The final Countdown...

It was a hectic day for us today, as tomorrow is pretty much the Deadline to have our room set up.
Annie is working tirelessly on programming trying to get our animations playing, and perfected.
Alannagh has been working on our set design and has decided to scrap the rock button and instead use a Giant flower with a push button instead as you walk in to start the interactions.
Myself and Fodhla went in to sort out our equipment with the technicians we had to ensure to get a G5 mac, and the technicians will install Flash on it for us.
Next we had to go and collect the TV. Myself and Fodhla Organised for Harvey Norman  Dundalk, to sponser us a huge 40inch LCD TV, Which looks Great in our room

Next we gathered up all the set design materials from allanaghs and transported them to the carrolls Building. 

As myself and fodhla are working on the rest of the Interactions for the project now, we tested would the pendulum interaction in fact work. It seems to work on a temporary basis, and i am confident it will work when we get the sturdier crocheted pieces back. 

We also tested the windmill interaction, but after trying tirelessy to get it to work it is just too flimsy. 

We tried to get a motion sensor working but to no avail. 

We researched interactions on instructables and allanagh came up with the idea to put soft buttons in the already crocheted flowers we have made by Annies mum and aunts. This is  great idea and we will do this tomorrow. 

Now to get on with our paperwork as the deadline is looming!! 

^Siobhan

Nearly exhibition time..

Just an update on where we are  at the minute, Well with only 2 weeks to the exhibition and one until the hand in date we're all pretty stressed!!
At the minute we're concentrating on getting the project together and in working order. Alannagh is working on set design and finishing up animations, Annie is working on programming and getting all our interactions in working order, Fodhla is finishing up animations, the dandelion and the fish, we know have 16 working animations complete with audio in the master file, so replay forest is slowly but surely coming to life! I am trying to get the audio track panning so there is more of a panoramic experience for the user, i am also trying to make the rock interaction, so we're all busy bees in replay forest! The set design is looking great thanks to alannagh and annie for sourcing materials and of course Annie's family for crocheting the flowers! We're all confident it's coming together and its gonna look and sound great.. watch this space..

REplay Group

Siobhan

Script in progress...a taster

Well, Christmas is over and the real work begins, Just a quick update on the progress of replay, 
Its been hectic over Christmas but we've tried to keep our group project in mind, and are constantly keeping our eyes peeled for inspiration as well as researching and putting together our script which is due the 3 of February! 
I have been researching our narrative and trying to fine tune it, researching Karl Jung more in depth, creating and finalising characters to give depth to our story. With particular emphasis on symbolism, what each one of our characters represents, with regards our story, the tying together of the narrative and also what the user is going to get from interacting with these characters and symbols, which is after all the most important thing! 


I have been  researching the character of the shadow, who is representing the dark side, or subconscious part of our user and indeed the forest. I have been researching what the subconscious means, what our shadow represents and reasons behind why our character must overcome this character to progress in our interactive piece.I feel like the shadow in our peice is a strong symbol that we can wokrk with as we are trying to bring out the light playful side in our user as well as visually in our animation, we must first concur the darker side of ourselves, that everyone faces.Beneath the social mask we wear every day, we have a hidden shadow side: an impulsive, wounded, sad, or isolated part that we generally try to ignore.Bringing Shadow material into consciousness drains its dark power, and can even recover valuable resources from it. The greatest power, however, comes from having accepted your shadow parts and integrated them as components of your Self."
WHAT WE DO NOT DARE LOOK AT, WITHIN OURSELVES, WE TEND TO PROJECT OUT ONTO OTHERS. In our instnce the shadow creature. By Facing it we start on a path to enlightening replay forest and hopefully the user. 

This is just a snippet of the character research i have been doing into our narrative, along with this, we have been looking at animations, with Fodhla researching different styles and methods of animation, from shadows, stop motion, flash etc. 

Alanagh has been tirelessly working on graphics and character development nd the look of the characters as well as working with fodhla to identify a strong motif to our project to really make us stand out. Pictures and drawings to come in next update! 

Annie has been working away on interactions thinking and researching new and exciting ways of making unusual tangible interactions, right now she has been working with textiles and researching buttons that will tie into our project,  as well as keeping our tweets updated, you can tweet us @rePLAYforest 

so guys that was just a quick update on our progress and where we're at right now, more frequent updates to follow with regular updates frfom all the team on the blog and twitter!! 

Siobhán

Delve into rePLAYforest...

We are making a creative space for adults that uses visuals and audio to express the vibrancy of imagination through curiosity and play, rePLAY is set in a fantasy forest that feeds on adults creativity, exploration and imagination.

Explore the tangible interactions in the world of rePLAY and bring the dead forest, onscreen, to life, through your imagination and interaction.

The more you play with rePLAY forest the more life it breeds into the dead forest. The forest needs your attentention and imagination to grow and prosper.

rePLAYforest is a project we are wroking on as part of our BA Communications and Creative Multimedia in DKIT.

Stay tuned for more updates,

Siobhán

Getting Started

Our group formed today in Project Planning & Management class.  Check out the About tab to meet the members.  Read on for a summary of our first meeting.

From the offset our individual vision for this project seem to line up quite well.  Things we agree on... adult target audience, loose narrative from the users point of view i.e. no particular sequence of events.  Mostly, we do not want a narrative based on game levels, or a project aimed at children.

Questions we asked ourselves today:

How will the user enter the space?
How will the user interact with the project?

What will the space look like?

Is the experience audio or visual?

What is the theme?

Siobhán envisioned a panoramic, all encompassing user experience, while Alannagh described an immersive experience.  We all agree our project will be highly physically interactive.

We talked quite a bit about the look and feel. We have more or less decided on a 'forest' environment.  Although it is worth mentioning that any theme would work with this project.  If rePLAY were set in a derelict urban area or a room in a house it would be just as effective.  Similarly it could be a smaller environment like a merry-go. Any place that can go from dead to alive, or motionless to chaotic has the potential of being brought to life through imagination and play.

Annie.

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