Decision

After seriously re-thinking about the matters of how i want to connect the users with one another like what social networking does and why i want to connect them, i found that the topic of social networking have a lot more things to be explore compared to camwhoring. Thus, i've decided to review my proposal and revised it to social networking site as my contents and camwhoring as the concept.

So, with this new content, i have launched my new questionnaires that relates to this topic. Here is the link ---> click here

i hope that i'm still on the right track!

Consultation

I have consulted my research and findings with Mr. KY and Mdm. Forest. Before the consultation, i'm not really clear about what i need to have for Crit 2. But thx to them, i'm now a bit more clear about what i have to do and understand about this project.

As i briefed about my studies and ideas of my project, Mr. KY and Mdm. Forest ask me how i want to relate my project with social networking. And not as just a metaphor or a concept, i now realize that i need to actually connect the user with each other as in how the social networking site works. So, the matters here are how i want to connect them and why do i want to connect them. I will seriously re-thinking about these matters.

I also ask for Mdm. Forest helps to review of my questionnaires. Since my direction now is more to social networking site, my camwhoring questionnaires is not so relevant anymore. Maybe i should re-do the questionnaires too.

Data Research

I did a survey about my topic to collect some responses from the public. And here is the link to the survey!

The survey about camwhoring!

Idea Development

Based on my idea that has been proposed and the preferable execution from my classmate, I have developed some addition features to my camouflage idea which is the mash-up of visitor face. The additions are

• auto alignment and segmentation to make sure the face didn't look too weird and the connecting line is not too visible
• using face detection to control camera. This face detection features can be possible with Canon SDK and arduino USB Host Shield. I want to use my Canon DSLR for better quality images. Another way of make this possible is by using webcam and Adobe Flash CS4.

The purposes of doing this project is to

• get creative feedback with reactive system
• borrow the concept of social networking site - connecting people and interpret it in my own understanding.

This project will be something like this!

Case Study!

I have done some case study on a few of installation that i found interesting and its relate with my topic.

1. SJANSMACHINE

sjansmachine (flirtmachine), an interactive installation from Olga Mink on Vimeo.

This project is a collaboration between Eindhoven based artists Rolf van Gelder, Carmin Karasic and Olga Mink. It works with realtime images and face recognition software. They also using the concept of social networking in this project by aiming to bring people close together in a playful way. They want to highlight that the virtual world is replacing our social life and therefore wants people to connect in the real world again.

2. THE WORLD LARGEST PHOTO BOOTH

The Worlds Largest Photo Booth - Interactive Installation from Brendan Oliver on Vimeo.

The Photo Booth was housed in Nottingham Contemporarys’ “The Space” exhibition area to promote the exhibtion of photographic work by Diane Arbus - ARTIST ROOM On Tour with the Art Fund. The user will take a seat in front of the camera and their series of pictures will be taken by face detection software. These pictures then will be downloaded from the camera and compiled into the style of Diane Arbus's polaroid. The images then will be displayed on the big screen and also will be upload on a photostream site as their memories of this experience.

3. FACELIFT

FaceLift in Gouda from Rnul Interactive on Vimeo.

On the Dutch liberation day 2008, the FaceLift installation was been shown in the Burgerhal, Gouda, Netherlands. The image will continuously changing and reform a new face by combining the face of the visitors.

4.REFACE

Reface [Portrait Sequencer] by Tmema from Tmema on Vimeo.

Reface by Golan Levin and Zachary Lieberman is a surreal video mash-up that composes endless combinations of its visitors' faces. This installation records and dynamically remixes brief video slices of its viewers' mouths, eyes and brows. It uses face-tracking techniques to allow automatic alignment and segmentation of its participants' faces. The users also can controlled the clip recorded by blinking their eyes. Blinking also triggers the display to advance to the next set of face combinations.

5. PORTRAIT MACHINE

Portrait Machine - Interactive Photography Installation (preview) from Theo Watson on Vimeo.

Portrait Machine is an interactive photography installation that visualizes the connections between visitors. The connections is specified based on a number of features, such as clothing choice, hair color, facial expression, and composition within the frame. It presents both similarities and differences in these characteristics.

Background Study

My topic is camwhoring and how it is related to social networking. So, I have decided to focus on camwhoring as the content and social networking as the concept.

What is camwhoring all about?

• Camwhoring is someone who have high self obsession and likes taking pictures of themselves in any places or circumstances but without showing any unnecessary part of their body.
• They usually like to seek for attentions and will use online social networking services such as Facebook, MySpace and Friendster as their medium.

