John Visclosky
12/12/07
IML 346
IML 346 Midterm Thesis Proposal Outline
I. TITLE: Creative Merger: Viewing Serialized, Web-Based Storylines as an Innovative Avenue Toward Critical Research
II. ABSTRACT: I am exploring web-launched, serialized storylines - otherwise known as webisodes - to discover what technical and narrative characteristics they share, so that I can demonstrate the capacity to use formulaic patterns, manipulations, and conventions to create popular Internet-based entertainment. In exploring webisodes, I’m attempting to gain an understanding of viral web videos as a creative art form, a widely ranging cinematic/technical discipline, and an instructional tool. Primarily, I want to understand how web videos without a preexisting fanbase are produced and popularized, and in so doing, to test whether it is in fact possible to synthesize and combine pre-existing characteristics of successful webisode series. The project is an attempt to discover if analytical patterns of analysis can be manipulated to ensure creative success.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1. Genre – Experiential, Viewer-Reflexive, Faux-Documentary
2. Methodology – I’ve conducted academic research into the history, and different generic conventions of webisodes as an art form. I also interviewed cultural and technological theorists about the perceived impact of webisodes on society and pre-existing forms of entertainment, i.e. television and film. By drawing parallels between successful webisodes series, and contrasting these factors with the shared characteristics of unpopular viral web videos, I am attempting to establish an analytical framework for critical and creative analysis. By analyzing serialized, web-launched storylines, I will be able to extrapolate patterns for successful (or at least popular) narrative conventions, cinematic techniques, and delivery format.
The webisodes as a whole will comprise a series known as “The Reunion,” and will revolve around the different members of a family who are all meeting for one weekend at an annual reunion. Each episode will include documentary-style interviews, shaky-hand-held camerawork, and an improvisational script. Most successful webisodes are comedic, with a quirky, off-color sense of humor. They have archetypical characters such as the normal guy, the stupid person, the annoying one, and, surprisingly, the slutty girl. They are all under five minutes in length, and jam-packed with jokes. And they all have a main dramatic thread, a single, semi-serious story arc that permeates throughout the entire season.
I have tried to create a story that would include and elaborate on all these elements. The main character in “The Reunion,” is Ben, the normal guy who hates his job because he seems to be the only one who notices the stupidity of writing greeting cards. There is lots of rather raunchy, off-color humor, and a stupid character as well as the token annoying guy from work, Dave. The main dramatic thread of the entire series will be Ben’s attempted love affair with a girl named Jen, whom he sees for the first time in 10 years at the family reunion. As the audience watches Ben try to win back the girl of his dreams, they will be entertained by various other family members and their individual story arcs. One cousin will be struggling with how to come out to his family, another will be contemplating marriage to a recent immigrant from Mexico who doesn’t speak English, and yet another will try to reconcile working at a dead-end career merely because it pays well.
3. Delivery Format: One shared characteristic of successful webisode series is expediency of release, and display on popularized, and well-publicized websites. Towards this end, I will be releasing the ten episodes on a weekly basis on YouTube, with a link to an accompanying blogsite, where I will be keeping a record of the development and creation of the series. The blogsite will also serve as a forum in which viewers can discuss their thoughts and concerns about the webisodes, the object being to discover if viewer-responsive, interactive engagement will help cultivate the success and popularity of the series.
4. Project Goals: This project will cover the creation of a webisode series from every angle of the filmmaking process. A variety of supplemental material will augment each episode. Written materials and photographs will be incorporated in the blogsite as a way of structuring and delineating the episodes. The viewer should not only be entertained, but also come away with an understanding of the amount and type of work that goes into the production of such a series. Viewers should also be able to engage the webisode creators and each other in a thoughtful discussion about the issues raised by “The Reunion.” What makes this project so academically valuable is its ability to instruct on not only the creative process, but also the many technical disciplines involved in filmmaking (cinematography, editing, and musical composition).
By detailing the creation of a webisode series from inception to completion, this project will not only establish a forum for future research on the topic, but also promote discussion of the double-edged sword that is the compromise between creativity and feasibility. By examining and appropriating techniques used in successful webisode series, it will also help to annotate and criticize pre-existing works of art already circulating on the Internet. Because of its placement on the web, it will no only be useful for teaching students at USC, but available to interested viewers anywhere around the globe.
5. Project Significance: As webisode series and viral videos become more and more prominent in popular culture, it becomes increasingly necessary to analyze their creative and technical characteristics in order to judge what lasting impact (if any) they will have as an entertainment medium and as a cultural teaching tool. As society becomes more entrenched within the realm of Internet based interaction, it is essential to analyze how we use this constantly evolving technology as an interactive medium. Human interfacing is increasingly filtered through the intermediary of the internet. If we recognize how these filters can be manipulated and usurped, than we can better understand how to use them ourselves or even how to avoid them. Advertising functions under the same basic principles; if we know how advertisers are seeking to manipulate us as viewers, then we will be better equipped to function as responsible, knowledgeable consumers. By the same token, if we know how viral videos are attempting to manipulate us and gain our viewership, then we will be more discerning of an art-form that is already being used for commercial purposes and political propaganda (i.e. the 2008 Presidential YouTube video contests).
IV. TIMELINE:
3/1/08 – Have first webisode, “Ben,” edited and ready, including all supplementary materials (original script, director’s commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, production stills, and making-of video)
3/30/08 – Have web site venue selected and prepared
4/30/08 – Have second webisode created, along with all supplementary materials
5/15/08 – Have third webisode edited, polished, and ready to go, including all supplementary materials
6/1/08 – Have fourth webisode complete
6/15/08 – Complete fifth webisode
6/30/08 – Complete sixth webisode
7/20/08 – Complete seventh webisode
8/15/08 – Complete eighth webisode
9/1/08 – Post first webisode
9/8/08 – Post second webisode
9/15/08 – Post third webisode
9/22/07 – Post fourth webisode
9/30/08 – Post fifth webisode
10/7/08 – Post sixth webisode
10/14/08 – Post seventh webisode
10/21/08 – Post eighth webisode
11/15/08 – Create ninth and tenth webisodes, incorporating viewer comments and suggestions
12/1/08 – Post ninth webisode
12/8/08 – Post tenth and final webisode of the season
V. BUDGET: The first episode will cost roughly $50 dollars to produce, so the total production budget should be somewhere around $500 dollars. Depending on the cost of website production and upkeep, the total budget could vary between $1,000 and $2,000 dollars. Unfortunately, I’m not able to personally finance this budget. My faculty advisor (David Maquiling) might be helpful in crafting an appropriate financial plan for my thesis project.
VI. CONFIRMED ADVISORS: David Maquiling, Virginia Kuhn
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: I plan to initially release the series on YouTube while simultaneously promoting it on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. After this, I plan to post the whole series on a personal website along with the material already published on the blogsite. After the conclusion of the first season of “The Reunion,” depending on budget concerns and viewer interest, I will make the entire series available on DVD. I am also planning to compile the separate episodes into a feature-length film and send that off to different film festivals.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: I will require website writing software, word programs, Final Cut Pro, a DV camera, DV tapes, actors, producers, cameramen, props, and DVDs.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I have over 20 short films under my belt, including two that won awards at the Montgomery County Media Festival back in high school. I also have an extensive writing background, having written hundreds of poems, dozens of short stories, 12 screenplays, and one (albeit short) novel.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY:
http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=8857&reviewer=198
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_vs_blue/
http://rvb.roosterteeth.com/home.php
http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/05/campus_ladies_oxygen_sitcom_dropped.php
http://www.machinima.com/film/view&id=275
http://mashable.com/2007/05/14/vmix-ifc/
http://www.vmix.com/ifctv
http://www.tilzy.tv/GettingAwayWithMurder
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=42833
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33337
http://www.oxygen.com/campusladies/
http://www.tv.com/campus-ladies/show/35733/summary.html
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Carolyn French Final Thesis Proposal
Carolyn French, IML Thesis Proposal
December 11, 2007
Working Title
Examining Welfare Reform
Project Abstract
I am investigating welfare reform because I want to evaluate the impact of different approaches on poverty in order to demonstrate to voters the most effective form of assistance for impoverished children and families. My investigation focuses on the switch from ADFC (Aid For Dependent Families and Children) to TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). I will evaluate the differences and similarities between these two policies and the cultural, economic, and political motivations behind the creation of the TANF legislation. TANF was created to appease critics of welfare, but it is debatable if it has fixed the problems that critics claimed were a part of AFDC.
I plan to start my project by focusing on just one social service organization located in Los Angeles (to be determined, but most likely the Department of Children and Family Services), and focus on the ways that this agency and the people it serves were affected by this change in legislation.
Tag words
Welfare reform, social policy, poverty, children and families in urban America
Description
Genre:
Documentary: evidence, testimony, opposing viewpoints. The goal is to paint a complete picture of welfare reform, not focusing on one perspective.
Narrative: including characters personally affected by welfare reform, such as: welfare recipients, social workers, policy makers, those eligible for welfare but do not receive it.
Multi-perspectival: my goal is to present multiple viewpoints and to examine multiple interpretations.
Clear articulation of project goals:
Public knowledge of a lot of national policies is limited solely to their name or the politician attached to the policy. It is important to delve deeper into these policies and examine if they are doing what they are intended to do. I would like to raise awareness of some of the limitations of these policies. For a lot of people, the idea of welfare comes with negative connotations and the general population in America are strongly against America becoming what they consider a “welfare state”. The goal of this website is to give people an opportunity to familiarize themselves with this policy and examine the validity of their assumptions. I would like to give a “human” perspective of welfare by giving people a view of the new TANF policy in practice. TANF was created to address some of the criticisms of welfare. I would like to evaluate this policy and its’ effectiveness. Has it addressed these problems and successfully proposed an alternative solution? Or has it simply created more problems? My thesis, from what I know of this subject so far, will be that TANF has actually created more problems for the population it is intended to help.
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
This would offer a new perspective and could be a model for comparing other policies that are directed towards fixing social inequality. A lot of Social Workers and Sociologists hold the view that policies like TANF are a detriment to a society as a whole and contribute to social inequality. My website will aim to convey these views to the larger population. Books and text research on this topic are already available, but they are not compiled in a way that can effectively reach a mass audience. Additionally, previous research on this topic can prove confusing, especially as statistics can be distorted based on personal interest.
360degrees.org is a similar project to mine whose model I would like to follow. This site offers various perspectives on violent crime which question the basic assumptions many in society hold about this topic.
Justification for using Multimedia:
I will create a website that offers an interactive way to explore welfare reform. My website will be accessible and simple, people can learn as much or as little about these policies, can spend as much time as they want on this website whenever they desire, and can choose which component of this policy they would like to learn about. This user control will encourage interest and education among voters.This would encourage people to educate themselves about this policy which affects their lives. The inclusion of audio interviews and pictures will also give people options to learn about welfare reform in whichever way they prefer. This website also presents an opportunity to examine how multimedia can be used to examine social change and effect social policy.
Timeline
Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
Text Research: Completed by August 2008
Multimedia supplements to text research: August ‘08-October ‘08
Putting together website: October-December 2008
Finished Project: December 2008
Budget
Less than $100: transportation costs, miscellaneous
Advisors
Dr. Carrie Lew (School of Social Work) Awaiting Confirmation
Dr. Karen Sternheimer (Sociology) Awaiting Confirmation
Undecided (IML)
Presentation Plans/Venues
Website
Production Resources
Software Needs
Flash
Website
Digital camcorder
Audio Recorder
Audio editing software
Video editing software
Presentation Needs
Computer, Internet
Prior Related Work
Previous Coursework:
Sociology 305, Sociology of Children
Social Work 304, Children and Families in Urban America
Volunteering with UNICEF, interaction with families currently using TANF
Research Bibliography
Whose Welfare?: AFDC and Elite Politics (Studies in Government and Public Policy)
by Steven M. Teles
American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare
by Jason DeParle
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Final Thesis Proposal
Adam Church
IML 346
IML THESIS PROPOSAL
I. TITLE: “In Lulz We Trust”
II. ABSTRACT: I am investigating a largely unacknowledged or unknown internet subculture called “anonymous,” where internet subversives and cyber-terrorists congregate and pursue “lulz.” Many of those who call themselves “anonymous” are children, and more often than not they seem to have come by their infamy innocently enough, accidentally. However, substantial illegal and otherwise questionable internet activity arises from websites like 4chan.org, an online forum for posting images where so-called delinquent hackers congregate. Thanks to their ingenuity, the people behind this website remain mostly anonymous, and any posted content is erased after a very short while. The majority of the activity could be described as childish indulgence or pranking, but there exists a very disturbing underbelly. With a daily user base over 7 million, the frequency of identity theft, piracy, and even child pornography, is concerning to say the least. Sometimes the overall behavior is pointless and absurd, but actions often allude to a vigilante mentality, with strong tendencies towards the sadistic, perverse, or macabre. In any case, the actions and perceptions from without of anonymous are changing the landscape of the future, impacting everything from internet law to the software coding/authoring to the very way people interact online, the ways they understand the virtual as it bleeds more and more into the real.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1.Genre – Docu-Narrative Experiential
Methodology – I’ve conducted first hand research in a kind of ethnological, sociological mode. I’ve been interviewing people in the groups, and people who are authorities on the subject. Also, I’m using pre-existing theoretical frameworks to motivate and clarify the issues.
Delivery Format – A website, mimicking the aesthetic and interface of donniedarkofilm.com, where the user follows a loose narrative that both explains the subject matter and illustrates its relevance to society at large.
2. Project Goals – I feel this project needs to be realized in multimedia because so much of the activity on these websites is content driven. It’s difficult to convey the significance of a picture or video clip, of which the production is never ending in “anonymous”, when confined to a text filled essay. The viewer will hopefully take from this project a greater awareness of online activity, knowledge of the subversive undercurrents of these forums, and a sense of their significance in both the day-to-day and in other realms such as politics. I feel this project is valuable in an academic context because no one is really looking at the intersection of convergence culture and online networking. The soul of humanity is laid bare through the myriad activities and content of forums like 4chan, and I believe this evidences a larger change in the collective consciousness and structure of society.
3. Project Significance – These groups are pushing the boundaries of current internet law and shaping its future. I aim to both create an awareness of and open up for discussion the social and political significance of lulz. I hope as well to shed light on this often overlooked section of society. My research has applications across a number of levels, from issues of privacy rights, to cyber crime, to the role of identity on the internet as individuality seems more and more to be assimilated into this anonymous culture.
IV. TIMELINE: I will have completed all of my research by the start of next semester. As well I will have a model of the basic structure of the website. Production will begin in January of 2008 and finish in the fall of that year.
V. BUDGET: So far, I’ve spent roughly $500 on travel and another $500 on materials. I don’t anticipate putting much more into this, but I may travel to interview a few more people. The upper cap is $2000, though I intend to keep costs to a minimum because this is all out of my own pocket.
