if you read any of my proposal you know then that i'm researching similarities in sonic qualities of popular music.
http://www.musicplasma.com/
This site is right up that alley so i thought i'd share it with you all.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
My Thesis Proposal
(An updated version of the earlier posting)
Title: Testing the security of the United States
Synopsis: I am going to build an interactive national security threat and resource allocation and reallocation tool to try to find more effective means of protecting our country and thwarting attacks.
Abstract: I am exploring the human cost of security as it relates the tension between security and other considerations (political, ethical, financial, and technological) in order to provide for a more secure environment. This will focus on threats that are posed to the US
Methodology: I am going about this by looking at current security mechanisms that protect our travel and transport industries, air, sea, land while looking at ways to bolster support for different types of security. I am going to do this by creating an interactive tool in which users can reallocate the national security resources and then test the reallocation against simulated threats.
Media Presentation & Justification: This thesis will be an interactive tool which allows users to take the current state of security and the current budget and change different components of the security strategy be it airport security, scanning of containers being off loaded at ports or border security. The user will be able to reallocate current resources and then test them with a virtual attack. Users will be able to allocate at a high level, the entire airport infrastructure, the borders, sea ports, etc. They won't be able to boost security at LAX by 5 screeners.
This will be a Flash tool with a globe which shows threats and vulnerabilities which can then be adjusted and corrected.
It is important to use an interactive user adjustable tool for this as there is no easy way to do threat verification, validation, and modification while looking at the citizen response in a text environment.
Time Frame
Security Research Start of classes (late August – through end of September)
Flash design October – December
By December have a simple working model
By March 1, 2008 have more rules implemented
By April 1, 2008 be finished and in beta mode
Budget: $0
Additional Simulator Modules:
-Freedom vs security
-Depletion of resources vs cost of efforts
-Approval rating
-Overall ramifications of changes
-Budgets of the country as a whole and individual departments
-Fluctuating terror levels based on threats
Jack Bauer Mode (can fix anything with a 75% chance of success)
Spend on research similar to Civilization
Advisors
-Conflicting Advisors
--Military
--Other Cabinet Members
Yearly Budgeting
-Benefits of yearly budgeting and inability to change the budgets
1 week is 1 minute
So 1 year is 1 hour
Advisers
--------
Pierson now works with the Los Angeles Computer Forensics Investigation firm, Maryman & Associates.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Ana's thesis ... this sucks, but I promise it'll be better by the final. :P sorry!
Anastasia Shepherd
IML Thesis Proposal
Title: A New Way of Seeing: The Purposeful Hallucination
Abstract:
I’m interested in creating an interactive art piece that mixes the genres of documentary film, animation, gaming, and expressionistic/symbolic fine arts. I would like to explore the subject of imagined realities in disobedience of social constructs in this piece. I want to visually document situations in which people physically obey societal constructs and the norms of reality, but show through interactive options that the mind is given possibilities without the limits of reality and society. An interactive web-based art piece that combines flash animation with video and traditional animation would be an optimal presentation for this thesis.
Audience:
I would like this piece to reach a more diverse audience than a gallery-style installation video would. By putting it on a website, I hope to make it possible for anyone to look at it and get something out of it. The concept is universal, and I feel that the presentation should allow for universality, as well. The interactive format will help a great deal in accomplishing that goal. Website-based projects democratize art and interactivity allows for a fluid and nonlinear narrative thread.
Methodology:
I am making the argument that the pressures of normality and the constrictions of physical reality are escapable through dreams and fantasies and imagined scenarios. With that in mind, humans have more freedom to impact their own real lives through utilizing their “waking dreams” and learning not to fear them.
By using a creative approach that mimics the decisions to conform or not conform that everyone faces constantly, I hope to show that it is unnecessary to live in your head. To make the impossible real is a worthy goal.
I feel that life is very restricted, and that many or all of these restrictions are self-implemented and can be overcome. Connections to other human beings are feared, shared consciousness is considered impossible, exploration is considered odd, and silliness/whimsicality and imagination are considered childish. I’m personally very tired of these restrictions, and I’d like this project to reflect how things could be different. This project is about personal revolutions, and through the interactivity, I hope to show people a set of new and accessible possibilities for life and inspiration.
Media Presentation and Justification:
Optimally, the thesis will be presented as a website-based piece that includes flash animation, video, and traditional animation. Since the project requires interactivity to give the viewer choices and to let one explore the project on one’s own, it is necessary to have it in this multimedia format. A film would be too passive. The piece argues that the “imaginary” (unreal images that create new meanings in reality) must be explored by the individual. The project’s whole philosophy is built on curiosity and choice, so this medium is perfect. The paths of the project will give the audience choices that have the potential to create a world where reality and fantasy are indistinguishable from one another.
Timeline:
Summer:
- Perfect proposal
- Plan basic design of the site
- Storyboard all scenarios
- Develop conceptual relevancy
Fall:
- Shoot video of scenarios
- Meet with advisor to determine animation styles
- Complete as much animation as possible
- Begin template of the website
Spring:
- Design sound for scenarios
- Program the interface design of the website
- Unify the project through editing/arranging
- Final touches (titles, etc.)
- Look for ways to get the project seen
Budget:
Tapes, filming locations, animation materials, possibly actors, domain hosting, festival fees
Advisor:
Dr. Kathy Smith, Animation Department of the School of Cinematic Arts, (213) 821-1348 kates@usc.edu
Resources:
Flash, Final Cut, After Effects, Frame Thief, various forms of animation, etc.
IML Thesis Proposal
Title: A New Way of Seeing: The Purposeful Hallucination
Abstract:
I’m interested in creating an interactive art piece that mixes the genres of documentary film, animation, gaming, and expressionistic/symbolic fine arts. I would like to explore the subject of imagined realities in disobedience of social constructs in this piece. I want to visually document situations in which people physically obey societal constructs and the norms of reality, but show through interactive options that the mind is given possibilities without the limits of reality and society. An interactive web-based art piece that combines flash animation with video and traditional animation would be an optimal presentation for this thesis.
Audience:
I would like this piece to reach a more diverse audience than a gallery-style installation video would. By putting it on a website, I hope to make it possible for anyone to look at it and get something out of it. The concept is universal, and I feel that the presentation should allow for universality, as well. The interactive format will help a great deal in accomplishing that goal. Website-based projects democratize art and interactivity allows for a fluid and nonlinear narrative thread.
Methodology:
I am making the argument that the pressures of normality and the constrictions of physical reality are escapable through dreams and fantasies and imagined scenarios. With that in mind, humans have more freedom to impact their own real lives through utilizing their “waking dreams” and learning not to fear them.
By using a creative approach that mimics the decisions to conform or not conform that everyone faces constantly, I hope to show that it is unnecessary to live in your head. To make the impossible real is a worthy goal.
I feel that life is very restricted, and that many or all of these restrictions are self-implemented and can be overcome. Connections to other human beings are feared, shared consciousness is considered impossible, exploration is considered odd, and silliness/whimsicality and imagination are considered childish. I’m personally very tired of these restrictions, and I’d like this project to reflect how things could be different. This project is about personal revolutions, and through the interactivity, I hope to show people a set of new and accessible possibilities for life and inspiration.
Media Presentation and Justification:
Optimally, the thesis will be presented as a website-based piece that includes flash animation, video, and traditional animation. Since the project requires interactivity to give the viewer choices and to let one explore the project on one’s own, it is necessary to have it in this multimedia format. A film would be too passive. The piece argues that the “imaginary” (unreal images that create new meanings in reality) must be explored by the individual. The project’s whole philosophy is built on curiosity and choice, so this medium is perfect. The paths of the project will give the audience choices that have the potential to create a world where reality and fantasy are indistinguishable from one another.
Timeline:
Summer:
- Perfect proposal
- Plan basic design of the site
- Storyboard all scenarios
- Develop conceptual relevancy
Fall:
- Shoot video of scenarios
- Meet with advisor to determine animation styles
- Complete as much animation as possible
- Begin template of the website
Spring:
- Design sound for scenarios
- Program the interface design of the website
- Unify the project through editing/arranging
- Final touches (titles, etc.)
- Look for ways to get the project seen
Budget:
Tapes, filming locations, animation materials, possibly actors, domain hosting, festival fees
Advisor:
Dr. Kathy Smith, Animation Department of the School of Cinematic Arts, (213) 821-1348 kates@usc.edu
Resources:
Flash, Final Cut, After Effects, Frame Thief, various forms of animation, etc.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Mike Allison Thesis proposal draft....oh so long winded...sorry
bare with me friends...its a dousey
Title
Physical Sound: The balance of form and content within recorded music.
Abstract
Music is a universal phenomenon, permeating most every culture throughout the world. Since the development of sound recoding, recorded music has become integral to society and popular culture. However, many take for granted the process that is actually occurring when they listen to music as well as the cognitive understanding of what they are actually hearing. A song is an abstract idea, as is all music on a practical level, though in order for one to hear a song it must travel as a pressure wave from the source, through the air, and into one's ears. Thus, the process of recording forces a piece of music into the physical form the song takes on its travel into the listener's brain, and allows it to have the same properties for every listen. When someone listens to a song, they are hearing the abstract ideas created by the artist via the physical interpretation created by the recording team. The latter half of that equation is often overlooked by the average listener just as they do not realize the ultimate impact it has on their listening experience and reception of the song. Nearly all pop songs, for example, have very similar production qualities, so much so that through analysis, one finds certain properties more prevalent than others within the most popular of songs. In fact, many parameters (both in the song writing realm and the production realm) can be measured and traced across the pop music charts, leading researchers to the conclusion that certain types of sounds, feels, and textures (all purely on a sonic level) have a conclusive and definite impact on the song's overall popularity and public reception. Therefore, once can actually measure the 'hit potential' of a recorded song by comparing it to figures in databases generated through analyzing these parameters from song to song.
Description
The purpose of my project is to generate public awareness of the important relationship between a song's musical content and its physical form. This end will be achieved through user interaction with my online software (which will draw conclusions based on a database that I create). The user must input his or her own choice of song as well as a goal for that song (be it popularity, innovativeness, or popularity within one of the analyzed genres), then the program runs the song and uses the input goal to compare the song to the right data to generate results in two forms: a physical three dimensional model of the song and a results table. The model will help the reader connect with the idea that a recorded song indeed does have a physical form, which was (supposedly) crafted carefully for that specific song. The results table will show how that song compared to the database and how likely it will accomplish the goal the reader set (as well as offering results to the other possible goals). The results are merely statistics based on the database and are open for interpretation. If the results are not desirable or just unexpected then there are several reasons that could be gleaned from the information. An obvious reason for displeasing results is that the user just didn’t know much about other genres of music or physical properties of music and therefore would be enlightened by knowing that the input song has properties more prevalent in other types of music they do not know about. Another reason could be that the balance between form and content is out of whack. Either the production value is high but the song content is not well suited for that type of production or vice versa. The program merely generates statistics based on purely sonic parameters and public opinion (in the form of billboard charts) and thus, has no bias. So, it does not offer advice or potential ways to fix a song, it merely demonstrates the relationship and balance between form and content of recorded music, with hopes of bringing the user to a better understanding of what they are actually listening to.
Methodology
The software program will analyze a digital music file (extracting the information that governs the waveform) based on a number of set parameters:
Length
Tempo
Key
Frequency response
Amplitude
Time signature
Time signature changes
Key Changes
Timbre
Once the program is up and running, I will go genre by genre, running 150 to 200 of the most popular songs in that genre (taking into account periods of recoding technology development) until I have a data set from each genre in question. All the data will be compared using a weighted average algorithm, finding the common points and trends throughout the music. The result will be the model song for that genre, meaning it (stereotypically and theoretically) is the ideal song—perfectly form/content balanced—in that genre. Once I have all the models then I can generate the perfect innovative song model by using the same algorithmic process on all the models to create the ideal song that sounds nothing like any of the models—hence perfectly innovative.
The genres in question:
Pop
Alternative Rock
Indie Rock
Main Stream Hip Hop
RnB
Jazz
Smooth jazz
Progressive Rock
Singer Song Writer
Folk
Metal
Timeline
Summer:
-Research existing companies and data.
-Assemble engineering team
-Research waveform parameters
-Research genres and recording technology periods.
-Assemble the lists of songs to be used.
Fall
-Begin software development.
-Assemble library of music
-Design interface.
-Finish software and begin to generate database
-Apply for grants
-Finish database
Spring
-Purchase domain name
-Create website
-Review data gathered from website
-Conclude if this project actually worked.
-Present findings
-Turn in project
Budget
There will be a number of things that will require financial assistance for this project namely acquiring all the music. Depending on my financial status I will have to use what ever format of music I can afford. I will also need to pay (or compensate some how) the team that will develop this software. I will have to purchase and maintain a domain name and website.
Title
Physical Sound: The balance of form and content within recorded music.
Abstract
Music is a universal phenomenon, permeating most every culture throughout the world. Since the development of sound recoding, recorded music has become integral to society and popular culture. However, many take for granted the process that is actually occurring when they listen to music as well as the cognitive understanding of what they are actually hearing. A song is an abstract idea, as is all music on a practical level, though in order for one to hear a song it must travel as a pressure wave from the source, through the air, and into one's ears. Thus, the process of recording forces a piece of music into the physical form the song takes on its travel into the listener's brain, and allows it to have the same properties for every listen. When someone listens to a song, they are hearing the abstract ideas created by the artist via the physical interpretation created by the recording team. The latter half of that equation is often overlooked by the average listener just as they do not realize the ultimate impact it has on their listening experience and reception of the song. Nearly all pop songs, for example, have very similar production qualities, so much so that through analysis, one finds certain properties more prevalent than others within the most popular of songs. In fact, many parameters (both in the song writing realm and the production realm) can be measured and traced across the pop music charts, leading researchers to the conclusion that certain types of sounds, feels, and textures (all purely on a sonic level) have a conclusive and definite impact on the song's overall popularity and public reception. Therefore, once can actually measure the 'hit potential' of a recorded song by comparing it to figures in databases generated through analyzing these parameters from song to song.
Description
The purpose of my project is to generate public awareness of the important relationship between a song's musical content and its physical form. This end will be achieved through user interaction with my online software (which will draw conclusions based on a database that I create). The user must input his or her own choice of song as well as a goal for that song (be it popularity, innovativeness, or popularity within one of the analyzed genres), then the program runs the song and uses the input goal to compare the song to the right data to generate results in two forms: a physical three dimensional model of the song and a results table. The model will help the reader connect with the idea that a recorded song indeed does have a physical form, which was (supposedly) crafted carefully for that specific song. The results table will show how that song compared to the database and how likely it will accomplish the goal the reader set (as well as offering results to the other possible goals). The results are merely statistics based on the database and are open for interpretation. If the results are not desirable or just unexpected then there are several reasons that could be gleaned from the information. An obvious reason for displeasing results is that the user just didn’t know much about other genres of music or physical properties of music and therefore would be enlightened by knowing that the input song has properties more prevalent in other types of music they do not know about. Another reason could be that the balance between form and content is out of whack. Either the production value is high but the song content is not well suited for that type of production or vice versa. The program merely generates statistics based on purely sonic parameters and public opinion (in the form of billboard charts) and thus, has no bias. So, it does not offer advice or potential ways to fix a song, it merely demonstrates the relationship and balance between form and content of recorded music, with hopes of bringing the user to a better understanding of what they are actually listening to.
Methodology
The software program will analyze a digital music file (extracting the information that governs the waveform) based on a number of set parameters:
Length
Tempo
Key
Frequency response
Amplitude
Time signature
Time signature changes
Key Changes
Timbre
Once the program is up and running, I will go genre by genre, running 150 to 200 of the most popular songs in that genre (taking into account periods of recoding technology development) until I have a data set from each genre in question. All the data will be compared using a weighted average algorithm, finding the common points and trends throughout the music. The result will be the model song for that genre, meaning it (stereotypically and theoretically) is the ideal song—perfectly form/content balanced—in that genre. Once I have all the models then I can generate the perfect innovative song model by using the same algorithmic process on all the models to create the ideal song that sounds nothing like any of the models—hence perfectly innovative.
The genres in question:
Pop
Alternative Rock
Indie Rock
Main Stream Hip Hop
RnB
Jazz
Smooth jazz
Progressive Rock
Singer Song Writer
Folk
Metal
Timeline
Summer:
-Research existing companies and data.
-Assemble engineering team
-Research waveform parameters
-Research genres and recording technology periods.
-Assemble the lists of songs to be used.
Fall
-Begin software development.
-Assemble library of music
-Design interface.
-Finish software and begin to generate database
-Apply for grants
-Finish database
Spring
-Purchase domain name
-Create website
-Review data gathered from website
-Conclude if this project actually worked.
-Present findings
-Turn in project
Budget
There will be a number of things that will require financial assistance for this project namely acquiring all the music. Depending on my financial status I will have to use what ever format of music I can afford. I will also need to pay (or compensate some how) the team that will develop this software. I will have to purchase and maintain a domain name and website.
Tiffany Ikeda's Rough Draft
Title: HAPPINE$$: Flawed Perceptions of Reality
ABSTRACT:
I am studying how everyday personal and social decisions affect happiness because I want to demonstrate how economic principles can explain differences in people's self-reported levels of happiness. By doing so, I am trying to help the average person gain a better understanding of the discrepancies between perception and reality in the relationship between decisions and experiences and in turn, the user may learn simple concepts in economic theory in order to make more informed decisions that will have a positive effect on his happiness. Hence, my goal is to help the average layman learn about how to use economic analyses to make better decisions. I want my project to be both interactive and informative, and since I want this tool to be accessible to everyone, I may design my project as an online website.
I am going about making the argument that the average person does not correctly forecast or backcast his experienced happiness by developing a tool or simulation that mimics the process of making a decision. This may be accomplished by a four-fold method: 1. Have the user complete a questionnaire relating to what is to be learned or decided upon. 2. The user will make an actual decision or complete a simple task similar to those summarized in textbooks. 3. The user will complete a post-task survey. 4. A results section will use economic analysis to explain their decision. The goal is to have the user come to the realization their perception of a decision may be different from the actual outcome because the average person fails to take into consideration changes in aspirations and adaptation, as well as other social and economic forces that play a role in determining one’s happiness.
Example: One experiment used to demonstrate the peak-end theory involves a subject submerging his hands in cold water for a certain period of time. The subject is then given the option of repeating the cold water experiment again, or submerging his hands in cold water for a longer period of time, followed by submerging his hands in warm water. Most subjects would chose the latter, despite the fact that this would require them to keep their hands in cold water longer. The experiment demonstrates that what is most significant about an experience (what the subject most remembers and thus also what is most closely related to utility and happiness) is not the duration of an experience (in this case, an unpleasant one), but rather the characteristics of the end of an experience. To mimic this experiment in a multimedia experience, I could expose my user to unpleasant sounds or images, then give them a choice of repeating the sequence again, or viewing/hearing a longer sequence with a more pleasant ending.
SIGNIFICANCE:
This thesis will include an interactive media simulation of classic experiments from the field of economics and social psychology in order to show the user how the principles of economic theory relate to happiness. This may include the use of music or unfavorable sounds to mimic an unpleasant situation, or the use of a classical symphony or work of art to induce feelings of pleasure or satisfaction. Rather than simply telling the user about happiness and economics, this thesis will attempt to allow the reader to experience. Such experiences cannot be attained through traditional textbook learning and hence require multimedia.
TIMELINE:
Summer:
- Research experiments
- Make initial contacts with experts in the field of study
- Research local economics or socio-psychology conferences
- Brainstorm appropriate material and media
- Read Stumbling on Happiness by Dan Gilbert and other resources
- Identify personnel needs
- Learn to successfully and comfortably use Flash, Dreamweaver
- Identify and acquire necessary software
- Research available grants
Fall:
- Purchase domain name
- Focus on interface design
- Storyboarding/Visualizing/Flowchart
- Hire graphic design artist, if necessary
- Apply for grants, if available
- 9/10-14: Thesis Proposal Confirmation due
- Begin setting up website
- 11/26-30: Prototype/ Draft Due
Spring
- Work on finishing project
- Present near final project to advisor for review
- 3/24-28: Formal Presentation
- May: Finalize thesis presentation
BUDGET:
Domain name: $30+/ year
Graphic design artist: $200, if necessary
Books & resources: $100
Miscellaneous (ex. DV tapes, CD-ROMs): $50
The joy of finishing a thesis: Priceless
ADVISOR:
Richard A. Easterlin
Professor of Economics
easterl@usc.edu
(213) 740-6993
RESOURCES:
Christopher Hsee, University of Chicago
Stumbling on Happiness, Dan Gilbert
Flash
Dreamweaver
Social psychological experiments that highlight the difference between perceived and experienced utility
ABSTRACT:
I am studying how everyday personal and social decisions affect happiness because I want to demonstrate how economic principles can explain differences in people's self-reported levels of happiness. By doing so, I am trying to help the average person gain a better understanding of the discrepancies between perception and reality in the relationship between decisions and experiences and in turn, the user may learn simple concepts in economic theory in order to make more informed decisions that will have a positive effect on his happiness. Hence, my goal is to help the average layman learn about how to use economic analyses to make better decisions. I want my project to be both interactive and informative, and since I want this tool to be accessible to everyone, I may design my project as an online website.
I am going about making the argument that the average person does not correctly forecast or backcast his experienced happiness by developing a tool or simulation that mimics the process of making a decision. This may be accomplished by a four-fold method: 1. Have the user complete a questionnaire relating to what is to be learned or decided upon. 2. The user will make an actual decision or complete a simple task similar to those summarized in textbooks. 3. The user will complete a post-task survey. 4. A results section will use economic analysis to explain their decision. The goal is to have the user come to the realization their perception of a decision may be different from the actual outcome because the average person fails to take into consideration changes in aspirations and adaptation, as well as other social and economic forces that play a role in determining one’s happiness.
Example: One experiment used to demonstrate the peak-end theory involves a subject submerging his hands in cold water for a certain period of time. The subject is then given the option of repeating the cold water experiment again, or submerging his hands in cold water for a longer period of time, followed by submerging his hands in warm water. Most subjects would chose the latter, despite the fact that this would require them to keep their hands in cold water longer. The experiment demonstrates that what is most significant about an experience (what the subject most remembers and thus also what is most closely related to utility and happiness) is not the duration of an experience (in this case, an unpleasant one), but rather the characteristics of the end of an experience. To mimic this experiment in a multimedia experience, I could expose my user to unpleasant sounds or images, then give them a choice of repeating the sequence again, or viewing/hearing a longer sequence with a more pleasant ending.
SIGNIFICANCE:
This thesis will include an interactive media simulation of classic experiments from the field of economics and social psychology in order to show the user how the principles of economic theory relate to happiness. This may include the use of music or unfavorable sounds to mimic an unpleasant situation, or the use of a classical symphony or work of art to induce feelings of pleasure or satisfaction. Rather than simply telling the user about happiness and economics, this thesis will attempt to allow the reader to experience. Such experiences cannot be attained through traditional textbook learning and hence require multimedia.
TIMELINE:
Summer:
- Research experiments
- Make initial contacts with experts in the field of study
- Research local economics or socio-psychology conferences
- Brainstorm appropriate material and media
- Read Stumbling on Happiness by Dan Gilbert and other resources
- Identify personnel needs
- Learn to successfully and comfortably use Flash, Dreamweaver
- Identify and acquire necessary software
- Research available grants
Fall:
- Purchase domain name
- Focus on interface design
- Storyboarding/Visualizing/Flowchart
- Hire graphic design artist, if necessary
- Apply for grants, if available
- 9/10-14: Thesis Proposal Confirmation due
- Begin setting up website
- 11/26-30: Prototype/ Draft Due
Spring
- Work on finishing project
- Present near final project to advisor for review
- 3/24-28: Formal Presentation
- May: Finalize thesis presentation
BUDGET:
Domain name: $30+/ year
Graphic design artist: $200, if necessary
Books & resources: $100
Miscellaneous (ex. DV tapes, CD-ROMs): $50
The joy of finishing a thesis: Priceless
ADVISOR:
Richard A. Easterlin
Professor of Economics
easterl@usc.edu
(213) 740-6993
RESOURCES:
Christopher Hsee, University of Chicago
Stumbling on Happiness, Dan Gilbert
Flash
Dreamweaver
Social psychological experiments that highlight the difference between perceived and experienced utility
P. Skelly thesis proposal
Title
The Pain Game – An Analysis of Japanese Game Shows
Abstract
Pretty much everyone can enjoy a good game show, and since American ones haven’t had a creative spurt in years (focusing instead on reality television), it’s time to adopt some shows from overseas. Audiences in the
Alternative opening: Since the episode of The Simpsons where the family went to
Description
Through this project I hope to take a look at a variety of Japanese game shows to determine what elements are common among the shows, unique to Japan, and borrowed from other countries, as well as the overall themes and styles.
With those characteristics in mind, I hope to analyze the game shows in comparison to Japanese culture on the whole, global game show culture, and, perhaps, global cultures. This will hopefully help determine the origins of the Japanese style of game shows (were they based on more traditional games? Literature? Video games? Is it a post-war response?), if, indeed, there is any significance.
I also hope to prove what the point and purpose of Japanese game shows are. Do they reflect Japanese culture? Are they more akin to other cultures (American, European)? Does the individual truly triumph or is there a hidden communal aspect? When a contestant is on a game show, are they reflective of themselves, or do they take on the role of a designated character? Is the audience a character? Can these shows, where nearly anything goes and most of the time feature punishment more than reward, even be considered, in the proper sense, game shows?
Media Presentation
I think one of the best ways to present this project would be through the use of Korsikow. Through Korsikow, the similarities between the programs, through the implementation of embedded keywords, can help the viewer with their experience of the shows. As well, the keywords can also link to interviews that provide analyses of either specific game shows, Japanese culture, global game show culture, or global culture, as well as an overall interpretation of what one expects from a Japanese game show.
Alt.: Should Korsikow not prove to be enough, a DVD or the use of Flash may be pursued. A DVD would allow people to view the material in different ways (e.g. with commentary over a clip) as well as include interviews, and perhaps more functions (a trivia game?). Should the project require a more robust multimedia option, Flash would be employed as it can offer several of the same functions as Korsikow, albeit through more difficult means.
Advisors
Steve Anderson
(potential) Akira Mizuta Lippitt
(potential) Yumi Matsumoto
Budget
Unless a trip to
Total: < $500
Timeline
Summer:
-Research game shows by viewing clips found online and on TV
-Compare original Japanese versions of game shows to
Fall:
-Complete interviews
-Edit interviews
Spring:
-Format and incorporate clips and interviews to Korsikow
Production Resources
Korsikow
FinalCut Pro
AfterEffects
Cameras and perhaps some lighting equipment (for interviews)
A DVD (should it come to that)
Flash device (?)
Prior related work
None
Research
Clips from Youtube and various other random websites
Clips/episodes from Japanese TV websites
Ashley's Proposal Draft (get excited)
TITLE:
Welcome to the Hong Kong Drive-Thru: how Wong Kar-Wai depicts the relationship between the transnational and the local
ABSTRACT:
In recent years, films are more and more becoming a global commodity. Films are being co-produced and distributed internationally, featuring transnational film stars and transcultural elements. However, how does transnationalism affect the idea of national identity?
For close to a century, Hong Kong, once a part of the Chinese Empire, was a British Colony. It is not a nation and therefore had no national identity. Additionally, Hong Kong resented British colonial rule but also did not support the Communist movement in China. As a result, Hong Kong was neither East nor West but rather an amalgamation of both cultures. It is the epitome of a transnational location.
I am interested in analyzing Wong Kar-Wai’s 1994 film, Chungking Express, because I am trying to find out how his works express such transnational qualities and concerns. I want to ask my audience whether transnationalism present in the film erases the Hong Kong “local” culture or if it is a reflection of certain characteristics of Hong Kong society at that time. I plan on leaving my thesis ambiguous, allowing the audience to come to their own conclusion.
My thesis will be aimed at a peer audience consisting of people, college-aged and older, possessing some, but not expert, knowledge of cinema. The audience will be able to engage in an interactive and experiential interface. In the main menu, the audience member will be presented with three different platforms he/she can choose from: “The Mu-Shu Delight: or Hong Kong’s fictitious national identity”, “The Hong Kong Hamburger: or transnational elements”, or “The Happy Meal Prize: or international reception”.
“The Mu-Shu Delight” will explore the absence of national identity in Hong Kong, including a brief history of Hong Kong, tracing its colonial history, the international immigration to Hong Kong and relating the events surrounding its return to mainland China. I will then explore Wong Kar-Wai’s treatment of characters, desperately trying to reinvent and discover their identities. “The Hong Kong Hamburger” will allow the audience to maneuver around certain spaces within Hong Kong. Hot spots will be present revealing transnational elements and influences present within Chungking Express. The last platform, “The Happy Meal Prize”, will trace Chungking Express’ global success and why different countries found the film to be appealing (may end up nixing depending).
DESCRIPTION:
Genre:
My thesis will be of the interactive, experiential and documentary genres. The interface will allow the user to explore the space and to interact with the interface. The hot spots presented will convey useful information.
Research Methodology:
The primary aim of my thesis is to illustrate the relationship between the transnational and the local. I am asking the audience to decide whether the transnational elements present within the film succeeds in erasing the sense of Hong Kong local identity or if it instead is a reflection of the Hong Kong local culture present at that time. Chungking Express was an internationally successful film. Did people respond to Chungking Express because it depicts a universal, non-nationally defined culture? Or did people see some kind of “Hong Kong-ness” depicted within the transnationalism present? Is Hong Kong’s local identity defined by their transnational identity?
I am synthesizing pre-existing ideas including Gina Marchetti’s analysis of Wong Kar-Wai’s use of global commodity and Stephen Teo’s exploration of WKW’s use of borderless spaces. Also I will use Kwai-Cheung Lo’s essay “Transnationalization of the Local in Hong Kong Cinema of the 1990s”.
Delivery Format:
My thesis will be presented as a DVD-ROM. I will use programs such as DVD Studio Pro and Flash to create an exploratory and interactive interface in order to illustrate the “local” Hong Kong space and the ubiquitous transnational elements that exist within this space.
In order to illustrate transnational themes present in Wong Kar Wai’s work, his transnational influences, as well as international reception of his work, the interface will have three platforms. Each platform will allow the audience to maneuver around and click on informational hot spots. These hot spots will utilize text, using After Effects, images, music, narration, and video, using Final Cut Pro.
Project Goals:
While a written paper can address the concerns I am trying to explore, the multimedia format is necessary in order for my viewer to actively engage and interact with the subject matter. I want my viewer to feel like he/she is exploring the space of Hong Kong as well as the landscape of Chunking Express. Ultimately, there is no “answer” to my thesis. It will be up to the viewer to decide whether Chungking Express is a depiction of Hong Kong at the time or whether it does not portray a local identity, rather a transnational “borderless” identity.
