It all ran away with us!

After the first day of Dragons at Hau 2 in Berlin we didn't stop, running up and down the stairs backstage, taking players out to walk the streets of Berlin, discover the dragons and monsters out there and in their own hearts...

It went well, we had about 50 players in the end, which considering we were limited to 4 an hour was pretty good going, lots of interesting people had a go, some kids cam for their birthday treat, lots of clever art bods, a couple discovered an Indian restuarant they had been looking for for years and we got our highest score yet, from Hans the technician at Hau - over 3000 points.

We also met lots of cool people from Berlin, the Trampoline team out there where great, we had a good meal at Hau on the second night, and even managed to sneak off to see a little of the Pictoplasma conference going on at the same time (that Ellie and John from Nottingham where at), and we did make it to a cool bar on the last night for tequilas... until I fell asleep in a drunken tired stupor, still haven't made it to a night of hard techno in Berlin!

We are just recovering from the chaos of the first night of Trampoline. Everything went well and it was well recieved by about 80% of the audience. Well as they say you can only please all of the people some of the time.

We set up a reception in the main auditorium which was interesting as I was competing with all the other events that were going on as part of the opening night.
Also because I was sat behind a desk everybody assumed I was the info desk for Trampoline. So I felt like I had created an artistic role where I felt like a clerk sat in the middle of a rock concert, processing people and answering questions about things I know nothing about in a language I can barely speak.

I didn´t see much of the other work. But I got to see thelast event: Heidi Mortensen a one woman band. That Berlin thing of girl with mic and laptop, Peaches style. Good entertainment, topped off with a last song where she handed out sparklers to the audience which were immediately grabbed by a particulary officious technician patrolling the audience. It was the highlight watching him wander off with a fistful of thirty burning spears muttering to himself about health and safety. Well that´s what I thought in my no sprackenzie deutsch imagination.
Like Coca Cola, one thing you can rely on - technicians are the same the world over.

Matt

Pictures

Here is Frank with the advert for the festival, Matt and the monster working at the computer and the tree at Checkpoint Charlie

Second Day in Berlin

We are all here and setting up at the theatre. As ever we have had frustrating times with GPS / GPRS and happy times with the monster and generaly buzzing around Berlin. What a great city. Full of waste lands and graffitti and anarchy and new euroland type developments that can't be filled with people...

Our hotel is one of those boutique hotels with designer art and rose petals everywhere, and great breakfast, cheese, pickles, boiled eggs. There is the whole team here, me, Matt, Robin and Leif. We have Fabian who is helping us and the whole Trampoline team. Frank is also here in his wellies, recreating his garden in Nottingham in the HAU2 theatre auditorium. (see his BLOG)

Last night we went to Checkpoint charlie where one of the artworks from the festival is being projected on a wall behind the picture of the soldier. It is beautiful it blows in the wind and drops leaves effected by sensors. We drunk beer, gin and schnapps with the trampoline crew, spent some time with Miles and Annette who seem ok despite the burden on the festival on them.

Today we are doing tests with the multiplayer game, getting the global interface ready and sorting out the layout of the "medical room" where players relax and the theatre space... tomorrow night we launch.

Dragons in Berlin... nearly there

This weekend we have made the introductory film for Dragons, are tweaking code and graphics and testing equipment.

Various issues have hindered us, noteably the government making a new policy for surfing the internet on mobile phones which resulted in all the mobile networks implementing under 18 safeguards for everyone that in Orange's case is very hard to have removed. Involving showing photo ID to prove my age (unfortunately way beyond 18) and having to wait several days, it appears this still hasn't worked to enable us to send and receive data to our game via GPRS so we are now working with the guys at Mixed Reality Lab on a work around. Much time wasted at the Orange shop arguing about my rights as an older person to play my own game!

Filming in Sherwood forest was fun, and thanks to Stuart and Steven for their help. Strange things appearing in the trees...

We are off tomorrow to berlin and will keep in touch throughout the week.
Rachel (AI)

Rachel in Leicester

The last couple of weeks I have been juggling all our developments with my part-time job in leicester at Phoenix Arts. D-Day finally arrived and I have launched two out of three of the commissions I have been overseeing.
Friday was the launch at BBC Leicester (Emma Bateman's Outside In) and the week before was at LCB Depot (Low Brow Trash's GOSSIP) it all seems to be going smoothly and hopefully will carry on smoothly while I am away in berlin.
Phoenix Digital in Leicester

Flesh Eating Monster! It's alive

Flesh Eating Monster! It's alive
Originally uploaded by Active Ingredient.

Ere be Dragons at Frist Play in Berlin approachs and little do they realise what is in store for them.
The official costume for the Ere be Dragons tour of Germany & Taiwan is here. Designed by Val Burrell. I think they will be quaking in their boots!