Gaming The System @ UW: Project 2: Creepy Jack-in-the-Box Experience

For project 2, the types of experiences that I wanted to elicit out of the person participating was that of being surprised/shocked while being crept out as well. The ideas that I had in mind for the project were a pop-up book where a scary image would suddenly appear out of a seemingly normal book, while the other was a kind of Jack-in-the box experience where something jumps out at you when you open the box. In the end I went with the Jack-in-the-box. The Jack-in-the-box was something I gravitated towards since it naturally brings out a sense of surprise. However, they often have cranks which often let the user know that something will pop out of the box (assuming you ever played with one before) so I wanted to eliminate this indicator by placing the "jack" in a more ordinary box.

Before making my Jack in the box, I had to come up with what would pop out of the box. I wanted people to be crept out by the "jack" in the box, so I naturally thought of a doll, as dolls are super creepy. On top of that, I think that baby dolls are ever more creepy (especially the ones with moving eyes) so that is exactly what I chose to put in my box. Even on top of that, a dismembered head of a baby doll is even creepier, so I took the head and stuck it on a makeshift spring made of a bolt, a spring and a nut some washers which I then drilled into a piece of wood so it wouldn't pop up and take out someone's eye. I then put some red paint on it for fake blood and on some torn of pieces of cloth for bloody rags, completing the inside of the Jack-in-the-box.

For the box, I first tried placing the "jack" in a electronic water flosser box since one normally wouldn't expect something to pop out of it, but also because it was the only box I had that fit the "jack" properly. I brought it to class and when I showed it to some classmates they were surprised by the "jack" suddenly popping out of the box (which I had hoped). However, after taking it over, a conclusion was made that the box was too out of place to fit the context of the environment it was placed in and the box being used wasn't really effective in enticing people to interact with it (plus the box wasn't sturdy enough for continuous use). Thus I went and scoured many stores to find a more fitting box. That is when I came across a security box with a latch and combination lock on it. I chose this box for a number of reasons. Firstly, it solved the issue of having to secure the "jack" and not have it randomly popping out of the box for a more controlled experience. Next, had a combination lock on it, which gives off the impression that something valuable is inside of it, misleading the person into thinking that by opening it, they might get something good out of it. Lastly, it fit the dimensions of my "jack" and wasn't too big or small (plus the handle was a good bonus as well).

During the presenting of the object, I had written the code to the box on a card which sat closed in front of the box which read "666". I wanted to use this code as it has very negative connotations associated with it (the "number of the beast" or devil) and was suppose to allude to the creepiness of the box. I had one person who hadn't seen my box before open it, which then caused the spring-loaded baby head to pop out of the box. When it opened, there were generally positive reactions to it (shock and crept out to be exact) so I think that overall it was successful. However, there are many things I would have liked to add to the experience had I had more time to do so. These include including a more puzzling riddle for the combination using biblical references of allusions to the number "666" instead of just giving out the code (I tried doing this, but could not come up with a good one in time). Another aspect I would have liked to change is the adding of sound, particularly a scream, to give the added sense of surprise/shock and creepiness. Lastly, putting the box in a more confined space with low lighting would have helped greatly with the experience as well (the creepy stairwell in the courtyard outside of the art building might of been good alternative to a room).

Here are some pictures of my Jack-in-the-box: