Virtual Goods
Working Title
Project Abstract
• I want to work on a project where I investigate virtual goods. I want to research who buys them and why. Why are people willing to pay real money for virtual world goods that become useless if the user stops interacting in that virtual world?
Description
Definition of Project:
• The project will probably be a game that uses research from first hand sources including debates, journals and reviews. The delivery will be in the form of a game(probably). Also, now thinking of doing a machinima where I interview people using virtual goods.
Description
Clear articulation of project goals:
• I think that the project should be in the form of a game because virtual goods are most often seen in games. The player should be able to understand the reasons behind why people buy and use virtual goods. Either that or a machinima where I interview people who actually experience these goods and interact with them.
Description
Statement of significance within contemporary scholarship in field:
• Virtual goods are a hot topic in today’s MMO environments. Many company’s business models are centered around the production of virtual goods (i.e. Nexon, Hot or Not, vSide etc.) This research should be able to reach people outside the university, because many of the people interested in Virtual Goods are not in university.
Timeline
• Final Thesis Proposal: December 2007
• Game Design Doc: September 2008
• Game Prototype: January 2009
• Finished Project: May 2009
Budget
• Hopefully less than $500.
Confirmed Advisors
• Patricia Pizer (IMD)
• Undecided (IML)
Presentation Plans/Venues
• I dunno.
Production Resources
• Software Needs:
• Torque Game Builder
• Games (variety)
Collaborators:
• Patricia Pizer
• Peter Brinson
• Perry Hoberman?
Presentation Needs:
• Networked Computers
• Possibly more…
• Monitors
Prior Related Work
• Attended the Virtual Goods Summit in Palo Alto in June 2007.
Research Bibliography
• http://www.vgsummit.com/videos.php
• videos from the virtual goods summit from June 2007 at Stanford University.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Ari Levinson's 346 Thesis Outline
Ari Levinson
I. TITLE: [Film Title]: Photo-realism in Visual Effects
II. ABSTRACT: As moviegoing audiences become more sophisticated, and as technology has progressed, the nature of visual effects has changed dramatically. Things that were once considered "invisible" effects are now painfully obvious. However, though it can easily be said that the state of the art is changing, it is quite difficult for anyone in the industry to pin down where it is now. Obviously there are some effects which can pass by undetected by the viewer, but what they are, and under what circumstances they blend seamlessly with the narrative is a slippery thing to pin down. My aim is to create a detailed snapshot of the current state of the "invisible" visual effects world.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1.Genre – Film & Television
Methodology – I will be presenting an original short film (15-30min) eventually accompanied by an analysis of audience response to the effects categorized along four axes which I believe to be the determining factors.
Delivery Format – Either a high-definition DVD or tape, or (depending on budget), a film print.
2. Project Goals – This is inherently a multimedia project because the best possible way to gauge audience response to visual effects is to present a "test-pattern" so to speak in the medium, setting, and form in which they have become accustomed to seeing such effects. There are two guises in which this project will engage with viewers. The first invites viewers to think critically about their own subjective experience and about the state of the visual effects world. As such they become part of the test audience and contribute to the research which will ultimately be a part of the project. The second guise presents to informed viewers the research and analysis surrounding the film. These viewers will gain a deeper awareness of the positioning of this fine line of photo-realism in today's world.
Most test audiences will believe that they are simply watching a short film without any ulterior motive behind its creation, and will respond to the film in its entirety in the way that they usually would. Any interviews conducted with this group will mix questions about visual effects with innocuous questions about other aspects of the film. Other more targeted test audiences will be asked to think critically about visual effects before watching the film, and write responses specifically geared toward analysis. Viewers of the multimedia project, on the other hand, will read an analysis of the audience response along with the presentation of the film.
3. Project Significance – It is so rare that we get the opportunity to chronicle the general public's response to an art form changes as the medium itself evolves. Computer-generated visual effects provide a unique opportunity as they contribute to a 100-year-old art form because their presence is a relatively new phenomenon. Some viewers will hopefully use my research to similarly monitor the changing audience response to other art-forms as they mature. Video games may become an excellent topic for a similar kind of analysis in 3-10 years. Even further down the line, mobile media may develop their own unique characteristics apart from film, game and television— possibly interactive games based on the user's position in real space. Perhaps 15-30 years from now a similar analysis might be undertaken on a maturing mobile art form.