Why I choose this topic?

• Adapted from Japanese pop culture. The adaption is the effect of "Look East Policy" which is launched in 1982. In that policy, our 4th Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad suggest Malaysian to follow the work ethic of Japanese and Korean. By that, we also adapting the technologies and the hi-tech lifestyle/cultural in our community.
• Japan is also known as the land of camera. They are really loved to take pictures of themselves either captured by someone else or by their own. But taking pictures of own self which is also known as camwhoring is started to be a trend. These scenarios can be seen through their drama, movies and also anime.
• They usually take pictures using their camera mobile phone. After taking the pictures, they will share it via their mobile email. But now, in cyber community era and the technologies growth on internet, the focused will be on the online social network services.
• The habit of taking own pictures has been mushroomed to all over the world including Malaysia.
• Capturing and uploading own images have become a core subject in online networking world.
• They will capture their images in every place they visited and also on every circumstance that they had been through to update their online friends on what they are doing now or where they are.
• This phenomenon is proven when one of the Malaysian celebrities became a host to an award giving events and the show was aired live on television at the beginning of 2010. During the show, while waiting for the performers to get ready, he took out his phone and captured the image of himself with the audiences as the background. He then announced that he already uploaded the image on his online social networking account and the fans can checked for it there.
• This trend also can be seen in Malaysian drama and movies.

The concept of Social Networking site

• bring user close to each other virtually
• people can share information easily on net
• a collaborative technologies for individuals to interact with one another through the web.
• "Social networking is not new; we just have new ways to do it" - Google's Joe Kraus
• "In social web,your users will simply expect to be part of the conversation" - Google's Joe Kraus

The Abstract

Camwhoring is becomes a new trend in Malaysia. Definition of camwhores can be different from one country to another, as well as Malaysia. Camwhore generally means the action of someone who is addicted to take countless pictures of oneself with intention to show them to other peoples. The pictures range from face close-up shots to definite nude photos comes with visible sex acts. Hereby, in Malaysia, camwhore means someone who likes taking pictures of themselves in any places or circumstances. They have high self obsession but they did not showing their flesh/skin or something unnecessary in this context. Other than that, people who enjoying camwhoring usually like to seek for attentions and will use online social networking services such as Facebook, MySpace and Friendster as their medium.

What is online social networking service? Social networking could be described as a group of individuals that have same interest or activities (workplaces, hometown, hobbies, etc) and they are likely to meet each other to gather and share their information and also experiences about their interest. Whilst online social networking service is a platform for them to gather and share their information and experiences virtually using the internet service. Websites, known as social sites are commonly used as these online social networking services. It is functioned as online community of internet users. They can develop friendship or professional alliances, finding employment, and even group sharing information by using this service. Once user starts creating a profile or account in this service, they can begin to socialize. This socialization may include observing of other’s profile or possibly contacting them with information provided.

!i! confuse !i!

i've got confused with myself about what i'm going to do with my final project. basically i've 2 additional idea on how to improvise my interactivity level of my project.

1. Camouflage

This is the example..

the pics of user will be taken and their faces will be remix with someone else's face. the combination will not too visible. it is something like ur nose have a forehead of user A and mouth of user B.

2. Connection

It is something looks like this..

the users' pics will be categorized into some elements such each skin colors, shirt colors, face expression and so on. that elements will be the connection between ones into another. the basic idea is everyone's connect.

So which idea that u think is better for me to use in this project?

Update : During the class on 18th and 23rd of November, there are group information sharing during the class. So, I have used that chance to ask my fellow classmates about my idea and they prefer me to proceed with idea 1 - camouflage.

.:: Site Visit! ::.

Last Saturday (6 Nov 2010), my nieces and I went to Petrosains KLCC. This is our first time being there and it was a bit unlucky for us. We are coming from home at Bukit Antarabangsa on 11 am and reached KLCC barely on almost 12. We then headed to Petrosains and trying to get the ticket of 12.30pm admission or 1pm. Unfortunately, the only ticket left is on 4pm or later due to a lot of school visit groups (I totally forgot that UPSR is just ended. So, the student will definitely spend their time left in primary school to do school visit). I then asked the volunteer there about the estimated time to experience all the installation inside. He guaranteed us that two hours is enough and we decided to buy the ticket of 4pm’s admission (Petrosains operates till 6.30pm on weekend).

My ticket

When it’s almost 4pm, we come back to Petrosains but some technical problems occur. Our admission has been postponed to 4.20pm. While waiting for the admission, we hang around at the lobby. There are a lot that can be explored at the lobby - multitouch table showing maps and pictures, informative touch screen application and video messages recording.

