V-TV (Verbal Television)

V-TV is an interactive networked installation set in the virtual reality of Second Life.(tm)

By Misprint Thursday, Oberon Onmura and Cinco Pizzicato

Concept:

CMC or computer-mediated communication like chat, e-mail and texting have increased our ability to share ideas with one another. The concept for V-TV, or Verbal Television, is to translate text communication to a visual form of communication. V-TV responds to text input by creating a digital art display which becomes a sort of visual poetry. Connecting the visuals to an emotive sensibility lends a somewhat romantic notion to the idea of exchanges of text communication. The piece, is, however limited in its scope and function to respond which perhaps mirrors the idea of the limitations of non face to face communication. One can only read so much from a text, whereas in face to face contact we can discern through facial expression and body gesture a whole other world of visual communication.

V-TV examines the beauty in both the visual translation of text and the limitations of text communications in these forms.

Design:

Measurements are in Second Life(tm) units:

Gallery Dimensions: 20 meters x 50 meters

Primitives total including gallery: 150

The installation is contained in a black gallery, which feels like it could be somewhere deep underwater, or far in space. Sculptures lightly glow giving gentle form to the space. When the piece is activated by chat, email or twitter, particles emit from the sculptures resulting in a gauzy layered and pulsing flare effect. Modeled after ephemeral signaling in visual communications, V-TV makes use of particle emitters to display temporary intermittent visual messages. Similar to other forms of visual communication like flares or a smoke signals, the particle emission fires up and then fades with each message transmitted. The overall design is based on obejects reacting to key words which trigger the particles to emit. When multiple key words are activated the viewer becomes immersed in the illuminated particles that stand out against the black backdrop of the space.

Interaction:

One can stimulate the sculpture in many ways through text. Just as we use many forms and levels of communication ranging from private to public so too does the sculpture have mulitple modes to accept and engage communication.

1. Through chat in Second Life(tm): V-TV listens to chat on channel 5 in Second Life(tm). To communicate on this channel the user types /5 and their communication. Chat in the form of one or two sentences will be a good start to try. This text is not spoken on the public chat, it is hidden.

2. Through email while simultaneously logged in to Second Life (tm): V-TV will accept, post and respond to e-mail from outside of Second Life (tm). The email text is displayed publicly, while the email sender is not revealed. This option would work if the installation was projected with a presenter logged in and the audience participating with laptops or maybe one person is at the sculpture and another person is not-they can receive and view the message and reaction.

3. Through email while neither logged in nor viewing Second Life (tm): One can e-mail the sculpture and it will activate and post the most recent correspondence as text over a small cube in Second Life. Blindly, the user sends words not knowing who may view or how the piece responds. This is sort of the: "If a tree falls in a forest does anybody hear" version. Philosophers take note!

4. Through twitter: Tweets from V-TV's Twitter account are sent to the sculpture which also activate the piece in cycles. This visually represents the ongoing text communication which is always in the background of our lives.

Technical requirements to view live:

A computer with access to Second Life (tm) meeting their technical specifications.