Because of increased globalization, increasingly, films have become more and more transnational. This a pertinent and current topic that affects the film industry now so I think it is an important subject to address.
Project Significance:
Transnationalism is a relatively new and current concept that has stemmed from efforts to globalize and loosen national borders. In terms of the film industry, transnationalism can be quite positive. It allows for the global distribution of films meaning that a film can seek a larger, international audience. However, transnationalism also has its downside. In order to appeal to this larger, international audience, many “local” or national qualities are watered down. Did Chungking Express, which received international acclaim, portray a borderless, global culture with no national identity or was merely a reflection of a localized, Hong Kong experience?
Hopefully, this project will create a forum for investigation and discussion of the effects of globalization and whether cultures are able to inscribe their identity in an increasingly more global culture or whether the global culture dominates and ultimately erases the national identity and culture present.
TIMELINE
Summer 2007:
Learn AfterEffects and Flash
Re-watch Chungking Express
Read Wong-Kar Wai: Auteur of Time as well as the novels that helped influence Chungking Express.
August 24-31, 2007:
School starts and so shall I
September
Confirm proposal
Being constructing interface and making hot spot videos, text, etc
October
Continue constructing hot spots
Test out hot spots placement and format
November
Halfway mark, prototype/draft presentation
December-on
Conduct interviews? (Prof Hyung Sook Lee, Stephen Teo?, Gina Marchetti?)
Finish up hot spots
Test interface, etc
May
Present Final Project
BUDGET:
I don’t anticipate it costing more than $200 for, perhaps, an external hard drive and maybe some software I may or may not have to purchase.
CONFIRMED ADVISORS:
Critical Studies:
Professor Hyung-Sook Lee
IML:
Professor Holly Willis
PRESENTATION AND/OR DISTRIBUTION PLANS/VENUES:
Right now I’m thinking it should just be presented on a huge screen and allow people to navigate around the program themselves.
PRODUCTION RESOURCES:
Hardware Needs:
I will be doing this project using my MacBook Pro and probably the Macs at the IML. I am guessing I will need an external hard drive. I do not own one but I could probably buy one in the future.
Software Needs:
I will probably be using DVD Studio Pro, FinalCut Pro, Photoshop, AfterEffects and probably Flash. I have all software except for Flash and I need to learn both Flash and AfterEffects. I am going to “teach myself” both programs over the summer but if there is someone who could teach me the basics, I would probably be much better off.
PRIOR RELATED WORK:
I am currently taking CTCS 494: East Asian Transnational Cinema and Stars taught by Professor Hyung-Sook Lee. I will incorporate themes learned as well as essays read in the class into my thesis project.
RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Marchetti, Gina. “Buying American, Consuming. Hong Kong: Cultural Commerce, Fantasies of Identity, and the Cinema.”
Lo, Kwai-Cheung. “Transnationalization of the Local in Hong Kong Cinema of the 1990s”.
Teo, Stephen. “Space-Time Tango.” Wong Kar-Wai, Auteur of Time.
Welcome to the Hong Kong Drive-Thru: how Wong Kar-Wai depicts the relationship between the transnational and the local
ABSTRACT:
In recent years, films are more and more becoming a global commodity. Films are being co-produced and distributed internationally, featuring transnational film stars and transcultural elements. However, how does transnationalism affect the idea of national identity?
For close to a century, Hong Kong, once a part of the Chinese Empire, was a British Colony. It is not a nation and therefore had no national identity. Additionally, Hong Kong resented British colonial rule but also did not support the Communist movement in China. As a result, Hong Kong was neither East nor West but rather an amalgamation of both cultures. It is the epitome of a transnational location.
I am interested in analyzing Wong Kar-Wai’s 1994 film, Chungking Express, because I am trying to find out how his works express such transnational qualities and concerns. I want to ask my audience whether transnationalism present in the film erases the Hong Kong “local” culture or if it is a reflection of certain characteristics of Hong Kong society at that time. I plan on leaving my thesis ambiguous, allowing the audience to come to their own conclusion.
My thesis will be aimed at a peer audience consisting of people, college-aged and older, possessing some, but not expert, knowledge of cinema. The audience will be able to engage in an interactive and experiential interface. In the main menu, the audience member will be presented with three different platforms he/she can choose from: “The Mu-Shu Delight: or Hong Kong’s fictitious national identity”, “The Hong Kong Hamburger: or transnational elements”, or “The Happy Meal Prize: or international reception”.
“The Mu-Shu Delight” will explore the absence of national identity in Hong Kong, including a brief history of Hong Kong, tracing its colonial history, the international immigration to Hong Kong and relating the events surrounding its return to mainland China. I will then explore Wong Kar-Wai’s treatment of characters, desperately trying to reinvent and discover their identities. “The Hong Kong Hamburger” will allow the audience to maneuver around certain spaces within Hong Kong. Hot spots will be present revealing transnational elements and influences present within Chungking Express. The last platform, “The Happy Meal Prize”, will trace Chungking Express’ global success and why different countries found the film to be appealing (may end up nixing depending).
DESCRIPTION:
Genre:
My thesis will be of the interactive, experiential and documentary genres. The interface will allow the user to explore the space and to interact with the interface. The hot spots presented will convey useful information.
Research Methodology:
The primary aim of my thesis is to illustrate the relationship between the transnational and the local. I am asking the audience to decide whether the transnational elements present within the film succeeds in erasing the sense of Hong Kong local identity or if it instead is a reflection of the Hong Kong local culture present at that time. Chungking Express was an internationally successful film. Did people respond to Chungking Express because it depicts a universal, non-nationally defined culture? Or did people see some kind of “Hong Kong-ness” depicted within the transnationalism present? Is Hong Kong’s local identity defined by their transnational identity?
I am synthesizing pre-existing ideas including Gina Marchetti’s analysis of Wong Kar-Wai’s use of global commodity and Stephen Teo’s exploration of WKW’s use of borderless spaces. Also I will use Kwai-Cheung Lo’s essay “Transnationalization of the Local in Hong Kong Cinema of the 1990s”.
Delivery Format:
My thesis will be presented as a DVD-ROM. I will use programs such as DVD Studio Pro and Flash to create an exploratory and interactive interface in order to illustrate the “local” Hong Kong space and the ubiquitous transnational elements that exist within this space.
In order to illustrate transnational themes present in Wong Kar Wai’s work, his transnational influences, as well as international reception of his work, the interface will have three platforms. Each platform will allow the audience to maneuver around and click on informational hot spots. These hot spots will utilize text, using After Effects, images, music, narration, and video, using Final Cut Pro.
Project Goals:
While a written paper can address the concerns I am trying to explore, the multimedia format is necessary in order for my viewer to actively engage and interact with the subject matter. I want my viewer to feel like he/she is exploring the space of Hong Kong as well as the landscape of Chunking Express. Ultimately, there is no “answer” to my thesis. It will be up to the viewer to decide whether Chungking Express is a depiction of Hong Kong at the time or whether it does not portray a local identity, rather a transnational “borderless” identity.
Because of increased globalization, increasingly, films have become more and more transnational. This a pertinent and current topic that affects the film industry now so I think it is an important subject to address.
Project Significance:
Transnationalism is a relatively new and current concept that has stemmed from efforts to globalize and loosen national borders. In terms of the film industry, transnationalism can be quite positive. It allows for the global distribution of films meaning that a film can seek a larger, international audience. However, transnationalism also has its downside. In order to appeal to this larger, international audience, many “local” or national qualities are watered down. Did Chungking Express, which received international acclaim, portray a borderless, global culture with no national identity or was merely a reflection of a localized, Hong Kong experience?
Hopefully, this project will create a forum for investigation and discussion of the effects of globalization and whether cultures are able to inscribe their identity in an increasingly more global culture or whether the global culture dominates and ultimately erases the national identity and culture present.
TIMELINE
Summer 2007:
Learn AfterEffects and Flash
Re-watch Chungking Express
Read Wong-Kar Wai: Auteur of Time as well as the novels that helped influence Chungking Express.
August 24-31, 2007:
School starts and so shall I
September
Confirm proposal
Being constructing interface and making hot spot videos, text, etc
October
Continue constructing hot spots
Test out hot spots placement and format
November
Halfway mark, prototype/draft presentation
December-on
Conduct interviews? (Prof Hyung Sook Lee, Stephen Teo?, Gina Marchetti?)
Finish up hot spots
Test interface, etc
May
Present Final Project
BUDGET:
I don’t anticipate it costing more than $200 for, perhaps, an external hard drive and maybe some software I may or may not have to purchase.
CONFIRMED ADVISORS:
Critical Studies:
Professor Hyung-Sook Lee
IML:
Professor Holly Willis
PRESENTATION AND/OR DISTRIBUTION PLANS/VENUES:
Right now I’m thinking it should just be presented on a huge screen and allow people to navigate around the program themselves.
PRODUCTION RESOURCES:
Hardware Needs:
I will be doing this project using my MacBook Pro and probably the Macs at the IML. I am guessing I will need an external hard drive. I do not own one but I could probably buy one in the future.
Software Needs:
I will probably be using DVD Studio Pro, FinalCut Pro, Photoshop, AfterEffects and probably Flash. I have all software except for Flash and I need to learn both Flash and AfterEffects. I am going to “teach myself” both programs over the summer but if there is someone who could teach me the basics, I would probably be much better off.
PRIOR RELATED WORK:
I am currently taking CTCS 494: East Asian Transnational Cinema and Stars taught by Professor Hyung-Sook Lee. I will incorporate themes learned as well as essays read in the class into my thesis project.
RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Marchetti, Gina. “Buying American, Consuming. Hong Kong: Cultural Commerce, Fantasies of Identity, and the Cinema.”
Lo, Kwai-Cheung. “Transnationalization of the Local in Hong Kong Cinema of the 1990s”.
Teo, Stephen. “Space-Time Tango.” Wong Kar-Wai, Auteur of Time.
Elissa Stooker's Proposal
Title(s)
Carry On My Wayward Son: the transition of marketing mediums in an ever-changing music industry
Abstract
Music marketing was a static issue until the digital age. A band released an album, it was hopefully added to radio playlists, posters were hung in music stores, reviews listed in music magazines, and the band toured relentlessly. The upside to these strategies? They were easy, time-tested. The downside? Only a select few bands reached nation or world-wide success. The advent of MTV in 1982 was a huge boon to music marketing. Now a band's video and image could be broadcast across the country, reaching their target demographics directly. As advertising became more pervasive, bands began marketing through traditional mediums like billboards and television and through more creative efforts like street teaming, where fans are sent throughout their communities with flyers and other promotional gear. Once the internet took hold of our society though, the potential for music marketing exploded, most notably through early downloading and file-sharing sites like mp3.com and Napster. Now, websites like purevolume.com and garageband.com allow for bands to market themselves. Record companies have extensive networks of webpages dedicated to their artists, merchandise is sold at the click of a button, banner advertisements are on the side of every page, pop culture websites and blogs market music just by mentioning it, and social networking pages like MySpace and Facebook offer both direct marketing through advertising and indirect, user-generated marketing.
I will be exploring how this industry has evolved over the past 50 years and the avenues the field of music and music marketing must take to be successful in the future. While print, broadcast, and radio are still viable mediums, they should no longer be considered the primary avenue of music marketing in this complex digital world. But what are the implications of relying so heavily on the digital realm? A debate has raged for years about whether or not "illegal" file-sharing is beneficial to artists, especially those trying to make a name for themselves. And with the dearth of music marketing sites on the internet and all the different options, how to market these websites to potential users - both bands and fans? A recent Google search on "music marketing" returned more than 141 million options!
In researching this topic, I will uncover and demonstrate types of marketing that are effective in reaching unique market segments and demographics. I will also explore the issues that arise with such emphasis on digital marketing - the good, the bad, and the just-plain-confusing! This will be based upon market research and interviews with laymen and professionals in both the music and business fields. The best way to present both the past, present and future of this field is to use an experiential format, where the "reader" can travel through a sample marketing campaign using both old and new methods, and decide at the end which was more effective to them. In addition to this, the reader can make choices on how to market "their" band, seeing in the end which marketing techniques were best for them based upon their details and target market. This project will be useful to both artists interested in promoting their music and to companies who represent music and other media.
Methodology
This project is making an argument that music marketing is a complex issue in today's digital world, and that it must stay cutting-edge in order to stay relevant and in the public eye. I want to speak with those that currently work in the marketing field to get their opinions on how marketing has changed since they began working, and also uncover their marketing processes. I would also like to speak with those that work in related business fields such as advertising, public relations, and artist management to see what they feel are the best ways to adapt their contributions to ensure that new music marketing is successful. Obviously the most important aspect of this project however will be market research on various market segments - consumers and musicians alike and their respective demographics. I also want to research and do some case study-type work.
Media Presentation
I am seeing this project as an interactive "click and learn" journey through the history of music marketing, and then have it turn into a visualization of a discussion about where the industry is today, and the results of the market research into current techniques. Then I want to have the user experience some marketing techniques and at the end, judge which were more effective to them, and once they choose, have that lead into an explanation of the positives and negatives of each way, going from the oldest model to the newest idea for the future of marketing. Then at the end I would like to have a game option where the user has a band they must market. Choosing from some pre-set parameters - such as target market, musical style, and budget - the user will them choose which marketing path they would like to follow. Choices will be given along the way, like "You choose to encourage free downloading of your music as a promotional tool." The choices the user makes will determine in the end a success rating for their band.
The project will flow much like a paper but will have varying ways of using multimedia in each segment (interactivity, visualization, experiential, etc.) to keep it interesting. Marketing is itself not a subject that can be adequately described on paper, as very little marketing is done on paper. You must have multimedia to show the complexity of the subject, and especially in that this project relates directly to music, which obviously can only be heard in order to experience it. It will be presented in DVD format.
Advisors
Christi Crowe, owner of FLAG Marketing
(potential) Mark Goldstein, Music Industry Professor and former Lawyer
(potential) Marlene Towns, Marketing Professor in Marshall School
IML Advisor (who I'm told is Holly).
Budget
I don't anticipate the budget to be more than the cost of transportation, calling costs, and paper. It may be necessary, however, to purchase materials for research and imagery. I would not like to spend more than $200 overall.
Timeline
I will collect research materials and look for imagery over the summer, and do some initial research into marketing techniques. I would also like to construct some surveys with which I will begin market research upon my return in the fall. I will also begin work on the overall interface, and try to get the first part of the project done so that I can focus on creating the game element in the spring.
Resources
I will need lots of imagery as examples for marketing efforts, interviews, video clips, and related texts. In terms of software, I am interested in Korsakow but will most likely need Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Final Cut Pro.
Carry On My Wayward Son: the transition of marketing mediums in an ever-changing music industry
Abstract
Music marketing was a static issue until the digital age. A band released an album, it was hopefully added to radio playlists, posters were hung in music stores, reviews listed in music magazines, and the band toured relentlessly. The upside to these strategies? They were easy, time-tested. The downside? Only a select few bands reached nation or world-wide success. The advent of MTV in 1982 was a huge boon to music marketing. Now a band's video and image could be broadcast across the country, reaching their target demographics directly. As advertising became more pervasive, bands began marketing through traditional mediums like billboards and television and through more creative efforts like street teaming, where fans are sent throughout their communities with flyers and other promotional gear. Once the internet took hold of our society though, the potential for music marketing exploded, most notably through early downloading and file-sharing sites like mp3.com and Napster. Now, websites like purevolume.com and garageband.com allow for bands to market themselves. Record companies have extensive networks of webpages dedicated to their artists, merchandise is sold at the click of a button, banner advertisements are on the side of every page, pop culture websites and blogs market music just by mentioning it, and social networking pages like MySpace and Facebook offer both direct marketing through advertising and indirect, user-generated marketing.