We then queue up to start our journey in dark ride. When we reach platform after dark ride, we noticed that some installation are closed on 5pm. But then we continue our trip with some available application. These are the list of the application that I managed to experience and found it interesting.

1. 3D Projection - a 3d image of car has been projected on a surface. User need to try to grab that car.
2. SPACE video conference – 2 user s being at difference stations and they can connect to each other by using video conference.
3. 3Earthquake simulator – User need to sit on a bench and press a button. The bench then start to simulate the earthquake on 3 levels.
4. Helicopter simulator – user will experience the situation on helicopter to go to oil platform
5. Interactive floor – the effect of water drop will appear on floor when user step on it
6. Interactive walls – there are 4 walls; sand rain (something like what I have done during my Gamma 3 – Text rain), Butterfly (butterfly will fly n stay on the shadow), glassball (user can move the ball using shadow and when it hit another balls, it will react), jelly (user can attach and cut the jelly by using their shadow)
7. Photobooth – i don’t remember the name but user can take picture and apply effects on it like photobooth software in Mac and it captures by motion detection.
8. Time tunnel – there are a lot of mirror in the tunnel. I can see many people are camwhoring here!
9. And many more

"Photobooth"

Image source : http://speakmymind-wk.blogspot.com/2007/08/klcc-aquaria-petroscience.html

I've lost my phone with all the pictures of the trip in it

I really enjoy my short trip that day. I have learnt a lot about science and also observing how people react on certain installation. I found that the installation with camera have more attraction then others. Maybe I should come again later to experience all the installation there.

Idea!

After the proposal has been reviewed again and again, I then came out with this sketch :

Just a rough sketch

And this is the list of my idea..

*Sorry for my bad hand-writing*

My idea is basically

1. users will go to the booth, take picture of themselves and the image will be display on the screen and also automatically uploaded on flickr.
2. users will go to the booth, take picture of themselves and the image will be display on the screen and randomly swap and match people.
3. users will go to the booth, take picture of themselves and the image will be display on the screen based on their features
4. 5. & 6. is a combination of these three ideas.

And this is the sketch for ideation 3

screen design

The screen on left and right will show thumbnails of people who have the same features and the screen in the middle will randomly show the picture from thumbnails.

La Propuesta 4.0

Research Topic :

Interactive Photo Installation

Theme:

Social innovation and new media

Background:

An interactive photo-installation usually will works with realtime images and face recognition software. The aim of this installation is to bring people closer together in a playfull way. Like many social networking tools on the internet, this installation enables you to connect with other people. It plays with the idea that the virtual world is replacing our social life and therefore wants people to connect in the real world again.

Why I choose this topic?

Camwhore is becomes a new trend in Malaysia. Definition of camwhores in Malaysia is differ from foreign country. Camwhore means anyone who is addicted to taking countless pictures of themselves to post on the internet. Pictures range from conservative face shots to explicit nude photos complete with visible sex acts. But in Malaysia, its means someone who likes taking pictures of himself/herself in all kinds of places. Self obsession is definitely there, but skin showing is not necessary in this context.

Source : Google Image

They are like to share their images on net and sharing it with public. This is proven by what I found ob net by simply type-in some keywords.

Uploading photos to internet means no privacy applicable on those photo anymore.

Problem Identification:

People who like camwhoring usually like to seek for attention and will use online social network services such as Facebook, MySpace and Friendster as their medium.

what is a social network service?

"A social network service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. A social network service essentially consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services." -Wikipedia

Aim and Objectives:

• To experiment how users react on camera
• To let users share the fun with the world
• To provide high technology experience to users
• To experiment on different ways of communicating and interacting
• To give users new experience of photo sharing

Motivation

Camwhoring activity and social networking services are much related to today's trends. So, I am trying to adapt this pop cultural into my project.

Ideation and Concept

User need to take their picture in a photobooth. Face detection will be use for this purpose. The picture taken will be immediately downloaded from the camera to the server and been shown on the screen. There will be 3 screens arranged in a row. The center one will be functioning as photo slide show. It will show an image for 5 seconds and change to next picture randomly. While the right and the left screen will be functioning as photo gallery. It shown the rest of the images taken and will be animated to always change the image shown. Other than that, the images will be automatically uploaded to Flickr site for users to download or share as a memento of this experience.

Review, Analysis and Precedence studies

The Images

images display

example of photobooth

The Video

Design Approach

Photographic, real-time interaction, face detection