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To mark the commencement of our in-person reunion on campus following the challenging phase of the pandemic, we did this project that critically inquires, explores, and demonstrates the multifaceted aspects of the webcam, an object that not only reminds us of countless remote meetings we shared, but also holds much longer and deeper stories in relation to the development of the Internet.
We thoroughly conducted extensive research on webcam, delving into it with great depth and breadth: from its relatively clear historical timeline to a wide range of associated topics or cultures brought up by the ways people use it, like privacy, lifecasting and internet spectatorship, virtual meeting and co-presence, authenticity and exhibitionism, etc. Then we selectively narrowed down our focus to an iconic webcam JenniCam and used it as an anchor of our critical thinking and making.

An approach that allowed us to transcend mere transmission of knowledge by creating an immersive experience that was closely connected to the subject itself in the meantime, thus adding another dimension to our presentation.


In order to deliver the identity of our subject, we decided to build a website and curate a 4-day broadcast named and hosted by two of us. In the “live” videos, we hid our real selves behind the personas of random animals with treated sounds, while the background of the website showed authentic photos captured periodically when we were working on our script. More importantly, all the videos and photos were taken by webcams on our devices.
Episode 1
The majority of the first episode was cut and re-edited from an old BBC Look East report introducing the pioneering webcams in the 1990s.
Episode 2
Following the first episode, we looked into the first widespread commercial webcam, and how 19-year-old Jennifer Ringley's decision to broadcast her life 24/7 through a webcam became the online world's first major phenomenon.

Episode 3
We further discussed JenniCam’s historical context and drew parallels to the following era of social media, where sharing personal moments online has become commonplace. The change in aspect ratio from 4:3 to 16:9 aligns with the development of display technologies.
Episode 4
The last episode concluded our study by throwing thoughts on the fine line between personal privacy and exhibitionism, as our way of communication is constantly changing with technological advances.

Research, Casting, Web Coding
Erin Chen & Mandy Jin
Script
Erin Chen
Video & Editing
Mandy Jin
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