Category: Internet Art & Culture

Title:
Know someone who is in need of money? Contact the WULONG JIJI GAOGAO PTE. LTD. right now. Help is always available.

Description:
Our broadcast is about two civilians that owe a huge amount of money to an infamous loan shark organisation, Wu Long. The duo had to find enough money around the place so that they could pay the head of the loan shark organisation the total amount of money they had borrowed from him. The debtors had a buffer time of about 5 minutes to collect as much money as they could or hide, after which the loan sharks would start chasing them down. Will the debtors be able to collect enough money before the time run out?

In the live stream, Cher See and Xin Feng were role playing as the infamous loan sharks while Joan and Hannah were role playing as the civilians. The civilians’ mission was to locate all the hidden envelopes that contain money, finding every possible areas that had the hidden stash of money. The head of the loan shark, Long Ge (aka Cher See) had dispatched an underling, Ah Feng (aka Xin Feng) to find the two civilians to pressure them to pay back the money they owe. Joan managed to find the envelopes hidden around the area but was caught by Ah Feng shortly after she found the third envelope. She was brought to Long Ge to check on the amount of money she had collected. Joan had to wait for Hannah to find the remaining amount of money that was escalating every 10 mins. On the other hand, Hannah had to go around and beg people for money so that she could pay back her debts while finding ways to escape the loan sharks. After finding enough money, Joan asked Hannah to come find Long Ge to return back the remaining sum. In the end, both civilians were able to pay back what they had borrowed from the loan sharks.

Final Broadcast

Final Broadcast

Hannah & Joan live broadcast:

Cher See & Xin Feng live broadcast:

Combine broadcast:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Where all the remaining money are:

Further Improvements:

The one major problem that the team faces were the internet connection. It was causing lagginess and disconnection when the team were co-broadcasting. However, the team had came to believe that such limitation were actually working in our favor as it created a more interesting composition and dynamics when things were not working as it should have. There were some shots that were quite unusual and could really sell the narrative that the two civilian were actually running away from the loanshark. Nonetheless, the team were still able to complete the project on time even when the internet connection were poor.

Another problem that we could have improved on were the balancing of the game. There were some envelope that were hidden in areas that were too difficult to find and some that were too obvious. Perhap the team could strike a balance if we had another chance to improve on our live stream. However, placing envelops at places that requires strenuous effort to locate promote our team members to interact with passersby, borrowing money and help from them. It remove the stagnancy of our co-broadcasting and introduce new elements to keep the audiences entertain in our stream.

Overview:
In the live stream, I contributed by acted as one of the debtors who co-broadcasted with the other debtor, Joan. I had to fully express myself but sometimes I get caught up with my surroundings and forgot that I was broadcasting. I had portray my usual self. The role play I did implemented with the whole idea of loan shark and debtors. The overall piece was able to come together when all of us played our roles well and did what we were suppose to do. As a debtor I had to find my way around the location so as to either find envelopes or asking the passerby for help.

The collaboration among the team was great. We discussed the ideas we had and decided on one, process of how the live stream should flow, what the narrative should be and changed it accordingly so that it would fit our theme of hide and seek. We had to make a few changes along the way and the biggest change we did was to scrape the police and thief idea since it did not plan out as we had intended to. We had missing elements as to why the thieves we being chased by the police and why there was a need to find clues while solving riddles. The team decided to change it but still stick to the hide and seek theme hence coming out with our final broadcast, loan shark and debtors.

Hole in Space, Kit Galloway and Sherrie Rabinowitz. Video. Credits: youtube.com

Personally I was super fascinated by Hole in Space where people from different locations could communicate together via the third space which I am currently doing throughout the broadcasting while collaborating with people. Through the collaborative broadcast through adobe connect or OBS, I get to see myself live with the other person. Now the idea of communication via the third space is happening once we could co-broadcast via Facebook live and seeing the environment I am in and the other person. Later seeing it through the screen. 

“A visionary premise … the lines between imagination and reality were blurred almost to distinction” 

LOS ANGELES HERALD EXAMINER, Elaine Warren

I feel that through the constant broadcasting it resulted in what Elaine Warren had mentioned. I was integrating imagination and reality together which causes the lines between the both to be blurred and I resulting in myself forgetting that I was on live stream. Even in the recent telematic stroll, I had forgotten about being online but rather I did whatever I thought it was normal and became more comfortable with it. I even had conversations with my father who was at home and watched TV as if it was normal.

I believe that if Kit Galloway and Sherrie Rabinowitz were to witness the live streams we had, they would be so glad that we are actually doing the co-broadcasting in the third space. Having to see the collective narrative unfolding through every single broadcast seems more and more amazing.

Grand Theft Avatar. Second Front. Credits Randall Packer oss.

The other artist I am impressed is Second Front. They were so crazy about breaking the norm and creating such great pieces that led to performances in the virtual space. The use of avatar to create performance art what something that amazed me and I have wanted to explore on that area. It seems that anything the Second Front could do they would be the first one to jump in to try it. I feel that it was challenging yet courageous to take on such an act. 

“Imagination is the only limitations towards performance.”

Bibbe Hansen

The most inspirational quote was from Bibbe Hansen when she mentioned the above quote. It had never once struck me that imagination was the only thing that limits what I can do in the virtual space but once she mentioned that I immediately had a lightbulb moment. It made perfect sense since it is performance art we are discussing about.

Their works had inspired me in terms of the final project but instead of creating avatars I feel that I am the avatar in the virtual space. Having the whole live stream unscripted created a freedom in the things we talked about. It seems that the final project that the team had done seems like a performance art piece while incorporating the aspects of a game environment. Like the Second Front, we also had our own currency and tried to play around with that. I had fun in my final project.

Overall, I felt that the final project and the contribution to the project made me became more relax on social broadcasting. Through the exploration of Hole in Space and Second Front, it made me feel that there are more exciting ways to create social broadcasting. I can see what others are doing via their live stream and viewing everything together seems as though I am there and participating as an avatar. It had been an exciting time and changed my view on social broadcasting.