MEDA202 Project Proposal/Prototype Reflection: DRUM

Project Proposal:

The installation will consist of a single 44-gallon steel drum in the middle of the exhibition room. Inside of the drum will be large speakers whereby a clear film will be then used and embedded to close off the top of the object. Matter including salt, flowers and other substances will be evident on top of the plastic material, which then will be the subject of varied movements caused by the sound waves and vibrations of the speakers. Distance sensors will be controlled and programmed by an Arduino, which will then be fixed around the drum, affecting the intensity of the audio and tremors depending on the audience’s proximity to and interaction with the artwork.

Virtual Reality, Audiences and Media

[How does Virtual Reality and convergence affect the relationship between media, technologies and audiences?]

Convergence can be described as “The flow of content across multiple media platforms, the cooperation between multiple media industries and the migratory behaviour of media audiences” (Jenkins, H. 2006). Jenkins believes audiences in today’s contemporary and developing society lay a fundamental role in both creating and distributing content stating the inquiry whether the umbrella of convergence instigates more opportunities that challenge the media and its consumers.

This project aims to explore Virtual Reality, technology and how it has the ability to alter the relationship between audiences and media; steering away from it’s perhaps traditional use in today’s technological era, ‘Gaming’. This digital narrative and qualitative research delves into further applications of virtual reality, and it’s potential impacts on the attention, presence and place of an individual or individuals alike, transforming a passive audience into an active ones.