Hopefully my snapshot of the visual effects world will provide a useful reference in coming years to monitor how audience response changes with regard to the dimensions outlined.
IV. TIMELINE: I have an early prototype (pretty far off) finished, and a second one (closer) in the works. The prototypes will all be shorter films which try out various balances of the four dimensions which I believe affect the audience's analysis of "invisible" effects. Ideally I would like to finish the second prototype, see if I can modify the first to more closely match the changes in my goals, and create a third prototype with a different balance by the end of the semester. Senior year will be devoted to the creation of the finished film based on my experiments with the prototypes. This film will be finished and ready for display by the spring of 2009.
V. BUDGET: So far, I’ve spent roughly $800 on the first two prototypes combined. Finishing the second may require an additional $200. However, in order to get the quality of work necessary for the distribution which would be ideal for the film, the finished one will require a full short-film budget. There are films of this size which have been done successfully by undergraduates at USC, and I will draw on their successes and methodology for raising the necessary funds (between $65,000 and $130,000). I personally can only provide a small fraction of those funds and will rely on grants, etc. for the production.
VI. ADVISORS: Jim O'Keefe, Patricia Cardoso, Amanda Pope, Tom Anderson?
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: The ideal audience is one which is prepared to think critically about what they are seeing, but expecting a professional caliber production. Film festivals at which I or a representative could be present to interview audience members are thus an ideal forum for the first stage of distribution. A general film-festival run would be useful to generate legitimate reviews, cost and logistics permitting. Ideally, a more general release on television (European television is more amenable to shorts) would provide a contrasting type of test audience. On the opposite end of the spectrum, small targeted test screenings where viewers are asked to write responses specifically about the visual effects will provide some insight into useful research methodology.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: The first prototype was shot using a standard Panasonic MiniDV camera. The second prototype was recorded in high-definition with solid-state memory. The finished film will either be recorded on 35mm film or digital cinema (RED Cam?) or — if the budget is not sufficient — the same HD equipment as Prototype 2 with the addition of a 35mm adaptor and 35mm lenses for the "film look" but locked into HD distribution. Industry audio equipment (Nagra, etc) will be added, as well as the usual lights, grip equip, transportation, etc. All of this is rentable with sufficient funds. On the software side, it will be the industry standbys: Avid, After Effects, ProTools, Photoshop. Also possibly, Maya, Combustion, Final Cut, Premiere, Motion Tracking by Imagineer, or Poser depending on the nature of the final film.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I've made a number of short films before, but none with the volume or quality of effects necessary for this project. However, the prototypes thus far have demonstrated that it is indeed possible for a college undergraduate to create some professional-quality effects if the project is designed to play to the strengths of the available resources. I've studied photography and theater separately, and have participated in smaller film festivals and exhibitions of still photography and graphic design before.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY:
I've accumulated a small library of books on effects, film, directing, acting, photography, and more. Some of the history of early CG, such as Terminator and others will certainly be included, as will a number of other books which generally contributed to the film.
I. TITLE: [Film Title]: Photo-realism in Visual Effects
II. ABSTRACT: As moviegoing audiences become more sophisticated, and as technology has progressed, the nature of visual effects has changed dramatically. Things that were once considered "invisible" effects are now painfully obvious. However, though it can easily be said that the state of the art is changing, it is quite difficult for anyone in the industry to pin down where it is now. Obviously there are some effects which can pass by undetected by the viewer, but what they are, and under what circumstances they blend seamlessly with the narrative is a slippery thing to pin down. My aim is to create a detailed snapshot of the current state of the "invisible" visual effects world.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1.Genre – Film & Television
Methodology – I will be presenting an original short film (15-30min) eventually accompanied by an analysis of audience response to the effects categorized along four axes which I believe to be the determining factors.
Delivery Format – Either a high-definition DVD or tape, or (depending on budget), a film print.
2. Project Goals – This is inherently a multimedia project because the best possible way to gauge audience response to visual effects is to present a "test-pattern" so to speak in the medium, setting, and form in which they have become accustomed to seeing such effects. There are two guises in which this project will engage with viewers. The first invites viewers to think critically about their own subjective experience and about the state of the visual effects world. As such they become part of the test audience and contribute to the research which will ultimately be a part of the project. The second guise presents to informed viewers the research and analysis surrounding the film. These viewers will gain a deeper awareness of the positioning of this fine line of photo-realism in today's world.
