[Nettime-bold] B.E.C.O.M.I.N.G.

["geert lovink" <geert@xs4all.nl>]

From: "Cargoweb" <cargoweb@pandora.be>
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 2:23 AM
Subject: B.E.C.O.M.I.N.G.

B.E.C.O.M.I.N.G. is a project developing media technology
into a tool for people researching themselves.

Concept

The project sets out to let ‘become’ human presences*  into three different
media of presentation and production : on the Web, in exhibitions
(installation+performance) and in film.

The project will set-up a group of young adolescents and engage them in an
extended script development phase on the Web and in the physical world.
They will be given the opportunity and the means to develop a ‘second’
character on the Web, on a specially programmed stream platform called
‘Becoming TV’ with (live) streams (of their own),  moderated chat and
personal blog,  allowing each of them to keep a Net based personal diary.
Now and then some participants will perform during special ‘installation’
events, sharing their experience with a larger public.  Some of them will
also engage in travels abroad, deepening and charging their Web-character
with hard reality, inviting others to join. The participating adolescents
will be guided by a professional team of script producers and advisors.
Psychological support and expertise will be available at any moment.

Visualization
A special prototype webcam-lounge will be constructed where the
participating adolescents will be offered the possibility of constructing
telepresences of their own bodies live on the Net. The webcam-lounges will
consist of transparencies the adolescents will inhabit and surround with
video- and dataprojectors. Kind of body-sized mult-media space shuttles,
where the adolescents will work out and show their latest persona. Being
embodied vision machines*  they will observe and incorporate realities that
give best form to the telebody of their chosen character.

On-line scripting
These experiences and second existences, on-the-Web, will be the basis for
the final scripting of  CRIMES OF BECOMING. – the science fiction movie part
of the project. Ultimately the project wants to develop a new kind of
working procedure for writing filmscripts. Instead of being written (as is
the case in traditional scripting), the realities as well as the themes of
the script will be developed out of the tele-existing characters embodying
these themes.  On the Web and inside the webcam-lounges, the adolescents
will temporarily not only experience their tele-characters (as is the case
in traditional acting and rehearsing), but construct and live them. They
will charge their Web-persona with specific realities from the Net and the
physical world.  They will let their new existence be known and communicate
it with other beings traditionally more human.  They will exchange their
experiences with other members of the group and morph, mix and melt
experimentally with each other.  And during the whole process chats will be
recorded, as an essential part of the on-line scripting, parallel to the
project : experiential content construction.

The project so far
Testing together with students scripting and architecture of the St Joost
Academy in Breda and students of the Rits Filmschool in Brussels between
February and May this year has resulted in initial visual presentation
material of the project.  A special streaming platform on the web is under
construction  and is partly operational since beginning of May 2001.

* For further information :
go to  www.cargoweb.org : groupinfo CARGO B.E.C.O.M.I.N.G. (for texts) and
to the files for visuals, made available as they are being produced.  go to
www.cargoweb.org/becoming for the alpha version of what will become
the streaming platform of the project.  For contact : mail to
cargoweb@pandora.be.

The B.E.C.O.M.I.N.G. TEST has been made possible by Luuk Bouwman and thanks
to the participation of  the RITS students : Gunther Robeets, Griet
Tempelaere, Nick Kaldunski, Anneleen Huysman.  Teacher : Paul Pourveur (Cel
Schrijven).  Coordination : Driel Moreels (Vrij Atelier).  The SINT-JOOST
AKADEMIE students : Marijke de Bie, Frederik Durinck, Helena Kuiken, Sergio
Van Pul, Stijn Van Eekelen, Tobias Nieveld, Ton Zandvoort (av).  Daniël de
Jong, Maikel Kox, Paula Teterissa, Etienne Reijnders (architectonisch).
Coördinators :  René Bosma (coördinator av), René Pijnenburg (coördinator
architectonische vormgeving).  Teacher : Anne Van de Putte (scenario docent
av). The EXTERNAL ADVISORS : Bart Leroy (psychiater), Mark Van Tongele
(writer), Johan Blaeke (installation-artist), Mark Thelosen (financial).

The WEB MASTER : Dominique Callewaert.
Project : Stefaan Decostere.  Production : vzw CARGO asbl.




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