Amber Choo/RA Tasks

Amber's html list of stuff to do:

October 2012 (last updated Oct 22nd)

• Apply for TA position w/Bernhard Riecke - he will contact Diane about me maybe doing some RA work for him
• Keep an eye on progress between UBC/Dr. Sheppard/Future Delta team and Diane/Chris. Poke them until they make an agreement
• Organize info/pics from Pain BC Conference (although most of the stuff I recorded was on Diane's Canon camera and 'flip' camera...?)
• Consider what classes to pick for the Spring I am thinking Research Colloquium and Exploring Interactivity. The TA position w/Bernhard is 5.17 base units (massive!) so 2 courses = balanced, I think.
• Work with Mehdi on our CHI game design competition piece (ongoing: deadline Jan 5th). So excite!
• Research potential companies in Vancouver or Kelowna you could do that co-op Mitacs thing with
• Get your passport for unidentified trip
• Napkin notes from Diane: "Think about what kinds of 'pain games' would be cool to create. It should have a kind of 'ecology' of parameters, like in osmos, you lose energy when you move, but you gain energy when you bump into/absorb a blue blob. I just think that it is so complex and difficult to explain pain that a videogame would help thousands of people....so brainstorm! (RA)"
• Napkin notes from Diane: Play Journey, Flow
• Napkin notes from Diane: Talk to Diane about research/thesis (re: addiction)

September 2012

• Figure out where my computer is. Apparently it could be on the wrong desk. Tyler says the only PC that has popped up is a Pentium 4 which would apparently be useless.
• Uploaded version 2 of Pain Chronicles vid to youtube
• On standby for Carnivale video in case Jeremy needs more materials.

August 2012

Done:

• Get a research login
• Get your cardkey, and get your actual keys from Todd Mann
• Print the calendars and adhere them to the wall in Viz lab (due aug 15)
• Familiarize yourself with The Wild Divine. I got stuck at the part where I had to wake up that lady of Compassion. Not sure if my heart beat is irregular or what. I tried for about half an hour. Regardless that was far enough into the game for me to get a good feel about The Wild Divine, what it does, it's pitfalls, strengths etc.
• Check out M.A. theses. Quickly look thru 3 by Aug.31. Searched online - I found Terry's paper on persuasive games!
• Identify videogames that are related to pain. 1st chunk Aug.31. I have around 7. Wrote explanations, found screenshots.
• Identify interactive art projects that are related to pain in Leonardo. 1st chunk Aug.31. I read Leonardo in the library. Didn't find much in the available issue.
• Read the first part of The Craft of Research (re: how to write a research question.) Write a couple of versions of YOUR question each week, & be ready with them in the lab meetings. I think I've found my thesis topic!! Sent to Diane and Chris.
• The Pain Chronicles. Read chapters 1, 2, 3,
• Show the lab folks your portfolio. I sent Chris and Terry my stuff.

Not done:

• Pick a desk; set up your computer with programs you need. Waiting for computer
• Carnivale-esque video. Work with Jeremy. We have cut out pictures from a book to experiment with. Waiting for Jeremy to import and compose composition in Adobe After Effects, or if he needs more cutouts/more help. Once he's finished with that, I take the file and import into Unity.
• YouTube Video: (inspired by Pain Chronicles), identify 1 piece of info, shoot talking head (camera in VR2). Did chronic versus acute pain. Editing in final cut now.