Most test audiences will believe that they are simply watching a short film without any ulterior motive behind its creation, and will respond to the film in its entirety in the way that they usually would. Any interviews conducted with this group will mix questions about visual effects with innocuous questions about other aspects of the film. Other more targeted test audiences will be asked to think critically about visual effects before watching the film, and write responses specifically geared toward analysis. Viewers of the multimedia project, on the other hand, will read an analysis of the audience response along with the presentation of the film.
3. Project Significance – It is so rare that we get the opportunity to chronicle the general public's response to an art form changes as the medium itself evolves. Computer-generated visual effects provide a unique opportunity as they contribute to a 100-year-old art form because their presence is a relatively new phenomenon. Some viewers will hopefully use my research to similarly monitor the changing audience response to other art-forms as they mature. Video games may become an excellent topic for a similar kind of analysis in 3-10 years. Even further down the line, mobile media may develop their own unique characteristics apart from film, game and television— possibly interactive games based on the user's position in real space. Perhaps 15-30 years from now a similar analysis might be undertaken on a maturing mobile art form.
Hopefully my snapshot of the visual effects world will provide a useful reference in coming years to monitor how audience response changes with regard to the dimensions outlined.
IV. TIMELINE: I have an early prototype (pretty far off) finished, and a second one (closer) in the works. The prototypes will all be shorter films which try out various balances of the four dimensions which I believe affect the audience's analysis of "invisible" effects. Ideally I would like to finish the second prototype, see if I can modify the first to more closely match the changes in my goals, and create a third prototype with a different balance by the end of the semester. Senior year will be devoted to the creation of the finished film based on my experiments with the prototypes. This film will be finished and ready for display by the spring of 2009.
V. BUDGET: So far, I’ve spent roughly $800 on the first two prototypes combined. Finishing the second may require an additional $200. However, in order to get the quality of work necessary for the distribution which would be ideal for the film, the finished one will require a full short-film budget. There are films of this size which have been done successfully by undergraduates at USC, and I will draw on their successes and methodology for raising the necessary funds (between $65,000 and $130,000). I personally can only provide a small fraction of those funds and will rely on grants, etc. for the production.
VI. ADVISORS: Jim O'Keefe, Patricia Cardoso, Amanda Pope, Tom Anderson?
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: The ideal audience is one which is prepared to think critically about what they are seeing, but expecting a professional caliber production. Film festivals at which I or a representative could be present to interview audience members are thus an ideal forum for the first stage of distribution. A general film-festival run would be useful to generate legitimate reviews, cost and logistics permitting. Ideally, a more general release on television (European television is more amenable to shorts) would provide a contrasting type of test audience. On the opposite end of the spectrum, small targeted test screenings where viewers are asked to write responses specifically about the visual effects will provide some insight into useful research methodology.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: The first prototype was shot using a standard Panasonic MiniDV camera. The second prototype was recorded in high-definition with solid-state memory. The finished film will either be recorded on 35mm film or digital cinema (RED Cam?) or — if the budget is not sufficient — the same HD equipment as Prototype 2 with the addition of a 35mm adaptor and 35mm lenses for the "film look" but locked into HD distribution. Industry audio equipment (Nagra, etc) will be added, as well as the usual lights, grip equip, transportation, etc. All of this is rentable with sufficient funds. On the software side, it will be the industry standbys: Avid, After Effects, ProTools, Photoshop. Also possibly, Maya, Combustion, Final Cut, Premiere, Motion Tracking by Imagineer, or Poser depending on the nature of the final film.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I've made a number of short films before, but none with the volume or quality of effects necessary for this project. However, the prototypes thus far have demonstrated that it is indeed possible for a college undergraduate to create some professional-quality effects if the project is designed to play to the strengths of the available resources. I've studied photography and theater separately, and have participated in smaller film festivals and exhibitions of still photography and graphic design before.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY:
I've accumulated a small library of books on effects, film, directing, acting, photography, and more. Some of the history of early CG, such as Terminator and others will certainly be included, as will a number of other books which generally contributed to the film.