I will be exploring how this industry has evolved over the past 50 years and the avenues the field of music and music marketing must take to be successful in the future. While print, broadcast, and radio are still viable mediums, they should no longer be considered the primary avenue of music marketing in this complex digital world. But what are the implications of relying so heavily on the digital realm? A debate has raged for years about whether or not "illegal" file-sharing is beneficial to artists, especially those trying to make a name for themselves. And with the dearth of music marketing sites on the internet and all the different options, how to market these websites to potential users - both bands and fans? A recent Google search on "music marketing" returned more than 141 million options!
In researching this topic, I will uncover and demonstrate types of marketing that are effective in reaching unique market segments and demographics. I will also explore the issues that arise with such emphasis on digital marketing - the good, the bad, and the just-plain-confusing! This will be based upon market research and interviews with laymen and professionals in both the music and business fields. The best way to present both the past, present and future of this field is to use an experiential format, where the "reader" can travel through a sample marketing campaign using both old and new methods, and decide at the end which was more effective to them. In addition to this, the reader can make choices on how to market "their" band, seeing in the end which marketing techniques were best for them based upon their details and target market. This project will be useful to both artists interested in promoting their music and to companies who represent music and other media.
Methodology
This project is making an argument that music marketing is a complex issue in today's digital world, and that it must stay cutting-edge in order to stay relevant and in the public eye. I want to speak with those that currently work in the marketing field to get their opinions on how marketing has changed since they began working, and also uncover their marketing processes. I would also like to speak with those that work in related business fields such as advertising, public relations, and artist management to see what they feel are the best ways to adapt their contributions to ensure that new music marketing is successful. Obviously the most important aspect of this project however will be market research on various market segments - consumers and musicians alike and their respective demographics. I also want to research and do some case study-type work.
Media Presentation
I am seeing this project as an interactive "click and learn" journey through the history of music marketing, and then have it turn into a visualization of a discussion about where the industry is today, and the results of the market research into current techniques. Then I want to have the user experience some marketing techniques and at the end, judge which were more effective to them, and once they choose, have that lead into an explanation of the positives and negatives of each way, going from the oldest model to the newest idea for the future of marketing. Then at the end I would like to have a game option where the user has a band they must market. Choosing from some pre-set parameters - such as target market, musical style, and budget - the user will them choose which marketing path they would like to follow. Choices will be given along the way, like "You choose to encourage free downloading of your music as a promotional tool." The choices the user makes will determine in the end a success rating for their band.
The project will flow much like a paper but will have varying ways of using multimedia in each segment (interactivity, visualization, experiential, etc.) to keep it interesting. Marketing is itself not a subject that can be adequately described on paper, as very little marketing is done on paper. You must have multimedia to show the complexity of the subject, and especially in that this project relates directly to music, which obviously can only be heard in order to experience it. It will be presented in DVD format.
Advisors
Christi Crowe, owner of FLAG Marketing
(potential) Mark Goldstein, Music Industry Professor and former Lawyer
(potential) Marlene Towns, Marketing Professor in Marshall School
IML Advisor (who I'm told is Holly).
Budget
I don't anticipate the budget to be more than the cost of transportation, calling costs, and paper. It may be necessary, however, to purchase materials for research and imagery. I would not like to spend more than $200 overall.
Timeline
I will collect research materials and look for imagery over the summer, and do some initial research into marketing techniques. I would also like to construct some surveys with which I will begin market research upon my return in the fall. I will also begin work on the overall interface, and try to get the first part of the project done so that I can focus on creating the game element in the spring.
Resources
I will need lots of imagery as examples for marketing efforts, interviews, video clips, and related texts. In terms of software, I am interested in Korsakow but will most likely need Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Final Cut Pro.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Project Draft
Title: Million Views Project – Deconstructing Viral Web Videos
Abstract:
Short internet videos are a new, wildly popular, emergent form of entertainment, perfectly suited to the increasingly low-attention span culture we now occupy.
For this project, I am attempting to deconstruct the elements that comprise viral videos that achieve a degree of internet notoriety and popularity. In doing so, I hope to help my reader understand how the average web user views, processes, and in turn propagates video media that he or she encounters. My assumption behind this project is that the internet audience is, contrary to popular belief, predictable, and while trends and general tastes are certainly mercurial, there exist common elements that are in fact shared by self-created and self-propagated media.
I will distill a number of theoretical "formulas" for popular internet videos from shared elements found in popular internet videos. The core of my project would be to then test the actual effectiveness of my formulas by applying it to a number of self-created videos and tracking their popularity. As there is often an author/viewer correspondence present in these videos, I will also fabricate and assume the various personas behind each video, responding to the viewers as necessary. In this way, this might be considered an interactive video project, or more specifically, a series of short interactive video projects linked by a common thread.
I will analyze commonly seen elements in popular videos, past and present, and distill them into generic formulas that I will then use as a blueprint to create videos of my own. Meanwhile, I will also document the making of process to yield insight into the thinking behind each decision. I intend to use the web video format as the primary way of presenting information, and necessarily will be also creating a webpage for the project as well.
The goal for each video is to reach one million views each. Videos that fall short of this goal will still yield insight as to why they did not take off – and will be analyzed as such.
While my audience is also an unwitting test subject, the real audience for this would be for the more academically minded, as they are aware of the fact that these videos are constructed with the sole purpose of achieving a high degree of internet popularity, and are also privy to the thought processes behind them. I intend for my final delivery format to be a website documenting my thinking and process, as well as containing the various videos themselves.
Significance:
The sheer volume of viewership and visibility of particularly popular internet videos opens up a world of yet unexplored possibilities in both the commercial as well as the creative realm. The fact that many memes from viral web videos have successfully migrated from internet culture to popular culture indicates that this form of entertainment is by no means confined to the boundaries of electronic medium. As of now, there have been no prominent traditionally scholarly analysis of this new form of entertainment, perhaps owing to the difficulty in writing about a primarily visual, constantly moving medium. It is a topic uniquely suited to a multimedia based scholarly approach.
The implications of this project are potentially far reaching. This medium by and large is a medium created and propagated by this generation, and a distillation of it would yield insight into the mindset of my generation. Moreover, in a realm where views are tied to advertising revenue, formulas that guarantee high amounts of views could have a wide array of practical applications.
Timeline:
Due to the constantly changing nature of this project (for example, response videos might be shot after the first is uploaded), it is safe to assume that I will be shooting/editing/uploading constantly throughout the entire process. For videos that have not hit the goal of one million views before the presentation date, I will have projected numbers based on hits per day.
∑ Summer/Pre-Summer
o Create user accounts on YouTube/Video websites
o Acquire props
o Conduct Research
o Test or actually shoot videos (to be uploaded later)
o Contact team members
∑ September
o Confirm proposal
o Shoot and upload videos
o Track data
∑ October
o Shoot and upload videos
o Track data
∑ November
o Shoot and upload videos
o Track data
o Prototype/draft presentation
∑ December
o Shoot and upload videos
o Track data
o Prepare “Making of” videos
∑ January
o Track data
o Conduct interviews
ß Tom Gunning?
ß Creators of LonelyGirl?
ß Ad Agencies?
o Prepare “Making of” videos
∑ February
o Track data
o Conduct interviews
∑ March
∑ April
∑ May
o Present Final Project
Budget:
I don’t anticipate the budget to go any higher than $500 for acquisition of props and transportation/gas. All other video hardware/software is freely accessible.
Advisor
Frank Chindamo, adjunct professor in the SCA Writing department, CEO of Fun Little Movies.
Resources
Video editing software and video hardware is already readily accessible: Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, DVD Studio Pro, Dreamweaver, After Effects, Shake.
Abstract:
Short internet videos are a new, wildly popular, emergent form of entertainment, perfectly suited to the increasingly low-attention span culture we now occupy.
For this project, I am attempting to deconstruct the elements that comprise viral videos that achieve a degree of internet notoriety and popularity. In doing so, I hope to help my reader understand how the average web user views, processes, and in turn propagates video media that he or she encounters. My assumption behind this project is that the internet audience is, contrary to popular belief, predictable, and while trends and general tastes are certainly mercurial, there exist common elements that are in fact shared by self-created and self-propagated media.
I will distill a number of theoretical "formulas" for popular internet videos from shared elements found in popular internet videos. The core of my project would be to then test the actual effectiveness of my formulas by applying it to a number of self-created videos and tracking their popularity. As there is often an author/viewer correspondence present in these videos, I will also fabricate and assume the various personas behind each video, responding to the viewers as necessary. In this way, this might be considered an interactive video project, or more specifically, a series of short interactive video projects linked by a common thread.
I will analyze commonly seen elements in popular videos, past and present, and distill them into generic formulas that I will then use as a blueprint to create videos of my own. Meanwhile, I will also document the making of process to yield insight into the thinking behind each decision. I intend to use the web video format as the primary way of presenting information, and necessarily will be also creating a webpage for the project as well.
The goal for each video is to reach one million views each. Videos that fall short of this goal will still yield insight as to why they did not take off – and will be analyzed as such.
While my audience is also an unwitting test subject, the real audience for this would be for the more academically minded, as they are aware of the fact that these videos are constructed with the sole purpose of achieving a high degree of internet popularity, and are also privy to the thought processes behind them. I intend for my final delivery format to be a website documenting my thinking and process, as well as containing the various videos themselves.
Significance:
The sheer volume of viewership and visibility of particularly popular internet videos opens up a world of yet unexplored possibilities in both the commercial as well as the creative realm. The fact that many memes from viral web videos have successfully migrated from internet culture to popular culture indicates that this form of entertainment is by no means confined to the boundaries of electronic medium. As of now, there have been no prominent traditionally scholarly analysis of this new form of entertainment, perhaps owing to the difficulty in writing about a primarily visual, constantly moving medium. It is a topic uniquely suited to a multimedia based scholarly approach.
The implications of this project are potentially far reaching. This medium by and large is a medium created and propagated by this generation, and a distillation of it would yield insight into the mindset of my generation. Moreover, in a realm where views are tied to advertising revenue, formulas that guarantee high amounts of views could have a wide array of practical applications.
Timeline:
Due to the constantly changing nature of this project (for example, response videos might be shot after the first is uploaded), it is safe to assume that I will be shooting/editing/uploading constantly throughout the entire process. For videos that have not hit the goal of one million views before the presentation date, I will have projected numbers based on hits per day.
∑ Summer/Pre-Summer
o Create user accounts on YouTube/Video websites
o Acquire props
o Conduct Research
o Test or actually shoot videos (to be uploaded later)
o Contact team members
∑ September
o Confirm proposal
o Shoot and upload videos
o Track data
∑ October
o Shoot and upload videos
o Track data
∑ November
o Shoot and upload videos
o Track data
o Prototype/draft presentation
∑ December
o Shoot and upload videos
o Track data
o Prepare “Making of” videos
∑ January
o Track data
o Conduct interviews
ß Tom Gunning?
ß Creators of LonelyGirl?
ß Ad Agencies?
o Prepare “Making of” videos
∑ February
o Track data
o Conduct interviews
∑ March
∑ April
∑ May
o Present Final Project
Budget:
I don’t anticipate the budget to go any higher than $500 for acquisition of props and transportation/gas. All other video hardware/software is freely accessible.
Advisor
Frank Chindamo, adjunct professor in the SCA Writing department, CEO of Fun Little Movies.
Resources
Video editing software and video hardware is already readily accessible: Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, DVD Studio Pro, Dreamweaver, After Effects, Shake.
ITP Flash Classes
The Information Technology Program (ITP) over in Engineering is offering 2 Flash classes in the Fall...
ITP 216 - Web Animation & Interactivity
Monday 5pm - 8pm
Instructor Ari Blank
ITP 499 - Rich Internet Application Development
Wednesday 5pm - 8pm
If you have questions about ITP classes, contact Jonielle
ITP 216 - Web Animation & Interactivity
Monday 5pm - 8pm
Instructor Ari Blank
You’ll gain a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of Adobe Flash 8 and Flash ActionScript that will allow you to create powerful web animation and interactivity. You’ll explore script syntax and logic, learn to control targeted objects and timelines, and prepare and encode video for deployment so that advanced features of web design, layout and publishing as well as dynamic content loading will be at your fingertips.
ITP 499 - Rich Internet Application Development
Wednesday 5pm - 8pm
Students will acquire skills and knowledge to design and develop online applications powered by the cutting edge Adobe Flash 9 player. Content will be authored using Adobe Flex 2 for client-side development and PHP for server-side development. Major concepts covered are web application design, development, and deployment. Topics include the proper usage of Flex 2 components, creating custom components, and user interface design techniques. The final project will be a scalable fully functional online application.
If you have questions about ITP classes, contact Jonielle
Dustin Johnson's Full Draft
Title: Cinematography: A Language Without Words
Abstract: I am focusing on the little studied art of cinematography in critical studies. Any given film has a rich and complex text of its own that can be drawn upon by simply isolating the visuals. Cinematography is a complex semiotic language using such elements as color, grain, exposure, latitude, contrast, composition, shot angles, and depth of field to tell a story or create an emotion. This symbolism can come in the form of a specific motif in a given film, or can become a part of the conventions and iconography of a genre. Because cinematography has been so tied to ceaseless technical innovation from its beginnings, a given implementation of the visual language of cinematography may actually be tied to an era of technical development and experimentation.
First, I wish to expose and decode this language and its complexity to the student, lay-person, or even scholar not already willing to actually materialize the subconscious interpretations of the text on their own. Secondly, I wish to show how this encoded language appears throughout other media in specific relation to a given text. I plan to do so by choosing at least one film from within the last decade with significant use of the elements that I will define, and tracking both the influences that that film has had on films and other media since its release, as well as backtracking to as many of the influences on it as possible, back to the influences on its influences, and so forth.
One example could be the extremely unique style of Tony Scott's film, Man On Fire, as it is clearly influenced by the Director of Photography's experiments on the BMW film Beat the Devil which can be seen as an extension of the styles used in Swordfish and Gone in Sixty Seconds, which are arguably influenced by the type of standout cinematography seen in Traffic, which not surprisingly came shortly after Three Kings, one of the more notable uses of the now well known “skip bleach” process. After Man on Fire came works like Last King of Scotland, Jarhead, and even Babel that used similar styles, influenced likely by the most recent as well as that which influenced the most recent and so forth. The similarities in style will, in the actual project, be broken down into more specific elements, and definitive examples of each element being compared will be given as each connection is drawn.The project will be pedagogical in that it teaches its users how to look at cinematography as a cultural art. The concept explores the layered effects of the influences on the subject film and the film's influences on other media, therefore is also multi-layered. The interface design will combine still photos (screen shots) with video clips, and with text as various means of exploring the concepts, therefore it is also comparative. The project is interactive to the extent that the user decides how he or she wishes to explore the multi-layered content through the interface. The project is visualization both in how it shows the material of the subject media, as well as visualizes the theories. In a straight forward way, the project is also annotation, as it combines images and moving images with textual explanations.I will probably do the entire project in Flash (a program in which I can call my self a fully competent designer, if not a programmer) and allow the user to navigate it.Methodology:I am going to solve the scholar's conundrum of discussing cinematography as a critical and theoretical aspect of film. Often we study the cinematography of one film, or even of certain genres, but never in depth, and never are those concepts of cinematographic theory applied to the entire study of film. I hope to take cinematography from a film to film context into the broader context by connecting cinematography among different films, and perhaps even among other cultural products that relate such as advertising, commercials, print design, web design, music videos, book covers, etc. If this is going too far, it is enough for me to just bring out patterns and contexts among films for distinct styles of cinematography that are weakly discussed and defined as of yet. The use of an interactive multimedia platform like Flash will allow the user to explore at their own pace the information that I can present to them, and hopefully it will be in the order that makes the most sense to them and that best satisfies their curiosity.
