You’re Invited

Creation Map

A virtual front of the house with text "Welcome! Please check your name off at the Front Of House — Front Of House

A holding room with a of a group of virtual avatars lining up according to their zodiac sign — 0、Holding Room, Pre-show, Acknowledgement

A group of avatars sitting at a dinner table in the middle of a maze — 一、Welcome, House Exploration, Audio Drama maze

picture of Cheryl, as the character tuan tuan, with a laptop mic set up, with ingredients for a lou hei on the table. — 二、Lou Hei, tossing salad and wishes

an image of a group of avatars sitting at a dinner table in the main room — 三、Mains, Cooking video, sharing dishes

n image of a group of avatars bunched up with lyrics on the floor for a karaoke walk along — 四、Karaoke, Music Video,TV walkalong

image has random bits of objects and some text like “everyone huat and byebye covid” "I wish to have a dog" "quicker bto" — 五、Dessert, Audience World building

Poster image with "团圆饭 You're Invited" a lou hei made out of recycled paper and red packets — **An email enquiry comes in…**

**Commissioner:** Esplanade- Huayi Chinese Festival of the Arts 2022
**Festival Direction:** Emphasizes the presentation of Chinese arts and culture, as well as the meaning of the Lunar New Year as the festival takes place amidst the CNY celebrations.
Esplanade wants to reach out to more youth.

3 PHASES

DREAM.

Brainstorm

Create a WORK GUIDE

Pitch or Proposal

Acceptance, Rejection, Negotiation

SIGN CONTRACT

DEVELOP.

Pre-Creative Development

Confirm your TEAM

Creative Development 1

Creative Development 2

ESSENTIALS x NON-ESSENTIALS

EXECUTE.

Refine

Rehearse

Tech

Execute & Distribute

HAVE FUN & DO YOUR MAGIC

DREAM

BRAINSTORM

Guiding principle: Within timeframe + budget, IMAGINE WHAT COULD BE POSSIBLE! This can be messy.

We want to explore how Reunion dinner during Chinese New Year might adapt and grow, responding in a more mindful, connected and sustainable way, whilst connecting to loved ones globally.
A virtual online dinner + involving physical food + audio drama
Food consultant - Pamelia Chia
Esplanade suggested Gathertown

CREATE A WORK GUIDE

Guiding principle: What is the work? Answers can be more structured.

An online interactive experience (A virtual online dinner)
To create a space where people can gather for a fun, wholesome Chinese New Year dinner, whilst reflecting on their relationship to Reunion dinner’s through Tuan Tuan’s experiences.
Gathering as bonding, love and care
Food as expression of culture and love
Creating a space for meaningful conversations and interactions
Sustainability and mindfulness woven into the gathering
Audiences feel warmth, welcomed, togetherness despite distance (online)
Conflict about food and waste & Sustainability
Conflict about familial expectations needing to get married/traditional ideals etc
Conflict about priorities/work - not being home for family etc
Gathertown
Film
Audio drama
Food
Audience interaction
CNY Music Videos
Ikan Chuan Chuan Recipe
Books from the library
Personal anecdotes

PITCH OR PROPOSAL

Guiding principle: Prepare materials based on proposal submission or create your own pitch deck/proposal. The information here will be clear.

INITIAL PROPOSAL TO ESPLANADE (21/07/2021)

ACCEPTANCE, REJECTION, NEGOTIATION

Guiding principle: If approved, negotiate terms and sign the contract.

Note who owns the rights
Re-staging clauses
Don’t be afraid to negotiate or challenge contract clauses
* Don’t sign your ownership/artist rights away

DEVELOP

PRE-CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Guiding principle: Explore your curiosity, what are the elements needed to bring your work to life? Fill in your skill gaps

Gif of avatars exploring the main room — house exploration

interactive object

A line of avatars walking over an image background with lyrics "We Are Family" — karaoke tv walkalong

What are the platform/mediums tools available?
Experiment + explore the tools
Gathertown:
An online virtual space
Proximity based video conferencing
Interactive objects (Audience exploration)
Embedding videos (Sync share on the minute- integrated into script + tech cue)
Tiles (Portals, Impassable tiles, spotlight tiles)
What is the story or structure of the work?
A dinner celebration
0、 Holding Room, Pre-show, Acknowledgement
一、Welcome (House rules, Exploration, Audio Drama maze)
二、Lou Hei (yu sheng, tossing salad and wishes)
三、Mains (Cooking video + sharing dishes)
四、Karaoke (Music video, Karaoke enter TV walk along)
五、Dessert (Audience World building)
Work in Progress Script
Map out technical components of your work
What are the elements needed to bring your work to life?
Text
Character’s, Platform Announcements
Film
Cooking scene + Karaoke Music Video
Audio Drama
6 minutes - 3 actors
Hokkien Song
Song Writing, Demo, Producing
Game & Aesthetic Design
Map Assets, Audience interactive elements
Tech Script
Mapmaker + build, Embedding links, Objects “on/offstage”
fill in your skill gaps
ARTWAVE
Writer, Performer & World Builder : Cheryl Ho
Producer, Audio Producer, Songwriter: Sze Min
Audio engineer, Music arranger, Tech lead: Zai’en
EXTERNAL
Film Production Crew: Grandmotion media (2x crew)
Food Consultant: Pamelia Chia
Game Design Consultant: Harry Lee Shang Lun
Audio Drama Cast: Jo Tan, Ya Li
Gathertown helpline
Producers at Esplanade (FOH help)
Friend who sent Cheryl Gathertown tile assets
Translators: Cheryl’s parents