VI. CONFIRMED ADVISORS: Bill Whittington, Holly Willis
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: Beyond the IML class presentations, I will publish the website and then wave goodbye.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: So far I have been working on a fairly basic level with a DV cam and a shotgun mic to record things. Future interviews may be either video or audio only. I know I will be using Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, After Effects/Motion. I will also need to learn and employ web software and Flash.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: This semester I wrote a fairly weighty term paper on the subject of internet censorship, and the research I did in preparation for that paper will be of particular aid to me here. Last semester I sort of created a machinema for the purposes of a Second Life critical analysis, but that is only connected in that it familiarized me with internet cultures. Further, the only known public acknowledgment of, or address to, my topic is a very biased, mis-information laden FOX 11 news report. There is no previous academic work in the field of “anonymous”.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY: selected works from Danah Boyd, Katherine Hayles, Henry Jenkins, Georges Bataille, Guy Debord, Michel Foucault, Bakunin, and possible more as I come across them.
IML 346
IML THESIS PROPOSAL
I. TITLE: “In Lulz We Trust”
II. ABSTRACT: I am investigating a largely unacknowledged or unknown internet subculture called “anonymous,” where internet subversives and cyber-terrorists congregate and pursue “lulz.” Many of those who call themselves “anonymous” are children, and more often than not they seem to have come by their infamy innocently enough, accidentally. However, substantial illegal and otherwise questionable internet activity arises from websites like 4chan.org, an online forum for posting images where so-called delinquent hackers congregate. Thanks to their ingenuity, the people behind this website remain mostly anonymous, and any posted content is erased after a very short while. The majority of the activity could be described as childish indulgence or pranking, but there exists a very disturbing underbelly. With a daily user base over 7 million, the frequency of identity theft, piracy, and even child pornography, is concerning to say the least. Sometimes the overall behavior is pointless and absurd, but actions often allude to a vigilante mentality, with strong tendencies towards the sadistic, perverse, or macabre. In any case, the actions and perceptions from without of anonymous are changing the landscape of the future, impacting everything from internet law to the software coding/authoring to the very way people interact online, the ways they understand the virtual as it bleeds more and more into the real.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1.Genre – Docu-Narrative Experiential
Methodology – I’ve conducted first hand research in a kind of ethnological, sociological mode. I’ve been interviewing people in the groups, and people who are authorities on the subject. Also, I’m using pre-existing theoretical frameworks to motivate and clarify the issues.
Delivery Format – A website, mimicking the aesthetic and interface of donniedarkofilm.com, where the user follows a loose narrative that both explains the subject matter and illustrates its relevance to society at large.
2. Project Goals – I feel this project needs to be realized in multimedia because so much of the activity on these websites is content driven. It’s difficult to convey the significance of a picture or video clip, of which the production is never ending in “anonymous”, when confined to a text filled essay. The viewer will hopefully take from this project a greater awareness of online activity, knowledge of the subversive undercurrents of these forums, and a sense of their significance in both the day-to-day and in other realms such as politics. I feel this project is valuable in an academic context because no one is really looking at the intersection of convergence culture and online networking. The soul of humanity is laid bare through the myriad activities and content of forums like 4chan, and I believe this evidences a larger change in the collective consciousness and structure of society.
3. Project Significance – These groups are pushing the boundaries of current internet law and shaping its future. I aim to both create an awareness of and open up for discussion the social and political significance of lulz. I hope as well to shed light on this often overlooked section of society. My research has applications across a number of levels, from issues of privacy rights, to cyber crime, to the role of identity on the internet as individuality seems more and more to be assimilated into this anonymous culture.
IV. TIMELINE: I will have completed all of my research by the start of next semester. As well I will have a model of the basic structure of the website. Production will begin in January of 2008 and finish in the fall of that year.
V. BUDGET: So far, I’ve spent roughly $500 on travel and another $500 on materials. I don’t anticipate putting much more into this, but I may travel to interview a few more people. The upper cap is $2000, though I intend to keep costs to a minimum because this is all out of my own pocket.
VI. CONFIRMED ADVISORS: Bill Whittington, Holly Willis
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: Beyond the IML class presentations, I will publish the website and then wave goodbye.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: So far I have been working on a fairly basic level with a DV cam and a shotgun mic to record things. Future interviews may be either video or audio only. I know I will be using Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, After Effects/Motion. I will also need to learn and employ web software and Flash.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: This semester I wrote a fairly weighty term paper on the subject of internet censorship, and the research I did in preparation for that paper will be of particular aid to me here. Last semester I sort of created a machinema for the purposes of a Second Life critical analysis, but that is only connected in that it familiarized me with internet cultures. Further, the only known public acknowledgment of, or address to, my topic is a very biased, mis-information laden FOX 11 news report. There is no previous academic work in the field of “anonymous”.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY: selected works from Danah Boyd, Katherine Hayles, Henry Jenkins, Georges Bataille, Guy Debord, Michel Foucault, Bakunin, and possible more as I come across them.
Monday, December 10, 2007
IML 346 Final Proposal:
John Visclosky
11/14/07
IML 346
IML 346 Final Proposal:
Creative Merger: Viewing Serialized, Web-Based Storylines as an Innovative
Avenue Toward Critical Research
I am exploring web-launched, serialized storylines—otherwise known as webisodes—in order to discover what technical and narrative characteristics they share, so that I can demonstrate the capacity of individuals to use formulaic patterns, manipulations, and conventions to create popular internet-based entertainment.
Through my thesis project, I’m trying to gain an understanding of web-launched, serialized storylines as both a creative art form, and an instructional tool. Mini, serialized webisodes offer all the advantages of a syndicated television show with few of the drawbacks. They are a creative medium through which you can continually examine and reexamine the stories and interactions of a select number of fictional characters. In other words, webisodes surpass films in their capacity for emotional and creative depth simply by offering the possibility to emotionally probe and explore your characters an infinite number of times rather than once for a two-hour span. Unlike a television series however, webisodes are unconstrained by pesky running times (they can be 3-5 minutes rather than 23), and censorship.
Webisodes are also a great medium through which to explore and learn about theories of creative production. Television shows have the benefit of legions of paid employees devoted to promoting their creation and success. With webisodes, you are forced to be your own writer, director, and producer, and to successfully deal with internet-based advertisers should the serial become widely viewed. It is a wonderful discipline because it is a creative venture steeped very deeply in technical principles; you have to be an emotional filmmaker who is also highly technically proficient.
Webisodes are an interesting creature. You have to create characters that are entertaining in only five minutes, yet who will have enough creative life to be sustained over a long overall period of time. They have to leave the viewers wanting more, but never unsatisfied. It is a difficult balance to strike, one which poses significant challenges in writing, editing, and performance. I want to discover firsthand, precisely how an artist might go about creating such characters, and such environments.
In the creation of these webisodes, I want to help my viewers understand how this mode of serialized storytelling is created and popularized. By keeping a firsthand-account-via-blog of the entire creative/fiscal/technical process of creating a webisode series, I will be providing a valuable instruction manual not only for creative artists but for intellectual and technological theorists as well. How are such art forms created? What are their benefits and drawbacks? How are they sustained and popularized? And what does their failure or success mean for the future of film and television as creative/fiscally successful mediums? The webisodes as a whole will comprise a series known as “The Reunion,” and will revolve around the different members of a family who are all meeting for one weekend at an annual family reunion. It will be shot in a faux-documentary style. In other words, the different episodes will be created in such a way that viewers could take them to be an actual record of real people. Each episode will include documentary-style interviews, shaky-hand-held camerawork, and an improvisational script.
All successful webisodes share a few common characteristics. They are mostly all comedic, with a quirky, off-color sense of humor. They have archetypical characters such as the normal guy, the stupid person, the annoying one, and, surprisingly enough, the slutty girl. They are all under five minutes in length, and they are jam-packed with jokes. And they all have a main dramatic thread, one single story arc that drives the entire season. As such, I tried to create a story that would include all these elements while elaborating upon them. The main character in “The Reunion,” is Ben, the normal guy who hates his job because he seems to be the only one who notices how stupid all of his coworkers are. There is lots of rather raunchy, off-color humor, and a stupid character as well as the token annoying guy from work, Dave. The main dramatic thread of the entire series will be Ben’s attempted love affair with a girl named Jen, who he sees for the first time in 10 years at the family reunion. As we watch Ben try to win back the girl of his dreams, we will be entertained by various other family members and their individual story arcs. One cousin will be struggling with how to come out to his family, another will be contemplating marriage to a recent immigrant from Mexico who doesn’t speak English, and yet another will try to reconcile working at a dead-end career merely because it pays well.
The whole point of this project is to synthesize pre-existing characteristics shared by successful webisode series, and combine them to create a popular story. Webisodes are so interesting because, as Wikipedia puts it, they are a “form of new media that characteristically features a dramatic, serial storyline, and where the primary method of viewership is streaming online over the Internet.” Anyone, anywhere, at anytime can watch and get enjoyment from them.
The webisodes will be posted and presented on YouTube, along with deleted scenes and outtakes to accompany each episode. I will also regularly post on a separate blogsite, where I will keep an extensive, weekly updated record of the creative process involved in the creation of “The Reunion.” Viewers will also be able—and indeed, will be encouraged to—comment on the blogsite, to write in their feelings about the show, about all the work that goes into it, and even to make suggestions on the future direction that it might take. If the suggestions are good, then they will be incorporated into the actual series, and in this way, “The Reunion,” will be a constantly evolving, and viewer-responsive form of art, in which those who appreciate it can actually affect it’s future direction.
This project covers the creation of a webisode series from every angle of the filmmaking process, providing an inside view of what it is like to create such content. It must be realized in multimedia simply because of the amount of supplemental material required to augment each episode. There have to be written materials, and photographs, all of which must be incorporated within a blogsite as a way of structuring and delineating them. The viewer should not only be entertained, but also come away with an understanding of the amount and type of work that goes into the creation of such a series. Viewers should further more be able to engage the webisodes creators and each other in thoughtful discussion about the issues raised by “The Reunion.” What makes this project so academically valuable is it’s ability to instruct on not only the creative process, but also the many technical disciplines involved in filmmaking (i.e. cinematography, editing, and musical composition).
By detailing the creation of a webisode series from inception to completion, this project not only creates a forum for future research on the topic, but also promotes discussion concerning the double-edged sword that is the compromise between creativity and feasibility. By examining and appropriating techniques used in successful webisode series, it will additionally help to annotate and criticize pre-existing works of art already circulating on the Internet. Because of its eventual placement on the web, it will be useful in not only teaching students at USC, but interested viewers anywhere around the globe.
The timeline for the completion of this project will most likely oscillate depending on any number of factors, but as it stands now, my webisode series should be completed sometime next fall:
3/1/08 – Have first webisode, “Ben,” edited and ready, including all supplementary materials (original script, director’s commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, production stills, and making-of video)
3/30/08 – Have web site venue selected and prepared
4/30/08 – Have second webisode created, along with all supplementary materials
5/28/08 – Have third webisode edited, polished, and ready to go, including all supplementary materials
6/1/08 – Post first webisode on YouTube, along with outtakes
6/15/08 – Advertise webisode series through connections on social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace
6/30/08 – Post second webisode on YouTube, including outtakes
7/20/08 – Create fourth webisode
8/30/08 – Launch website with first two videos and all corresponding supplementary materials included
9/15/08 – Have third video and all supplementary materials posted
9/30/08 – Shoot and edit fifth and sixth episodes
10/10/08 – Post fourth segment and all supplementary materials
10/17/08 – Post fifth episode and all supplementary materials
10/30/08 – Shoot seventh episode, and post sixth webisode, along with any supplementary items
11/15/08 – Post seventh episode and supplementary materials
11/30/08 – Shoot and post eighth episode
12/15/08 – Shoot and post ninth episode
12/31/08 – Shoot and post tenth and final(?) episode of the season
The first episode cost roughly $50 dollars to produce, so the total production budget should be somewhere around $500 dollars. Depending on the cost of website production and upkeep, the total budget could oscillate anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000 dollars. Even with grants however, I’m not prepared to pay upwards of $2,000. My faculty advisor (David Maquiling) might also be essential in helping me to craft an appropriate budgetary plan for my thesis project.
As stated, I plan to initially release the series on YouTube while simultaneously promoting it on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. After this, I plan to post the whole series on a personal website along with the material already published on the blogsite. After the conclusion of the first season of “The Reunion,” depending on budget concerns and viewer interest, I will make the entire series available on DVD. I’m also planning to compile the separate episodes into a feature-length film and send that off to different film festivals. I will require website writing software, word programs, Final Cut Pro, a DV camera, DV tapes, actors, producers, cameramen, props, and DVDs in order to complete this very complicated, but still very fun, thesis project.
Although it is a significant undertaking, I am confident in my ability to successfully produce a creatively challenging and entertaining webisode series. I have over 20 short films under my belt, including two that won awards at the Montgomery County Media Festival back in high school. I also have an extensive writing background, having written hundreds of poems, dozens of short stories, 12 screenplays, and one (albeit short) novel. I’m absolutely ready to write, direct, act, learn, and live.
Research Bibliography:
http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=8857&reviewer=198
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_vs_blue/
http://rvb.roosterteeth.com/home.php
http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/05/campus_ladies_oxygen_sitcom_dropped.php
http://www.machinima.com/film/view&id=275
http://mashable.com/2007/05/14/vmix-ifc/
http://www.vmix.com/ifctv
http://www.tilzy.tv/GettingAwayWithMurder
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=42833
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33337
http://www.oxygen.com/campusladies/
http://www.tv.com/campus-ladies/show/35733/summary.html
11/14/07
IML 346
IML 346 Final Proposal:
Creative Merger: Viewing Serialized, Web-Based Storylines as an Innovative
Avenue Toward Critical Research
I am exploring web-launched, serialized storylines—otherwise known as webisodes—in order to discover what technical and narrative characteristics they share, so that I can demonstrate the capacity of individuals to use formulaic patterns, manipulations, and conventions to create popular internet-based entertainment.
Through my thesis project, I’m trying to gain an understanding of web-launched, serialized storylines as both a creative art form, and an instructional tool. Mini, serialized webisodes offer all the advantages of a syndicated television show with few of the drawbacks. They are a creative medium through which you can continually examine and reexamine the stories and interactions of a select number of fictional characters. In other words, webisodes surpass films in their capacity for emotional and creative depth simply by offering the possibility to emotionally probe and explore your characters an infinite number of times rather than once for a two-hour span. Unlike a television series however, webisodes are unconstrained by pesky running times (they can be 3-5 minutes rather than 23), and censorship.
