An interactive video on sign language

I got the mission to make a game for sign language but realized that if there is something that deaf people have loads of on the Internet it is games. The language must be visualized through video as both hands and face are required. So I modified the mission to interactive video production and looked for inspiration. First I found MegaVega who have produced lots of videos with tunes that children like translated by sing language dance moves. I'd love to see them as background dancers in some music children's show.

I liked them, but needed to show them to some deaf eight year olds to know if they would appreciate it. They sure did, but they also showed me what more they like on YouTube. Vanessa Hudges! But they can't here? No, but many music videos are build by short often romantic stories whith no long incomprehensive dialogues. They are very visual, emotional and tell their own short story.

I've further been looking at the Magnum Pleasurehunt game, and a handfull of interactive stories where the classic man from La Linea is my favourite - short sessesions and very simple choices and stories.

I will also further explore the possibilities with web cam games and timing games as Guitarr Hero to see if I can offer a set of signs to use for different purposes - to put a song together in the right order on the right time or to collect items through knowing specific signs. There is not much done so the field is open, but it is also difficult as I don't know the language and the Swedish target group/sign language source is very small. To be continued...

Cool by person, not by style

So I'm trying to figure out who I want to be right now by looking at the fashion brand ads for this fall. I have set that I'm not a challenging retro futuristic Prada girl - I have too much on my mind to cope with provocated discussions. I'm too old and sophisticated to be a young bookworm in Dior. I don't want to be bored in Ralph Lauren and there is no room right now for a creative Gucci life.

Sonia Rykiel presents a colorful woman at a café, she's not really having fun. She's a grown up, not excited, but yet interested in people around her. She could probably be me. I don't really like her dress but looking on the rest of the collection I see myself in many places. It's soft and female yet not sexy or provocative. This could be me those very rare days when I have an hour with no children meeting up with a friend and enjoy everything I never have the time to enjoy otherwise.

Then there is a very androgynous girl staring at me from the darkness. She wears a Paul Smith coat, a white shirt and a cardigan. This is me. These clothes works for me every day and reflects who I feel I need to be - no matter wether I like it or not. I need to be tough and strong and talk the same language as men around me to get my voice heard, I need to act as a man. The rest of this collection suits me perfectly - it's not really as masculine as the ad, but rather practical, neutral and genderless.

I find a woman in between the social Sonia Rykiel and the demanding Paul Smith types. It's the Joseph jersey and whool cozy woman covering up for the freezing cold winter. Soft, androgyne, practical and not challenging or daring. 

I try to get an image of a celebrity of any kind that would reflect this style and Sigourney Weaver pops up - a woman that never have needed to dress in any style to become cool, a woman who is cool just by herself, in anything.

Sonia Rykiel

Paul Smith

Joseph

Man syr, berättar och lyssnar på en syjunta

Syjunta är en grupp, av framförallt kvinnor, som träffas för att ägna sig åt sömnad och handarbete.

Alltså man syr, virkar, stickar eller broderar – och umgås. Syjuntor låter lite gammaldags, men verkar vara något som många saknar när de försvinner, eftersom de återuppstår med jämna mellanrum. Eller de finns nog alltid, men blir mer populära i vissa perioder.

Igår hämtade jag enorma mängder inspiration från Beata Wickboms bord fyllt av färggranna garnnystan, stickor, pärlor och påbörjade och ibland avslutade hantverk. Det är otroligt trevligt att skapa något, och dubbelt upp om man skapar något som går att använda, som gör att man slipper handla, något unikt, något som inspirerar andra att själva pröva på. Syjuntan är också ett bra sätt att få lära sig hur man gör – stolpar, luftmaskor, moucher och mönster. Jag är ett steg närmare egna amigurumis.

Än mer inspirerade sällskapet. Det går inte att prata så mycket när man koncentrerar sig på att räkna maskor. Det blir mer att var och en berättar sin historia ett tag. Man får lära känna varandra på ett mindre ytligt sätt än på ett ståmingel, alla lyssnar på och fokuserar på en i taget.


Igår var det - alla lika imponerande - Lesley som aldrig ger upp, Görel vars första film kommer upp på biograferna om en månad, Sofia facilitatorn, Paula mästervirkaren och den som matchar uppgift med rätt person, Katrina som får saker gjorda, Eva uttrasslaren och Jeanette som man lyssnar till när hon talar. Och så Beata – nätverkaren, moderatorn och den ultimata värdinnan. 7 nya kvinnliga förebilder!



Det vore så klart kul med några virkande män som kunde berätta sina historier också.

(Köp snigeln på Made by Sohpie om du inte kan göra den själv)