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT 1

(30th Nov - 13th Jan, 1.5 months)

Guiding principle: Have a full rehearsal draft and conduct an internal trial

Gif of behind the scenes looking at three stations from where the team operated, a room, the living area and a studio, in the same house

Script writing, an expansion of work outline)
Food Consult 1 - Share WIP script + Brainstorm Recipes
Food Consult 2 - Script edits + Recipe development
Rehearsal Draft #1
FIlm Site Recce
Film Storyboard for Cooking scene + Karaoke Music Video
Record placeholder
Refine Script
Record placeholder
Song Writing 1 Verse 1 Chorus
Record placeholder
Work out how to use Mapmaker + build
Insert Cues for video embedding
Insert Cues Magic plates appearing
Rehearsal Tech Script #1
Game Design Consult 1 - Share concept + Platform recce
Game Design Consult 2 - Experiment with Interactive elements within platform
Trial assets of of World
Room/map Assets (Work in progress background image for holding room, Main room, Audio Drama Maze, Karaoke Tv walk, Dessert)
Audience interaction objects (Sustainable Lou Hei Tips)
*Aesthetic Design is not the focus
Internal Artwave trial + tech
Trail #1 with Esplanade + consultants using place holders
Create Tech support plan (Covid contingencies)
Create pre-performance doc v1

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT 2

(15 Jan - 5th Feb, 3 weeks)

Guiding Principle: Review Feedback from internal trail. Production. Sort out essentials from non-essentials.

Gif of Cheryl as real life tuan tuan cutting mushrooms and one bit flies away, there is caption "oof, it's delicious i promise"

Gif of the karaoke Music video of with words "But I really do not know how to contribute" against a background of a “how to be useful and contribute to society” article page

Gif of a group of avatars on cushion watching a music video that is popped up on the left corner of the screen

Refine based on trial audience interaction
Rehearsal Draft #2
Music Video Song Recording
Film Recording (Cooking & Music Video)
Film edits due
Film Final Cut Links
Studio Recording
Audio edit
Audio Drama Final Cut Link
Song writing Completed
Full song Demo
Insert Cues for video link embedding
Insert Cues for all objects appearing
Insert Cues for portals
Finalize assets
Room/map Assets (Background image for holding room, Main room, Audio Drama Maze, Karaoke Tv walk, Dessert)
Audience interaction objects (Chap Chye Recipe, Sustainable Lou Hei Tips, Shopping Locally, How to cut an Eggplant Dragon, Diary Entries)
Internal Artwave trial + tech
Trail #2 with Esplanade staff + all assets (not final)
Create Tech support plan (Covid contingencies)
Pre-performance doc V2

EXECUTE

REFINE, REHEARSAL, TECH

(4 - 13th Feb, 10 days)

Guiding Principle: Finalize.

An image of cheryl in real life as tuan tuan at a dinner table, with a laptop and mic set up and used plates and scripts on the table

Refine based on trial audience interaction
Final Script #2
YOUTUBE unlisted Film Final Cut Links
YOUTUBE unlisted Audio Drama Final Cut Link
Studio Recording
Song edit
YOUTUBE unlisted Hokkien song link
All for video link embedding in script
Insert Cues for all objects appearing
Insert Cues for portals
Final aesthetic touch ups
Finalized world assets
2 Tech runs
1 Dress with invited guests (Esplanade + Friends)

SHOW TIME

(13th - 19th Feb, 5 shows)

Gif of a bunch of avatars dancing under the text "Cheaper Housing"

Guiding Principle:

Have fun and do your magic!

Key Takeaways

TECHNICAL COMPONENTS OF THE WORK

Know the technical components of your work. Finding your gaps + learn or find people with the skill set you need.

TECH CONTINGENCIES

Ensure you have a tech contingency and potentially pre-performance notes, especially if it’s a new platform.

ESSENTIAL X NON-ESSENTIAL

Sort out the essentials from non essentials. Knowing your intention/purpose but ultimately, knowing when is ‘good enough’.