Webisodes are also a great medium through which to explore and learn about theories of creative production. Television shows have the benefit of legions of paid employees devoted to promoting their creation and success. With webisodes, you are forced to be your own writer, director, and producer, and to successfully deal with internet-based advertisers should the serial become widely viewed. It is a wonderful discipline because it is a creative venture steeped very deeply in technical principles; you have to be an emotional filmmaker who is also highly technically proficient.
Webisodes are an interesting creature. You have to create characters that are entertaining in only five minutes, yet who will have enough creative life to be sustained over a long overall period of time. They have to leave the viewers wanting more, but never unsatisfied. It is a difficult balance to strike, one which poses significant challenges in writing, editing, and performance. I want to discover firsthand, precisely how an artist might go about creating such characters, and such environments.
In the creation of these webisodes, I want to help my viewers understand how this mode of serialized storytelling is created and popularized. By keeping a firsthand-account-via-blog of the entire creative/fiscal/technical process of creating a webisode series, I will be providing a valuable instruction manual not only for creative artists but for intellectual and technological theorists as well. How are such art forms created? What are their benefits and drawbacks? How are they sustained and popularized? And what does their failure or success mean for the future of film and television as creative/fiscally successful mediums? The webisodes as a whole will comprise a series known as “The Reunion,” and will revolve around the different members of a family who are all meeting for one weekend at an annual family reunion. It will be shot in a faux-documentary style. In other words, the different episodes will be created in such a way that viewers could take them to be an actual record of real people. Each episode will include documentary-style interviews, shaky-hand-held camerawork, and an improvisational script.
All successful webisodes share a few common characteristics. They are mostly all comedic, with a quirky, off-color sense of humor. They have archetypical characters such as the normal guy, the stupid person, the annoying one, and, surprisingly enough, the slutty girl. They are all under five minutes in length, and they are jam-packed with jokes. And they all have a main dramatic thread, one single story arc that drives the entire season. As such, I tried to create a story that would include all these elements while elaborating upon them. The main character in “The Reunion,” is Ben, the normal guy who hates his job because he seems to be the only one who notices how stupid all of his coworkers are. There is lots of rather raunchy, off-color humor, and a stupid character as well as the token annoying guy from work, Dave. The main dramatic thread of the entire series will be Ben’s attempted love affair with a girl named Jen, who he sees for the first time in 10 years at the family reunion. As we watch Ben try to win back the girl of his dreams, we will be entertained by various other family members and their individual story arcs. One cousin will be struggling with how to come out to his family, another will be contemplating marriage to a recent immigrant from Mexico who doesn’t speak English, and yet another will try to reconcile working at a dead-end career merely because it pays well.
The whole point of this project is to synthesize pre-existing characteristics shared by successful webisode series, and combine them to create a popular story. Webisodes are so interesting because, as Wikipedia puts it, they are a “form of new media that characteristically features a dramatic, serial storyline, and where the primary method of viewership is streaming online over the Internet.” Anyone, anywhere, at anytime can watch and get enjoyment from them.
The webisodes will be posted and presented on YouTube, along with deleted scenes and outtakes to accompany each episode. I will also regularly post on a separate blogsite, where I will keep an extensive, weekly updated record of the creative process involved in the creation of “The Reunion.” Viewers will also be able—and indeed, will be encouraged to—comment on the blogsite, to write in their feelings about the show, about all the work that goes into it, and even to make suggestions on the future direction that it might take. If the suggestions are good, then they will be incorporated into the actual series, and in this way, “The Reunion,” will be a constantly evolving, and viewer-responsive form of art, in which those who appreciate it can actually affect it’s future direction.
This project covers the creation of a webisode series from every angle of the filmmaking process, providing an inside view of what it is like to create such content. It must be realized in multimedia simply because of the amount of supplemental material required to augment each episode. There have to be written materials, and photographs, all of which must be incorporated within a blogsite as a way of structuring and delineating them. The viewer should not only be entertained, but also come away with an understanding of the amount and type of work that goes into the creation of such a series. Viewers should further more be able to engage the webisodes creators and each other in thoughtful discussion about the issues raised by “The Reunion.” What makes this project so academically valuable is it’s ability to instruct on not only the creative process, but also the many technical disciplines involved in filmmaking (i.e. cinematography, editing, and musical composition).
By detailing the creation of a webisode series from inception to completion, this project not only creates a forum for future research on the topic, but also promotes discussion concerning the double-edged sword that is the compromise between creativity and feasibility. By examining and appropriating techniques used in successful webisode series, it will additionally help to annotate and criticize pre-existing works of art already circulating on the Internet. Because of its eventual placement on the web, it will be useful in not only teaching students at USC, but interested viewers anywhere around the globe.
The timeline for the completion of this project will most likely oscillate depending on any number of factors, but as it stands now, my webisode series should be completed sometime next fall:
3/1/08 – Have first webisode, “Ben,” edited and ready, including all supplementary materials (original script, director’s commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, production stills, and making-of video)
3/30/08 – Have web site venue selected and prepared
4/30/08 – Have second webisode created, along with all supplementary materials
5/28/08 – Have third webisode edited, polished, and ready to go, including all supplementary materials
6/1/08 – Post first webisode on YouTube, along with outtakes
6/15/08 – Advertise webisode series through connections on social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace
6/30/08 – Post second webisode on YouTube, including outtakes
7/20/08 – Create fourth webisode
8/30/08 – Launch website with first two videos and all corresponding supplementary materials included
9/15/08 – Have third video and all supplementary materials posted
9/30/08 – Shoot and edit fifth and sixth episodes
10/10/08 – Post fourth segment and all supplementary materials
10/17/08 – Post fifth episode and all supplementary materials
10/30/08 – Shoot seventh episode, and post sixth webisode, along with any supplementary items
11/15/08 – Post seventh episode and supplementary materials
11/30/08 – Shoot and post eighth episode
12/15/08 – Shoot and post ninth episode
12/31/08 – Shoot and post tenth and final(?) episode of the season
The first episode cost roughly $50 dollars to produce, so the total production budget should be somewhere around $500 dollars. Depending on the cost of website production and upkeep, the total budget could oscillate anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000 dollars. Even with grants however, I’m not prepared to pay upwards of $2,000. My faculty advisor (David Maquiling) might also be essential in helping me to craft an appropriate budgetary plan for my thesis project.
As stated, I plan to initially release the series on YouTube while simultaneously promoting it on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. After this, I plan to post the whole series on a personal website along with the material already published on the blogsite. After the conclusion of the first season of “The Reunion,” depending on budget concerns and viewer interest, I will make the entire series available on DVD. I’m also planning to compile the separate episodes into a feature-length film and send that off to different film festivals. I will require website writing software, word programs, Final Cut Pro, a DV camera, DV tapes, actors, producers, cameramen, props, and DVDs in order to complete this very complicated, but still very fun, thesis project.
Although it is a significant undertaking, I am confident in my ability to successfully produce a creatively challenging and entertaining webisode series. I have over 20 short films under my belt, including two that won awards at the Montgomery County Media Festival back in high school. I also have an extensive writing background, having written hundreds of poems, dozens of short stories, 12 screenplays, and one (albeit short) novel. I’m absolutely ready to write, direct, act, learn, and live.
Research Bibliography:
http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=8857&reviewer=198
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_vs_blue/
http://rvb.roosterteeth.com/home.php
http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/05/campus_ladies_oxygen_sitcom_dropped.php
http://www.machinima.com/film/view&id=275
http://mashable.com/2007/05/14/vmix-ifc/
http://www.vmix.com/ifctv
http://www.tilzy.tv/GettingAwayWithMurder
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=42833
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33337
http://www.oxygen.com/campusladies/
http://www.tv.com/campus-ladies/show/35733/summary.html
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Noah Macinskas Thesis Proposal
Thesis Proposal: Virtual Goods
“What is a rose? It’s 3 things: the actual rose, the thought of the gift and the look of the rose. 2 out of 3 isn’t bad.”
I. Project Abstract
a. The project will be an investigation of virtual goods. I am going to research who buys them and why. What value do users see when they buy virtual goods? Can taxonomy be made about the different types of virtual goods and their respective values? Is there any kind of correlation between a user’s buying practices in the real world versus the virtual world?
II. Description
a. Definition of Project:
i. The Project will be in the form of a Machinima Documentary. I am going to go into virtual worlds and interview users about virtual goods they buy in those worlds. The director of the documentary will be my avatar in the game. I am going to go into games such as WoW and virtual hangouts like Gaia Online ad vSide and interview users in those games as to why they buy virtual goods and what the meaning of them is. I want to know how the user sees virtual goods. I will make taxonomy of virtual goods based on type of value (i.e. tangible, intangible, etc.) and type of virtual good as well as type of virtual world. Then I will interview people in virtual worlds and compare my findings and adjust my taxonomy.
b. Clear articulation of project goals:
i. The project will be a machinima, because I am dealing with virtual goods in virtual worlds, so I want to film on site in the virtual world. Interviewing people in person gives a different response than interviewing them in character. I want to get in character, honest responses from users. I think that interviewing them in game will allow me to get more honest responses from them because they are in the environment at the time, and they are anonymous as well. I will ask users why they buy virtual goods and what sorts of goods they buy. I intend to find out what the actual reason is that users buy virtual goods, because right now the only documentation comes from designers interviewing other designers about what they think. The project will be an attempt to understand the buying practices of people in virtual worlds and the type of value they place on the good that they buy and create taxonomy of virtual goods based on these interviews.
c. Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
i. Virtual goods have become a very big business model in the gaming world, and quite a lot of academics have been looking into the psychology behind virtual goods. Many successful companies have been using virtual goods as their main income source, companies like Nexon, Three Rings and Sony. Because of companies like this, the topic is relevant outside of a university setting. Companies want to know why and how these business models work. This should also be important to the average reader, because they will be able to understand this new rising subculture and learn about the importance of virtual goods.
III. Timeline
a. Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
b. Preliminary research and Interviews: September 2008
c. Rough Cut of Documentary: January 2009
d. Finished Project: May 2009
IV. Budget
a. One-month subscription to multiple MMOs: $60
b. Miscellaneous costs: $40
c. Final Budget: $100
V. Confirmed Advisors
a. Patricia Pizer (IMD)
b. Undecided (IML)
VI. Presentation Plans/Venues
a. Final Presentation TBA by IML
b. Released on YouTube at the culmination of project.
VII. Production Resources
a. Software Needs:
i. Snapz Pro
ii. Editing Software
iii. Games
1. World of Warcraft
2. Everquest II
3. Lineage II
4. Guild Wars
iv. Virtual World programs
1. vSide
2. Gaia Online
3. Go Pets!
VIII. Collaborators:
a. Patricia Pizer
b. Potential Collaborators
i. Nicole Lazzaro
ii. Raph Koster
iii. Daniel James
IX. Presentation Needs:
a. DVD player
b. Theater Setup
c. Monitors
X. Prior Related Work
a. Attended the Virtual Goods Summit in Palo Alto in June 2007.
XI. Research Bibliography
a. http://www.vgsummit.com/videos.php
i. Videos from the virtual goods summit from June 2007 at Stanford University.
b. http://www.thisspartanlife.com/
i. A talk show done in gamespace.
c. http://www.xeodesign.com/whyweplaygames.html
i. A study done by Nicole Lazzaro on why player play games.
“What is a rose? It’s 3 things: the actual rose, the thought of the gift and the look of the rose. 2 out of 3 isn’t bad.”
I. Project Abstract
a. The project will be an investigation of virtual goods. I am going to research who buys them and why. What value do users see when they buy virtual goods? Can taxonomy be made about the different types of virtual goods and their respective values? Is there any kind of correlation between a user’s buying practices in the real world versus the virtual world?
II. Description
a. Definition of Project:
i. The Project will be in the form of a Machinima Documentary. I am going to go into virtual worlds and interview users about virtual goods they buy in those worlds. The director of the documentary will be my avatar in the game. I am going to go into games such as WoW and virtual hangouts like Gaia Online ad vSide and interview users in those games as to why they buy virtual goods and what the meaning of them is. I want to know how the user sees virtual goods. I will make taxonomy of virtual goods based on type of value (i.e. tangible, intangible, etc.) and type of virtual good as well as type of virtual world. Then I will interview people in virtual worlds and compare my findings and adjust my taxonomy.
b. Clear articulation of project goals:
i. The project will be a machinima, because I am dealing with virtual goods in virtual worlds, so I want to film on site in the virtual world. Interviewing people in person gives a different response than interviewing them in character. I want to get in character, honest responses from users. I think that interviewing them in game will allow me to get more honest responses from them because they are in the environment at the time, and they are anonymous as well. I will ask users why they buy virtual goods and what sorts of goods they buy. I intend to find out what the actual reason is that users buy virtual goods, because right now the only documentation comes from designers interviewing other designers about what they think. The project will be an attempt to understand the buying practices of people in virtual worlds and the type of value they place on the good that they buy and create taxonomy of virtual goods based on these interviews.
c. Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
i. Virtual goods have become a very big business model in the gaming world, and quite a lot of academics have been looking into the psychology behind virtual goods. Many successful companies have been using virtual goods as their main income source, companies like Nexon, Three Rings and Sony. Because of companies like this, the topic is relevant outside of a university setting. Companies want to know why and how these business models work. This should also be important to the average reader, because they will be able to understand this new rising subculture and learn about the importance of virtual goods.
III. Timeline
a. Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
b. Preliminary research and Interviews: September 2008
c. Rough Cut of Documentary: January 2009
d. Finished Project: May 2009
IV. Budget
a. One-month subscription to multiple MMOs: $60
b. Miscellaneous costs: $40
c. Final Budget: $100
V. Confirmed Advisors
a. Patricia Pizer (IMD)
b. Undecided (IML)
VI. Presentation Plans/Venues
a. Final Presentation TBA by IML
b. Released on YouTube at the culmination of project.
VII. Production Resources
a. Software Needs:
i. Snapz Pro
ii. Editing Software
iii. Games
1. World of Warcraft
2. Everquest II
3. Lineage II
4. Guild Wars
iv. Virtual World programs
1. vSide
2. Gaia Online
3. Go Pets!
VIII. Collaborators:
a. Patricia Pizer
b. Potential Collaborators
i. Nicole Lazzaro
ii. Raph Koster
iii. Daniel James
IX. Presentation Needs:
a. DVD player
b. Theater Setup
c. Monitors
X. Prior Related Work
a. Attended the Virtual Goods Summit in Palo Alto in June 2007.