Significance
This project will argue the fact that even in such an independent and post-modern era of cinema, there is still a natural tendency for style to reverberate throughout art, specifically that which is most cinematic. No one text can be looked at independently of its context, and this project helps us understand that to understand a single auteur, one must understand his or her peers as well, for their work inevitably influences them.
Media Presentation and Justification:Because the terminology that exists to describe cinematographic theory is so limited and or so poorly known, using media to visualize and exemplify every part of the thesis will no doubt make possible what would otherwise be a tedious and confusing mixture of description and definition. So rather than writing a paper that would force the reader to look up information to figure out what the author is talking about, using a multimedia interface, the author can provide that information as he goes.
Timeline
First semester I will spend doing research and gathering the raw materials, putting together a large collection of video clips and still images that exemplify the argument being made. Before transcoding all of th footage and standardizing the images, I will test a preliminary Flash interface, undecorated but functional, using placeholders, so that I won't be bogged down later by having to repair and adjust all of my materials to fit.
Second semester, with a working interface model I will just have to update the interface with the actual media and decorate it. This will take a lot of time of course because the interface will not yet have the same scope as the final project will, so as I go I will be adding and expanding symmetrically.
Budget
As long as I use BitTorrent properly and illegally I will not have to pay any money for any of the footage I use from the films I am presenting a discussion of.
Advisors
Prof. Wagner (Critical Studies) and Holly (IML)
Presentation
This project will be offered as a website or viewable on a computer off of a DVD.
Resources
I will need a lot of movie clips, TV clips, commercials, movie marketing materials and other texts related through style ranging from the late 90's to the present. Software : Flash, After Effects, Photoshop, BitTorrent, DVD ripping and burning programs.
Abstract: I am focusing on the little studied art of cinematography in critical studies. Any given film has a rich and complex text of its own that can be drawn upon by simply isolating the visuals. Cinematography is a complex semiotic language using such elements as color, grain, exposure, latitude, contrast, composition, shot angles, and depth of field to tell a story or create an emotion. This symbolism can come in the form of a specific motif in a given film, or can become a part of the conventions and iconography of a genre. Because cinematography has been so tied to ceaseless technical innovation from its beginnings, a given implementation of the visual language of cinematography may actually be tied to an era of technical development and experimentation.
First, I wish to expose and decode this language and its complexity to the student, lay-person, or even scholar not already willing to actually materialize the subconscious interpretations of the text on their own. Secondly, I wish to show how this encoded language appears throughout other media in specific relation to a given text. I plan to do so by choosing at least one film from within the last decade with significant use of the elements that I will define, and tracking both the influences that that film has had on films and other media since its release, as well as backtracking to as many of the influences on it as possible, back to the influences on its influences, and so forth.
One example could be the extremely unique style of Tony Scott's film, Man On Fire, as it is clearly influenced by the Director of Photography's experiments on the BMW film Beat the Devil which can be seen as an extension of the styles used in Swordfish and Gone in Sixty Seconds, which are arguably influenced by the type of standout cinematography seen in Traffic, which not surprisingly came shortly after Three Kings, one of the more notable uses of the now well known “skip bleach” process. After Man on Fire came works like Last King of Scotland, Jarhead, and even Babel that used similar styles, influenced likely by the most recent as well as that which influenced the most recent and so forth. The similarities in style will, in the actual project, be broken down into more specific elements, and definitive examples of each element being compared will be given as each connection is drawn.The project will be pedagogical in that it teaches its users how to look at cinematography as a cultural art. The concept explores the layered effects of the influences on the subject film and the film's influences on other media, therefore is also multi-layered. The interface design will combine still photos (screen shots) with video clips, and with text as various means of exploring the concepts, therefore it is also comparative. The project is interactive to the extent that the user decides how he or she wishes to explore the multi-layered content through the interface. The project is visualization both in how it shows the material of the subject media, as well as visualizes the theories. In a straight forward way, the project is also annotation, as it combines images and moving images with textual explanations.I will probably do the entire project in Flash (a program in which I can call my self a fully competent designer, if not a programmer) and allow the user to navigate it.Methodology:I am going to solve the scholar's conundrum of discussing cinematography as a critical and theoretical aspect of film. Often we study the cinematography of one film, or even of certain genres, but never in depth, and never are those concepts of cinematographic theory applied to the entire study of film. I hope to take cinematography from a film to film context into the broader context by connecting cinematography among different films, and perhaps even among other cultural products that relate such as advertising, commercials, print design, web design, music videos, book covers, etc. If this is going too far, it is enough for me to just bring out patterns and contexts among films for distinct styles of cinematography that are weakly discussed and defined as of yet. The use of an interactive multimedia platform like Flash will allow the user to explore at their own pace the information that I can present to them, and hopefully it will be in the order that makes the most sense to them and that best satisfies their curiosity.
Significance
This project will argue the fact that even in such an independent and post-modern era of cinema, there is still a natural tendency for style to reverberate throughout art, specifically that which is most cinematic. No one text can be looked at independently of its context, and this project helps us understand that to understand a single auteur, one must understand his or her peers as well, for their work inevitably influences them.
Media Presentation and Justification:Because the terminology that exists to describe cinematographic theory is so limited and or so poorly known, using media to visualize and exemplify every part of the thesis will no doubt make possible what would otherwise be a tedious and confusing mixture of description and definition. So rather than writing a paper that would force the reader to look up information to figure out what the author is talking about, using a multimedia interface, the author can provide that information as he goes.
Timeline
First semester I will spend doing research and gathering the raw materials, putting together a large collection of video clips and still images that exemplify the argument being made. Before transcoding all of th footage and standardizing the images, I will test a preliminary Flash interface, undecorated but functional, using placeholders, so that I won't be bogged down later by having to repair and adjust all of my materials to fit.
Second semester, with a working interface model I will just have to update the interface with the actual media and decorate it. This will take a lot of time of course because the interface will not yet have the same scope as the final project will, so as I go I will be adding and expanding symmetrically.
Budget
As long as I use BitTorrent properly and illegally I will not have to pay any money for any of the footage I use from the films I am presenting a discussion of.
Advisors
Prof. Wagner (Critical Studies) and Holly (IML)
Presentation
This project will be offered as a website or viewable on a computer off of a DVD.
Resources
I will need a lot of movie clips, TV clips, commercials, movie marketing materials and other texts related through style ranging from the late 90's to the present. Software : Flash, After Effects, Photoshop, BitTorrent, DVD ripping and burning programs.
Andy'S Draft
I. A MULTIPERSPECTIVAL PRESENTATION OF THE MANY FACES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT: PRINCE, SOLDIER, WARRIOR
II. Abstract
I am exploring the historical interpretations of Alexander the Great in an attempt to determine how ancient historians, and writers throughout the centuries, have interpreted this to form a comprehensive picture of the man. The written word will be an integral part of this project, but Alexander will also be seen through the eyes of the sculptors, painters, and artists who have tried to form the visual images of this enigmatic man. The primary goal of this work is to aid the reader in attaining a comprehensive understanding of one of the most dynamic leaders in world history accomplished what he did and how he and his actions were later seen. Recent work in the field of Alexandrian studies will be included which calls into question many of the ancient sources and their interpretation of certain aspects of his life, i.e. his mother, Olympias, and her influence on his subsequent undertakings, the burning of the Persian royal palace of Persepolis, and others. I want to produce a muti-perspectival project aimed at the academic reader (or any serious lover of history) that will examine several events in the life of Alexander as interpreted by a few sources. Alexandrian studies are a paradox because nothing can truly be known about the man himself to a certainty, despite the corpus of works concerning him. Many of the sources disagree; what I would attempt to do is allow a participant to physically see where the disagreements occur and how little moments of disharmony add up over the course of the main narratives.
III. Description
This will take the form of experiential documentary where the user can explore material on Alexander during a series of events. The focus of the project would center on answering what we, as scholars, can truly know about Alexander, and then view the many ways he has been reinterpreted throughout the years based on various findings that continue to come to light. At the moment, I believe two examples that bear intense scrutiny are the Battle of Gaugamela and the Revolt at the Hydaspes, each of which center upon different facets of Alexander’s life and career. Can we only know, as most academics believe, that all we can take from the histories are what the author says Alexander did, or, can we say with any degree of certainty that he actually acted in that manner? The modern scholarship that does exist about Alexander is quite fascinating and is worth contemplating alongside the ancient scholarship as well. There is one particularly fascinating book that was recently published by Elizabeth Carney in which she completely rejects every negative interpretation of Olympias, Alexander’s mother, in the secondary sources as a misrepresentation of a strong and powerful woman who lived in a brutal time. I feel that the modern scholarship will give the project the extra component that will aid the viewer in appreciating how many ways something can be reinterpreted, which is a major portion of what I am attempting to do.
I find that most people can’t make their way through the ancient corpus of works about Alexander, much less make the distinctions among the different traditions that they hail - even academics find actively keeping this information organized in their mind to be a challenge. Trying to guide most people through the visual representations is easier. There is a rich and varied body of visual interpretation including incredible sculpted busts of the man, both as warrior and civilian, ancient statues, coinage, medieval illuminations, and a host of art from the Renaissance through the 19th centuries. The addition of visual illustration to the written work will bolster interest in the subject. By making the sources obvious via tabs or citations of some sort, people could literally see the similarities as well as the discrepancies side by side. I haven’t decided beyond the historically accepted artistic representations of Alexander if any cinematic projects deserve to be spliced into the project proper, but some (such as certain portions of Oliver Stone’s Alexander) do capture certain moments that are in concordance between sources. I truly believe that this could be a fascinating experience wherein the viewer could learn in one place about the many aspects of the man. Keep in mind, though, that this knowledge would not be presented as “this is what Alexander did”; it would be “this is what Arrian or Curtius said Alexander did”. From that basis, and after experiencing the project, I would allow the participant to make his own decision as to whether the source serves a more literary purpose (Callisthenes says Alexander did this and there remains some degree of suspicion as to its historical veracity) or a more historical purpose (Alexander did this and Ptolemy reported it). This needs to be done in a multimedia format because of the efficiency in assimilation and presentation of the information. I would attempt to arrange the project in such a way that the person experiencing it would be able to guide their learning in fields that interest them.
This would take shape as a DVD which would engross the participant with information and various interpretations of the man, the world he lived in, what drove him to undertake what he did, how he was seen then, now, and the position he assumes in recorded history. Ultimately, this will force people to see how the sources are not in concordance and how even the simplest facts cannot be agreed upon. Moreover, while experiencing the project, the viewer will learn what various scholars (ancient and modern) claim regarding Alexander, because, in the final analysis, all that can be known about one of the most dynamic leaders in history is what we can glean from several contradictory authors.
IV. Timeline
August-October Research Alexander
October-November Create Structure and begin editing clips
December-January Bulk of Work
February-May Polishing and Editing based on Initial Reactions
May 8th Finished Project
V. Budget
Although I don’t foresee this project costing anything more than materials, I’ll tentatively say that it will cost anywhere from $20-$200.
VI. Advisors
Vincent Farenga PhD. Classics
VII. Presentation/Distribution Venues
DVD
VIII. Production Resources
AfterEffects
FinalCutPro
Flash
Korsakow
DVDs
IX. Prior Related Work
After extensive research, nothing along these lines has even been attempted in the field of Classical Studies.
X. Research Bibliography
Arrian trans. Selincourt, Aubrey. The Campaigns of Alexander. London: Penguin, 1971.
Briant, Pierre trans. Daniels, Peter. From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire. Paris: Eisenbraus, 2002.
Cartledge, Paul. Alexander the Great. New York: Random House, 2004.
Curtius trans. Yardlet, John. The History of Alexander. London: Penguin, 2004.
Worthing, Ian ed. Alexander the Great: A Reader. London: Routledge, 2003.
II. Abstract
I am exploring the historical interpretations of Alexander the Great in an attempt to determine how ancient historians, and writers throughout the centuries, have interpreted this to form a comprehensive picture of the man. The written word will be an integral part of this project, but Alexander will also be seen through the eyes of the sculptors, painters, and artists who have tried to form the visual images of this enigmatic man. The primary goal of this work is to aid the reader in attaining a comprehensive understanding of one of the most dynamic leaders in world history accomplished what he did and how he and his actions were later seen. Recent work in the field of Alexandrian studies will be included which calls into question many of the ancient sources and their interpretation of certain aspects of his life, i.e. his mother, Olympias, and her influence on his subsequent undertakings, the burning of the Persian royal palace of Persepolis, and others. I want to produce a muti-perspectival project aimed at the academic reader (or any serious lover of history) that will examine several events in the life of Alexander as interpreted by a few sources. Alexandrian studies are a paradox because nothing can truly be known about the man himself to a certainty, despite the corpus of works concerning him. Many of the sources disagree; what I would attempt to do is allow a participant to physically see where the disagreements occur and how little moments of disharmony add up over the course of the main narratives.
III. Description
This will take the form of experiential documentary where the user can explore material on Alexander during a series of events. The focus of the project would center on answering what we, as scholars, can truly know about Alexander, and then view the many ways he has been reinterpreted throughout the years based on various findings that continue to come to light. At the moment, I believe two examples that bear intense scrutiny are the Battle of Gaugamela and the Revolt at the Hydaspes, each of which center upon different facets of Alexander’s life and career. Can we only know, as most academics believe, that all we can take from the histories are what the author says Alexander did, or, can we say with any degree of certainty that he actually acted in that manner? The modern scholarship that does exist about Alexander is quite fascinating and is worth contemplating alongside the ancient scholarship as well. There is one particularly fascinating book that was recently published by Elizabeth Carney in which she completely rejects every negative interpretation of Olympias, Alexander’s mother, in the secondary sources as a misrepresentation of a strong and powerful woman who lived in a brutal time. I feel that the modern scholarship will give the project the extra component that will aid the viewer in appreciating how many ways something can be reinterpreted, which is a major portion of what I am attempting to do.
I find that most people can’t make their way through the ancient corpus of works about Alexander, much less make the distinctions among the different traditions that they hail - even academics find actively keeping this information organized in their mind to be a challenge. Trying to guide most people through the visual representations is easier. There is a rich and varied body of visual interpretation including incredible sculpted busts of the man, both as warrior and civilian, ancient statues, coinage, medieval illuminations, and a host of art from the Renaissance through the 19th centuries. The addition of visual illustration to the written work will bolster interest in the subject. By making the sources obvious via tabs or citations of some sort, people could literally see the similarities as well as the discrepancies side by side. I haven’t decided beyond the historically accepted artistic representations of Alexander if any cinematic projects deserve to be spliced into the project proper, but some (such as certain portions of Oliver Stone’s Alexander) do capture certain moments that are in concordance between sources. I truly believe that this could be a fascinating experience wherein the viewer could learn in one place about the many aspects of the man. Keep in mind, though, that this knowledge would not be presented as “this is what Alexander did”; it would be “this is what Arrian or Curtius said Alexander did”. From that basis, and after experiencing the project, I would allow the participant to make his own decision as to whether the source serves a more literary purpose (Callisthenes says Alexander did this and there remains some degree of suspicion as to its historical veracity) or a more historical purpose (Alexander did this and Ptolemy reported it). This needs to be done in a multimedia format because of the efficiency in assimilation and presentation of the information. I would attempt to arrange the project in such a way that the person experiencing it would be able to guide their learning in fields that interest them.
