when and where?

when and where are we meeting today???

Tag shortlist

Hi, we are trying to finalize the tag shortlist. We have altered some tags for appropriateness. Please check over the list and register your concerns in the comments by 6 pm, because I need to draw up the final list. Thanks and see you all tomorrow.

Verdancy

Guardian

Amusement

Ruins

Sign

Net

Waves

Speed

Machine

Noise

Tower

Voyage

Chaos

Plant

Metal

Rhythm

Trail

Bridge

Islander

Sanctuary

Barrier

Graham’s Tags

Some tag free-association and near-binaries to fill in any gaps should they arise:

lost  / found* / missing
direction* / destination
signal / marker
flow* / float
barrier / connection
communication / reception / response
monument* / landmark
utility / purpose
observer / observed
lack / excess
sanctuary / chaos
visitor / local*

*favourites

Could the lighthouse, with a little context, not be tagged by any of these?

hey guys

when, where, and what time should we meet???

Meeting before shooting

What if we meet before we shoot on Sunday in the morning sometime? Then we can look at some platforms and finalize our tags?

Yahoo pipes etc.

We’re still struggling with developing a suitable interface for our new media project. Alex Bal recommended a service called Yahoo Pipes that allows you to manipulate/filter/visualize streams of data such as RSS feeds from Flickr. It is possible to embed the pipes’ output into blogs such as wordpress and blogger. But as of yet, I don’t think Pipes allow you to randomize the data; if this is indeed the case, I still think Pictobrowser is more aesthetically flexible and elegant.

I have experimented with both platforms here (this is just a sandbox for developing forms – the content is just dummy text and images): mfataghunt.blogspot.com

We need to reach a consensus on this interface issue, and on the tags as well (see post below). I plan on being at school sometime tomorrow, in case people are available.

Ken’s Tages

Noise, Round, and Closer?

Updates: please read

Hi Group

[Edit: From home, I realize that the photos on the blogspot page I made do not look correct on my laptop screen (they looked fine in the MFA lab.) I have removed the link and will try to figure this out tomorrow.]

Graham, Morris, and I met with Alex Bal today to discuss the design of an interface. For several hours, Graham and I experimented with some Flickr add-on widgets that allow you to embed and visualize Flickr content in various ways. In my explorations I found a nice, customizable slideshow tool called Pictobroswer; you can fiddle with the html code a bit to get a fairly clean looking effect. The top Pictobrowser window could be fed with the tagged images from a Flickr set, and then we could turn the captions into JPGs in photoshop (say, in white text against a black background), and then feed them into a second embedded Pictobrowser below. Thus, we can cycle through the like-tagged image-text combos for an effect similar to the one agreed upon. One issue that arises is that WordPress will not allow this kind of embedded code; thankfully, Blogger will.

On another note (with no intention to cause offense), I think I should note that while some of the tags proposed are very good, I think a few of them are a little too open-ended, and do not conform to the parameters established (albeit vaguely) at the meeting. The thing is, we want there to be a likelihood that many of the captions will correspond in some way to the photographs, striking a balance in documentation between individual expression and a collective understanding of a public space. To ensure that at least some of the image-text relationships are subtly ambiguous rather than patently obvious or non-existent, I think we need to agree on a few more concrete tags referring to objects/phenomena (but esp. objects) likely encountered on the island.

Here are my three:

Mayhem, Sand, Metal

morris’ tags

speed, simultaneous, waves.
sorry i missed the meeting yesterday guys.

morris.

Revised project summary

I am happy to report that yesterday, after experiencing a difficult impasse, we made a lot of progress developing our idea into the framework for a valid and interesting new media project.

The project has been revised somewhat. I provide here a summary of the project as it currently stands.

We are still compiling a list of tags that we will each find and photograph on Toronto Island: everyone is to submit three tags on the blog by today, so that we will have a total of 21 tags for Sunday. I think that the ideal tag is open to various interpretations, but likely also to refer to something concrete on or near the Island. For instance, “Lighthouse” or “CN Tower” are too narrow and specific, but “Tower,” though not vague, could refer to any tall structure visible from the Island and would thus be a good tag.