XI. Research Bibliography
a. http://www.vgsummit.com/videos.php
i. Videos from the virtual goods summit from June 2007 at Stanford University.
b. http://www.thisspartanlife.com/
i. A talk show done in gamespace.
c. http://www.xeodesign.com/whyweplaygames.html
i. A study done by Nicole Lazzaro on why player play games.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Levinson Thesis Proposal 2.0
I. TITLE: Brumby Monday: Photo-realism in Visual Effects
II. ABSTRACT: As moviegoing audiences become more sophisticated, and as technology has progressed, the nature of visual effects has changed dramatically. Things that were once considered "invisible" effects are now painfully obvious. However, though it can easily be said that the state of the art is changing, it is quite difficult for anyone in the industry to pin down where it is now. Obviously there are some effects which can pass by undetected by the viewer, but what they are, and under what circumstances they blend seamlessly with the narrative is a slippery thing to pin down. My aim is to create a detailed snapshot of the current state of the "invisible" visual effects world, and structure which can be used to obtain meaningful data about an audience's changing response to a medium.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1.Genre – Film & Television
Methodology (I) — I will be presenting a script for an original short film which contains visual effects arranged an a manner designed tease out the current understanding of "photorealism" in the film world.
Methodology (II) – I will be presenting an original short film (15-30min) eventually accompanied by an analysis of audience response to the effects categorized along four axes which I believe to be the determining factors.
Delivery Format – Either a high-definition DVD or tape, or (depending on budget), a film print.
2. Project Goals – This is inherently a multimedia project because the best possible way to gauge audience response to visual effects is to present a "test-pattern" so to speak in the medium, setting, and form in which they have become accustomed to seeing such effects. There are two guises in which this project will engage with viewers. The first invites viewers to think critically about their own subjective experience and about the state of the visual effects world. As such they become part of the test audience and contribute to the research which will ultimately be a part of the project. The second guise presents to informed viewers the research and analysis surrounding the film. These viewers will gain a deeper awareness of the positioning of this fine line of photo-realism in today's world.
Most test audiences will believe that they are simply watching a short film without any ulterior motive behind its creation, and will respond to the film in its entirety in the way that they usually would. Any interviews conducted with this group will mix questions about visual effects with innocuous questions about other aspects of the film. Other more targeted test audiences will be asked to think critically about visual effects before watching the film, and write responses specifically geared toward analysis. Viewers of the multimedia project, on the other hand, will read an analysis of the audience response along with the presentation of the film.
3. Project Significance – It is so rare that we get the opportunity to chronicle the general public's response to an art form changes as the medium itself evolves. Computer-generated visual effects provide a unique opportunity as they contribute to a 100-year-old art form because their presence is a relatively new phenomenon. Some viewers will hopefully use my research to similarly monitor the changing audience response to other art-forms as they mature. Video games may become an excellent topic for a similar kind of analysis in 3-10 years. Even further down the line, mobile media may develop their own unique characteristics apart from film, game and television— possibly interactive games based on the user's position in real space. Perhaps 15-30 years from now a similar analysis might be undertaken on a maturing mobile art form.
Hopefully my snapshot of the visual effects world will provide a useful reference in coming years to monitor how audience response changes with regard to the dimensions outlined.
IV. TIMELINE: A current prototype contains all of the visual effects elements necessary in a form of the "test pattern" described above. It is currently undergoing revisions on the film and story levels, in order to make the film more appealing to a mass audience. I intend to finish a second prototype with a much more narrowed-down version of the test pattern (focusing on the photoreal side of the spectrum). The prototypes will all be shorter films which try out various balances of the four dimensions which I believe affect the audience's analysis of "invisible" effects. Ideally I would like to finish the second prototype, see if I can modify the first to more closely match the changes in my goals, and create a third prototype with a different balance by the end of the semester. Senior year will be devoted to the creation of the finished film based on my experiments with the prototypes. This film will be finished and ready for display by the spring of 2009.
V. BUDGET: So far, I’ve spent roughly $800 on the first two prototypes combined. Finishing the second may require an additional $200. However, in order to get the quality of work necessary for the distribution which would be ideal for the film, the finished one will require a full short-film budget. There are films of this size which have been done successfully by undergraduates at USC, and I will investigate their successes and methodology in raising the necessary funds (between $65,000 and $130,000). I personally can only provide a small fraction of those funds and will rely on grants, etc. for the production.
VI. ADVISORS: Jim O'Keefe, Patricia Cardoso, Amanda Pope, Tom Anderson?
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: The ideal audience is one which is prepared to think critically about what they are seeing, but expecting a professional caliber production. Film festivals at which I or a representative could be present to interview audience members are thus an ideal forum for the first stage of distribution. A general film-festival run would be useful to generate legitimate reviews, cost and logistics permitting. Ideally, a more general release on television (European television is more amenable to shorts) would provide a contrasting type of test audience. On the opposite end of the spectrum, small targeted test screenings where viewers are asked to write responses specifically about the visual effects will provide some insight into useful research methodology.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: The first prototype was shot using a standard Panasonic MiniDV camera. The second prototype was recorded in high-definition with solid-state memory. The finished film will either be recorded on 35mm film or digital cinema (RED Cam?) or — if the budget is not sufficient — the same HD equipment as Prototype 2 with the addition of a 35mm adaptor and 35mm lenses for the "film look" but locked into HD distribution. Industry audio equipment (Nagra, etc) will be added, as well as the usual lights, grip equip, transportation, etc. All of this is rentable with sufficient funds. On the software side, it will be the industry standbys: Avid, After Effects, ProTools, Photoshop. Also possibly, Maya, Combustion, Final Cut, Premiere, Motion Tracking by Imagineer, or Poser depending on the nature of the final film.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I've made a number of short films before, but none with the volume or quality of effects necessary for this project. However, the prototypes thus far have demonstrated that it is indeed possible for a college undergraduate to create some professional-quality effects if the project is designed to play to the strengths of the available resources. I've studied photography and theater separately, and have participated in smaller film festivals and exhibitions of still photography and graphic design before.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY:
I've accumulated a small library of books on effects, film, directing, acting, photography, and more. Some of the history of early CG, such as Terminator and others will certainly be included, as will a number of other books which generally contributed to the film.
II. ABSTRACT: As moviegoing audiences become more sophisticated, and as technology has progressed, the nature of visual effects has changed dramatically. Things that were once considered "invisible" effects are now painfully obvious. However, though it can easily be said that the state of the art is changing, it is quite difficult for anyone in the industry to pin down where it is now. Obviously there are some effects which can pass by undetected by the viewer, but what they are, and under what circumstances they blend seamlessly with the narrative is a slippery thing to pin down. My aim is to create a detailed snapshot of the current state of the "invisible" visual effects world, and structure which can be used to obtain meaningful data about an audience's changing response to a medium.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1.Genre – Film & Television
Methodology (I) — I will be presenting a script for an original short film which contains visual effects arranged an a manner designed tease out the current understanding of "photorealism" in the film world.
Methodology (II) – I will be presenting an original short film (15-30min) eventually accompanied by an analysis of audience response to the effects categorized along four axes which I believe to be the determining factors.
Delivery Format – Either a high-definition DVD or tape, or (depending on budget), a film print.
2. Project Goals – This is inherently a multimedia project because the best possible way to gauge audience response to visual effects is to present a "test-pattern" so to speak in the medium, setting, and form in which they have become accustomed to seeing such effects. There are two guises in which this project will engage with viewers. The first invites viewers to think critically about their own subjective experience and about the state of the visual effects world. As such they become part of the test audience and contribute to the research which will ultimately be a part of the project. The second guise presents to informed viewers the research and analysis surrounding the film. These viewers will gain a deeper awareness of the positioning of this fine line of photo-realism in today's world.
Most test audiences will believe that they are simply watching a short film without any ulterior motive behind its creation, and will respond to the film in its entirety in the way that they usually would. Any interviews conducted with this group will mix questions about visual effects with innocuous questions about other aspects of the film. Other more targeted test audiences will be asked to think critically about visual effects before watching the film, and write responses specifically geared toward analysis. Viewers of the multimedia project, on the other hand, will read an analysis of the audience response along with the presentation of the film.
3. Project Significance – It is so rare that we get the opportunity to chronicle the general public's response to an art form changes as the medium itself evolves. Computer-generated visual effects provide a unique opportunity as they contribute to a 100-year-old art form because their presence is a relatively new phenomenon. Some viewers will hopefully use my research to similarly monitor the changing audience response to other art-forms as they mature. Video games may become an excellent topic for a similar kind of analysis in 3-10 years. Even further down the line, mobile media may develop their own unique characteristics apart from film, game and television— possibly interactive games based on the user's position in real space. Perhaps 15-30 years from now a similar analysis might be undertaken on a maturing mobile art form.
Hopefully my snapshot of the visual effects world will provide a useful reference in coming years to monitor how audience response changes with regard to the dimensions outlined.
IV. TIMELINE: A current prototype contains all of the visual effects elements necessary in a form of the "test pattern" described above. It is currently undergoing revisions on the film and story levels, in order to make the film more appealing to a mass audience. I intend to finish a second prototype with a much more narrowed-down version of the test pattern (focusing on the photoreal side of the spectrum). The prototypes will all be shorter films which try out various balances of the four dimensions which I believe affect the audience's analysis of "invisible" effects. Ideally I would like to finish the second prototype, see if I can modify the first to more closely match the changes in my goals, and create a third prototype with a different balance by the end of the semester. Senior year will be devoted to the creation of the finished film based on my experiments with the prototypes. This film will be finished and ready for display by the spring of 2009.
V. BUDGET: So far, I’ve spent roughly $800 on the first two prototypes combined. Finishing the second may require an additional $200. However, in order to get the quality of work necessary for the distribution which would be ideal for the film, the finished one will require a full short-film budget. There are films of this size which have been done successfully by undergraduates at USC, and I will investigate their successes and methodology in raising the necessary funds (between $65,000 and $130,000). I personally can only provide a small fraction of those funds and will rely on grants, etc. for the production.
VI. ADVISORS: Jim O'Keefe, Patricia Cardoso, Amanda Pope, Tom Anderson?
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: The ideal audience is one which is prepared to think critically about what they are seeing, but expecting a professional caliber production. Film festivals at which I or a representative could be present to interview audience members are thus an ideal forum for the first stage of distribution. A general film-festival run would be useful to generate legitimate reviews, cost and logistics permitting. Ideally, a more general release on television (European television is more amenable to shorts) would provide a contrasting type of test audience. On the opposite end of the spectrum, small targeted test screenings where viewers are asked to write responses specifically about the visual effects will provide some insight into useful research methodology.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: The first prototype was shot using a standard Panasonic MiniDV camera. The second prototype was recorded in high-definition with solid-state memory. The finished film will either be recorded on 35mm film or digital cinema (RED Cam?) or — if the budget is not sufficient — the same HD equipment as Prototype 2 with the addition of a 35mm adaptor and 35mm lenses for the "film look" but locked into HD distribution. Industry audio equipment (Nagra, etc) will be added, as well as the usual lights, grip equip, transportation, etc. All of this is rentable with sufficient funds. On the software side, it will be the industry standbys: Avid, After Effects, ProTools, Photoshop. Also possibly, Maya, Combustion, Final Cut, Premiere, Motion Tracking by Imagineer, or Poser depending on the nature of the final film.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I've made a number of short films before, but none with the volume or quality of effects necessary for this project. However, the prototypes thus far have demonstrated that it is indeed possible for a college undergraduate to create some professional-quality effects if the project is designed to play to the strengths of the available resources. I've studied photography and theater separately, and have participated in smaller film festivals and exhibitions of still photography and graphic design before.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY:
I've accumulated a small library of books on effects, film, directing, acting, photography, and more. Some of the history of early CG, such as Terminator and others will certainly be included, as will a number of other books which generally contributed to the film.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Presentation and Final Proposals
PRESENTATION SCHEDULE
11/29
Noah Macinskas
Seth Gullion
Adam Church
Jennice Lee
12/6
Julie Logan
John VIsclosky
Kaitlin Luther
Ari Levinson
Carolyn French
PRESENTATION INFO
You'll each have a bit more than 15 minutes, I suggest no more than half for presentation, reserving at least 8-9 minutes for discussion.
Your goal for this presentation is to effectively communicate your thesis idea and plan in order to get meaningful feedback to fold back into your final proposal.
You may invite your department advisor. If you do, and you would like to accommodate your visitor by being at a certain time slot on your day, let me know and I will do my best to schedule it.
Your presentation should include a clear title, a clear description of your controlling idea, its significance within your field and your motivation. You should identify the multimedia genre or genres, your research methodology and your delivery system. You should demonstrate your intentions with a modest prototype ( a layout, storyboard, walk through - we discussed these for most of you) and show us what you've learned from it. It is often effective to prepare questions for your audience; if you have identified hurdles or particular issues, point them out and ask for suggestions. What are your vulnerabilities/challenges going forward with this project?
FINAL PROPOSAL - DUE in HARD COPY & POSTED Tuesday 12/11
Your final proposal should follow the original proposal outline (adding "tags" after abstract) incorporating comments you've received in response to your draft, your experiments/prototyping experience and your presentation. Please hand it in to Janein Chavez in IML.
GENERAL COMMENTS
Many of you threw out your original "mad lib" sentence:
Don't be hamstrung by this sentence structure, but
1) declare your topic
I am investigating ________
2)question your topic
because I want to find out how/whether/when/if ______________
3) motivate your question
because I want my reader (identify your reader!) to understand/discover/ to be convinced whether/why/that _____________
If this is unclear, please go back to the readings and notes from the first three weeks of class.
To justify the use of multimedia, describe the limits of print to effectively communicate your idea. How (be specific) will the multimedia you've chosen be more effective?
11/29
Noah Macinskas
Seth Gullion
Adam Church
Jennice Lee
12/6
Julie Logan
John VIsclosky
Kaitlin Luther
Ari Levinson
Carolyn French
PRESENTATION INFO
You'll each have a bit more than 15 minutes, I suggest no more than half for presentation, reserving at least 8-9 minutes for discussion.
Your goal for this presentation is to effectively communicate your thesis idea and plan in order to get meaningful feedback to fold back into your final proposal.
You may invite your department advisor. If you do, and you would like to accommodate your visitor by being at a certain time slot on your day, let me know and I will do my best to schedule it.
Your presentation should include a clear title, a clear description of your controlling idea, its significance within your field and your motivation. You should identify the multimedia genre or genres, your research methodology and your delivery system. You should demonstrate your intentions with a modest prototype ( a layout, storyboard, walk through - we discussed these for most of you) and show us what you've learned from it. It is often effective to prepare questions for your audience; if you have identified hurdles or particular issues, point them out and ask for suggestions. What are your vulnerabilities/challenges going forward with this project?
FINAL PROPOSAL - DUE in HARD COPY & POSTED Tuesday 12/11
Your final proposal should follow the original proposal outline (adding "tags" after abstract) incorporating comments you've received in response to your draft, your experiments/prototyping experience and your presentation. Please hand it in to Janein Chavez in IML.
GENERAL COMMENTS
Many of you threw out your original "mad lib" sentence:
Don't be hamstrung by this sentence structure, but
1) declare your topic
I am investigating ________
2)question your topic
because I want to find out how/whether/when/if ______________
3) motivate your question
because I want my reader (identify your reader!) to understand/discover/ to be convinced whether/why/that _____________
If this is unclear, please go back to the readings and notes from the first three weeks of class.
