[Noisebridge-discuss] Seeking collaborators for "Journey to the End of the Year" - A free street game to be held on New Year's Eve in BERLIN

Wed Nov 18 22:39:54 UTC 2009

Allo! Gutentag! Greetings!

Valerie Leavy, Aaron Muszalski, and Audrey Penven would like to invite
you to participate in "JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE YEAR" - a fun and
exciting and free STREET GAME to be held on NEW YEAR'S EVE in the
beautiful city of BERLIN.

We think that Noisebridgers would make ideal collaborators in this
DARING and WHIMSICAL endeavor, especially as many of you will already
be in Berlin for 26C3, the 26th Chaos Communications Congress.

We are particularly interested in anyone who can help introduce us to
artists and hackers and underground culture creators in Berlin and
throughout Europe. (We already have at least one volunteer flying in
from London to help!) The more international and diverse our team, the
richer the resulting event will be.

Originally created by the Playtime Antiboredom Society, "Journey to
the End of the Night" games have been held in San Francisco, Chicago,
Vienna, Manhattan, Los Angeles and Elsewhere. Outwardly resembling a
simple game of tag, Journey games are actually complex
PSYCHOGEOGRAPHICAL experiments, designed to elicit emotions such as
FEAR, LUST, PAIN, SPEED, ALIENATION, LONELINESS, HATE, and DESIRE in
those who play it.

During a Journey game, the familiar becomes UNFAMILIAR, and players
experience the terrain of their everyday lives in new and surprising
ways.

Journey games are always FREE to play, offered by their creators as an
ephemeral gift of EXPERIENCE ART. The first Journey game was played by
approximately 40 people, while the most recent Journey (held in San
Francisco on Halloween) was played by over 600 people.

Creating and running a Journey game typically takes between 15-30
people. Of course, the more collaborators, the richer the experience
will be for everyone.

This is where you come in.

We're seeking to make CONTACT with ANYONE who might be interested in
the Berlin Journey, either as a player or as an organizer. Everyone is
welcome, regardless of skill or availability. INTEREST IS EVERYTHING.

If you think that you might be interested in participating, please
READ ON for more information on how you can help. If you think you
know someone who might be interested, please forward this email to
them.

JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE YEAR is going to be a wholly singular and
unforgettable experience for all involved! While the game has been
played before, every incarnation of it is unique, and we fully expect
that the PEOPLE and the CITY of BERLIN will result in the most
INCREDIBLE Journey game yet.

We would be honored if you would join us.

Sincerely,

Thr33ofCups Productions
{Valerie Leavy, Aaron Muszalski, Audrey Penven}
Thr33ofCups at Gmail.com

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SOUNDS GREAT! HOW CAN I HELP?

We're seeking the following:

- A local Co-Producer
- people who want to create & run a checkpoint performance
- people who want to be chasers
- people to help with checkpoint selection and course design
- people to help with promotion
- media contacts
- a designer to create a flyer (postcard) and/or poster for the event
- a space in which to hold the end-of-game party
- accommodation for organizers
- a source for costumes & props (loan, or create)
- DJ/performers for end-of-game party
- a tightrope walker (slackline also ok!)
- recommendations of (or connections with) anyone who might be helpful
for us to know
- any other suggestions or contributions you might have that will help
make Journey Berlin a success!

Organizing a city-wide street game in a distant city on New Year's Eve
borders on hubris, and we'll be relying on the ENTHUSIASM and SUPPORT
of you, our friends, to pull this off. We are especially needful of at
least one or two Berlin residents who want to PARTNER with us, and
become our CO-PRODUCERS for this project, as a successful Journey game
depends upon intimate knowledge of the city it will played in.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HOW IS A JOURNEY GAME PLAYED?

Players, known as RUNNERS, assemble at the announced meeting place,
where they receive a CHECKPOINT MAP and two colored armbands, one
GREEN and one ORANGE. They are instructed to tie the green armband
visibly around their arm, and keep the orange armband in their pocket.

Each runner's GOAL is to make their way to a series of CHECKPOINTS
located throughout the city. These checkpoints are shown on their map,
and must be navigated in sequence. Runners may walk, climb, run or
take public transit, but cannot use bicycles or motorized vehicles.

Making the runners' Journey more perilous are the CHASERS. Designated
by their orange armbands, chasers pursue the runners. If a chaser
catches a runner (by tagging them) the runner gives that chaser their
green armband, then dons their orange armband and becomes a chaser
themselves. Chasers are allowed to use bicycles in their pursuit of
runners. With this (and other) advantages, the chasers present a
palpable threat to the runners, encouraging the runners to find
CREATIVE or DARING ways to elude capture.

At the final checkpoint, prizes are awarded for the FASTEST RUNNER
(the player who completed the course most quickly without being
caught) and the DEADLIEST CHASER (the player who collected the
greatest number of green armbands by catching runners).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CHECKPOINTS?