This would take shape as a DVD which would engross the participant with information and various interpretations of the man, the world he lived in, what drove him to undertake what he did, how he was seen then, now, and the position he assumes in recorded history. Ultimately, this will force people to see how the sources are not in concordance and how even the simplest facts cannot be agreed upon. Moreover, while experiencing the project, the viewer will learn what various scholars (ancient and modern) claim regarding Alexander, because, in the final analysis, all that can be known about one of the most dynamic leaders in history is what we can glean from several contradictory authors.
IV. Timeline
August-October Research Alexander
October-November Create Structure and begin editing clips
December-January Bulk of Work
February-May Polishing and Editing based on Initial Reactions
May 8th Finished Project
V. Budget
Although I don’t foresee this project costing anything more than materials, I’ll tentatively say that it will cost anywhere from $20-$200.
VI. Advisors
Vincent Farenga PhD. Classics
VII. Presentation/Distribution Venues
DVD
VIII. Production Resources
AfterEffects
FinalCutPro
Flash
Korsakow
DVDs
IX. Prior Related Work
After extensive research, nothing along these lines has even been attempted in the field of Classical Studies.
X. Research Bibliography
Arrian trans. Selincourt, Aubrey. The Campaigns of Alexander. London: Penguin, 1971.
Briant, Pierre trans. Daniels, Peter. From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire. Paris: Eisenbraus, 2002.
Cartledge, Paul. Alexander the Great. New York: Random House, 2004.
Curtius trans. Yardlet, John. The History of Alexander. London: Penguin, 2004.
Worthing, Ian ed. Alexander the Great: A Reader. London: Routledge, 2003.
Beth's Proposal
TITLE
The Role of Toxin-Antitoxin Gene Pairs in Cell Death/Cell Survival in Escherichia coli
ABSTRACT
Toxin-antitoxin pairs are pairs of genes that encode the information necessary for the generation of a toxin and an antitoxin. Within a healthy cell, toxin and antitoxin proteins are simultaneously produced, and bind together to form a complex that is harmless to the cell; however, in an abnormal cell, the toxin protein accumulates, disrupting normal cellular functions and ultimately causing cell death. For this reason, toxin-antitoxin pairs have been implicated as key components of programmed cell death mechanisms and the plasmid addiction system (a mechanism in which a cell dies if it does not receive a copy of a small, circular piece of DNA called a plasmid). Understanding the basic mechanisms underlying programmed cell death and plasmid addiction is an important step in gaining insight into disorders/diseases caused by uncontrolled cell proliferation like cancer, and may yield important molecular tools for initiating death in specific, undesired cells in laboratory experiments.
The aim of this project is to generate a miniature database documentary about toxin-antitoxin pairs, and more specifically toxin-antitoxin pairs in the bacterium Escherichia coli. This will be a referential and educational tool that includes a review of toxin-antitoxin pair literature, as well progress on toxin-antitoxin pair research being conducted in the Finkel laboratory at the University of Southern California.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
DEFINITION OF PROJECT
Genre and Delivery Format
Data presentation is one of the most important aspects of the scientific process, regardless of whether the project is a literature review or laboratory-based research. The publication of papers and the presentation of works at conferences and symposiums allow researchers to present their findings to the scientific community, as well as the general public. This generates a forum for the discussion and exchange of ideas, which is inherently important to scientific progress.
There are three primary modes of presentation in the sciences: paper publications, oral presentations, and poster presentations. Despite the inherently scholastic nature of science, which demands careful note-taking, attention to detail, and the analysis and interpretation of data, there are many aspects of science that are better explained through images, especially for lay audiences or those unfamiliar with the research topic. These components include physical, chemical, or physiological mechanisms, experimental procedures, and data. For instance, it is much easier to understand how a neurotoxin can cause paralysis via a schematic drawing or an animation, than it is to read a dense passage detailing each step in the process. Likewise, it is much easier to understand data presented as a graph than as a list of numbers.
For this reason, this project will be a multimedia-based project in the form of a database documentary. It is critically important to maintain a textual, scholarly component in the presentation of this project because of the scholastic nature of the research: at the core of this project are a literature review of toxin-antitoxin pairs in the bacterium Escherichia coli and data collected from ongoing research. However, there are also multiple components of this project that are far better served by visual aids, including pictures, animations, interviews, and data. A database documentary will allow for the incorporation of scholastic and multimedia components, as well as allow the audience to explore and learn about toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli at their leisure and personal level of understanding.
Research Methodology
The specific aim of this research project is to conduct an extensive literature review of toxin-antitoxin pairs in the bacterium Escherichia coli, and compile the information in a cohesive and understandable multimedia format that is accessible to both the layperson and the professional researcher. This project will be comprised of five major components: (1) general information about toxin-antitoxin pairs, (2) toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli, (3) proposed theories for the role of toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli death and/or survival, (4) potential applications of toxin-antitoxin pair research, (5) progress with research that I am conducting in the laboratory.
The first component of this project will present a broad overview of toxin-antitoxin pairs – the background information. It will begin with two basic concepts that are crucially important to toxin-antitoxin pair action, programmed cell death and plasmid addiction (a mechanism in which a cell dies if it does not receive a copy of a circular piece of extra-genomic DNA called a plasmid). The discussion will continue with the identification of toxin-antitoxin pairs on bacterial genomes, what they are, how they are thought to act, and their potential significance for cell death or survival.
The second component of this project will concentrate on the main focus of this project, toxin-antitoxin pairs on the E. coli genome. This section will include information about each of the toxin-antitoxin pairs identified in E. coli, their locations on the E. coli genome, their putative modes of action, and other pertinent information.
The third section will be focused on the major theories regarding the purposes of these toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli. The theories proposed by the two major camps of toxin-antitoxin pair research, the Gerdes laboratory and the Engelberg-Kulka laboratory, will be discussed here, as well as the theory proposed by the Finkel laboratory.
The fourth, and final section of the literature review, will be concerned with the potential applications of toxin-antitoxin pair research. Understanding the mechanisms of toxin-antitoxin pairs is a major step forward in understanding programmed cell death mechanisms, and possibly the mechanisms underlying the termination of programmed cell death abnormal proliferation of cells (e.g. cancer). Additionally, toxin-antitoxin pairs have the potentially of being a very useful molecular technique that can be used to terminate certain, unwanted cells in controlled experiments.
The final component of this project will be concerned with my own research. This section will consist primarily of the protocols and processes that are involved in my research, with a little bit of data. Realistically, there will be little data to present, as current research endeavors are focused on the generation of mutant E. coli strains required for the study of toxin-antitoxin pairs.
PROJECT GOALS
The primary goal of this multimedia project is to generate a miniature database of information regarding toxin-antitoxin pairs in Escherichia coli. This will be an interactive project that can be used as both a source of reference for people conducting research on toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli and an educational experience for people of all educational backgrounds who have an interest in learning about toxin-antitoxin pairs.
To accomplish this goal, the information contained within this project will be made accessible to both the layperson and the professional researcher. a researcher can browse through the project, looking at current information and research about toxin-antitoxin pairs and bypassing explanations and images that describe basic knowledge (e.g. transcription and translation), while a lay person can browse through the project, bringing up annotations (textual and/or visual) that explain concepts they do not know or understand.
SIGNIFICANCE
Toxin-antitoxin pairs have been implicated as key components of two important cell death mechanisms, programmed cell death and the plasmid addiction system. Programmed cell death (PCD; apoptosis) is a normal regulatory process that allows for the destruction and removal of unneeded or damaged cells. PCD results from highly regulated biochemical processes that are activated by a variety of mechanisms, including damage to DNA and external chemical signals, and trigger death. In the plasmid addiction system, a type of programmed cell death, a toxin-antitoxin pair resides on a circular piece of DNA (called a plasmid) in the cytoplasm of a bacterial cell. During replication, those bacterial cells that do not receive the plasmid undergo cell death, while those that do receive the plasmid survive and replicate. Understanding these mechanisms are extremely important in diseases where cell proliferation goes unchecked, such as cancer, because in many of these diseases, there is abnormal suppression of PCD.
It has been recently discovered that these toxin-antitoxin pairs not only reside on plasmids, but are also integrated into the genomes of many bacterial species. The Escherichia coli genome has been found to contain at least ten of these toxin-antitoxin pairs at seven different locations. The incorporation of these toxin-antitoxin pairs into the E. coli genome suggests they play an important function in regulating cell death and / or cell survival. Utilizing E. coli provides us with a highly accessible way of gaining insight into the mechanisms underlying cell death / cell survival mechanisms.
TIMELINE
27 July 2007 Written / visual draft of all necessary project components
28 September 2007 Draft of all textual aspects of this project submitted to Biology Advisor
26 October 2007 Final draft of all textual aspects of this project
28 December 2007 Completed compilation of audio / visual components
29 February 2008 Rough draft of final multimedia project
28 March 2008 Second draft of final multimedia project
18 April 2008 Third draft of final multimedia project
May 2008 Final draft of multimedia project
BUDGET
To be determined.
CONFIRMED ADVISORS
Steven Finkel, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Molecular and Computational Biology
University of Southern California
1050 Childs Way
Ray Irani Hall 319B, Mail Code 2910
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910
Phone: (213) 821-1498
Email: sfinkel@usc.edu
PRESENTATION PLANS
This project will be presented at the end of the Spring 2008 semester, as a part of the Institute for Multimedia Literacy Honors Program. This multimedia project will be accompanied by a written thesis that will be submitted to the University of Southern California Biology Department for a letter grade.
PRODUCTION RESOURCES
SOFTWARE / HARDWARE
Literature review and laboratory research will be conducted in Ray Irani Hall in the USC Department of Molecular and Computation Biology. The multimedia aspect of this project will be primarily Macromedia Flash-based. Animations and images will be downloaded from the Internet or they will be generated in Macromedia Flash or Microsoft PowerPoint, and interviews and videos of the experimentation process will be shot and captured and edited in Final Cut Pro.
COLLABORATORS
Finkel Laboratory, University of Southern California
Journal of Visualized Experiments (Tentative)
PRESENTATION NEEDS
This multimedia project will be designed to be viewed on a computer and the final project will be delivered in Flash on DVD.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) pairs are gene pairs that coexpress a stable toxin and a labile antitoxin (Brown and Shaw, 2003). Within the cell, toxin and antitoxin proteins bind to form a toxin-antitoxin complex that is harmless to the cell; however, when free toxin is allowed to accumulate in the cell (via disruption of TA transcription and/or translation, deletion of the TA pair, etc.), it dies. For this reason, TA pairs have been implicated as key components of programmed cell death mechanisms and the plasmid addiction system, though the modes of action of most TA pairs remain undetermined.
Ten toxin-antitoxin pairs have been identified at various loci on the E. coli genome, and seem to be associated with cell death mechanisms triggered by large chromosomal deletions in long-term cultures. Preliminary studies suggest that these toxin-antitoxin pairs play a key role in cell survival, as E. coli strains mutant for seven TA pairs put into direct competition with the wild type strains show reduced competitive ability and large population reductions (Finkel laboratory, unpublished).
REFERENCES
Brown, J. M., and K. J. Shaw. 2003. A Novel Family of Escherichia coli Toxin-Antitoxin Gene Pairs. J. Bacteriol. 185(22): 6600-6608.
Datsenko, K. A., and B. L. Wanner. 2000. One-step inactivation of chromosomal genes in Escherichia coli K-12 using PCR products. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:6640-6645.
The Role of Toxin-Antitoxin Gene Pairs in Cell Death/Cell Survival in Escherichia coli
ABSTRACT
Toxin-antitoxin pairs are pairs of genes that encode the information necessary for the generation of a toxin and an antitoxin. Within a healthy cell, toxin and antitoxin proteins are simultaneously produced, and bind together to form a complex that is harmless to the cell; however, in an abnormal cell, the toxin protein accumulates, disrupting normal cellular functions and ultimately causing cell death. For this reason, toxin-antitoxin pairs have been implicated as key components of programmed cell death mechanisms and the plasmid addiction system (a mechanism in which a cell dies if it does not receive a copy of a small, circular piece of DNA called a plasmid). Understanding the basic mechanisms underlying programmed cell death and plasmid addiction is an important step in gaining insight into disorders/diseases caused by uncontrolled cell proliferation like cancer, and may yield important molecular tools for initiating death in specific, undesired cells in laboratory experiments.
The aim of this project is to generate a miniature database documentary about toxin-antitoxin pairs, and more specifically toxin-antitoxin pairs in the bacterium Escherichia coli. This will be a referential and educational tool that includes a review of toxin-antitoxin pair literature, as well progress on toxin-antitoxin pair research being conducted in the Finkel laboratory at the University of Southern California.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
DEFINITION OF PROJECT
Genre and Delivery Format
Data presentation is one of the most important aspects of the scientific process, regardless of whether the project is a literature review or laboratory-based research. The publication of papers and the presentation of works at conferences and symposiums allow researchers to present their findings to the scientific community, as well as the general public. This generates a forum for the discussion and exchange of ideas, which is inherently important to scientific progress.
There are three primary modes of presentation in the sciences: paper publications, oral presentations, and poster presentations. Despite the inherently scholastic nature of science, which demands careful note-taking, attention to detail, and the analysis and interpretation of data, there are many aspects of science that are better explained through images, especially for lay audiences or those unfamiliar with the research topic. These components include physical, chemical, or physiological mechanisms, experimental procedures, and data. For instance, it is much easier to understand how a neurotoxin can cause paralysis via a schematic drawing or an animation, than it is to read a dense passage detailing each step in the process. Likewise, it is much easier to understand data presented as a graph than as a list of numbers.
For this reason, this project will be a multimedia-based project in the form of a database documentary. It is critically important to maintain a textual, scholarly component in the presentation of this project because of the scholastic nature of the research: at the core of this project are a literature review of toxin-antitoxin pairs in the bacterium Escherichia coli and data collected from ongoing research. However, there are also multiple components of this project that are far better served by visual aids, including pictures, animations, interviews, and data. A database documentary will allow for the incorporation of scholastic and multimedia components, as well as allow the audience to explore and learn about toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli at their leisure and personal level of understanding.
Research Methodology
The specific aim of this research project is to conduct an extensive literature review of toxin-antitoxin pairs in the bacterium Escherichia coli, and compile the information in a cohesive and understandable multimedia format that is accessible to both the layperson and the professional researcher. This project will be comprised of five major components: (1) general information about toxin-antitoxin pairs, (2) toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli, (3) proposed theories for the role of toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli death and/or survival, (4) potential applications of toxin-antitoxin pair research, (5) progress with research that I am conducting in the laboratory.
The first component of this project will present a broad overview of toxin-antitoxin pairs – the background information. It will begin with two basic concepts that are crucially important to toxin-antitoxin pair action, programmed cell death and plasmid addiction (a mechanism in which a cell dies if it does not receive a copy of a circular piece of extra-genomic DNA called a plasmid). The discussion will continue with the identification of toxin-antitoxin pairs on bacterial genomes, what they are, how they are thought to act, and their potential significance for cell death or survival.
The second component of this project will concentrate on the main focus of this project, toxin-antitoxin pairs on the E. coli genome. This section will include information about each of the toxin-antitoxin pairs identified in E. coli, their locations on the E. coli genome, their putative modes of action, and other pertinent information.
The third section will be focused on the major theories regarding the purposes of these toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli. The theories proposed by the two major camps of toxin-antitoxin pair research, the Gerdes laboratory and the Engelberg-Kulka laboratory, will be discussed here, as well as the theory proposed by the Finkel laboratory.