To justify the use of multimedia, describe the limits of print to effectively communicate your idea. How (be specific) will the multimedia you've chosen be more effective?
Thursday, November 15, 2007
thesis proposal draft
Ok, I've already posted one of these, but I made a few slight changes. Sorry I'm not there today, by the way.
Adam Church
IML 346
IML THESIS PROPOSAL
I. TITLE: “Anti-culturalism: In Lulz We Trust”
II. ABSTRACT: What do you think of when you picture a cyber-criminal or a cyber-terrorist? The media has distorted the perception of this group, and more often than not this idea is inaccurate. Many are children, and more seem to have come by their infamy innocently enough, accidentally. A lot of illegal and otherwise questionable internet activity arises from websites like 4chan.org, an online forum for posting images where so-called delinquent hackers congregate. Thanks to their ingenuity, the people behind this website remain mostly anonymous, and any posted content is erased after a very short while. The majority of the activity could be described as childish indulgence or pranking, but there exists a very disturbing underbelly. With a daily user base over 7 million, the frequency of identity theft, piracy, and even child pornography, is concerning to say the least. Sometimes the overall behavior is pointless and absurd, but actions often allude to a vigilante mentality, with strong tendencies towards the sadistic, perverse, or macabre. What would happen if groups like this organized? I will outline the social and political significance of such internet phenomenon as these, and provide one possible answer to this question.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1.Genre – Interactive
Methodology – I will be presenting original research of my own as well as referring to previous works.
Delivery Format – A website, mimicking the aesthetic and interface of donniedarkofilm.com, where the user follows a loose narrative that both explains and critiques the subject matter.
2. Project Goals – I feel this project needs to be realized in multimedia because so much of the activity on these websites is content driven. It’s difficult to convey the significance of a picture or video clip, of which the production is never ending, when confined to a text filled essay. The viewer will hopefully take from this project a greater awareness of online activity, a knowledge of the subversive undercurrents of these forums, and a sense of their significance in both the day-to-day and in other realms such as politics. I feel this project is valuable in an academic context because no one is really looking at the intersection of convergence culture and online networking. The soul of humanity is laid bare through the myriad activities and content of forums like 4chan, and I believe this evidences a larger change in the collective consciousness and structure of society.
3. Project Significance – I aim to both create an awareness of and open up for discussion the social and political significance of lulz. I hope as well to shed light on this often overlooked section of society. My research has applications across a number of levels, from issues of privacy rights, to cyber crime, to the role of identity on the internet as individuality seems more and more to be assimilated into this anonymous culture.
IV. TIMELINE: I will have completed all of my research by next the start of next semester. By the end of this semester, I will have a schematic for the website, aiming to produce a small working model. I will finish the entire project either in the summer or fall of 2008, depending on how my class schedule works out.
V. BUDGET: So far, I’ve spent roughly $500 on travel and another $500 on materials. I don’t anticipate putting much more into this, but I may travel to interview a few more people. The upper cap is $2000, though I intend to keep costs to a minimum because this is all out of my own pocket.
VI. CONFIRMED ADVISORS: Bill Whittington, Holly Willis
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: I will publish the website and then wave goodbye.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: So far I have been working on a fairly basic level with a DV cam and a shotgun mic to record things. Future interviews may be either video or audio only. I know I will be using Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, After Effects/Motion. I will also need to learn and employ web software and Flash.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I have never engaged this specific field of study previously in any way. Last semester I sort of created a machinema for the purposes of a Second Life critical analysis, but that is only very loosely connected. Further, the only known public acknowledgment of, or address to, my topic is a very biased, mis-information laden FOX 11 news report. There is no previous academic work in the field.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY: Danah Boyd, Katherine Hayles, Henry Jenkins, Georges Bataille, Guy Debord, Michel Foucault, Bakunin, more to follow
Adam Church
IML 346
IML THESIS PROPOSAL
I. TITLE: “Anti-culturalism: In Lulz We Trust”
II. ABSTRACT: What do you think of when you picture a cyber-criminal or a cyber-terrorist? The media has distorted the perception of this group, and more often than not this idea is inaccurate. Many are children, and more seem to have come by their infamy innocently enough, accidentally. A lot of illegal and otherwise questionable internet activity arises from websites like 4chan.org, an online forum for posting images where so-called delinquent hackers congregate. Thanks to their ingenuity, the people behind this website remain mostly anonymous, and any posted content is erased after a very short while. The majority of the activity could be described as childish indulgence or pranking, but there exists a very disturbing underbelly. With a daily user base over 7 million, the frequency of identity theft, piracy, and even child pornography, is concerning to say the least. Sometimes the overall behavior is pointless and absurd, but actions often allude to a vigilante mentality, with strong tendencies towards the sadistic, perverse, or macabre. What would happen if groups like this organized? I will outline the social and political significance of such internet phenomenon as these, and provide one possible answer to this question.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1.Genre – Interactive
Methodology – I will be presenting original research of my own as well as referring to previous works.
Delivery Format – A website, mimicking the aesthetic and interface of donniedarkofilm.com, where the user follows a loose narrative that both explains and critiques the subject matter.
2. Project Goals – I feel this project needs to be realized in multimedia because so much of the activity on these websites is content driven. It’s difficult to convey the significance of a picture or video clip, of which the production is never ending, when confined to a text filled essay. The viewer will hopefully take from this project a greater awareness of online activity, a knowledge of the subversive undercurrents of these forums, and a sense of their significance in both the day-to-day and in other realms such as politics. I feel this project is valuable in an academic context because no one is really looking at the intersection of convergence culture and online networking. The soul of humanity is laid bare through the myriad activities and content of forums like 4chan, and I believe this evidences a larger change in the collective consciousness and structure of society.
3. Project Significance – I aim to both create an awareness of and open up for discussion the social and political significance of lulz. I hope as well to shed light on this often overlooked section of society. My research has applications across a number of levels, from issues of privacy rights, to cyber crime, to the role of identity on the internet as individuality seems more and more to be assimilated into this anonymous culture.
IV. TIMELINE: I will have completed all of my research by next the start of next semester. By the end of this semester, I will have a schematic for the website, aiming to produce a small working model. I will finish the entire project either in the summer or fall of 2008, depending on how my class schedule works out.
V. BUDGET: So far, I’ve spent roughly $500 on travel and another $500 on materials. I don’t anticipate putting much more into this, but I may travel to interview a few more people. The upper cap is $2000, though I intend to keep costs to a minimum because this is all out of my own pocket.
VI. CONFIRMED ADVISORS: Bill Whittington, Holly Willis
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: I will publish the website and then wave goodbye.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: So far I have been working on a fairly basic level with a DV cam and a shotgun mic to record things. Future interviews may be either video or audio only. I know I will be using Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, After Effects/Motion. I will also need to learn and employ web software and Flash.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I have never engaged this specific field of study previously in any way. Last semester I sort of created a machinema for the purposes of a Second Life critical analysis, but that is only very loosely connected. Further, the only known public acknowledgment of, or address to, my topic is a very biased, mis-information laden FOX 11 news report. There is no previous academic work in the field.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY: Danah Boyd, Katherine Hayles, Henry Jenkins, Georges Bataille, Guy Debord, Michel Foucault, Bakunin, more to follow
Carolyn French's Thesis Proposal Draft
Carolyn French, IML Thesis Proposal Draft
November 15, 2007
Working Title
Examining Welfare Reform
Project Abstract
I am going to work on a project where I investigate welfare reform, the switch from AFDC (Aid For Dependent Children) to TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). I will evaluate the differences and similarities between these two policies and the cultural, economic, and political motivations behind the creation of the TANF legislation. TANF was created to appease critics of welfare, has it fixed the problems that were a part of AFDC? Or has it simply created more problems?
Description
Genre:
The Project will be in the form of a website. This website will incorporate video, picture, graphics, and text to explore the aspects of these two policies.
Clear articulation of project goals:
Public knowledge of a lot of national policies is limited solely to their name or the politician attached to the policy. It is important to delve deeper into these policies and examine if they are doing what they are intended to do. I would like to raise awareness of some of the limitations of these policies. For a lot of people, the idea of welfare comes with negative connotations. I would like to give a “human” perspective of welfare by giving people a view of the new TANF policy in practice. This would be more interactive then reading about this policy in a book or hearing its name in class.
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
This would offer a new perspective and could be a model for comparing other policies that are directed towards fixing social inequality. A lot of Social Workers and Sociologists hold the view that policies like TANF are a detriment to a society as a whole and contribute to social inequality. My website will aim to convey these views to the larger population. Books and text research on this topic are already available, but they are not compiled in a way that can effectively reach a mass audience. My website will be accessible and simple, people can learn as much or as little about these policies, can spend as much time as they want on this website whenever they desire, and can choose which component of this policy they would like to learn about. This user control will encourage interest and education.
Timeline
Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
All text Research: Completed by August 2008
Multimedia supplements to text research: August 08-January 09
Putting together website: January-May 2009
Finished Project: May 2009
Budget
Less than $100: transportation costs, miscellaneous
Advisors
Dr. Carrie Lew (School of Social Work) Awaiting Confirmation
Dr. Karen Sternheimer (Sociology) Awaiting Confirmation
Undecided (IML)
Presentation Plans/Venues
Final Presentation TBA by IML
Production Resources
Software Needs
Flash
Website
Digital camcorder
Video editing software
Presentation Needs
Computer, Internet
Prior Related Work
Previous Coursework:
Sociology 305, Sociology of Children
Social Work 304, Children and Families in Urban America
Research Bibliography
Whose Welfare?: Afdc and Elite Politics (Studies in Government and Public Policy)
by Steven M. Teles
American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare
by Jason DeParle
Jennice's Thesis Draft
Thesis Draft
Title: Marketing in Virtual World
Abstract
This project will be exploring marketing and promotional communication in virtual economy. As the world gets more widely connected with faster broadband network, virtual space is emerging as one of the fastest growing channels for marketing and promotional communications. Many big corporations like Krafts, Amercan Apparel and Walmart have recognized the opportunities in this new medium and attempted to generate new type of marketing buzz in virtual world such as Second Life. Although the virtual world economy is rapidly expanding and more people are entering into the cyberspace as avatars with cyber money to spend, only few companies have succeeded in their marketing approach. Also there hasn’t been a thorough study archiving the previous marketing attempts that have been made and summarizing the current trends. With these focus on mind, this project will explore the marketing and promotional communication in virtual world through using popular online space such as Second Life or There, and effective application of conventional marketing strategies as well as new approaches.
Description
Genre:
Interactive archive of past marketing communications made in virtual world. This archive will be available on-line with space for user feedbacks and discussion forum. Also a documentary film summarizing virtual marketing trends and suggesting a new type of effective marketing approaches in virtual world will be made. This documentary will be a combination of traditional and interactive forms.
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
In modern world, everything is about marketing. Companies put so their all possible effort into finding the most effective way of marketing communication. Nevertheless there hasn’t been a thorough study on this subject in conjunction with the virtual world. (There are a lot of studies done in terms of e-commerce, but not much on virtual world such as Second Life.) Obviously there has been a lot of buzz on media about this very new idea, but only few companies attempt to reach different type of consumer through this new approach. This research will be an informative and through study of marketing and promotional communication in virtual world not only for college students but also for anyone in marketing industry.
Timeline
-Final Thesis proposal: December 2007
-Collecting information, data, articles etc through secondary research: Throughout the study.
-Getting involved in and observing, experiencing virtual economy in Second Life: Throughout the study.
-Archive: September 2008
-Film: December 2008
-Finished Project: May 2009
Budget
Less than $500
Confirmed Advisors
Not Decided yet
Production Resources
Flash
Website
Second Life
Digital Camcorder
Video editing software
Presentation Needs
Networked computer
Screen and projector
Prior Related Work
Communication classes
Classes related to digital revolution
Marketing and advertising classes
Title: Marketing in Virtual World
Abstract
This project will be exploring marketing and promotional communication in virtual economy. As the world gets more widely connected with faster broadband network, virtual space is emerging as one of the fastest growing channels for marketing and promotional communications. Many big corporations like Krafts, Amercan Apparel and Walmart have recognized the opportunities in this new medium and attempted to generate new type of marketing buzz in virtual world such as Second Life. Although the virtual world economy is rapidly expanding and more people are entering into the cyberspace as avatars with cyber money to spend, only few companies have succeeded in their marketing approach. Also there hasn’t been a thorough study archiving the previous marketing attempts that have been made and summarizing the current trends. With these focus on mind, this project will explore the marketing and promotional communication in virtual world through using popular online space such as Second Life or There, and effective application of conventional marketing strategies as well as new approaches.
Description
Genre:
Interactive archive of past marketing communications made in virtual world. This archive will be available on-line with space for user feedbacks and discussion forum. Also a documentary film summarizing virtual marketing trends and suggesting a new type of effective marketing approaches in virtual world will be made. This documentary will be a combination of traditional and interactive forms.
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
In modern world, everything is about marketing. Companies put so their all possible effort into finding the most effective way of marketing communication. Nevertheless there hasn’t been a thorough study on this subject in conjunction with the virtual world. (There are a lot of studies done in terms of e-commerce, but not much on virtual world such as Second Life.) Obviously there has been a lot of buzz on media about this very new idea, but only few companies attempt to reach different type of consumer through this new approach. This research will be an informative and through study of marketing and promotional communication in virtual world not only for college students but also for anyone in marketing industry.
Timeline
-Final Thesis proposal: December 2007
-Collecting information, data, articles etc through secondary research: Throughout the study.
-Getting involved in and observing, experiencing virtual economy in Second Life: Throughout the study.
-Archive: September 2008
-Film: December 2008
-Finished Project: May 2009
Budget
Less than $500
Confirmed Advisors
Not Decided yet
Production Resources
Flash
Website
Second Life
Digital Camcorder
Video editing software
Presentation Needs
Networked computer
Screen and projector
Prior Related Work
Communication classes
Classes related to digital revolution
Marketing and advertising classes
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Noah Macinskas Thesis Proposal Mk2
Virtual Goods
Working Title
Project Abstract
~I am going to work on a project where I investigate virtual goods. I am going to research who buys them and why. Why are people willing to pay real money for virtual world goods that become useless if the user stops interacting in that virtual world?
Description
Definition of Project:
~The Project will be in the form of a Machinima Documentary. I am going to go into virtual worlds and interview users about virtual goods they buy in those worlds. The director of the documentary will be my avatar in the game. I am going to go into games such as WoW and virtual hangouts like Gaia Online ad vSide and interview users in those games as to why they buy virtual goods and what the meaning of them is. I want to know how the user sees virtual goods.
