Meeting the clients & testing
Empathize, Ideate, Testing
During week 11 we had the opportunity to take a trip to Oslo for a couple of days for the purpose of meeting up with the clients in-person, visit the city and the Det Norske theatre , see the backbox room where the play will take place and test out the different prototypes that we made within the theatre space with different experts from the theatre and using specialized equipment.
The experience was amazing and it really helped us and the client get a better grasp of the concept itself and how exactly it would work out in the blackbox room. Furthermore, we did encounter several technical or design issues which without testing within the theatre space with that specific set-up (large tv screen, projector, shotgun microphones) we probably wouldn't have been able to spot out.
For my learning goals and work, I was able to get more insights and feedback from the involved theatre members which was useful for further development of the concept.
One valuable activity that we conducted at the theatre was a discussion and brainstorming sessions with Anders and Peer. They served as our main contacts at theatre, holding positions as one the theatre's directors and the dramaturg, respectively. Given the fact that we sat in the same room, face to face, the discussion went smoother and communication was clearer compared to our previous online meetings.
The main topic was the interaction and dynamic interplay between the actor(s), the ChatGPT persona, the system and the audience. We analyzed how the installation could be choreographed to respond to the actor's cues while also considering the unpredictability introduced by unique audience responses since that goal was to have an organic and responsive environment for all involved parties that enhances the overall theatrical experience.
We also went back and examined various possibilities and scenarios within the interactive play. By making use of the narrative/guidelines diagram that I made, we envisioned the different pathways the narrative could take based on the audience's input and actor's response as well as the overall flow of the play and how it will play out on a moment to moment basis.
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