For the final project me and Mari will be working together as a group. Our performer will be Erica Wu. Here is a link to the Google slides presentation that we made: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10ZB8SkHfJ_wPWPfbHnkYe8WA9gQsOsL8FEtGiq3uTYo/edit#slide=id.g6b36aaa811_0_14
Our performance will revolve around the relationship between our performer and a glowing ball tethered to the ceiling. The ball can be swung and can be untethered from the rope hanging it. The ball will continually be tracked, and based on the distance and touches of our performer with the sphere, different effects will be generated from the ball’s position on the projection.
The concept of this performance revolves around the double-edged nature of our relationship with technology and seeks to explore the benefits of technology along with its negative impacts on our psyche and the environment. This is the core concept driving the story of the performance. Our intention is for the ball to represent technology, and explore how the performer’s interaction and manipulation of the ball impacts her well-being as well as the environment around her.
In order to fully communicate and explore this, we decided to split the performance into three sections. In sequence, these are:
- Playful exploration of the ball, with a growing fascination with the ball. This involves light interaction with the ball which result in effects that clearly respond to either her touch or her close proximity with the ball. Stylistically we intend for this to be soothing and relaxing, with the colors being lighter and with the graphics having smooth movements.
2. Continued exploration of the ball, but this involves her attempting to fully control the ball. One idea we had was that our performer could take the ball (which is still tethered) to move it around and have it function as a brush, creating shapes on the projection as she moves it around. The tone of this section is one marked by greater confidence in her use of the ball, and the music and graphics will be more representative of her strength and confidence.
3. Finally, the performer, very interested in the power of the ball, decides to untether the sphere from the rope. This results in chaos and in her inability to control the disorder that ensues, demonstrated by chaotic, dark, jarring visuals and music. This last stage 
serves to represent the ultimate double-edged nature of technology and social media. Users can fully embrace and be confident in the online tools they use, but at the cost of digital privacy. The performer’s unsuccessful attempt at controlling the sphere symbolizes the fact that the data we offer online is also during most times out of our hands.
We are still not sure about how to transition between sections two and three, as well as how the performance will be concluded. We are considering having Erica attach the ball back to the string with the hope of restoring order or rekindling the previous relationship she had with the ball, which is ultimately not successful with the environment still being in disarray. We are also unsure of how to technically implement this and continually track the position of the ball. We are considering using brightest point tracking and thresholding the background in order to eliminate the brightness from the projection.