Description
Clear articulation of project goals:
~The project will be a machinima, because I am dealing with virtual goods in virtual worlds, so I want to film on site in the virtual world. Interviewing people in person gives a different response than interviewing them in character. I want to get in character, honest responses from users. I think that interviewing them in game will allow me to get more honest responses from them because they are in the environment at the time, and they are anonymous as well. I will ask users why they buy virtual goods and what sorts of goods they buy. I intend to find out what the actual reason is that users buy virtual goods, because right now the only documentation comes from designers interviewing other designers about what they think.
Description
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
~Virtual goods have become a very big business model in the gaming world, and quite a lot of academics have been looking into the psychology behind virtual goods. Many successful companies have been using virtual goods as their main income source, companies like Nexon, Three Rings and Sony. Because of companies like this, the topic is relevant outside of a university setting. Companies want to know why and how these business models work. This should also be important to the average reader, because they will be able to understand this new rising subculture and learn about the importance of virtual goods.
Timeline
~Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
~Preliminary research and Interviews: September 2008
~Rough Cut of Documentary: January 2009
~Finished Project: May 2009
Budget
~ One month subscription to MMOG: $15
~ Snapz program: $40
~ Miscellaneous costs: $45
Final Budget: $100
Confirmed Advisors
~Patricia Pizer (IMD)
~Undecided (IML)
Presentation Plans/Venues
~Final Presentation TBA by IML
~Released on YouTube at the culmination of project.
Production Resources
~ Software Needs:
~Snapz Pro
~Editing Software
~Games (variety)
Collaborators:
~Patricia Pizer
Presentation Needs:
~ DVD player
~Theater Setup
~Monitors
Prior Related Work
~Attended the Virtual Goods Summit in Palo Alto in June 2007.
Research Bibliography
~http://www.vgsummit.com/videos.php
~ videos from the virtual goods summit from June 2007 at Stanford University.
Working Title
Project Abstract
~I am going to work on a project where I investigate virtual goods. I am going to research who buys them and why. Why are people willing to pay real money for virtual world goods that become useless if the user stops interacting in that virtual world?
Description
Definition of Project:
~The Project will be in the form of a Machinima Documentary. I am going to go into virtual worlds and interview users about virtual goods they buy in those worlds. The director of the documentary will be my avatar in the game. I am going to go into games such as WoW and virtual hangouts like Gaia Online ad vSide and interview users in those games as to why they buy virtual goods and what the meaning of them is. I want to know how the user sees virtual goods.
Description
Clear articulation of project goals:
~The project will be a machinima, because I am dealing with virtual goods in virtual worlds, so I want to film on site in the virtual world. Interviewing people in person gives a different response than interviewing them in character. I want to get in character, honest responses from users. I think that interviewing them in game will allow me to get more honest responses from them because they are in the environment at the time, and they are anonymous as well. I will ask users why they buy virtual goods and what sorts of goods they buy. I intend to find out what the actual reason is that users buy virtual goods, because right now the only documentation comes from designers interviewing other designers about what they think.
Description
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
~Virtual goods have become a very big business model in the gaming world, and quite a lot of academics have been looking into the psychology behind virtual goods. Many successful companies have been using virtual goods as their main income source, companies like Nexon, Three Rings and Sony. Because of companies like this, the topic is relevant outside of a university setting. Companies want to know why and how these business models work. This should also be important to the average reader, because they will be able to understand this new rising subculture and learn about the importance of virtual goods.
Timeline
~Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
~Preliminary research and Interviews: September 2008
~Rough Cut of Documentary: January 2009
~Finished Project: May 2009
Budget
~ One month subscription to MMOG: $15
~ Snapz program: $40
~ Miscellaneous costs: $45
Final Budget: $100
Confirmed Advisors
~Patricia Pizer (IMD)
~Undecided (IML)
Presentation Plans/Venues
~Final Presentation TBA by IML
~Released on YouTube at the culmination of project.
Production Resources
~ Software Needs:
~Snapz Pro
~Editing Software
~Games (variety)
Collaborators:
~Patricia Pizer
Presentation Needs:
~ DVD player
~Theater Setup
~Monitors
Prior Related Work
~Attended the Virtual Goods Summit in Palo Alto in June 2007.
Research Bibliography
~http://www.vgsummit.com/videos.php
~ videos from the virtual goods summit from June 2007 at Stanford University.
Seth Gullion's Thesis Proposal: Take Two
Here's the latest version of my proposal. It may have gotten more wordy, but the words are STRONGER! ... I feel as if some of it is superfluous, but at the moment it I think it does a decent job of explaining what I see in my scattered thoughts. You may notice that I seem to have nothing really substantial concerning emoticons and the topic at large just yet... Which is because I'm only just starting to gather my initial research. I have a pile of interesting factoids right now, but nothing truly profound to say about them right now. That shall be remedied in short order. Also, I'm waiting on a few potential advisers' responses to some e-mails before I update the 'confirmed advisers' section... which has me slightly on edge. I'm probably just overreacting, however. o_O;;
See, I used one! ^ Right up there! Is it an upper and lower case 'O' with some random punctuation, or a nervous face with beads of sweat forming on the brow? That's interesting, right? That's worthy of a project, yes? AAAIIIIGGHH!!!
And now, in all seriousness, the proposal (please format...):
Mid-Term Thesis Project Proposal (Draft 2)
By Seth Gullion
I. Tentative Title: Webcomic Project
II. Abstract: This project will examine the use of emoticons and other symbols in written language, primarily in online communities and communications such as instant messaging, forums, and chat rooms. Several questions concerning this phenomenon will be posed by characters in a narrative format, posing and attempting to answer some of these inquiries as their story unfolds. The story will be told in webcomic format, with animations, audio components, and other features. In the end, the story will allow the audience to look at how symbols and icons are used in language in a new way, and generate interest as to how written language, pictures, and storytelling are evolving. A secondary goal of the project will be to question traditional methods of presenting information in scholarly ways, and attempt to create an experience that is simultaneously entertaining and intellectually stimulating.
III. Description:
1. Definition of the Project:
A. Genre: Narrative, with documentary and argumentative elements throughout.
B. Research Methodology: The story will analyze multiple perspectives concerning the topic, synthesize pre-existing ideas and expand upon them,
C. Delivery Format: The project will exist as a website, including the story and a space for the audience to comment and discuss its contents.
2. Articulation of Project Goals: As a creative writing major, the most important goal will be for the narrative to be interesting and entertaining. This project will be capable of standing alone as an interesting read, with compelling characters, humor, and evident care apparent in the artwork. The success of the project will depend on my abilities as a storyteller first and foremost: dedication and pride in its crafting will be what separates it from a standard 50 page thesis paper. My greatest goal is to create a visually interesting work of art capable of being taken seriously as academically valid. Of course, in order for this to be accomplished, the topic I’ve chosen must be diligently researched. In something so seemingly trivial as emoticons in an instant message conversation, there lies a form of communication that is simultaneously ancient and new, and can offer insight into how the human mind functions. This project will make the audience take a step back and think about how we form meaning out of seemingly nonsensical lines and symbols. If I can get a handful of readers to think about text, images, sound, and color differently, the project will be a success.
3. Project’s Significance within Contemporary Scholarship: I see this project primarily as being a tool for thinking differently about storytelling, language, and communication. One of this project’s greatest inspirations, Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, essentially a textbook in comic form, while recognized as an important work, is essentially still a rarity in academia. The number of scholarly works in a format other than simple text is astoundingly small; the number that exist in an electronic format is even smaller. The tools available to students and teachers today are astounding in their power and potential: this project will be another step in a new direction for scholarship. It takes a great deal of discipline for me to sit down and slog through endless pages of text, especially if the subject matter does not strike me as particularly interesting, and yet when presented with a thick graphic novel I happily devour page after page. If we all learn in different ways, then surely alternatives to essays and textbooks could prove just as effective an academic tool? As for the topic of the project’s focus, there is a wealth of information on the significance and evolution of symbols and icons in society; the story I will construct will examine this information, and through the protagonist’s journey several questions will emerge. Is text the ultimate form of communication? Are pictures truly worth a thousand words, or do they simply complicate efforts to express meaning? Are icons the closest thing we have to a universal language? Questions such as these are important to students, teachers, advertisers, and society at large.
IV. Timeline: By the end of this semester, I will have prototype pages of the introductory sequence of the story. The main characters are already conceptualized: final sketches, and rough storyboards will be complete by the start of the 2008 spring semester. During the spring semester the bulk of my research will be completed, as well as learning how to create a website. Over the summer I will continue to gain mastery of the programs required of the project. Finally, senior year will see the creation of the comic, in full glorious color, from final storyboarding and animatics to posting the finished product online.
V. Budget: Outside of the labs, I already own Flash 8, so the only foreseeable things I would need to spend additional money on would be Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator if I wanted to work on them when I do not have access to the labs, and space for the website when the project is near completion. At the moment, I cannot place an estimate, but seeing as how money is certainly a precious resource for me, I would like to attempt to spend as little money as I can manage while still making a compelling project.
VI. To be updated soon.
VII. Presentation Distribution Plans: I will provide a link to the project on several of the online communities I regularly visit, and present the project to as many people that I can manage. Hopefully a stream of curious readers will spread a good word, encouraging more traffic to the site. Periodic updates will encourage readers to return for more, an aspect of online comics that is particularly effective, especially if the material is compelling.
VIII. Prior Related Work: Many short stories for my writing workshop classes have gone over very well; my potential as a storyteller is certainly there. My solo performance monologue under the instruction of Eric Trules also comes to mind when considering my past attempts at telling a story. However, not since I was a little boy have I attempted to construct a stand alone comic book, and this will be my first foray into the realm of webcomics. Intimidating? Perhaps. Exciting? Most certainly.
IX. I’ll be using material from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, and Will Eisner’s Comics and Sequential Art. Many more sources, concerning icons, symbols, and the evolution of written language, will of course come into play once research begins in earnest. However, I must first understand my chosen primary medium, and the above works are proving invaluable.
See, I used one! ^ Right up there! Is it an upper and lower case 'O' with some random punctuation, or a nervous face with beads of sweat forming on the brow? That's interesting, right? That's worthy of a project, yes? AAAIIIIGGHH!!!
And now, in all seriousness, the proposal (please format...):
Mid-Term Thesis Project Proposal (Draft 2)
By Seth Gullion
I. Tentative Title: Webcomic Project
II. Abstract: This project will examine the use of emoticons and other symbols in written language, primarily in online communities and communications such as instant messaging, forums, and chat rooms. Several questions concerning this phenomenon will be posed by characters in a narrative format, posing and attempting to answer some of these inquiries as their story unfolds. The story will be told in webcomic format, with animations, audio components, and other features. In the end, the story will allow the audience to look at how symbols and icons are used in language in a new way, and generate interest as to how written language, pictures, and storytelling are evolving. A secondary goal of the project will be to question traditional methods of presenting information in scholarly ways, and attempt to create an experience that is simultaneously entertaining and intellectually stimulating.
III. Description:
1. Definition of the Project:
A. Genre: Narrative, with documentary and argumentative elements throughout.
B. Research Methodology: The story will analyze multiple perspectives concerning the topic, synthesize pre-existing ideas and expand upon them,
C. Delivery Format: The project will exist as a website, including the story and a space for the audience to comment and discuss its contents.
2. Articulation of Project Goals: As a creative writing major, the most important goal will be for the narrative to be interesting and entertaining. This project will be capable of standing alone as an interesting read, with compelling characters, humor, and evident care apparent in the artwork. The success of the project will depend on my abilities as a storyteller first and foremost: dedication and pride in its crafting will be what separates it from a standard 50 page thesis paper. My greatest goal is to create a visually interesting work of art capable of being taken seriously as academically valid. Of course, in order for this to be accomplished, the topic I’ve chosen must be diligently researched. In something so seemingly trivial as emoticons in an instant message conversation, there lies a form of communication that is simultaneously ancient and new, and can offer insight into how the human mind functions. This project will make the audience take a step back and think about how we form meaning out of seemingly nonsensical lines and symbols. If I can get a handful of readers to think about text, images, sound, and color differently, the project will be a success.
3. Project’s Significance within Contemporary Scholarship: I see this project primarily as being a tool for thinking differently about storytelling, language, and communication. One of this project’s greatest inspirations, Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, essentially a textbook in comic form, while recognized as an important work, is essentially still a rarity in academia. The number of scholarly works in a format other than simple text is astoundingly small; the number that exist in an electronic format is even smaller. The tools available to students and teachers today are astounding in their power and potential: this project will be another step in a new direction for scholarship. It takes a great deal of discipline for me to sit down and slog through endless pages of text, especially if the subject matter does not strike me as particularly interesting, and yet when presented with a thick graphic novel I happily devour page after page. If we all learn in different ways, then surely alternatives to essays and textbooks could prove just as effective an academic tool? As for the topic of the project’s focus, there is a wealth of information on the significance and evolution of symbols and icons in society; the story I will construct will examine this information, and through the protagonist’s journey several questions will emerge. Is text the ultimate form of communication? Are pictures truly worth a thousand words, or do they simply complicate efforts to express meaning? Are icons the closest thing we have to a universal language? Questions such as these are important to students, teachers, advertisers, and society at large.
IV. Timeline: By the end of this semester, I will have prototype pages of the introductory sequence of the story. The main characters are already conceptualized: final sketches, and rough storyboards will be complete by the start of the 2008 spring semester. During the spring semester the bulk of my research will be completed, as well as learning how to create a website. Over the summer I will continue to gain mastery of the programs required of the project. Finally, senior year will see the creation of the comic, in full glorious color, from final storyboarding and animatics to posting the finished product online.
V. Budget: Outside of the labs, I already own Flash 8, so the only foreseeable things I would need to spend additional money on would be Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator if I wanted to work on them when I do not have access to the labs, and space for the website when the project is near completion. At the moment, I cannot place an estimate, but seeing as how money is certainly a precious resource for me, I would like to attempt to spend as little money as I can manage while still making a compelling project.
VI. To be updated soon.
VII. Presentation Distribution Plans: I will provide a link to the project on several of the online communities I regularly visit, and present the project to as many people that I can manage. Hopefully a stream of curious readers will spread a good word, encouraging more traffic to the site. Periodic updates will encourage readers to return for more, an aspect of online comics that is particularly effective, especially if the material is compelling.
VIII. Prior Related Work: Many short stories for my writing workshop classes have gone over very well; my potential as a storyteller is certainly there. My solo performance monologue under the instruction of Eric Trules also comes to mind when considering my past attempts at telling a story. However, not since I was a little boy have I attempted to construct a stand alone comic book, and this will be my first foray into the realm of webcomics. Intimidating? Perhaps. Exciting? Most certainly.