The new aspect to the documentary process is that we must all write a short caption to accompany each photograph we take; this text can be personal and emotional, or dryly historical-expository, or can incorporate any other style you like – treat the text as your own personal interpretation of the site you are choosing to photograph, according to your sincere estimation of that site’s significance to you, or to the broader public. The result will be that each person has 21 tagged photos and 21 similarly tagged captions. Thus, if “water” was a tag, then the group would produce seven photographs of “water” and seven captions about “water” in the context of Toronto Island.

We are going to build a web platform that uses a database to randomly pair like-tagged photographs and captions. Thus, the interface will display a series of photographs and accompanying captions, in which it is not entirely clear to the viewer whether the text and image are the work of the same author. In some instances, we expect participants to document the tags similarly, reflecting a shared, collective view of one aspect of the Island (in these instances, it would be most difficult to viewers to discern the authorship of images and accompanying texts, and, one might argue that in such situations, individual authorship is not as relevant as shared knowledge and documentary strategies). However, for other tags, participants will be wildly divergent in their documentary concerns/approaches, and this will be evident when like-tagged photos and captions seem to bear little or no relationship to each other. In each case, the viewer will be challenged to assess relationships between image and text.

It seems that, given our technical limitations in the domain of programming and web design, we should use a freely available interface such as a wordpress blog. Graham has raised a number of design issues, and has asserted that a blog-type of interface may not be the best platform for the project. I believe that a radically simple interface, that foregrounds the core concept of a photographic narrative captioned with texts that float mysteriously between various degrees of relevance, is the best solution. We plan to meet with Alex in the next day to work out a final form for the interface.

We hope to produce a documentary portrait of a geographical space reflecting the different perspectives of our seven participants, and one that posits that a certain collective understanding of a space can be demonstrated through a work with a distributed, collaborative authorship. In the process, we also plan to interrogate the perceived correspondences between image and text.

Lindsay’s Tags

RHYTHM

SOFT

PERIWINKLE

 

Mark’s Tags

NET, SIGN, and RUINS

I think RUINS is a fun, mysterious one, albeit challenging. It was a tossup with TOWER, in case anybody is short of ideas and wants to add it.

Mike’s Tags

I am posting Mike’s words for him. They are

AMUSEMENT, VOYAGE, and GUARDIAN

He added a bonus word in case of duplicates, VERDANCY, which is a pretty awesome way of getting around “green”. Now let’s hope everyone follows his good example!

Embedded map test and updates

I created a map interface using Google Maps’ “My Maps” service. I have still not entirely figured it out: our map is called The Documentary New Media Tag Hunt and should be searchable through Google Maps. You can add annotations, routes/placeholders, links, and media content, though we would have to add photos within the annotation-boxes and place a link there to their Flickr URL, because apparently the only way to embed the photos themselves into the map is to use Google’s PicasaWeb service (problematic for several reasons).

What I am trying to do here is embed the map within a page such as a wordpress blog, so people could click on it and be transported to the full Google map.

View Larger Map

New media group project (details)

For our new media group project, we have decided to undertake a distributed, photo-based, online documentary on Toronto Island. We will collect and upload our media (via WI-FI) on Sunday, June 15th, coinciding with the final race in the Cycle Messenger World Championships, to be held on the Island.

Our documentary process will resemble in some ways a “scavenger hunt,” in which each of the project’s seven participants will be assigned a list of “tags” to find and photograph. Each team member will submit a shortlist of tags, and from that list, the final list will be chosen randomly upon arrival at the island, to avoid premeditated photographic strategies and encourage discovery (and interpretation) of the tags within the Island space. Once at the site, each team member will be able to interpret and photograph the tag-words as she or he sees fit, and the photographs will be uploaded in real-time to a social-media site (such as Flickr), such that each “tag” will be displayed as a series/grid of images. Thus, we are taking an unconventional approach to tagging, in that the tags precede the images, and the result should be a kind of typology assembled by several authors, possibly interspersed with seeming non-sequiturs/double-entendres/etc, reflecting the group members’ varying semantic interpretations of the tag words. We would also like to map the images geographically (perhaps using Google Maps – let’s ask Alex) to chart the various trajectories of the group members throughout the site and build an idiosyncratic picture of the site according to the tagging parameters.