Monday, October 22, 2007
IML Midterm Thesis Proposal
John Visclosky
10/18/07
IML 346
IML 346 Midterm Thesis Proposal Outline
I. Creative Merger: Viewing Serialized, Web-Based Storylines as a Creative Avenue Toward Marketing Success
II. Mad-Lib Abstract: “I am exploring web-launched, serialized storylines—otherwise known as webisodes—in order to discover what technical and narrative characteristics they share, so that I can demonstrate the capacity of individuals to use formulaic patterns, manipulations, and conventions to create popular internet-based entertainment.”
III. Description: “Through my thesis project, I’m trying to gain an understanding of web-launched, serialized storylines as both a creative art form, and a marketing tool. Mini, serialized webisodes offer all the advantages of a syndicated television show with few of the drawbacks. They are a creative medium in which you can continually examine and reexamine the stories and interactions of a select number of fictional characters. In other words, webisodes surpass films in their capacity for emotional and creative depth simply by offering the possibility to emotionally probe and explore your characters an infinite number of times rather than once. Unlike a television series however, webisodes are unconstrained by pesky running times (they can be 3-5 minutes rather than 23), and censorship.
Webisodes are also a great medium through which to explore and learn about theories of marketing and promotion. Television shows have the benefit of entire firms solely devoted to promoting their success. With webisodes, you are forced to be your own promoter, and to successfully deal with internet-based advertisers should the serial become widely viewed. It is a wonderful discipline because it is a creative venture steeped very deeply in economic/marketing principles.
Webisodes are an interesting creature. You have to create characters that are entertaining in only five minutes, yet who will have enough creative life to be sustained over a long overall period of time. They have to leave the viewers wanting more, but never unsatisfied. It is a difficult balance to strike, one which poses significant challenges in writing, editing, and performance. I want to discover firsthand, precisely how an artist might go about creating such characters, and such environments.
Yet, I am also determined to discover how a businessman might promote such an endeavor, and how he might sustain it financially through advertising contracts and the like. There can be much creativity not only in art, but in business as well, with webisodes standing firmly as a glaring “case in point.”
In the creation of these webisodes, I want to help my viewers understand how this mode of serialized storytelling is made and popularized. By keeping a firsthand-account-via-blog of the entire creative/fiscal/economic process of creating a webisode series, I will be providing a valuable instruction manual not only for creative artists but for intellectual and technological theorists as well. How are such art forms created? What are their benefits and drawbacks? How are they sustained and popularized? And what does their failure or success mean for the future of film and television as creative/fiscally successful mediums? I have no idea… yet. But, I do intend to find out.”
1. Definition of Project:
a) The webisodes as a whole will comprise a series known as “The Reunion,” and will revolve around the different members of a family who are all meeting for one weekend at an annual family reunion. It will be shot in a faux-documentary style. In other words, the different episodes will be created in such a way that viewers could take them to be an actual record of real people. Each episode will include documentary-style interviews, shaky-hand-held camerawork, and an improvisational script. All successful webisodes share a few common characteristics. They are mostly all comedic, with a quirky, off-color sense of humor. They have archetypical characters such as the normal guy, the stupid person, the annoying one, and, surprisingly enough, the slutty girl. They are all under five minutes in length, and they are jam-packed with jokes. And they all have a main dramatic thread, one single story arc that drives the entire season. As such, I tried to create a story that would include all these elements while elaborating upon them. The main character in “The Reunion,” is Ben, the normal guy who hates his job because he seems to be the only one who notices how stupid all of his coworkers are. There is lots of rather raunchy, off-color humor, and a stupid character as well as the token annoying guy from work, Dave. The main dramatic thread of the entire series will be Ben’s attempted love affair with a girl named Jen, who he sees for the first time in 10 years at the family reunion. As we watch Ben try to win back the girl of his dreams, we will be entertained by various other family members and their individual story arcs.
b) The whole point of this project is to synthesize pre-existing characteristics shared by successful webisode series, and combine them to create a popular story. Webisodes are so interesting because, as wikipedia puts it, they are a “form of new media that characteristically features a dramatic, serial storyline, and where the primary method of viewership is streaming online over the Internet.” Anyone, anywhere, at anytime can watch and get enjoyment from them.
c) Research Methodology:
1)VMIX and the IFC Launch Webisode Series
May 14, 2007 — 06:45 PM PDT — by Kristen Nicole — Share This
VMIX, an interactive social networking company for video content, announces today their new Independent Film Channel (IFC) channel, which will feature the first-ever IFC web series “Getting Away With Murder.”
