scoot CIP | scoot FedSq | scoot camp

SCOOT 1 @ Federation Square

intro | location: FedSq | as it happened |Flash demo|

Location: Federation Square, Vic, Australia April 2005
What we have learnt from Scoot CIP then informed the development of a second version to be designed for Federation Square in Melbourne.

Federation Square is in the heart of Melbourne poised on the edge of the yarra River across from Flinders Train Station and St Pauls magnificent Cathedral. The Square is the home to many cultural centres and is a popular place for social interaction. Museums, cinemas, bookshops, cafes, bars, restaurants... For SCOOT we joined forces with staff at ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) and raised funding from the City of Melbourne to create a unique group of experiences that where designed to highlight the social, cultural, technical and educational potentials of the site.


source: PHOTO · PETER CLARKE http://www.abc.net.au/fedsquare/gallery/default.htm

scanning the site : people, places and things

Process

initial walkthrough: analysing potential nodes and following possible pathways. Below is a sequence of images that trace a path from The Edge Building of Federation Square, then to the lower level, Yarra River edge and finally approaching the Art Play Community centre and playground. This is only one of the many possible trails to take from the Square to the River. We were looking for the pathway with the best possible set of potential nodes for interaction.

meeting the stakeholders:

The most significant stakeholders in both the site and the game is undoubtably ACMI.Helen Stuckey (in all black above)is the curator of the new Games Lab at ACMI and it was her who initially approached me to design a SCOOT for Fed Square. With her help we wrote a funding application that gave us enough money to involve a number of 'like minded' individuals to participate in the many creative aspects of designing SCOOT. Vince Trundle (his red shirt above) runs the games education program at SCOOT and also became a fabulous collaborator from the very beginning of this project.

I travelled from Brisbane (where I currently live) to Melbourne on a number of occasions to scope the site, engage the stakeholders, design the game, install the bits and host the event.

When Helen and Vince first took me down to the River Side, it was an immediate desire of mine to include the fabulous Art Play playground. When we approached Art Play (Simon Spain) we realised that there was a potential to collaborate on to design a possible final creative activity for the players. Our initial thoughts were that we wanted the to result in a 'delightful' collective art work.

types of spaces

The Main Square

 "Federation Square is the centre of Melbourne. It brings together a creative mix of attractions including galleries, cinemas, award-winning restaurants, function centre, cafes, bars, festivals and events and public open spaces embraced by some of the most striking architecture in the world". http://www.federationsquare.com.au/

ACMI

Above is an mage of a section of the building that houses ACMI (the Alfred Deacon Building). On the right is how we re-presented the building in the Game World.

The Atrium

Edge

Art Play Playgroud

Art Play Community Centre

technological potential for interactions/communications

activities and flows

existies activities

desired extensions of social interations and engagements in the site

 

histories and local stories

Melbourne Morgue
The Turrbal people’s affinity with and understanding of the land they once used as a meeting place has been drawn through consultation with the Turrbal Association. This process has captured the significance of the site and the important relationship between Indigenous people and the land. They also provided valuable input into the native vegetation chosen for the site.

From Gateway to 'Heart of the City'
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Local Stories, myths and legends
- The Professor

nodes and trails

refined templates for node identification and analysis of existing points of interest

07 node name: message screen

- description: visitors can choose to either watch a message from a previous visitor... or record their own message for others to view.

- technical potential: content housed centrally. Device is a touch screen with a headset to listen to the video voice overs... and a simple web cam to record a new message entry.

- interaction potential: We can slip in an animation (a head shot of another game character or a video of a 'human agent' that has left the players a secret message)

- candidate artefacts: character animation or video

- story potential: Junior has left a message teasing us with the knowledge of other characters loose in the world. He has left a message for us (the players) or a cryptic message for other dodgie game characters. He could either assist or mislead the player...

- links to other nodes?: Memory Pod/Kalaeidesope/Plasma Screens (Memory Lounge area)

 

08 node name: Memory Pod

- description: The memory grid 'Pods' have an interactive touch screen that allows you to select from programs of work from all the memory grid collections (except the interactive collection - as examples from this collection are available in the 3 Kiosks).  A touch screen interface for the MAP project is also in development and due to be completed in 2004. Once selected, works from the collection are viewed on the Plasmas mounted in the pods.

- technical potential: no need to alter. Each pod currently consists of a 42" plasma and LCD touch screen, and speakers. In the near future the memory grid 'Pods' will also feature a videocamera, a Shotgun Capsule microphone and recording capability for creating and displaying short works within the pod as mini production experiences. .

- interaction potential: a character challenge that on successful completion plays a character messager on the Plasma screen.

- candidate artefacts: flash game with touchscreen considered and character animation

- story potential: hear you find another dodgy character has left another hidden message. But he won't let you see it until you play his game. This game can introduce other characters that the players have or will meet.

- links to other nodes?: back to reception, stariway, Games Lab

 

node map

getting a balance between linear and random node sequences

to avoid an entirely linear pathway between nodes... we clustered a group of nodes according to proximity.

possible linear trails within and between clusters