[Simca-developers] target group research

[Madris D. <ma...@v2...>]

Hello,
Here are the results of my Media Knitting research...
I finished this about a week ago... (trok echter net wat laatste
streepjes door de 't')

Madris

P.S. Hey Artm, beterschap enzo..

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Research target groups V2_Jam software

Intro
This document gives an overview of the results that were filtered from th=
e
research
on the possible user target groups of the V2_Jam software. The participan=
ts
of
the Mediaknitting workshop that took place during DEAF03 from Wednesday
February
26 until Friday February 28, 2003 at the V2_ground floor were taken as
representative
group for this research.

Collaboration between developers and artists from different disciplines
often results in
merged media or new media formats. Media Knitting is a three-day hands-on
workshop
for artists, engineers, and designers working with software to knit vario=
us
media formats
and applications together for live or real-time interactive performances.
The scope of the
media used for collaboration in Media Knitting will include video, stream=
ing
media, audio
and 3D modelling. In this workshop thirty participants will work together=
 to
discover and
patch each other's domains together by means of software and human
interaction.
Several experts will be brought in from the commercial software field for
Mac and
Windows as well as from the field of 'open source' and 'free software'.
Among the
software facilitated for this workshop are Max-MSp, Jitter, V2_Jam, PD,
Blender,
Cyclops, BigEye, gstreamer, Nato, MoB, FreeJ and Touch 101. Participants =
are
encouraged to bring their own laptop and software as well. The participan=
ts
and the
workshop leaders will work together on the realization of performances or
media jam
sessions. The end result of the workshop will be presented in an informal
media concert
open to the DEAF audience.

These are the questions that we are trying to answer:

1. What is/are the (possible) target group(s) of users of the V2_Jam
software?
2. Which operating systems do they use?
3. What software and/or hardware are they familiar with and would like to
use in
   combination with the V2_Jam software?
4. What are their qualifications? Do they already have some experience wi=
th
similar
   software like Pd or Max and how does this affect our approach towards =
the
GUI?
5. What/how would they like to use the V2_Jam software for?
6. Mobility of users; working online/offline, moving from one place to
another; how
   does this affect the updating issues?


-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---
----------------

1. We consider the participants as the target group, because they are all=
 in
one way or
another active in the field of 'media knitting or media jamming'. They
describe
themselves as following:
-instigator, creative director, media designer and system integrator of
hybrid, new
media projects
-researcher, freelance programmer and web designer
-photographer and performer
-director working in multi disciplinary layered live performance
-digital architect, researching and developing evolving models and
interactive
environments
-freelance composer
-independent media artist, curator and writer
-artist and project manager
-freelance consultant and programmer, software development manager
-student
-web designer, visual artist
-interaction designer
-actor, performer and writer

2. Operating systems used by those participants are:
-Mac OS 9/X, Familiarity with Windows
-windows/mac os/ some linux
-Mac OSX / linux Debian
-OS X on MAC G4 laptop
-Windows and MacOS
-PC, linux (basic), Mac
-MAC
-dual boot Mac Os X.2 and Mac Os 9
-mac os. . 9 and X
-Windows XP
-Linux, Mac, Windows
-MacOS classic, OS X, Win98, 2000, XP
-MacOS 9.1
-Mac
-macOS (X), Windows
-PC , MAC
-Windows XP
-Windows/MacOS
-Windows and Mac OS
-MAC os 9/10
-Windows, Unix (a little bit)
-Mac Os X + classic
-MAC and PC
-OS 8.6
-Windows 98. Little bit of Linux

