 vs. LaVie CestLol

Trivia

• The Tennis Glitched Cup is a mini-tournament focused on that kind of poopism.
• Glitch Art isn't limited to YTP but is also very valued in digital art, painting or cinema.
• Glitch Art is technically limitless, there is a huge amount of ways to break files and to exploit them.