The IFC channel began airing the webisodes yesterday as part of the network’s “Dot Com Month.” There will be 13 episodes in the series, which is about the double life of Seth Silver who words as an assistant vet technician by day, and moonlights as a killer-for-hire. Those that watch the series online will be able to download music and deleted scenes, as well as sneak peeks into Seth’s diary. VMIX has been raking up its partnerships lately, extending content offerings and broadening distribution networks for premium videos. These deals include the VMIX partnership with Union-Tribune Publishing and DirecTV.
The IFC and VMIX are taking a page from the Prom Queen book, finding the best strategy for moving studio-produced content onto the Internet. They’ve also done one better, presenting perks for viewers, such as the show’s music available for download. This is something I’m surprised to see so little of, considering the career success of such artists that are played in episodes of The O.C. and Grey’s Anatomy. One show that is fully taking advantage of their cult-like following online is Heroes, which has incorporated several interactive features and exclusive on their website.
Another popular webisode series is Afterworld, which is looking to monetize through video-sharing sites such as YouTube and Revver.
2) From tvseriesfinale.com:
Campus Ladies: Oxygen Drops Sitcom
Joan Beamin and Barri Martin, the main characters of Campus Ladies, may have a good time going back to school but their series won't be returning to the Oxygen channel. The sitcom has been cancelled after two seasons.
Campus Ladies followed the exploits of two 40-something women who enrolled in college and tried to fit in with their younger classmates. Much of the show's dialogue was improvised which isn't surprising considering most of the cast are veterans of the respected Groundlings improv group. Guest actors on the series included Jane Kaczmarek , Jason Alexander, Paul Reubens, Fred Willard, Sean Hayes and Maya Randolph.
Ladies was co-produced by Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines and starred Christen Sussin and Carrie Aizley who also co-created the series. The sitcom has run for two seasons and a total of 20 episodes on Oxygen. Its understood that the series was cancelled because season two's ratings were lower than the freshman year's -- likely due in large part to a drastic timeslot switch to 11pm on Tuesdays.
On his website, series co-star Amir Talai is philosophical about the cancellation and says, "We had a surprising number of fans given that Oxygen almost willfully sabotaged the show. But that too is in the past, and we will move on from that as well. Here too, I have made some friendships and connections that will last for a long time. And for fans of the show, you might be happy to know that Derek [Carter] (Mr. Drew) and I are actually very good friends in real life as well, and the cancellation of the show hasn't changed that. And BTW, Campus Ladies is definitely coming out on DVD, but I don't know when." Stay tuned http://technorati.com/tag/Jane
3) From efilmcritic.com:
Red vs. Blue
By Eric Childress
I’ve just finished my second viewing of Red vs. Blue and I can tell that this will be one of those joy-fulfilling excursions that I will share with friends as well as something I can just keep on in the background even when I’m not watching it. Simple to the point that your buddies could have sat down to create it and yet so audacious in its execution that you sense mad geniuses were at work. There’s a simplistic way to describe what it is, but one with so many levels that each proceeding explanation curves your smile a little more. It’s a mighty successful video game film based on a series of webshorts based on a video game. More importantly, Red vs. Blue is animated anarchy on par with one’s enjoyment of shows like South Park and Ren & Stimpy.
Red vs. Blue is not technically a “film” at all, but an edit of the season one internet shorts entitled The Blood Gulch Chronicles. Adapted, so to speak, from the enormously popular xBox game Halo, what this creative clan has done is lift segments of the game imagery and then dub their voices over in a technique they refer to as “machinima.” Unlike the addictively entertaining Most Extreme Elimination Challenge on Spike TV, their scripts are already written. They just need the footage. Chances are you may have called your friend a “team-killing fucktard” while playing Halo. Only you were playing to an audience of one. RvB is set on a distant planet where two armies (defined by their colors) are fighting for control of two bases. Why either of them should care about domination in the “middle of a boxed canyon” is amongst the several conversations they will have, bored out of their armor, as they await the other side to make a move, a la A Midnight Clear. All the aliens have been killed. What else have they got to do? The red boys pass the time debating the name of their new ATV (the Warthog) with a commander who shrugs off alternative suggestions as being mythical animals (like the unicorn or the...walrus.) They also wonder why it’s necessary for a spaceship to haul down a giant tank as a weapon. Why not just use the spaceship? The blue guys aren’t much better, picking on their own rookie much like the reds do and being completely inept when it comes time for battle conditions. This may sound like something more suited for short doses in five-minute downloads but when the 19 episodes are spliced together it works effortlessly. This may be considered nothing more than high-tech geek cinema since jokes directed towards objectives of the actual game (flag capture) and familiarities (weapons, vehicles) will fly right past the casual observer. Don’t despair because the humor isn’t streamlined only for game players. There’s enough pointed military satire and references (2001, Star Wars and even It’s a Wonderful Life) for anyone to laugh consistently throughout. Plus, anybody who can throw in a Voltron joke and make it stick gets my props. OK, I proudly vaunt my geek memoirs.