The fourth, and final section of the literature review, will be concerned with the potential applications of toxin-antitoxin pair research. Understanding the mechanisms of toxin-antitoxin pairs is a major step forward in understanding programmed cell death mechanisms, and possibly the mechanisms underlying the termination of programmed cell death abnormal proliferation of cells (e.g. cancer). Additionally, toxin-antitoxin pairs have the potentially of being a very useful molecular technique that can be used to terminate certain, unwanted cells in controlled experiments.
The final component of this project will be concerned with my own research. This section will consist primarily of the protocols and processes that are involved in my research, with a little bit of data. Realistically, there will be little data to present, as current research endeavors are focused on the generation of mutant E. coli strains required for the study of toxin-antitoxin pairs.
PROJECT GOALS
The primary goal of this multimedia project is to generate a miniature database of information regarding toxin-antitoxin pairs in Escherichia coli. This will be an interactive project that can be used as both a source of reference for people conducting research on toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli and an educational experience for people of all educational backgrounds who have an interest in learning about toxin-antitoxin pairs.
To accomplish this goal, the information contained within this project will be made accessible to both the layperson and the professional researcher. a researcher can browse through the project, looking at current information and research about toxin-antitoxin pairs and bypassing explanations and images that describe basic knowledge (e.g. transcription and translation), while a lay person can browse through the project, bringing up annotations (textual and/or visual) that explain concepts they do not know or understand.
SIGNIFICANCE
Toxin-antitoxin pairs have been implicated as key components of two important cell death mechanisms, programmed cell death and the plasmid addiction system. Programmed cell death (PCD; apoptosis) is a normal regulatory process that allows for the destruction and removal of unneeded or damaged cells. PCD results from highly regulated biochemical processes that are activated by a variety of mechanisms, including damage to DNA and external chemical signals, and trigger death. In the plasmid addiction system, a type of programmed cell death, a toxin-antitoxin pair resides on a circular piece of DNA (called a plasmid) in the cytoplasm of a bacterial cell. During replication, those bacterial cells that do not receive the plasmid undergo cell death, while those that do receive the plasmid survive and replicate. Understanding these mechanisms are extremely important in diseases where cell proliferation goes unchecked, such as cancer, because in many of these diseases, there is abnormal suppression of PCD.
It has been recently discovered that these toxin-antitoxin pairs not only reside on plasmids, but are also integrated into the genomes of many bacterial species. The Escherichia coli genome has been found to contain at least ten of these toxin-antitoxin pairs at seven different locations. The incorporation of these toxin-antitoxin pairs into the E. coli genome suggests they play an important function in regulating cell death and / or cell survival. Utilizing E. coli provides us with a highly accessible way of gaining insight into the mechanisms underlying cell death / cell survival mechanisms.
TIMELINE
27 July 2007 Written / visual draft of all necessary project components
28 September 2007 Draft of all textual aspects of this project submitted to Biology Advisor
26 October 2007 Final draft of all textual aspects of this project
28 December 2007 Completed compilation of audio / visual components
29 February 2008 Rough draft of final multimedia project
28 March 2008 Second draft of final multimedia project
18 April 2008 Third draft of final multimedia project
May 2008 Final draft of multimedia project
BUDGET
To be determined.
CONFIRMED ADVISORS
Steven Finkel, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Molecular and Computational Biology
University of Southern California
1050 Childs Way
Ray Irani Hall 319B, Mail Code 2910
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910
Phone: (213) 821-1498
Email: sfinkel@usc.edu
PRESENTATION PLANS
This project will be presented at the end of the Spring 2008 semester, as a part of the Institute for Multimedia Literacy Honors Program. This multimedia project will be accompanied by a written thesis that will be submitted to the University of Southern California Biology Department for a letter grade.
PRODUCTION RESOURCES
SOFTWARE / HARDWARE
Literature review and laboratory research will be conducted in Ray Irani Hall in the USC Department of Molecular and Computation Biology. The multimedia aspect of this project will be primarily Macromedia Flash-based. Animations and images will be downloaded from the Internet or they will be generated in Macromedia Flash or Microsoft PowerPoint, and interviews and videos of the experimentation process will be shot and captured and edited in Final Cut Pro.
COLLABORATORS
Finkel Laboratory, University of Southern California
Journal of Visualized Experiments (Tentative)
PRESENTATION NEEDS
This multimedia project will be designed to be viewed on a computer and the final project will be delivered in Flash on DVD.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) pairs are gene pairs that coexpress a stable toxin and a labile antitoxin (Brown and Shaw, 2003). Within the cell, toxin and antitoxin proteins bind to form a toxin-antitoxin complex that is harmless to the cell; however, when free toxin is allowed to accumulate in the cell (via disruption of TA transcription and/or translation, deletion of the TA pair, etc.), it dies. For this reason, TA pairs have been implicated as key components of programmed cell death mechanisms and the plasmid addiction system, though the modes of action of most TA pairs remain undetermined.
Ten toxin-antitoxin pairs have been identified at various loci on the E. coli genome, and seem to be associated with cell death mechanisms triggered by large chromosomal deletions in long-term cultures. Preliminary studies suggest that these toxin-antitoxin pairs play a key role in cell survival, as E. coli strains mutant for seven TA pairs put into direct competition with the wild type strains show reduced competitive ability and large population reductions (Finkel laboratory, unpublished).
REFERENCES
Brown, J. M., and K. J. Shaw. 2003. A Novel Family of Escherichia coli Toxin-Antitoxin Gene Pairs. J. Bacteriol. 185(22): 6600-6608.
Datsenko, K. A., and B. L. Wanner. 2000. One-step inactivation of chromosomal genes in Escherichia coli K-12 using PCR products. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:6640-6645.
Thesis Proposal Presentation Schedules
4/19
Hsieh, Ashley Fu-Jun
Jung, Matthew
Seetharaman, Sonia Lakshmi
Clair, Pierson
Stooker, Elissa Ann
Johnson, Dustin
Ikeda, Tiffany Miyumi
Lindquist, Alexis
4/26
Allison, Mike
Gieszelmann, Erik Edward
Hogan, Andrew M
Lee, Matthew David
Nakasone, Elizabeth
Shepherd, Anastasia Ruth
Skelly, Patrick
Freddie Wong
Hsieh, Ashley Fu-Jun
Jung, Matthew
Seetharaman, Sonia Lakshmi
Clair, Pierson
Stooker, Elissa Ann
Johnson, Dustin
Ikeda, Tiffany Miyumi
Lindquist, Alexis
4/26
Allison, Mike
Gieszelmann, Erik Edward
Hogan, Andrew M
Lee, Matthew David
Nakasone, Elizabeth
Shepherd, Anastasia Ruth
Skelly, Patrick
Freddie Wong
Approximate Schedule for Next Year
(These dates are subject to change and will be formalized by the beginning of the fall semester.)
Classes begin Aug 27
I. Proposal Confirmation
Week of 9/10-9/14/08, Student must meet with advisor(s) to present re-evaluated proposal and plan (timeline).
II. Prototype/Draft Presentation
Week of November 26-30th
III. Formal Presentation / Paper Due
Week of March 24th - 28th
IV. Show
Week of May 7th - 14th
Classes begin Aug 27
I. Proposal Confirmation
Week of 9/10-9/14/08, Student must meet with advisor(s) to present re-evaluated proposal and plan (timeline).
II. Prototype/Draft Presentation
Week of November 26-30th
III. Formal Presentation / Paper Due
Week of March 24th - 28th
IV. Show
Week of May 7th - 14th
Sonia's Proposal: Take Sixteen (just kidding...)
Thesis Proposal- Full Cut, Take One
I. Title
The title of this project is Theory or Theology: The Search for Truth in Science.
II. Abstract
Has science become more of a religion than a science? For years, scientists have been studying new theories, hoping to uncover some proof to guide them. Without proof, though, we are relying on faith in our own beliefs, discrediting other theories in favor of our own, and distancing ourselves from anyone who does not believe us. In this project, I will study the historical connections between science and religion, and how each has been an integral foundation for the other. I will also explore the recent movement of science into a non-innovative and quasi-religious realm (especially in education), accepting the current philosophy without considering new possibilities. By detailing how scientific study has evolved, we can discuss whether our beliefs are leading us on some misguided race, and how this change is affecting the job market and the future expansion of the scientific field.
III. Description
1) Definition of Project
This project is going to be somewhere between a documentary and an argumentative documentary, detailing the history of science and religion and its recent merge into “scientific religion” and the educational and economical ramifications of this merge. I will first present some interesting facts about the history of science and religion, and show instances in which it is clear that religion has influenced scientific theory. I will then present examples of current scientific studies that have become dogmatic, such as string theory(this will be my primary example).
I will begin with my own difficulty in understanding concepts of string theory, and then I will go on to explain the basis for string theory. I will include logic games or games in deductive reasoning so that the audience can come to this conclusion themselves and understand its supports. I will then use common logic to show the exclusivity and limitations of the theory and how we have curbed our imagination and innovation in keeping this theory.
The next step is to show the reader other examples of how science is losing its empirical basis. I will include interviews with prominent scientists as well as journalists, on both sides of the argument. I will present the fact that many scientists who reject string theory cannot find jobs, and therefore we are effectively blocking the progress of science. From here, I will move to address science education, and why students are turning away from scientific study due to the stagnation of scientific research. In term of scientific education, I would like to interview students and various age levels to find out how they respond to scientific study and why many of them are turning away from it.
The media format of this project will be a series of videos, possibly put side by side to demonstrate certain liaisons between science and religion. There will also be several video interviews with researchers, professors, and students of varying ages about their own experiences, with hot links to various explanations, such as string theory. In order to demonstrate certain scientific theories, it might be useful to put together animations to illustrate the concepts. I would also like to use animations to possibly introduce some of the historical topics, in order to make them more interesting or fun. All in all, there will be a series of videos or animations with various links that make it navigable to the viewer, who can choose to view the project in whichever order they would like. I would also like to make the project editable, or to have a forum that would allow viewers to upload their own videos or interviews, etc. to the project, which can be accessible to each viewer at the end of the main presentation.
2) Articulation of project goals
This project does not, by any means, have to be realized in media. But media does make it a more personal undertaking, and it allows the viewer to understand that this is no “scientist” that is talking down to them. The project is meant for everyone, not just scholars, and the video format showing real people as well as visually stimulating graphics that make the subject more accessible to the everyday person. An important message of this project is that innovation and imagination are necessary to science, and that everyone, not just scientists, can be involved in this process. Writing a pedantic research paper is not inviting to anyone, not even a scientist.
I would like the viewer of this project, especially students, to take away an understanding that science is moving in a difficult direction, and new minds and fresh ideas are what we need to move forward. All great scientists were disregarded in their time, scorned and discredited for being over-imaginative. But they were able to break barriers by opening their minds outside of conventions, and consider the improbable. I want my viewer to feel empowered, to feel that they have the ability to do just that. The project is valuable academically because it not only stresses the importance of free thought, but it encourages students that being a scientist means more than just research in a lab. Giving my audience to responsibility to stop scientific religion and rekindle the Einsteinian era is just what the scientific world needs.
3) Significance
The project does not investigate a specific current issue per se, but it does address a greater problem within the realm of science as a whole which society has been struggling with since the advent of string theory. It allows for the average person to understand what’s going and actively participate in a scientific pursuit, whether or not they are actually a scientist. As important as science is, it is more important that society understands and benefits for the work of the scientists. In recent year, we seem to have lost sight of this goal, and it is important that we revive the public interest in scientific study. I hope that the project will be used as an educational tool to show students how to look differently at science, and how they can make a difference in the scientific world without being a stereotypical “researcher.” I also hope that the general public will see this project as an effort to involve them in scientific study and encourage them to be a part of it.
IV. Timeline
Summer ’07- Research. Have a generic map/outline for the navigation of the project.
October-November ’07- Complete all interviews and cut footage into appropriate movies. Begin working on animations to go with other pieces of project.
December ’07- Complete all voice-overs and soundtracking
January ’07- Begin putting project all together and linking individual blocks.
V. Budget
I will be borrowing most equipment from friends as well as the IML. Budget will be mostly software purchases, if needed, as well pictures and music if copyrighted. I do not intend to spend more that $500 on the project as a whole.
VI. Advisors
IML- Peggy Weil
Physics- Doug Burke
Possible other advisors: Clifford Johnson, KC Cole
VII. Presentation and/or distribution plans/venues
I would like the project to be released online, possibly on Revver or on its own website. This is the easiest way to make it an editable entity, so that other viewer can post videos and comments as needed. Otherwise, the project will be released on DVD. I would prefer Internet so that it reaches more people quickly.
VIII. Production Resources
Software needed: DVD Studio Pro, FinalCut Pro, AfterEffects, Korsakow, Dreamweaver
Hardware: Camera, Tripod, Primary and secondary lights.
Collaborators: Possible help needed with animations and video linkage.
Presentation Needs: Computer based, no extra resources needed.
IX. Prior Related Work-none
X. Research Bibliography
Brian Greene’s Elegant Universe
Greene’s Fabric of the Cosmos
Einstein’s Relativity
The Dark Prophet, Doug Burke
Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time
Darwin’s Origin of Species
The Trouble with Physics, Lee Smolin
Not Even Wrong, Peter Woit
Science and Religion: A Historical Introduction, Gary Ferngren
When Science Meets Religion, Ian Barbour
Religion and Science, Ian Barbour
Science and Religion: Some Historical Perspectives, John Brooke
I. Title
The title of this project is Theory or Theology: The Search for Truth in Science.
II. Abstract
Has science become more of a religion than a science? For years, scientists have been studying new theories, hoping to uncover some proof to guide them. Without proof, though, we are relying on faith in our own beliefs, discrediting other theories in favor of our own, and distancing ourselves from anyone who does not believe us. In this project, I will study the historical connections between science and religion, and how each has been an integral foundation for the other. I will also explore the recent movement of science into a non-innovative and quasi-religious realm (especially in education), accepting the current philosophy without considering new possibilities. By detailing how scientific study has evolved, we can discuss whether our beliefs are leading us on some misguided race, and how this change is affecting the job market and the future expansion of the scientific field.
III. Description
1) Definition of Project
This project is going to be somewhere between a documentary and an argumentative documentary, detailing the history of science and religion and its recent merge into “scientific religion” and the educational and economical ramifications of this merge. I will first present some interesting facts about the history of science and religion, and show instances in which it is clear that religion has influenced scientific theory. I will then present examples of current scientific studies that have become dogmatic, such as string theory(this will be my primary example).
I will begin with my own difficulty in understanding concepts of string theory, and then I will go on to explain the basis for string theory. I will include logic games or games in deductive reasoning so that the audience can come to this conclusion themselves and understand its supports. I will then use common logic to show the exclusivity and limitations of the theory and how we have curbed our imagination and innovation in keeping this theory.
The next step is to show the reader other examples of how science is losing its empirical basis. I will include interviews with prominent scientists as well as journalists, on both sides of the argument. I will present the fact that many scientists who reject string theory cannot find jobs, and therefore we are effectively blocking the progress of science. From here, I will move to address science education, and why students are turning away from scientific study due to the stagnation of scientific research. In term of scientific education, I would like to interview students and various age levels to find out how they respond to scientific study and why many of them are turning away from it.
