The Surveillance Round
A killing-round/scavenger-hunt with cameras, Wellington 20th March to 11th April. Late entries accepted until the 28th. Please note that this round has been designed so that you can hopefully fit it in around work and/or study. Note also that a cheap digital camera can be had on Trademe for under $50.
In this round there will be a series of photographic assignments to be carried out. Some will be open to all entrants, some just to particular teams, and some to individuals. Assignments will be worth a variable range of points, and may be time-limited or open for the duration of the round. You will be advised by email of upcoming assignments throughout the round.
The round will commence at 5am on Saturday the 20th of March, and run until 5pm 11th of April. You must submit any photos taken by the end of day after taking, this will include a grace period after the end of the round. Late entrants will be accepted until the 28th of March and entry is open to KAOS Agents and people we know. There will be a number of truce periods during the round, when you may not photograph other players, to allow for social events and so forth.
For the duration of this round you may refer to me as "The Fat Controller". I will assign entrants into teams of 2-4 people, endeavoring to balance the free time and mobility of the players, and assign bonus assignments to teams or players that meet preselected criteria. During the round you can submit photos to me by email at serpent@paradise.net.nz; obviously it's expected that you will use a digital camera, but you can make other arrangements if you only have film or only one or two cameras in your team. You will know which other players are on your team, but will not know the team affiliations of other players until you submit a photo of them (you may trade information with members of other teams, although they may of course lie).
Photos must be submitted without prior photo-manipulation (i.e. no photoshopping). This is so that the tag-data on the photo remains unaltered. Set the correct date and time on your camera, and it will do the rest. The running score for each team will be posted periodically throughout the round.
Here is the standing assignment for shooting other players that will be open for the duration of the round (minus truce periods):
You will receive 5 points for every photograph of another player from another team you submit. If you submit at least one photo of at least one player from every other team in the round you will receive 10 bonus points. If your team submits at least one photo of every non-team member in the round, your team will receive 30 bonus points. When you submit a photo of another player, you will be informed which team they're on.
Terms and Conditions- Multiple photos of the target taken in either the same place or the same time (i.e. within 15 minutes of each other) will not be accepted. No more than three photos a week of the same target will be accepted (weeks to be counted from Monday). You can of course take multiple photos to be sure of a good shot, but should only submit one for each place and time.
- Photos must contain a recognisable image of the target's face. Players may not unreasonably conceal their face during the round (for example wearing a motorcycle helmet while riding is a reasonable excuse).
- If the Fat Controller has reason to believe that a player is in hiding to prevent other teams achieving a clean sweep, then he may discount that player for that purpose.
- You many not submit a photo taken by another player, even if they're on the same team.
- Photos may not be taken during truce periods.
- Photos taken at the target's place of residence, their workplace (this means lecture theaters, labs and tutorials for students), or where they are in a state of undress (i.e. underwear or less) will not be accepted.
- This assignment will run for the duration of the round.
Here is an example which illustrates the scavenger hunt aspect of the round. This assignment will run from Monday the 22nd of March to Sunday the 28th of March, including truce periods (as the targets aren't other players). Assignments of this type may also be assigned to teams or individual players when they fulfill pre-determined criteria.
Your team will receive 1 point for each photo of a lion sculpture or bass-relief, and 4 points for each photo of an actual lion. "Actual lions" may include people in lion costumes or a significant fraction of a dead lion. Partial credit may be awarded for parts of an "actual lion".
Terms and Conditions- Photos taken at a single building or site will be counted once, even if they contain multiple lions.
- Photos may be taken during truce periods.
- Each lion will only be counted once.
- This assignment will run from Monday the 22nd of March to Sunday the 28th of March. Photos taken outside of that period will not be accepted.
Here is a final example of a "Fox Hunt", not as an actual assignment but to give you an idea of how one might be conducted.
"Mr Fox" [image] will be in the Botanical Gardens between noon and 3pm tomorrow. For every picture of Mr Fox your team submits, you will receive 3 points. Beware, there may be other players about!
Terms and Conditions- Multiple photos of Mr Fox taken in either the same place or the same time (i.e. within 20 minutes of each other) will not be accepted. This doesn't include photos taken by other members of your team.
- This assignment will run from noon till 3pm on [date]. Photos taken outside of that period will not be accepted.
How to Enter
- Set the date and time on your camera
- Take a photo of yourself and email it to The Fat Controller
- In the email, you must also state the following:
- Your full name.
- Any nickname or codename you'd prefer to use.
- Your occupation.
- The street which is the location of your usual place of work. Students should submit a major street adjacent to a campus on which they spend much of their time. Unemployed people should discuss the question with the Fat Controller
- Other entrants you would like to be on the same team with, if applicable.
- Other entrants you don't want to be on the same team with, if applicable.
- Whether you have a camera.
- Whether you have a car.
Questions 4-7 will be used to assign people to teams. I will try and balance the teams, but will give priority to individual preference where possible.
You will be informed of your teams and be put in touch with your team-mates by email before the start of the round. Everyone will be informed of the nicknames or codenames (or name if not provided), the occupation and designated street of all the players in the round before it starts. Your photos will be posted for the duration of the round only at http://paradise.gen.nz/~simeon/lux/; note that this isn't a major photo-site and the photos are not tagged. Information on late entrants will be distributed to team-mates and other players when it becomes available.
Truces
Additional truces may be declared during the round, however there are already two known occasions which will be subject to a truce:
- A Truce will be in effect from 6pm on Saturday the 20th of March to 5am on Sunday the 21st of March on the occasion of the Fat Controllers Birthday Party.
- A Truce will be in effect from noon till 4pm on Saturday the 27th of March on the occasion of the Battle of Mansfield Park.
Players may apply to the Fat Controller if they believe there is another occasion for which a truce should be declared during the round.