Project Directions

This project hopes to involve Meredith College students as active participants in creating a unique interactive map of the greater Raleigh area. If you’ve volunteered to participate in the project, thank you! Below is a brief description of the process for each participant.

1.Using the regional map included in this packet, identify the location of the numbered map, and of the red crosshair centered within that map. These maps were generated in Google Maps, and so it should be easy to print directions to the intersection closest to your red crosshairs from Google if necessary.

2.You’ll need some sort of video capture device. I’ve provided an old video camera as a loaner, but you’re free to use any device you have handy, a digital still camera that shoots video, a smartphone, whatever. We’re not going to worry about device quality or resolution. If it shoots video, and you can figure out how to get that video onto a computer, we’ll use it.

3.You can do the following 3 steps in any order:
a.Travel as close as is legally and safely possible to the red crosshair on your numbered map. Please don’t trespass, or stand in the middle of a highway or rail line. Once you’re as close as you think you can get, capture a single video panorama of the environment there. You don’t need a tripod. If your camera has a zoom adjustment, set it to the widest angle (least amount of zoom.) Just stand still, aim the camera straight ahead, and very slowly turn to your right. Turn through a full 360° in that direction, and then turn very slowly all the way back around. The whole shot should take around 1 1/2 minutes. It’s fine if it’s a bit shorter or longer, just concentrate on it being as smooth and steady as possible.

b.While you’re at or near the location marked by the red crosshairs, collect some physical samples from the site. These samples can be anything from soil or leaves and twigs to bits of trash to chunks of macadam. Think about what sorts of materials best represent this landscape. Try to collect enough to just about fill the plastic box included in this packet. Please return the box within the numbered envelope, so I’ll know what area it came from.

c.Shoot a second short video (between 1 and 3 minutes) that you feel captures something important about the environment within your numbered map. This video can be a short interview with someone there, a close-up of something in the landscape, a quick tour of a building, whatever. I’d just like it to be your honest response to the place itself. This video doesn’t have to be shot precisely at the location of the red crosshairs, as long as it’s somewhere within the border of your numbered map.

4.Bring your packet back to the Weems Gallery by the first week in November. There should be a table set up nearby with boxes for your envelopes, and a computer to offload your video files. I’ve also set up a yousendit.com dropbox for this project. There’s no file size limit, though be aware that very big files will take some time to send.

Questions? Just email me.

Welcome!

This blog is a place for Meredith College students who are participating in my Collaborative Mapping Project titled "Standing There." Send me an email and I'll log you on as a contributor to the blog. You can share your experience of the place or places you've visited around Raleigh, and post pictures or videos as well.