In fact, it takes precedence for me to give everyone listed on the credits their props. Writer/director Burnie Burns along with Geoff Fink, Gus Sorola, Randall Glass, Matt Hullum, who also provided voicework alongside Yomary Cruz, Dan Godwin, Joel Heyman, Jason Saldana and Kathleen Zuelch have all given us something to laugh out for years to come and they’re just getting started. Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles ends with a cliffhanger that is liable to send people rushing to www.redvsblue.com to check out the beginning of season two. RvB joins the emerging revolution of filmmakers to use the internet to share their ingenuity with millions and its time to take further notice. HomestarRunner.com is a weekly venture in my home. RvB will now certainly be as well. Although maybe I’ll wait until Season Two is complete since the first one was so much fun watching in its entirety.
d) Delivery Format: The webisodes will be posted and presented on a website designed to offer loads of supplemental material. In addition to a 5-minute episode, each new posting will come complete with deleted scenes, outtakes, a copy of the original script, production stills, director’s commentary, and a short video segment detailing the creative process behind each individual episode. I will additionally be keeping a blog to detail the process of creating “The Reunion.”
2. This project covers the creation of a webisode series from every angle of the creative process, providing an inside view of what it is like to create such content. It must be realized in multimedia simply because of the amount of supplemental material required to augment each episode. There have to be additional videos, written materials, and photographs, all of which must be incorporated within a website as a way of structuring and delineating them. The viewer should not only be entertained, but also come away with an understanding of the amount and type of work that goes into the creation of such a series. They should also have a rudimentary understanding of the archetypical devices that come together to create a successful webisode series. Additionally, what makes this project so academically valuable is it’s ability to instruct on not only the creative process, but also the degree of diversification that goes into successful marketing enterprises.
3. By detailing the creation of a webisode series from inception to completion, this project not only creates a forum for future research on the topic, but also promotes discussion concerning the double-edged sword that is the compromise between creativity and marketability. By examining and appropriating techniques used in successful webisode series, it will additionally help to annotate and criticize pre-existing works of art already circulating on the Internet. Because of its eventual placement on the web, it will be useful in not only teaching students at USC, but interested viewers anywhere around the globe.
IV. Timeline
11/1/07 – Have first webisode, “Ben,” edited and ready, including all supplementary materials (original script, director’s commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, production stills, and making-of video)
11/30/07 – Have web site venue selected and prepared
12/31/07 – Have second webisode created, along with all supplementary materials
2/28/08 – Have third webisode edited, polished, and ready to go, including all supplementary materials
3/1/08 – Post first webisode on YouTube, along with outtakes
3/15/098 – Advertise webisode series through connections on social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace
3/30/08 – Post second webisode on YouTube, including outtakes
4/20/08 – Create fourth webisode
5/30/08 – Launch website with first two videos and all corresponding supplementary materials included
6/30/08 – Have third video and all supplementary materials posted
7/30/08 – Shoot and edit fifth and sixth episodes
8/30/08 – Post fourth segment and all supplementary materials
9/15/08 – Post fifth episode and all supplementary materials
9/30/08 – Shoot seventh episode, and post sixth webisode, along with any supplementary items
10/15/08 – Post seventh episode and supplementary materials
10/30/08 – Shoot and post eighth episode
11/15/08 – Shoot and post ninth episode
12/1/08 – Shoot and post tenth and final(?) episode of the season
V. Budget: The first episode cost roughly $50 dollars to produce, so the total production budget should be somewhere around $500 dollars. Depending on the cost of website production and upkeep, the total budget could oscillate anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000 dollars. Even with grants however, I’m not prepared to pay upwards of $2,000.
