About the Empedia Tour project.

This blog serves as the written portion of a University project for the module 'Digital Futures'. For this task, it is necessary for me to produce an audio tour enlisting 'Locative Media', a relatively new form of media that involves interaction with the audience based upon their changing location thought the project. This part of the project relies on the use of 'Empedia', a web based locative-media software that allows for audio tours to be created, with different portions of audio being played-back at corresponding points on the tour. This is made possible by the usage of GPS technology present in today's smart phones. These audio files will consist of both spoken-word narrative and original music composition, to ensure the tour is both enjoyable and informative.


The audio tour component of the project, will be one focused on places of historical importance within the town of Northampton. Northampton is a historic town, deep-rooted within the realms of English history, and the tour will seek to educate the audience on the historical significance of Northampton. The educational aspect of the tour will consist of a narrative, recorded and performed by myself. The narrative will rely on two separate courses of research: the first allowing me to amass information about the chosen tour sites. The second will be into the documented studio processes of recording spoken-word - a discipline that I have had but limited experience in throughout my work as a producer. I feel this will be vital to ensure a high-quality end product; if the narrative is not clear, natural-sounding and enjoyable to listen to, the tour will not be pleasant to complete.


This blog, as befitting the project brief, will act as a document of processes, a resource for the publication and citation of research and a hub for the uploading of images and audio relating to the project.  I plan for the map of the project, documentation as to how I have completed the tour, images compiled from site visits, and cited research and bibliography to be uploaded here at a later date.