LBS Proposal at Moblie Media Adventure

LBS Proposal

*Project Proposal*

*Introduction*
Wouldn’t it be cool if all it took to get on the JumboTron at the next football game was to pull out your cell phone and snap a photo?

There’s nothing like the excitement in the stands during a University of Georgia football game. The intensity of the game on the field is amplified by the passion and excitement of the thousands of fans packing the seats. Sometimes you get a slight glimpse of this experience displayed up on the big screen, but usually you see the same things - the kids in the front row that came 2 hours before kickoff to get the seats, or a shot of the cheerleaders raa-raa-ing into the camera. We want to see more of the fan experience, the high fives after a touchdown or the celebration after a great play, or maybe just that really strange guy sitting next to you!
At the New Media Institute, we are working with industry partners such as Cingular Wireless and Nokia to develop a system to increase the fan experience and involvement at a University of Georgia sporting event, we call it “Little Big Screen”.

*Overview*
Most all modern cellphones today include a huge amount of untapped technological potential. What many carry around in their pocket and think of as only a communication device is really a mini-computer, connected wirelessly to the rest of the world. Modern phones can take pictures, send enriched multimedia messages, surf the web, and even play streaming video - we need to give people some reasons to use this technology.
Little Big Screen is a system designed primarily for fans to use their cellphone camera to snap pictures of their experiences on gameday, send those images to our server via multimedia message, and then have the chance to see their photo up on the big screen during the game. We also are developing a system by which they can see the same shots again on their phone, and even access their photos on the internet when they get home.

*How it Works*

The technology required for this system is all existing and does not require any special action from the user to participate. The steps in the process are as follows:
# A user with a cellphone equipped with a digital camera and the ability to send multimedia messages (MMS, charge may apply) captures an image.

# The user then sends the image via MMS to our e-mail address pic@uga.edu.

# This message is sent through the users cellular provider and onto the internet as an email.
# The message arrives in our inbox with the image attached. Upon receipt, a message is sent back to the user.

# A script accesses this email inbox at regular intervals, retrieving the images. The script then displays the images on a secure web page for review and selection.
# The best images are selected for the slideshow that will appear on the big screen and stream back to users cellphones (optional for user). Any offensive or unacceptable images are deleted. The system automatically formats the accepted images for public viewing on the web after the game.
# Using editing software, the chosen photos are arranged into a slideshow and exported in the appropriate formats for viewing on the screen and cell phone.
# The slideshow is delivered to the big screen and the streaming server.
# The user now watches for their image to appear on the big screen during the game. They may also choose to watch the slideshow in their phone, or access their images on the internet after the game.

*Slam Demo*
To demonstrate this system at the slam, a “Slam Edition” can be run. Guests at the slam can be told about the system and can send in pictures from their phones or a few NMI phones distributed to certain individuals. From these photos, an entire walkthrough of the process can be done. If we don’t want to actually have a show of the background processes, we can have a screen set up that displays a slideshow of images every 30 minutes or hour. This would give the slam guests an actual hands on demonstration of what can be done.

We could also have a presentation slideshow of images taken with this system following the filmmakers with the n90’s. This could accompany any video we have of the film making process.

This form of demo would also give the guests motivation to come back to the NMI website after the slam to view the images.

*Challenges*
A few challenges face the successful completion of this project.
* Access to the JumboTron during a UGA football game. _the system could still be run at other events_
* Willingness to send MMS Messages. Some people may not be willing to pay to send an MMS message.
* Cell network during UGA football games. It’s often hard to even make a call on a football Saturday.

“Print Version”:http://wiki.roundhere.net/mms/print/LittleBigScreenProposal | “Wiki Version”:http://wiki.roundhere.net/mms/show/LittleBigScreenProposal of this proposal.

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