Act I | The Awakening (Bubbling Unhappiness)

Screenshot of [Act I | The Awakening (Bubbling Unhappiness)]
After the initial broadcast of Act I, Prof Randall and Sun Yi suggested that I include switching of tabs within the computer screen, rather than leaving it static only with the Facebook page. I agreed, as it would add variation and further fuel the narration that Tania Tay of the second space is fighting a stronger, more ominous greater power.

Here is the re-filming: Click here

 

What Facebook sees at 1129AM / Live Broadcasting: Real Life

Screenshot of video broadcast

Link here.

Summary of my experience:
Earlier, in deciding the placement of the camera, I placed it with careful curation: an area where exposure was limited, and I had complete control over the video frame contents. I anticipated that I would be having viewers, and curated the video contents to hint, rather than explicitly show, what I was doing in real time.

‘While webcams always appear to be casually and innocently positioned, “their field of vision is carefully considered, and behaviour within that field cannot help but anticipate the looming presence of the global viewer.” ‘
– Steve Dixon in “Webcams: The subversion of Surveillance” (2007)

To a certain extent, it was a constrained performance, but at the same time, the contents were not. It was a typical view of what I usually do, banging the keys as I dish out essays after essays. The lines between private and the public have been blurred, as they enter my private space, yet ineffectually through my constructed broadcast.

Another pertinent point which Dixon brought up was rather interesting, that the unrevealed (a la invisible) in fact brings up the visible.

‘Unrevealed offstage action is a standard theatrical narrative device… Similarly, the long periods of time watching empty rooms with no characters within the Jennicam set… presented an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of patterns where, like a Beckett play, like an Eliot stanza, people “come and go”.’
– Steve Dixon in “Webcams: The subversion of Surveillance” (2007)

Through my accidental disappearances in the video – despite it not being intentional nor very much prolonged – along with the restrictive video framing, brought up a second narrative: where did she go, what is she doing now – gone to the toilet or hiding from the camera?

Sources
[i] Dixon, S. (2007) “Webcams: The subversion of Surveillance” (pg. 443-455), Digital Performance, 2007

 

Social Media Sentiments of Young Adults / Live Broadcast: Television Show

View it here.

In this broadcast, I seek out young adults to give their viewpoints on social media, in particular Facebook. What better platform to host it other than Facebook Live itself! However, in Singapore, it seems Fb Live still remains a platform which people know about, but do not use as often as other social media platforms (me included).

I thought that these particular incidents were interesting, where fb users actually took advantage of fb live to broadcast less than desired footage, (and henceforth ignoring the viewers as they remain set on ultimately achieving their goal: the incident of the girl who documented her suicide on fb, and sadly, of two journalists shot dead. It was interesting to note that my two interviewees did not know of these incidents.

This week’s video seemed like a continuation of last week’s – but more in the context of a live television show. I continue to maintain: it is difficult to multitask, to look out for feedback from Fb about my online viewers, and to concentrate in the real space with my kind interviewees. It is obvious in the video where I accidentally placed the people out of shot, and changing the orientation of the film. Granted,  I could have asked a helper to help me hold the camera, but then, it wouldnt be my very own television show anymore.

Lastly, I would like to thank both interviewees for so kindly being willing to be interviewed.

Food makes my heart go be-dok / Pirate Broadcasting as Reportage

Video link: Here

This time round it was a more interactive experience, and in contrast with the previous reportage there were many more others in my vicinity. Hence, there was another set of challenge in how to film and angle the cameras – I was conscious that others might not like having the camera pointed at their face hence at some parts of the video, the angles were off.

Having filmed this with a friend by my side, she was able to better point me to areas of interest as I was pretty occupied with looking at what was being filmed; my attention was everywhere. The few people I interviewed were well-mannered and did not mind sharing their views, but they didn’t realise that they were being filmed live. After all, what I did was not something people usually would film.

The interaction was multiplied in this broadcast – with my friend physically beside me, online, and the strangers I interacted with. Despite there not having anyone online watching it while filming this, I knew that later after the broadcast, others will still be able to rewatch it and experience the market at the time I filmed it.

It was however a fresh new experience in getting to introduce the Bedok interchange market to the Facebook population, and as my friend (who stays in the East area) said, ‘Bedok is famous for its food’.

Cat-talk! An interrogation with the neighbourhood cats / Pirate Broadcasting as Reportage

Video Link: Click here

Initially, the video was named ‘Cat in the hole’, but later renamed to better reflect the video contents. Similarly, in spite of what I thought would happen in the filming as the situation and filming environment was fixed, the footage turned out slightly different from expected and hence the renaming of it.

When broadcasting, there was nary anyone around me, save for the one odd figure who was passing by the area. Despite that, I felt extremely conscious as I dislike posting on social media being a more private person, and that my video had the outreach to the entire Facebook user population. It felt that I had the power and wield to however, make my own voice heard amongst the sea of media.

As it was my second attempt, the first being a video directly filmed before this, the previous video gleaned comments instead of the second one, as it had the first viewer advantage. The few comments mainly commented on the content, basically aww-ing at the cuteness of the cat-objects. However, I opted to post the second video instead as it felt to be more of a reportage.

Screenshot of previous video shot + comments
Screenshot of previous video shot + comments

I disliked the video footage quality as it was pretty grainy thanks to the bad quality camera and weak 4G data connection, but at the same time, it added to the beauty of live recording – the rawness and spontaneity of it.