3. Software/hardware:
-G4 Powerbook, Max, Jitter
-pure data/flash/some programming
-MaxMSP&Jitter, Pure data & Gem, Blender, Director8.5, Form z Radiosity,
Pemiere, Metasynth, Cubase, Illustrator, Photoshop, Macintosh Powerbook G=
4
Titanium
-Basic knowledge of Isadora and Keystroke
-3D Studio Max - Director - Premiere - WRML - basic Virtools - Camera bas=
ed
Motion Capture and Patter Recognition systems
-LiSa, csoundAV, commercial sound applications (sound forge, cool edit,
logic,
etc), jMax
-G4 Laptop, familiar with Sorenson and Quicktime Broadcaster / Final Cut
Pro,
some experience of Big Eye / Max MSP and Nato
-max/nato/jitter and an icube box plus basic sensors
-3D Max, Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Micro Statio=
n
(2D,
3D), AutoCad (2D, 3D), Python, BasicX, Microcontroller BasicX-24 and
everything
that fits in the circuit (sensors included!!!)
-Software: Finalcut, Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash,
PureData+GEM, Max-Msp+Jitter, Buzz, Wavelab, Soundforge, Nuendo, etc;
Hardware: Work with: WJ-MX20 Videomixer, VHS/DVD players, miniDV camera,
I-Cubex sensor interface / sensors, midicontollers
-ibook, video camera, photo camera, microphone, toy sampler
-Designskills: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premi=E8re, Adobe Illustrator,
Macromedia
Fireworks, Macromedia Dreamweaver, FinalCutPro, KeyStroke, Macromedia
Director, several soundeditprograms; Programmingskills: Lingo (little),
html,
Java, Javascript, SQL
-Flash Actionscript, Java, ASP, XML, (D)HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Some
experience with C, C++, VB, and PHP
-Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Premiere, Wavelab, Flash, Online databases, HTML=
,
Javascript, XML/XSLT, Perl, PHP, Delphi, Notebooks, Digital photo and
Videocamera
-Director, Flash, 3D Studio Max, VRML, Premiere, Visual Basic; Velleman
interface
card (K8000) and a serial input device (8 box)
-Jitter  /PowerBook G4/Mini video camera
-Photoshop, Flash MX + ActionScript, PHP, MySQL, HTML (Homesite), Sonic
Foundry Vegas Video, Webcam, JVC miniDV digital video camera, Sony Vaio
notebook
-Max/Msp//Jitter // nato.0+55
-PD, Blender


4. From an analysis point of view, I've found that about a half of the
Mediaknitting
workshop participants are very much 'visually oriented', using the softwa=
re
with
conventional GUI elements. During the three days workshop I have had
discussions with
a lot of people coming from different disciplines (media artists, compose=
rs,
writers,
photographers, programmers, designers, directors, students, architects...=
)
and one half
of them have worked before with software like Pd, Max/MSP/Jitter. The oth=
er
half has
plans to start working with it in the 'near future'.
How does all of this influence our ideas about the GUI? What are the syst=
em
requirements from a user point of view? A common requirements is "this
system shall be
user friendly". But how many of us have met a friendly computer?

5. Some ideas for the use of V2_Jam software:
------------------------
-bringing audience participation into the heart of media works, fostering=
 a
'climate' of participative interaction & collaboration
-supporting new and emerging experiences for audiences through the use of
non-
traditional interfaces built from custom sensors and code
-natural phenomena in combination with audience interaction to affect and
evolve
artworks in real time
-performance/dance/sound and film practices framed within the context of
site
specific, interactive installation, peer to peer networks and web-based
practices
------------------------
-experimenting how sound can (taken from the public space)
(directly/technically)
influence the dynamic picture
------------------------
-developing the visual presentation of music through new technologies
------------------------
-exploring an application of interactive electronic strategies to generat=
e a
real-
time Performance Space, in physical or/and digital environments
-an interactive environment performed on a device which in real-time
evaluates a
range of human performer's body signals along the space, (movement captur=
e,
sensors system,?) to deliver along this space accompanying mutations of
initial
conditions... (3d models, videos, sound,?), the responsive changes of the
'Performance Space'
------------------------
-composition and live realization of work using digital means, and on
actions and
installations using sound as a primary element.
------------------------
-video conferencing, streaming media, web and digital video technologies
------------------------
-live performance /vjing
------------------------
-interactive performance
-interacting with the audience
------------------------
-real time vj scores
------------------------
-re-imagining elements originating in traditional media within the contex=
t
of new media
------------------------
-the integration of virtual space and  real space
------------------------
-The present moment, exploring the concept of real-time
------------------------
-analyzing the footage and using it as parameters for audio and video
synthesis
------------------------

6. Many of these participants travel a lot. This means that they have to
take their
computer with them. But what if this machine has to be used as a Simca
configuration
for some online performance where the participation of several clients fr=
om
elsewhere is
a crucial part of this performance? How does this influence the updating
issue? And how
can this crucial problem be solved?

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