Tangible Control::Body Video Presentation

POST TO BE UPDATED

My goal in this project was to explore elements that can produce an interactive narrative. Having completed this project, I did gain more insight into interactive storytelling, user experience, and intimacy between bodies, identity, and gadgetry.

Tangible Control::Body Video is a video playback system where the viewer's movements distort the video. The system is designed in such a way that the Viewer-User-Player must 'work' or 'fight' for control. A film is projected onto a screen, the viewer stands close and moves her in order to discover or distort the unfolding narrative, story.

The system was originally designed to include a wearable device that altered distortion based on movement. This current design employs a Kinect camera.

DISCOVERIES

I. While both the physical and code components provided challenges, I found myself seeking all solutions through code and not allocating enough time to consider the object. I realize now that I was more comfortable approaching the project by the code and less so with fabrication. My strategy was to get the code 'rock-solid' before moving onto building the prototype in order to reduce the levels of troubleshooting in the physical computing process. Looking back I should have divided the time I had to both, still building them separately, but at the same time.

II. I definitely learned a lot about how to manage a project through this process. Working during the week plus having a class on Sundays as well as a workshop for two months on Saturdays made managing the project during the week difficult. Despite this, the time management failures stemmed from not understanding how to begin building the device.

SYSTEM

(Video of system to come)