All of the above is merely background however. Game mechanic. The true
heart of any Journey experience is the checkpoints.

Checkpoint locations are specifically selected to take players to
overlooked, UNFAMILIAR or especially dramatic or MAGICAL places. In a
city as diverse and architecturally and historically rich as Berlin,
this should provide a wide variety of truly incredible possibilities.

*** If you have ANY SUGGESTIONS for a CHECKPOINT LOCATION, please let
us know! ***

At each checkpoint players encounter a unique PERFORMANCE, CHALLENGE
or PUZZLE. These interactive tableaus are designed to further enhance
the sense of MAGICAL OTHERNESS - a psychogeographical dislocation from
the familiar.

Checkpoint performances can range from the very simple (a volunteer in
an unusual costume) to the elaborately theatrical.

For example, one checkpoint in the recent San Francisco Journey
involved an entire dinner party of people costumed as deceased
characters from the board game "Clue", sipping cocktails and chatting
to one another about their recent murders. Before runners could
proceed, they needed to engage these diners in conversation in order
to deduce who had murdered whom, and with which weapons. While the
puzzle wasn't very difficult, the scene - a group of formally-attired
dinner guests attending a fully-furnished dinner party in the middle
of a small public park - was perfectly surreal. A lovely, magical
spectacle, complete with vintage swing music playing on an antique
record player.

Another checkpoint had runners enter a strange warehouse, make their
way to a darkened room, lit only by strobe lights, and filled
floor-to-ceiling with black balloons, all being blown about by several
large fans. Amidst this immersive and disorienting space, runners were
instructed to find one of only a few balloons that bore a special
icon.

The best checkpoints are those that ENHANCE and support the INTRINSIC
CHARACTER of their LOCATION, rather than ignoring or overshadowing it.
The complexity of a checkpoint performance is far less important than
achieving this delicate harmony between CONTEXT and CONTENT.

*** If you have ANY SUGGESTIONS for a CHECKPOINT PERFORMANCE, please
let us know! ***

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HOW DO I CREATE A CHECKPOINT?

We're actively seeking groups and individuals to SUGGEST checkpoint
locations, SCOUT those locations, CREATE a checkpoint performance or
puzzle, and finally, OPERATE the checkpoints.

Creating and operating a checkpoint is one of the most enjoyable ways
to participate in a Journey game.

Checkpoint creation begins with a location. As described above, the
best checkpoint locations are those which are unfamiliar, overlooked,
dramatic or magical. A good example of a dramatic location in Berlin
would be the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (which we hope to
use as one of our checkpoints).

Scouting proposed checkpoint locations is important as all checkpoints
will need to be OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE during the hours of the game on
New Year's Eve. One inaccessible checkpoint can break a Journey.
Weather is also a consideration. On a cold Winter's night, runners
will certainly appreciate a few indoor checkpoints where they can rest
and recharge.

DO let us know if you have a checkpoint location in mind, as we can
only select a limited number (usually 7), all of which must be
proximal to their neighbors (approximately a 20 minute walk) while
creating interesting navigation possibilities for the runners.
Remember: the cityscape between checkpoints and how the runners
traverse it is a major element of the game experience.

Operating a checkpoint typically requires at least 2-3 people.
Attempting to run a checkpoint with only 1 person is not recommended.
More elaborate checkpoints may require more than 3 people. You can
assemble your own team of friends to operate your checkpoint with you,
or we can help connect you with other available volunteers.

Checkpoint operators will need to run their checkpoint for
approximately 2-3 hours on game night. Checkpoints needn't be kept
open for the full duration of the game however; as runners progress
through the course, earlier checkpoints can close down, at which time
their operators typically relocate to the party at the end of the
course.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A WORD ABOUT CHECKPOINT EXPERIENCE DESIGN

If you have an idea for a checkpoint performance, please DO let us
know. Do remember however that checkpoint performances should be
COMPLEMENTARY to their location, rather than arbitrarily imposed upon
it. Thus are checkpoint selection and checkpoint experience design
inherently interdependent.

We will more fully explore checkpoint design in a subsequent email,
providing additional examples of previous checkpoints, as well as
several possible narrative frameworks that we may use to make Journey
Berlin a more thematically unified experience. But all of this takes a
backseat to the city of Berlin itself.

Thus we are especially dependent upon those of you who currently live
in Berlin. Tell us about your favorite locations. The most intriguing
parts of the city. That odd backstreet, abandoned building, or tiny
gem of a public park that no one ever visits. Do you have access to a
location that might make a good checkpoint? A warehouse or industrial
artspace? A place of business?  A raft, barge or boat on the river?
Please share your knowledge with us!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I'D LIKE TO GET INVOLVED. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Great! The first thing to do is to contact us. Email
Thr33ofCups at gmail.com and let us know a little about yourself and how
you might like to help. No matter what your skills or availability
are, we'll be able to find a role that suits you.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT "JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT"?

See: http://totheendofthenight.com/