The media format of this project will be a series of videos, possibly put side by side to demonstrate certain liaisons between science and religion. There will also be several video interviews with researchers, professors, and students of varying ages about their own experiences, with hot links to various explanations, such as string theory. In order to demonstrate certain scientific theories, it might be useful to put together animations to illustrate the concepts. I would also like to use animations to possibly introduce some of the historical topics, in order to make them more interesting or fun. All in all, there will be a series of videos or animations with various links that make it navigable to the viewer, who can choose to view the project in whichever order they would like. I would also like to make the project editable, or to have a forum that would allow viewers to upload their own videos or interviews, etc. to the project, which can be accessible to each viewer at the end of the main presentation.
2) Articulation of project goals
This project does not, by any means, have to be realized in media. But media does make it a more personal undertaking, and it allows the viewer to understand that this is no “scientist” that is talking down to them. The project is meant for everyone, not just scholars, and the video format showing real people as well as visually stimulating graphics that make the subject more accessible to the everyday person. An important message of this project is that innovation and imagination are necessary to science, and that everyone, not just scientists, can be involved in this process. Writing a pedantic research paper is not inviting to anyone, not even a scientist.
I would like the viewer of this project, especially students, to take away an understanding that science is moving in a difficult direction, and new minds and fresh ideas are what we need to move forward. All great scientists were disregarded in their time, scorned and discredited for being over-imaginative. But they were able to break barriers by opening their minds outside of conventions, and consider the improbable. I want my viewer to feel empowered, to feel that they have the ability to do just that. The project is valuable academically because it not only stresses the importance of free thought, but it encourages students that being a scientist means more than just research in a lab. Giving my audience to responsibility to stop scientific religion and rekindle the Einsteinian era is just what the scientific world needs.
3) Significance
The project does not investigate a specific current issue per se, but it does address a greater problem within the realm of science as a whole which society has been struggling with since the advent of string theory. It allows for the average person to understand what’s going and actively participate in a scientific pursuit, whether or not they are actually a scientist. As important as science is, it is more important that society understands and benefits for the work of the scientists. In recent year, we seem to have lost sight of this goal, and it is important that we revive the public interest in scientific study. I hope that the project will be used as an educational tool to show students how to look differently at science, and how they can make a difference in the scientific world without being a stereotypical “researcher.” I also hope that the general public will see this project as an effort to involve them in scientific study and encourage them to be a part of it.
IV. Timeline
Summer ’07- Research. Have a generic map/outline for the navigation of the project.
October-November ’07- Complete all interviews and cut footage into appropriate movies. Begin working on animations to go with other pieces of project.
December ’07- Complete all voice-overs and soundtracking
January ’07- Begin putting project all together and linking individual blocks.
V. Budget
I will be borrowing most equipment from friends as well as the IML. Budget will be mostly software purchases, if needed, as well pictures and music if copyrighted. I do not intend to spend more that $500 on the project as a whole.
VI. Advisors
IML- Peggy Weil
Physics- Doug Burke
Possible other advisors: Clifford Johnson, KC Cole
VII. Presentation and/or distribution plans/venues
I would like the project to be released online, possibly on Revver or on its own website. This is the easiest way to make it an editable entity, so that other viewer can post videos and comments as needed. Otherwise, the project will be released on DVD. I would prefer Internet so that it reaches more people quickly.
VIII. Production Resources
Software needed: DVD Studio Pro, FinalCut Pro, AfterEffects, Korsakow, Dreamweaver
Hardware: Camera, Tripod, Primary and secondary lights.
Collaborators: Possible help needed with animations and video linkage.
Presentation Needs: Computer based, no extra resources needed.
IX. Prior Related Work-none
X. Research Bibliography
Brian Greene’s Elegant Universe
Greene’s Fabric of the Cosmos
Einstein’s Relativity
The Dark Prophet, Doug Burke
Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time
Darwin’s Origin of Species
The Trouble with Physics, Lee Smolin
Not Even Wrong, Peter Woit
Science and Religion: A Historical Introduction, Gary Ferngren
When Science Meets Religion, Ian Barbour
Religion and Science, Ian Barbour
Science and Religion: Some Historical Perspectives, John Brooke
Matt Jung Draft Proposal
a) Title: “Let’s Go To Jail! The Mashup and the Future of Music”
b) Abstract
Topic: The Mashup Genre of Music (e.g. Danger Mouse's "The Grey Album")
Interface: Flash
Genre: Interactive Game with components being Essayistic and Encyclopedic
Main Message/ Thesis: The mashup genre is important to music's future in our modern remix culture, as it becomes easier for the average person to become a participant. However, the genre will only be allowed to flourish so much as copyright enforcers allow it.
c) Methodology
The project will have two sections.
-An expository presentation of the evolution of the mashup. The presentation will be a timeline where the user could click on certain works and learn more. It would cover the mashup’s roots in jazz and hip-hop to its emergence as an independent genre. This collection will be an introduction to the genre, and will also show that its popularity is rapidly increasing.
-A display of my new creative work. I will create a mashup album and document my process. Since I am a music performance major, I feel this creative musical process will be a valuable learning experience in my academic field. This will also show how technology is allowing more people (like me) to become participants in our remix culture.
d) Media Presentation & Justification
-The whole experience will be a game, in which every copyright infringement is counted in a video game type counter. Every time a copyrighted piece of music is heard, every time a copyrighted image is shown, and every time an instance of my new work’s infringement is displayed, the game will keep track in terms of a jail sentence. The more the game is used, the higher the jail sentence. This will hopefully show how limiting copyrights are to the genre. With all the creativity by myself and others showcased in this game, it will show how copyrights are hurting that creativity.
-The presentation of the timeline will center around a Monopoly board. Each colored section of Monopoly housing will represent a different era of the timeline. Furthermore, the Monopoly jailer will be the character who alerts the user of their infringement. I choose a Monopoly board for two reasons. 1) The inclusion of a jail and the jailer character to represent the unlawfulness of the actions. 2) By using a Monopoly board in the project, that action itself is infringing.
Hopefully, this project will:
-Introduce and explore a new and rapidly growing form of music
-Allow me to create musically in the form of a new art piece (as musical creation is central to my major)
-Have a meaningful message and give a meaningful warning to society about the future of music
e) Timeline
Spring 2007 - Collect mashup examples.
Summer 2007 - Learn how to create mashups. Choose which albums I will mash-up. Storyboard the project.
August 10, 2007 - Proposal Confirmation
Fall Semester 2007 - Create a 6-song mash-up album. Choose which songs by other people will be included.
Spring Semester 2007 - Assemble interface in Flash.
March 24, 2008 - Project due.
f) Budget
Other mashups: Free (they are not sold)
My albums for mashing-up: $25 (I guess I should be legal)
Monopoly board to photograph for inclusion in project: $25
Completing my IML Thesis: Priceless
Total Cost: $50
g) Advisors
-John Daversa - DMA Candidate in Jazz Studies
-Peggy Weil - IML
h) Presentation
Flash presentation posted on the Internet
i) Resources
Flash, Logic (or something similar), Photoshop
-----------------------------------------------------
Matt Jung
b) Abstract
Topic: The Mashup Genre of Music (e.g. Danger Mouse's "The Grey Album")
Interface: Flash
Genre: Interactive Game with components being Essayistic and Encyclopedic
Main Message/ Thesis: The mashup genre is important to music's future in our modern remix culture, as it becomes easier for the average person to become a participant. However, the genre will only be allowed to flourish so much as copyright enforcers allow it.
c) Methodology
The project will have two sections.
-An expository presentation of the evolution of the mashup. The presentation will be a timeline where the user could click on certain works and learn more. It would cover the mashup’s roots in jazz and hip-hop to its emergence as an independent genre. This collection will be an introduction to the genre, and will also show that its popularity is rapidly increasing.
-A display of my new creative work. I will create a mashup album and document my process. Since I am a music performance major, I feel this creative musical process will be a valuable learning experience in my academic field. This will also show how technology is allowing more people (like me) to become participants in our remix culture.
d) Media Presentation & Justification
-The whole experience will be a game, in which every copyright infringement is counted in a video game type counter. Every time a copyrighted piece of music is heard, every time a copyrighted image is shown, and every time an instance of my new work’s infringement is displayed, the game will keep track in terms of a jail sentence. The more the game is used, the higher the jail sentence. This will hopefully show how limiting copyrights are to the genre. With all the creativity by myself and others showcased in this game, it will show how copyrights are hurting that creativity.
-The presentation of the timeline will center around a Monopoly board. Each colored section of Monopoly housing will represent a different era of the timeline. Furthermore, the Monopoly jailer will be the character who alerts the user of their infringement. I choose a Monopoly board for two reasons. 1) The inclusion of a jail and the jailer character to represent the unlawfulness of the actions. 2) By using a Monopoly board in the project, that action itself is infringing.
Hopefully, this project will:
-Introduce and explore a new and rapidly growing form of music
-Allow me to create musically in the form of a new art piece (as musical creation is central to my major)
-Have a meaningful message and give a meaningful warning to society about the future of music
e) Timeline
Spring 2007 - Collect mashup examples.
Summer 2007 - Learn how to create mashups. Choose which albums I will mash-up. Storyboard the project.
August 10, 2007 - Proposal Confirmation
Fall Semester 2007 - Create a 6-song mash-up album. Choose which songs by other people will be included.
Spring Semester 2007 - Assemble interface in Flash.
March 24, 2008 - Project due.
f) Budget
Other mashups: Free (they are not sold)
My albums for mashing-up: $25 (I guess I should be legal)
Monopoly board to photograph for inclusion in project: $25
Completing my IML Thesis: Priceless
Total Cost: $50
g) Advisors
-John Daversa - DMA Candidate in Jazz Studies
-Peggy Weil - IML
h) Presentation
Flash presentation posted on the Internet
i) Resources
Flash, Logic (or something similar), Photoshop
-----------------------------------------------------
Matt Jung
Erik's draft proposal
Title: Player Agency vs. System in Game Design: Sliding Agency
Abstract: This project explores the delicate balance between player agency and system in the world of game design. It is intended for anyone who is interested in game design and has access to the sliding wal screen in the IML.
Methodology: The project will be run on the sliding wall screen with a proprietary control attachment. Depending on the availability of bluetooth wireless technology in conjunction with the wall screen, the control device will connect with the wall screen with either a bluetooth wireless connection, or via a usb drive. The wall screen will be split up into 2 parts, the lower portion will contain directions on how to interact with the project, and the top portion, which will be significantly larger, will contain the playing space. In the playing space, A simple platformer game will be running. along the wall space behind the screen will be visual cues, informing the player that sliding the wall screen will change the balance between player agency and system. As the player slides the screen along the wall, the play experience in the playing space will change. As the player slides the screen toward the agency end, the player will become more and more able to effect the play space, but the system defining that play space will become more lax. As the player reaches the maximum agency, their avatar will be able to freely navigate the play space, losing rules on what they may or not do with the control, losing gravity, losing the play world itself, allowing the player to affect the avatar as he/she chooses on a blank white background. At maximum agency, the avatar itself will disappear, leaving the player with complete agency over the game, but losing any mean as would be defined by a system. As the player moves more towards the system end, the screen would push the player forwards, then the player would lose the ability to move backwards, then to move at all except to jump. As maximum system is reached, the game plays itself, resulting in a perfect system without any player agency whatsoever.
Significance: Sliding Agency will demonstrate the balance of system and agency that goes into making a game. Players will see that complete agency is not a fun thing, as their completely free actions lose all meaning. They will also see that having all system is not fun either, as a complete system also removes the importance of user input by effectively turning the game into a movie, nullifying any of the interactivity that makes a game. The players will find that the most enjoyable adn rewarding gaming experience comes from a mixture of the two.
Media Presentation and Justification: Sliding Agency will be displayed on the wall screen in the IML in addition to an attached control device. It deserves to be presented in a multimedia form because a game is inherently an interactive multimedia experience, and simply explaining the importance of agency and system in a game will not illustrate the point as effectively as making the player experience it for themselves.
Timeline: I plan to learn the ins and outs of how the wall screen works over the summer, so that I may be able to fully start implementing my game by the time fall semester starts.
During the fall semester, I hope to make a computer prototype using Torque 2D, so I can tweak the gameplay before having to transfer it to the wall screen.
During the spring semester I will move my prototype onto the wall screen and redesign the banner behind it to reflect its (then) current purpose.
Budget: A subscription to Torque 2D is provided by the school through the CTIN department, and I hope I won't need to pay for use of the wall screen.
The proprietary control device, however, might range anywhere from $20 to $200, depending on the level of technology needed. Other than that, it's just a matter of labor, which I will be providing for free
Final budget: $20-$200
Advisors: Steve Anderson from the IML and Peter Brinson(unconfirmed) from the CTIN department.
Presentation: The project will be presented on the sliding wall screen in the IML.
Resources: Torque 2D, the wall screen, control device.
Abstract: This project explores the delicate balance between player agency and system in the world of game design. It is intended for anyone who is interested in game design and has access to the sliding wal screen in the IML.
Methodology: The project will be run on the sliding wall screen with a proprietary control attachment. Depending on the availability of bluetooth wireless technology in conjunction with the wall screen, the control device will connect with the wall screen with either a bluetooth wireless connection, or via a usb drive. The wall screen will be split up into 2 parts, the lower portion will contain directions on how to interact with the project, and the top portion, which will be significantly larger, will contain the playing space. In the playing space, A simple platformer game will be running. along the wall space behind the screen will be visual cues, informing the player that sliding the wall screen will change the balance between player agency and system. As the player slides the screen along the wall, the play experience in the playing space will change. As the player slides the screen toward the agency end, the player will become more and more able to effect the play space, but the system defining that play space will become more lax. As the player reaches the maximum agency, their avatar will be able to freely navigate the play space, losing rules on what they may or not do with the control, losing gravity, losing the play world itself, allowing the player to affect the avatar as he/she chooses on a blank white background. At maximum agency, the avatar itself will disappear, leaving the player with complete agency over the game, but losing any mean as would be defined by a system. As the player moves more towards the system end, the screen would push the player forwards, then the player would lose the ability to move backwards, then to move at all except to jump. As maximum system is reached, the game plays itself, resulting in a perfect system without any player agency whatsoever.
Significance: Sliding Agency will demonstrate the balance of system and agency that goes into making a game. Players will see that complete agency is not a fun thing, as their completely free actions lose all meaning. They will also see that having all system is not fun either, as a complete system also removes the importance of user input by effectively turning the game into a movie, nullifying any of the interactivity that makes a game. The players will find that the most enjoyable adn rewarding gaming experience comes from a mixture of the two.
Media Presentation and Justification: Sliding Agency will be displayed on the wall screen in the IML in addition to an attached control device. It deserves to be presented in a multimedia form because a game is inherently an interactive multimedia experience, and simply explaining the importance of agency and system in a game will not illustrate the point as effectively as making the player experience it for themselves.
Timeline: I plan to learn the ins and outs of how the wall screen works over the summer, so that I may be able to fully start implementing my game by the time fall semester starts.
During the fall semester, I hope to make a computer prototype using Torque 2D, so I can tweak the gameplay before having to transfer it to the wall screen.
During the spring semester I will move my prototype onto the wall screen and redesign the banner behind it to reflect its (then) current purpose.
Budget: A subscription to Torque 2D is provided by the school through the CTIN department, and I hope I won't need to pay for use of the wall screen.
The proprietary control device, however, might range anywhere from $20 to $200, depending on the level of technology needed. Other than that, it's just a matter of labor, which I will be providing for free
Final budget: $20-$200
Advisors: Steve Anderson from the IML and Peter Brinson(unconfirmed) from the CTIN department.
Presentation: The project will be presented on the sliding wall screen in the IML.
Resources: Torque 2D, the wall screen, control device.
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