Walking in Ally

Site-specificaudio theater

  • The fixed point in the block is located in the phone.

| 5th - 28th May., 2018
| Location: Linyi Street‭, ‬Taipei, Taiwan
| Length : 20 min
| Team member : 
Wang Chun Li, Li Ling Hsuan, Huang Wei, Kao Yu Yi, Zheng Yu Chih, Lo Yu Chun, Lin Zhi Yu, Chen Yen Chi, Chen Ru Ying

The first part‭, ‬enter the game‭.‬



In this initial phase, we aim to guide our audience across the threshold between logging in and logging out. The project begins by establishing a state where the audience can exercise a high degree of autonomy, while still being constrained by the rules we've designed. As they engage with the rules of the game, the audience will gradually come to understand their underlying significance.

Concept


we decided to shift the concept from individual personal transportation to using voice transmission to guide viewers' movements. We selected several "Imagination after Logout" scenarios for sound design. These soundtracks were placed at various locations throughout the neighborhood and accessed via the audience's mobile phones. Guided by a map on their phones, participants will walk through the alleys of Linyi Street, experiencing the soundscapes at different points along the way.

Techniques 
Radio: High-intensity radio is employed as the audio transmission device. The limited range of the radio signal creates distinct audio zones at each fixed point. As participants move along the edges of these zones, they experience organic changes in the audio.

Mobile Phone: The phone screen acts as the primary visual interface for the audience. Utilizing the Google API on the webpage enables participants to see the real-time distance between their location and the audio source. Firebase ensures instant data updates.

Sound Design: The soundtracks are based on "Linyi Street, Taipei City" as a prototype. During the sample collection process, local sounds and the organic relationships within the neighborhood were explored and used as key materials for the project. Each story blends natural and supernatural elements, subtly introducing both harmony and dissonance into the everyday, provoking questions and curiosity in the audience.

Spot Actor and Voice Instant Processing: Some fixed points utilize live radios due to the need for soundtracks that are closely integrated with the actors. Real-time sound processing is achieved using a Raspberry Pi microcomputer, ensuring seamless synchronization between visual and auditory elements.


​ The audience walked through the alleys of Linyi Street as they normally would, but unexpectedly encountered fragments of stories brought to life through sound, one by one. Radio signals, commonly found in everyday life, also permeate this neighborhood, creating a rich auditory landscape. The aim is to allow the audience to experience the invisible presence within this visible environment.