IX. I’ll be using material from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, and Will Eisner’s Comics and Sequential Art. Many more sources, concerning icons, symbols, and the evolution of written language, will of course come into play once research begins in earnest. However, I must first understand my chosen primary medium, and the above works are proving invaluable.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
John Visclosky's Revised Thesis Proposal
John Visclosky
11/8/07
IML 346
IML 346 Midterm Thesis Proposal Outline
I. Creative Politics: Viewing Serialized, Web-Based Storylines as a Political Forum
II. Mad-Lib Abstract: “I am exploring web-launched, serialized storylines—otherwise known as webisodes—in order to discover how the technical and narrative characteristics of such artistic endeavors can be used to propound political rhetoric, so that I can demonstrate the capacity of such stories to illuminate culturally divisive issues, and in so doing, provide a forum in which they can be honestly and even-handedly discussed.
III. Description: “Through my thesis project, I’m trying to gain an understanding of web-launched, serialized storylines as both a creative art form, and a political device. Mini, serialized webisodes offer all the advantages of a syndicated television show with few of the drawbacks. They are a creative medium in which you can continually examine and reexamine the stories and interactions of a select number of fictional characters. In other words, webisodes surpass films in their capacity for emotional and creative depth simply by offering the possibility to emotionally probe and explore your characters an infinite number of times rather than once. Unlike a television series however, webisodes are unconstrained by pesky running times (they can be 3-5 minutes rather than 23), and censorship.
Webisodes are also a great medium through which to explore and learn about political theory. By reaching a large spectrum of people from all manner of background, they naturally encourage cooperation, or at the very least, begrudged co-existence, between many different sorts of individuals. By forcing them to deal with issues that are at the forefront of America’s contemporary political landscape, it might also be possible to encourage discussion of said issues. My series will deal with homosexuality, immigration, the modern workplace, contemporary ideas about courtship and marriage, and healthcare, all within a form that is funny, delectable, and hopefully quite palatable.
Webisodes are an interesting creature. You have to create characters that are entertaining in only five minutes, yet who will have enough creative life to be sustained over a long overall period of time. They have to leave the viewers wanting more, but never unsatisfied. It is a difficult balance to strike, one which poses significant challenges in writing, editing, and performance. I want to discover firsthand, precisely how an artist might go about creating such characters, and such environments.
In the creation of these webisodes, I want to help my viewers understand how this mode of entertainment can be used to encourage political debate. If they are forced to confront these issues in a form that is creative and entertaining, then they might be more inclined to think about and discuss them. Or they might just completely ignore them and enjoy my webisodes as entertainment for entertainment’s sake. Who can tell?
1. Definition of Project:
a) The webisodes as a whole will comprise a series known as “The Reunion,” and will revolve around the different members of a family who are all meeting for one weekend at an annual family reunion. It will be shot in a faux-documentary style. In other words, the different episodes will be created in such a way that viewers could take them to be an actual record of real people. Each episode will include documentary-style interviews, shaky-hand-held camerawork, and an improvisational script. All successful webisodes share a few common characteristics. They are mostly all comedic, with a quirky, off-color sense of humor. They have archetypical characters such as the normal guy, the stupid person, the annoying one, and, surprisingly enough, the slutty girl. They are all under five minutes in length, and they are jam-packed with jokes. And they all have a main dramatic thread, one single story arc that drives the entire season. As such, I tried to create a story that would include all these elements while elaborating upon them. The main character in “The Reunion,” is Ben, the normal guy who hates his job because he seems to be the only one who notices how stupid all of his coworkers are. There is lots of rather raunchy, off-color humor, and a stupid character as well as the token annoying guy from work, Dave. The main dramatic thread of the entire series will be Ben’s attempted love affair with a girl named Jen, who he sees for the first time in 10 years at the family reunion. As we watch Ben try to win back the girl of his dreams, we will be entertained by various other family members and their individual story arcs. One cousin will be struggling with how to come out to his family, another will be contemplating marriage to a recent immigrant from Mexico who doesn’t speak English, and yet another will try to reconcile working at a dead-end career merely because it pays well.
b) The whole point of this project is to synthesize pre-existing characteristics shared by successful webisode series, and combine them to create a popular story. Webisodes are so interesting because, as wikipedia puts it, they are a “form of new media that characteristically features a dramatic, serial storyline, and where the primary method of viewership is streaming online over the Internet.” Anyone, anywhere, at anytime can watch and get enjoyment from them.
c) Delivery Format: The webisodes will be posted and presented on a website I will additionally be keeping a blog to detail the process of creating “The Reunion.”
2. This project covers the creation of a webisode series from every angle of the creative process, providing an inside view of what it is like to create such content. It must be realized in multimedia simply because of the amount of supplemental material required to augment each episode. There have to be written materials, and photographs, all of which must be incorporated within a website as a way of structuring and delineating them. The viewer should not only be entertained, but also come away with an understanding of the amount and type of work that goes into the creation of such a series. What makes this project so academically valuable is it’s ability to instruct on not only the creative process, but also the political landscape of contemporary America. Like it or not, the issues dealt with in “The Reunion” are the issues at the forefront of modern American politics. And, it might be a good idea for some of us to start paying attention.
3. By detailing the creation of a webisode series from inception to completion, this project not only creates a forum for future research on the topic, but also promotes discussion concerning the double-edged sword that is the compromise between creativity and politicizing. By examining and appropriating techniques used in successful webisode series, it will additionally help to annotate and criticize pre-existing works of art already circulating on the Internet. Because of its eventual placement on the web, it will be useful in not only teaching students at USC, but interested viewers anywhere around the globe.
IV. Timeline
11/1/07 – Have first webisode, “Ben,” edited and ready, including all supplementary materials (original script, director’s commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, production stills, and making-of video)
11/30/07 – Have web site venue selected and prepared
12/31/07 – Have second webisode created, along with all supplementary materials
2/28/08 – Have third webisode edited, polished, and ready to go, including all supplementary materials
3/1/08 – Post first webisode on YouTube, along with outtakes
3/15/098 – Advertise webisode series through connections on social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace
3/30/08 – Post second webisode on YouTube, including outtakes
4/20/08 – Create fourth webisode
5/30/08 – Launch website with first two videos and all corresponding supplementary materials included
6/30/08 – Have third video and all supplementary materials posted
7/30/08 – Shoot and edit fifth and sixth episodes
8/30/08 – Post fourth segment and all supplementary materials
9/15/08 – Post fifth episode and all supplementary materials
9/30/08 – Shoot seventh episode, and post sixth webisode, along with any supplementary items
10/15/08 – Post seventh episode and supplementary materials
10/30/08 – Shoot and post eighth episode
11/15/08 – Shoot and post ninth episode
12/1/08 – Shoot and post tenth and final(?) episode of the season
V. Budget: The first episode cost roughly $50 dollars to produce, so the total production budget should be somewhere around $500 dollars. Depending on the cost of website production and upkeep, the total budget could oscillate anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000 dollars. Even with grants however, I’m not prepared to pay upwards of $2,000.
VI. Advisors: Steve Anderson, Robert Ballo, Kenny Hall, and David Maquiling.
VII. Presentation and Distribution Plans: As stated, I plan to initially release the series on YouTube while simultaneously promoting it on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. After this, I plan to post the whole series on a personal website with an accompanying blog that will be advertised on the site. After the conclusion of the first season of “The Reunion,” depending on budget concerns and viewer interest, I will make the entire series available on DVD. I’m also planning to compile the separate episodes into a feature-length film and send that off to different film festivals.
VIII. Production Resources and Required Hardware: I will require website writing software, word programs, Final Cut Pro, a DV camera, DV tapes, actors, producers, cameramen, props, and DVDs.
IX. Prior related work: I have over 20 short films under my belt, including two that won awards at the Montgomery County Media Festival back in high school. I also have an extensive writing background, having written hundreds of poems, dozens of short stories, 12 screenplays, and one (albeit short) novel.
X. Research Bibliography: http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=8857&reviewer=198
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_vs_blue/
http://rvb.roosterteeth.com/home.php
http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/05/campus_ladies_oxygen_sitcom_dropped.php
http://www.machinima.com/film/view&id=275
http://mashable.com/2007/05/14/vmix-ifc/
http://www.vmix.com/ifctv
http://www.tilzy.tv/GettingAwayWithMurder
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=42833
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33337
http://www.oxygen.com/campusladies/
http://www.tv.com/campus-ladies/show/35733/summary.html
11/8/07
IML 346
IML 346 Midterm Thesis Proposal Outline
I. Creative Politics: Viewing Serialized, Web-Based Storylines as a Political Forum
II. Mad-Lib Abstract: “I am exploring web-launched, serialized storylines—otherwise known as webisodes—in order to discover how the technical and narrative characteristics of such artistic endeavors can be used to propound political rhetoric, so that I can demonstrate the capacity of such stories to illuminate culturally divisive issues, and in so doing, provide a forum in which they can be honestly and even-handedly discussed.
III. Description: “Through my thesis project, I’m trying to gain an understanding of web-launched, serialized storylines as both a creative art form, and a political device. Mini, serialized webisodes offer all the advantages of a syndicated television show with few of the drawbacks. They are a creative medium in which you can continually examine and reexamine the stories and interactions of a select number of fictional characters. In other words, webisodes surpass films in their capacity for emotional and creative depth simply by offering the possibility to emotionally probe and explore your characters an infinite number of times rather than once. Unlike a television series however, webisodes are unconstrained by pesky running times (they can be 3-5 minutes rather than 23), and censorship.
Webisodes are also a great medium through which to explore and learn about political theory. By reaching a large spectrum of people from all manner of background, they naturally encourage cooperation, or at the very least, begrudged co-existence, between many different sorts of individuals. By forcing them to deal with issues that are at the forefront of America’s contemporary political landscape, it might also be possible to encourage discussion of said issues. My series will deal with homosexuality, immigration, the modern workplace, contemporary ideas about courtship and marriage, and healthcare, all within a form that is funny, delectable, and hopefully quite palatable.
Webisodes are an interesting creature. You have to create characters that are entertaining in only five minutes, yet who will have enough creative life to be sustained over a long overall period of time. They have to leave the viewers wanting more, but never unsatisfied. It is a difficult balance to strike, one which poses significant challenges in writing, editing, and performance. I want to discover firsthand, precisely how an artist might go about creating such characters, and such environments.
In the creation of these webisodes, I want to help my viewers understand how this mode of entertainment can be used to encourage political debate. If they are forced to confront these issues in a form that is creative and entertaining, then they might be more inclined to think about and discuss them. Or they might just completely ignore them and enjoy my webisodes as entertainment for entertainment’s sake. Who can tell?
1. Definition of Project:
a) The webisodes as a whole will comprise a series known as “The Reunion,” and will revolve around the different members of a family who are all meeting for one weekend at an annual family reunion. It will be shot in a faux-documentary style. In other words, the different episodes will be created in such a way that viewers could take them to be an actual record of real people. Each episode will include documentary-style interviews, shaky-hand-held camerawork, and an improvisational script. All successful webisodes share a few common characteristics. They are mostly all comedic, with a quirky, off-color sense of humor. They have archetypical characters such as the normal guy, the stupid person, the annoying one, and, surprisingly enough, the slutty girl. They are all under five minutes in length, and they are jam-packed with jokes. And they all have a main dramatic thread, one single story arc that drives the entire season. As such, I tried to create a story that would include all these elements while elaborating upon them. The main character in “The Reunion,” is Ben, the normal guy who hates his job because he seems to be the only one who notices how stupid all of his coworkers are. There is lots of rather raunchy, off-color humor, and a stupid character as well as the token annoying guy from work, Dave. The main dramatic thread of the entire series will be Ben’s attempted love affair with a girl named Jen, who he sees for the first time in 10 years at the family reunion. As we watch Ben try to win back the girl of his dreams, we will be entertained by various other family members and their individual story arcs. One cousin will be struggling with how to come out to his family, another will be contemplating marriage to a recent immigrant from Mexico who doesn’t speak English, and yet another will try to reconcile working at a dead-end career merely because it pays well.
b) The whole point of this project is to synthesize pre-existing characteristics shared by successful webisode series, and combine them to create a popular story. Webisodes are so interesting because, as wikipedia puts it, they are a “form of new media that characteristically features a dramatic, serial storyline, and where the primary method of viewership is streaming online over the Internet.” Anyone, anywhere, at anytime can watch and get enjoyment from them.
c) Delivery Format: The webisodes will be posted and presented on a website I will additionally be keeping a blog to detail the process of creating “The Reunion.”
2. This project covers the creation of a webisode series from every angle of the creative process, providing an inside view of what it is like to create such content. It must be realized in multimedia simply because of the amount of supplemental material required to augment each episode. There have to be written materials, and photographs, all of which must be incorporated within a website as a way of structuring and delineating them. The viewer should not only be entertained, but also come away with an understanding of the amount and type of work that goes into the creation of such a series. What makes this project so academically valuable is it’s ability to instruct on not only the creative process, but also the political landscape of contemporary America. Like it or not, the issues dealt with in “The Reunion” are the issues at the forefront of modern American politics. And, it might be a good idea for some of us to start paying attention.
3. By detailing the creation of a webisode series from inception to completion, this project not only creates a forum for future research on the topic, but also promotes discussion concerning the double-edged sword that is the compromise between creativity and politicizing. By examining and appropriating techniques used in successful webisode series, it will additionally help to annotate and criticize pre-existing works of art already circulating on the Internet. Because of its eventual placement on the web, it will be useful in not only teaching students at USC, but interested viewers anywhere around the globe.
IV. Timeline
11/1/07 – Have first webisode, “Ben,” edited and ready, including all supplementary materials (original script, director’s commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, production stills, and making-of video)
11/30/07 – Have web site venue selected and prepared
12/31/07 – Have second webisode created, along with all supplementary materials
2/28/08 – Have third webisode edited, polished, and ready to go, including all supplementary materials
3/1/08 – Post first webisode on YouTube, along with outtakes
3/15/098 – Advertise webisode series through connections on social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace
3/30/08 – Post second webisode on YouTube, including outtakes
4/20/08 – Create fourth webisode
5/30/08 – Launch website with first two videos and all corresponding supplementary materials included
6/30/08 – Have third video and all supplementary materials posted
7/30/08 – Shoot and edit fifth and sixth episodes
8/30/08 – Post fourth segment and all supplementary materials
9/15/08 – Post fifth episode and all supplementary materials
9/30/08 – Shoot seventh episode, and post sixth webisode, along with any supplementary items
10/15/08 – Post seventh episode and supplementary materials
10/30/08 – Shoot and post eighth episode
11/15/08 – Shoot and post ninth episode
12/1/08 – Shoot and post tenth and final(?) episode of the season
V. Budget: The first episode cost roughly $50 dollars to produce, so the total production budget should be somewhere around $500 dollars. Depending on the cost of website production and upkeep, the total budget could oscillate anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000 dollars. Even with grants however, I’m not prepared to pay upwards of $2,000.