We are going to scout the Island and test its WI-FI access tomorrow. (Mark Tollefson is helping us with this). The ferry to Hanlan’s Point leaves at 1 pm; thus, it would be best if group members arrive at the Ferry Docks by about 12:45. Please note: I have a dentist’s appointment in Scarborough tomorrow and may be late in arriving at the Island, but I will call another member to let you know when I will be arriving.

We still have several things to work out in advance. First and foremost is the web interface and uploading procedures – will we use a blog/Google Maps/Flickr/etc, and will we permit photoshopping and/or some kind of assemblage of the like-tagged photos into single, grid-patterned images? – let’s determine this with Alex’s help. Speaking of which, let’s try to meet Alex ASAP, to get her advice and approval. We will decide on a time tomorrow, and then assign someone to write to her.

That is all for now, but please: keep in mind that this is my understanding of the group project as discussed earlier after today’s class, and if I have not articulated something correctly, or if you disagree or have something to add (practical or theoretical), please feel free to post your thoughts on the group blog.

Some thoughts for tomorrow

Thanks Lindsay for putting up the meeting notes. 

The questions you outlined for Steve and Alex are key. I might elaborate on them a little, and encourage others to do so as well.

1. As far as web-based interfaces are concerned, Graham noted that blogs (such as wordpress) and Flickr are fairly linear in that they impose a kind of blocky, top-to-bottom sequential narrative onto media, and they have a few smaller aesthetic problems we mightn’t be able to avoid. That said, they do provide a convenient place where media can be embedded and tagged, etc. So we should ask Alex about whether there are better web templates available for us, that can display media with more flexibility (for lack of a better word). We should also consider giving priority in the interface to mapping if possible.

2. (Should we)/How do we impose a kind of compositional rigour to our photographs, in such a way that they can somehow convey a story or idea, rather than having the project seem like a random photo album in which order is meaningless. I think synchronicity/simultaneity is important, because it conveys one of the advantages of non-linear, distributed, new-media documentary: multiple points of view, a non-traditional approach to authorship, etc. This has implications for our tagging strategy. We need to think about challenging the conventional way of telling a race-based narrative, whether by identifying what Graham called “incidental” or “counter-narratives,” or by taking simultaneous photos at different route points, and arranging them geographically instead of chronologically. I personally am intrigued by the possibilities of a kind of cubistic presentation of the event from different angles; I also had a half-formed thought about typologies, by which I mean: What if we were each given a list of things/objects/phenomena (corresponding to “tags”) to document photographically and we each sought them out according to our own documentary strategies, in the manner of a scavenger hunt (sounds gimmicky on its own, but would maybe be interesting if we could get the GPS involved, a big “if”).

3. Getting the route map will be key; if they cover the whole island, we have a lot more freedom than if they don’t.

4. We could possibly make use of the interactivity aspect of social media sites (i.e. the ability to invite commenting from participants etc).

5. In case anyone is interested, I think the “Urban Sensing” article does a good job addressing the kind of thing we are going for.

6. Despite all the above, let’s strive to keep it conceptually simple and reasonably elegant.

That is my €0.02. 

Project Meeting Notes

Project so far… the race

Group:

7 members ( 7 points of view)

Morris, Graham, Jermaine, Mark L., Lindsay, Mike and Ken

Location:

Toronto Island

Event:

www.cmwc2008.com

The Cycle Messenger World Championships (CMWC) is the ultimate urban cycling competition. The strongest, smartest and fastest bike messengers from across the planet converge once a year to determine who is the best in a variety of events that test riders’ physical and mental limits. It is a fully insured competition on a closed course that is sanctioned by the International Federation of Bike Messengers Associations (IFBMA). While most competitors are bike messengers, events are open to everyone, and many non-messengers enjoy the challenge of the competition.