VI. Advisors: Steve Anderson, Robert Ballo, Kenny Hall, and David Maquiling.
VII. Presentation and Distribution Plans: As stated, I plan to initially release the series on YouTube while simultaneously promoting it on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. After this, I plan to post the whole series on a personal website with an accompanying blog that will be advertised on the site. After the conclusion of the first season of “The Reunion,” depending on budget concerns and viewer interest, I will make the entire series available on DVD. I’m also planning to compile the separate episodes into a feature-length film and send that off to different film festivals.
VIII. Production Resources and Required Hardware: I will require website writing software, word programs, Final Cut Pro, a DV camera, DV tapes, actors, producers, cameramen, props, and DVDs.
IX. Prior related work: I have over 20 short films under my belt, including two that won awards at the Montgomery County Media Festival back in high school. I also have an extensive writing background, having written hundreds of poems, dozens of short stories, 12 screenplays, and one (albeit short) novel.
X. Research Bibliography: http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=8857&reviewer=198
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_vs_blue/
http://rvb.roosterteeth.com/home.php
http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/05/campus_ladies_oxygen_sitcom_dropped.php
http://www.machinima.com/film/view&id=275
http://mashable.com/2007/05/14/vmix-ifc/
http://www.vmix.com/ifctv
http://www.tilzy.tv/GettingAwayWithMurder
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=42833
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33337
http://www.oxygen.com/campusladies/
http://www.tv.com/campus-ladies/show/35733/summary.html
Julie Davidson's Thesis Proposal
I. TITLE: Mocumentary: Film School, Then and Now.
II. ABSTRACT: I want to create an amusing mock-documentary that will educate incoming production students about things they might need to know at USC’s film school. I would like to sneak a little history about the film industry in as well as address common film student questions. See project goals for more in-depth of a description.
III. DESCRIPTION:
Genre – Film Mock Documentary
Methodology – Original short film (10-15 min), possibly intended for exhibition to incoming USC film students.
Delivery Format – DVD or miniDV tape.
2. Project Goals – There is a lot about film school that they expect us to know but never directly teach us. Some things I personally agree are better learned through experience. The goal of this film would be to educate incoming students with a few key words and phrases commonly used on sets AND to help explain where the phrases came from. The final product would have a lot more to it, this is a bare bones description.
Like the numerous books titled “What they don’t teach you in film school,” I want this film to teach a few tips along the lines of “what they don’t teach you before you get to film school.” Those books teach about post-film school. I want this documentary to touch on that, but primarily give pointers on how to handle USC film school.
I would interview several current and recent grads about their experience and what they would have wanted to know while in school. Taking these stories, I would write a script that attempts to target those issues and ideas. That way it would answer questions for as many students as possible, from as many different walks of life as possible. The interviews would be for research purposes only, they would not be filmed so they would not appear in the final mock-documentary product. That would be all scripted.
3. Project Significance – Film is a hard major that requires a lot of on-the-fly learning and the ability to pick up small things quickly. I would hope this video can focus incoming students onto that reality so they are prepared and ready for the fast paced nature of their major.
IV. TIMELINE:
Key Deadlines:
• Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
• First Draft of Script: February 2008
• Final Draft of Script: December 2008
• Wrap Filming: Approximately end of February 2009
• First Cut: April 2009
• Premier: May 2009
General Timeline:
• Spring ’08 – IML 444
o Interviews and Research
o Finish draft of Screenplay
o Apply for funding (grants etc.)
o Start discussion with the film school about showing my video to incoming students
o Start and finish as many Pre-Production needs
• Fall ’08 - Abroad
o Finish drafting screenplay
o Continue research overseas and through email
o Continue pre-production, with more of a cinematographic and directorial focus
• Spring ’09 – IML 444
o Finish Pre-Production
o Production phase early in the semester (4 week / weekend to film)
o Post-Production (editing etc.)
o Premier at the end of the semester
V. BUDGET: Ideally, with funding, between $20,000 - $65,000. Can downsize if the ideal funding does not come through.
VI. ADVISORS: Unknown.
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: Through USC for their incoming Film Production students.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES:
• I have editing programs (on my laptop and through the IML labs)
• Locations would be primarily USC locations
• Need:
o Lights, etc. grip equipment
o If proper funding, film camera equipment
o Costumes and production design resources
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I made several mocumentaries in High School and am a Film major.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY:
• My own experiences.
• Will discuss with other students.
II. ABSTRACT: I want to create an amusing mock-documentary that will educate incoming production students about things they might need to know at USC’s film school. I would like to sneak a little history about the film industry in as well as address common film student questions. See project goals for more in-depth of a description.
III. DESCRIPTION:
Genre – Film Mock Documentary
Methodology – Original short film (10-15 min), possibly intended for exhibition to incoming USC film students.
Delivery Format – DVD or miniDV tape.
2. Project Goals – There is a lot about film school that they expect us to know but never directly teach us. Some things I personally agree are better learned through experience. The goal of this film would be to educate incoming students with a few key words and phrases commonly used on sets AND to help explain where the phrases came from. The final product would have a lot more to it, this is a bare bones description.
Like the numerous books titled “What they don’t teach you in film school,” I want this film to teach a few tips along the lines of “what they don’t teach you before you get to film school.” Those books teach about post-film school. I want this documentary to touch on that, but primarily give pointers on how to handle USC film school.
I would interview several current and recent grads about their experience and what they would have wanted to know while in school. Taking these stories, I would write a script that attempts to target those issues and ideas. That way it would answer questions for as many students as possible, from as many different walks of life as possible. The interviews would be for research purposes only, they would not be filmed so they would not appear in the final mock-documentary product. That would be all scripted.
3. Project Significance – Film is a hard major that requires a lot of on-the-fly learning and the ability to pick up small things quickly. I would hope this video can focus incoming students onto that reality so they are prepared and ready for the fast paced nature of their major.
IV. TIMELINE:
Key Deadlines:
• Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
• First Draft of Script: February 2008
• Final Draft of Script: December 2008
• Wrap Filming: Approximately end of February 2009
• First Cut: April 2009
• Premier: May 2009
General Timeline:
• Spring ’08 – IML 444
o Interviews and Research
o Finish draft of Screenplay
o Apply for funding (grants etc.)
o Start discussion with the film school about showing my video to incoming students
o Start and finish as many Pre-Production needs
• Fall ’08 - Abroad
o Finish drafting screenplay
o Continue research overseas and through email
o Continue pre-production, with more of a cinematographic and directorial focus
• Spring ’09 – IML 444
o Finish Pre-Production
o Production phase early in the semester (4 week / weekend to film)
o Post-Production (editing etc.)
o Premier at the end of the semester
V. BUDGET: Ideally, with funding, between $20,000 - $65,000. Can downsize if the ideal funding does not come through.
VI. ADVISORS: Unknown.
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: Through USC for their incoming Film Production students.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES:
• I have editing programs (on my laptop and through the IML labs)
• Locations would be primarily USC locations
• Need:
o Lights, etc. grip equipment
o If proper funding, film camera equipment
o Costumes and production design resources
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I made several mocumentaries in High School and am a Film major.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY:
• My own experiences.
• Will discuss with other students.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Jennice Lee's Thesis Proposal
Title
Marketing in Virtual World
(Thinking about a better title that describes the concept I will be elaborating)
Abstract
This project will be exploring marketing and promotional communication in virtual economy. As the world gets more widely connected with faster broadband network, virtual space is emerging as one of the fastest growing channels for marketing and promotional communications. Many big companies like Krafts, Amercan Apparel and Walmart have recognized the opportunities in the new medium and attempted to generate new type of marketing buzz in virtual world such as Second Life. Although the virtual world economy is rapidly expanding and more people are entering into the cyberspace as avatars with cyber money to spend, only few companies have succeeded in their marketing approach. Also there hasn’t been a thorough study archiving the previous marketing attempts that have been made so far and summarizing the trends. With these focus on mind, I would like to explore the marketing and promotional communication in virtual world through using popular online space such as Second Life or There, and effective application of conventional marketing strategies as well as new approaches.
Description
Genre:
I still haven’t figured out the most appropriate medium to convey my thesis. But ultimately I want to create an interactive archive of marketing approaches that have been used so far in virtual world. Also I want to create a documentary film summarizing virtual marketing trends and suggesting a new type of effective marketing approaches in virtual world.
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
Everything is about marketing. All companies put so much effort into finding the most effective way of marketing themselves. Nevertheless there hasn’t been a thorough study on this subject in conjunction with the virtual world. (There are a lot of studies done in terms of e-commerce, but not much on virtual world such as Second Life.) Obviously there has been a lot of buzz on media about this very new idea, and few companies are trying to reach different type of consumer through this new approach. This research will be an informative and through study of marketing and promotional communication in virtual world not only for college students but also for anyone in marketing industry.
Timeline
-Final Thesis proposal: December 2007
-Collecting information, data, articles etc through secondary research: Throughout the study.
-Getting involved in and observing, experiencing virtual economy in Second Life: Throughout the study.
-Archive: September 2008
-Film: December 2008
-Finished Project: May 2009
Budget
Not sure, but less than $500Confirmed
Advisors
Still working on it
Production Resources
Flash
Website
Second Life
Unknown.. not sure..
Presentation Needs
Networked computer
Screen and projector
Prior Related Work
Communication classes
Classes related to digital revolution
Marketing and advertising classes
Research Bibliography
Started to create my own archive
Marketing in Virtual World
(Thinking about a better title that describes the concept I will be elaborating)
Abstract
This project will be exploring marketing and promotional communication in virtual economy. As the world gets more widely connected with faster broadband network, virtual space is emerging as one of the fastest growing channels for marketing and promotional communications. Many big companies like Krafts, Amercan Apparel and Walmart have recognized the opportunities in the new medium and attempted to generate new type of marketing buzz in virtual world such as Second Life. Although the virtual world economy is rapidly expanding and more people are entering into the cyberspace as avatars with cyber money to spend, only few companies have succeeded in their marketing approach. Also there hasn’t been a thorough study archiving the previous marketing attempts that have been made so far and summarizing the trends. With these focus on mind, I would like to explore the marketing and promotional communication in virtual world through using popular online space such as Second Life or There, and effective application of conventional marketing strategies as well as new approaches.
Description
Genre:
I still haven’t figured out the most appropriate medium to convey my thesis. But ultimately I want to create an interactive archive of marketing approaches that have been used so far in virtual world. Also I want to create a documentary film summarizing virtual marketing trends and suggesting a new type of effective marketing approaches in virtual world.
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
Everything is about marketing. All companies put so much effort into finding the most effective way of marketing themselves. Nevertheless there hasn’t been a thorough study on this subject in conjunction with the virtual world. (There are a lot of studies done in terms of e-commerce, but not much on virtual world such as Second Life.) Obviously there has been a lot of buzz on media about this very new idea, and few companies are trying to reach different type of consumer through this new approach. This research will be an informative and through study of marketing and promotional communication in virtual world not only for college students but also for anyone in marketing industry.
Timeline
-Final Thesis proposal: December 2007
-Collecting information, data, articles etc through secondary research: Throughout the study.
-Getting involved in and observing, experiencing virtual economy in Second Life: Throughout the study.
-Archive: September 2008
-Film: December 2008
-Finished Project: May 2009
Budget
Not sure, but less than $500Confirmed
Advisors
Still working on it
Production Resources
Flash
Website
Second Life
Unknown.. not sure..
Presentation Needs
Networked computer
Screen and projector
Prior Related Work
Communication classes
Classes related to digital revolution
Marketing and advertising classes
Research Bibliography
Started to create my own archive
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Noah Macinskas's Thesis Proposal
Virtual Goods
Working Title
Project Abstract
• I want to work on a project where I investigate virtual goods. I want to research who buys them and why. Why are people willing to pay real money for virtual world goods that become useless if the user stops interacting in that virtual world?
Description
Definition of Project:
• The project will probably be a game that uses research from first hand sources including debates, journals and reviews. The delivery will be in the form of a game(probably). Also, now thinking of doing a machinima where I interview people using virtual goods.
Description
Clear articulation of project goals:
• I think that the project should be in the form of a game because virtual goods are most often seen in games. The player should be able to understand the reasons behind why people buy and use virtual goods. Either that or a machinima where I interview people who actually experience these goods and interact with them.
Description
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
• Virtual goods are a hot topic in today’s MMO environments. Many company’s business models are centered around the production of virtual goods (i.e. Nexon, Hot or Not, vSide etc.) This research should be able to reach people outside the university, because many of the people interested in Virtual Goods are not in university.
Timeline
• Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
• Game Design Doc: September 2008
• Game Prototype: January 2009
• Finished Project: May 2009
Budget
• Hopefully less than $500.
Confirmed Advisors
• Patricia Pizer (IMD)
• Undecided (IML)
Presentation Plans/Venues
• I dunno.
Production Resources
• Software Needs:
• Torque Game Builder
• Games (variety)
Collaborators:
• Patricia Pizer
• Peter Brinson
• Perry Hoberman?
Presentation Needs:
• Networked Computers
• Possibly more…
• Monitors
Prior Related Work
• Attended the Virtual Goods Summit in Palo Alto in June 2007.
Research Bibliography
• http://www.vgsummit.com/videos.php
• videos from the virtual goods summit from June 2007 at Stanford University.
Working Title
Project Abstract
• I want to work on a project where I investigate virtual goods. I want to research who buys them and why. Why are people willing to pay real money for virtual world goods that become useless if the user stops interacting in that virtual world?
Description
Definition of Project:
• The project will probably be a game that uses research from first hand sources including debates, journals and reviews. The delivery will be in the form of a game(probably). Also, now thinking of doing a machinima where I interview people using virtual goods.
Description
Clear articulation of project goals:
• I think that the project should be in the form of a game because virtual goods are most often seen in games. The player should be able to understand the reasons behind why people buy and use virtual goods. Either that or a machinima where I interview people who actually experience these goods and interact with them.
Description
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
• Virtual goods are a hot topic in today’s MMO environments. Many company’s business models are centered around the production of virtual goods (i.e. Nexon, Hot or Not, vSide etc.) This research should be able to reach people outside the university, because many of the people interested in Virtual Goods are not in university.
Timeline
• Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
• Game Design Doc: September 2008
• Game Prototype: January 2009
• Finished Project: May 2009
Budget
• Hopefully less than $500.
Confirmed Advisors
• Patricia Pizer (IMD)
• Undecided (IML)
Presentation Plans/Venues
• I dunno.
Production Resources
• Software Needs:
• Torque Game Builder
• Games (variety)
Collaborators:
• Patricia Pizer
• Peter Brinson
• Perry Hoberman?
Presentation Needs:
• Networked Computers
• Possibly more…
• Monitors
Prior Related Work
• Attended the Virtual Goods Summit in Palo Alto in June 2007.
Research Bibliography
• http://www.vgsummit.com/videos.php
• videos from the virtual goods summit from June 2007 at Stanford University.
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