CMWC is a world championship sporting event, but it is also a world festival celebrating messenger culture and its broad influence on modern urban culture. CMWC hosts a variety of related galas, shows, parties and vendor markets where spectators mingle with messengers to get a jump on the latest bike trends and urban utilitarian fashion. The side events showcase the artistic, photographic, musical and literary talents of the world’s hardest working professional athletes.

Date:

Sunday June 15, 2008

Main Race Final (1-6pm)

Medium:

Photography

In Real Time:

Laptops and digital cameras, download images in intervals (for example every ½ hour)

Interface Options:

Google Map

Flickr

Website

Questions:

What web based interface should we use?

How long should we photograph for in real time?

Should we consider GPS tracking?

How should we set ourselves up on location? Who should shoot what and where etc…?

How will this project work after we are finished?

 

These are notes I made from our meeting on Saturday. Nothing is set in stone but this a place where we can move forward from and talk to Alex and Steve about the logistics. I am still waiting to here back from the race about the route map and media access. 

Feel free to add or change anything above.

L

For real this time

Hi group members (especially Lindsay, cause I didn’t have your number):

Our next meeting is tomorrow, Saturday, at 2:30 PM, in the MFA Lab. Most people seem to be available at this time, though anyone who can’t make it will be kept informed of the proceedings.

URGENT…..

can we please meet up on sat or sunday instead of friday.

if not today is good

please reply back everybody!!! thanks.

Today will be HOT

Hi all

I was just wondering whether, given today’s sweltering high of 32 (40! with the humidex), it would be better to meet either in the air-conditioned confines of school or some other indoor place, instead of the park. What does everyone think? (Also, they are talking about thunder storms this evening.)

Obviously, it would be wrong to change it unless everyone knows about it/agrees with it, so I am just registering my dislike of extreme heat/humidity, and soliciting suggestions for alternative venues.  

Mark 

Next meeting, etc.

Hi group

Sorry my sickness prevented me from attending the last meeting. First, I’d like to confirm the time and location of our next meeting: Ken’s email said Trinity Bellwoods south gates at 7 pm tomorrow (Friday). That works fine for me. 

I’m still a bit out of the loop on the results of the previous meeting, but I think Lindsay, Morris, and Graham all raise good points. I’m not quite sure what Graham was alluding to when he mentioned GPS, but I am all in favour of a geographical/mapping component to the project.

I think at the next meeting it would be a good thing to coordinate/define the pairs or smaller sub-groups that will generate media for the project; I agree with Lindsay that there should be some autonomy in how pairs choose to create their media, and I think Graham’s point about having the different parts achieve an over-arching significance is essential as well.

Ideas

I think that’s an important schedule to stick to. Morris and I were also discussing some ideas.

I think that going to one location in real time is our best bet. Each person or pair can do what they like within that location (photography, video, audio, speaker’s corner etc…). If we do this within an hour or two and feed it all into the laptops, then we can have some sort of presentation for the class in real time. I think it would also be interesting if one person was documenting everyone else documenting the location, this would show the actual process (I guess it would depend on how close we are to each other). There would also be a lot of options after the fact, if people want to play with all the information we collected.

I think this idea would utilize all of our strengths and capitalize on our large group without making it too complicated. It would also certainly be a new media documentary.

I’m not sure what people think, but if there is interest in this we should discuss a location (probably easier than an event, more options). I know some people would like the Island.

http://www.toronto.ca/parks/pdf/island/toronto_island_map.pdf

Let me know what you think. Cheers.

schedule

hey guys, good meeting yesterday. I felt that the meeting went well, but the results werent as substantial as they could have been. I am only saying this because of the constraining amount of time that we have to create.

I have devised a rough schedule that i think we should stick to.

so by this sunday we should have our idea finalized.

monday we need to pitch our idea to steve and alex.  The rest of the week will be used for preparations.

the following week we produce!

what does everybody think?

Introductory post

This is the blog for the coordination and development of our new media group project. As of today, the group members are Lindsay, Morris, Graham, Joanne, Sadia, Mike, Jermaine, Drew, Mark L., and Ken. That makes ten people. This is the place to brainstorm, ask questions, and share ideas for the project.