VI. Confirmed advisors: Since we have not as of yet received the letter to provide to our advisors, I have none confirmed. However, a prospective IML advisor would be Steve Anderson. And prospective advisors from the film school include Robert Ballo, Kenny Hall, and David Maquiling.
VII. Presentation and Distribution Plans: As stated, I plan to initially release the series on YouTube while simultaneously promoting it on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. After this, I plan to post the whole series on a personal website with an accompanying blog that will be advertised on the site. After the conclusion of the first season of “The Reunion,” depending on budget concerns and viewer interest, I will make the entire series available on DVD. I’m also planning to compile the separate episodes into a feature-length film and send that off to different film festivals.
VIII. Production Resources and Required Hardware: I will require website writing software, word programs, Final Cut Pro, a DV camera, DV tapes, actors, producers, cameramen, props, and DVDs.
IX. Prior related work: I have over 20 short films under my belt, including two that won awards at the Montgomery County Media Festival back in high school. I also have an extensive writing background, having written hundreds of poems, dozens of short stories, 12 screenplays, and one (albeit short) novel.
X. Research Bibliography: http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=8857&reviewer=198
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_vs_blue/
http://rvb.roosterteeth.com/home.php
http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/05/campus_ladies_oxygen_sitcom_dropped.php
http://www.machinima.com/film/view&id=275
http://mashable.com/2007/05/14/vmix-ifc/
http://www.vmix.com/ifctv
http://www.tilzy.tv/GettingAwayWithMurder
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=42833
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33337
http://www.oxygen.com/campusladies/
http://www.tv.com/campus-ladies/show/35733/summary.html
10/18/07
IML 346
IML 346 Midterm Thesis Proposal Outline
I. Creative Merger: Viewing Serialized, Web-Based Storylines as a Creative Avenue Toward Marketing Success
II. Mad-Lib Abstract: “I am exploring web-launched, serialized storylines—otherwise known as webisodes—in order to discover what technical and narrative characteristics they share, so that I can demonstrate the capacity of individuals to use formulaic patterns, manipulations, and conventions to create popular internet-based entertainment.”
III. Description: “Through my thesis project, I’m trying to gain an understanding of web-launched, serialized storylines as both a creative art form, and a marketing tool. Mini, serialized webisodes offer all the advantages of a syndicated television show with few of the drawbacks. They are a creative medium in which you can continually examine and reexamine the stories and interactions of a select number of fictional characters. In other words, webisodes surpass films in their capacity for emotional and creative depth simply by offering the possibility to emotionally probe and explore your characters an infinite number of times rather than once. Unlike a television series however, webisodes are unconstrained by pesky running times (they can be 3-5 minutes rather than 23), and censorship.
Webisodes are also a great medium through which to explore and learn about theories of marketing and promotion. Television shows have the benefit of entire firms solely devoted to promoting their success. With webisodes, you are forced to be your own promoter, and to successfully deal with internet-based advertisers should the serial become widely viewed. It is a wonderful discipline because it is a creative venture steeped very deeply in economic/marketing principles.
Webisodes are an interesting creature. You have to create characters that are entertaining in only five minutes, yet who will have enough creative life to be sustained over a long overall period of time. They have to leave the viewers wanting more, but never unsatisfied. It is a difficult balance to strike, one which poses significant challenges in writing, editing, and performance. I want to discover firsthand, precisely how an artist might go about creating such characters, and such environments.
Yet, I am also determined to discover how a businessman might promote such an endeavor, and how he might sustain it financially through advertising contracts and the like. There can be much creativity not only in art, but in business as well, with webisodes standing firmly as a glaring “case in point.”
In the creation of these webisodes, I want to help my viewers understand how this mode of serialized storytelling is made and popularized. By keeping a firsthand-account-via-blog of the entire creative/fiscal/economic process of creating a webisode series, I will be providing a valuable instruction manual not only for creative artists but for intellectual and technological theorists as well. How are such art forms created? What are their benefits and drawbacks? How are they sustained and popularized? And what does their failure or success mean for the future of film and television as creative/fiscally successful mediums? I have no idea… yet. But, I do intend to find out.”
1. Definition of Project:
a) The webisodes as a whole will comprise a series known as “The Reunion,” and will revolve around the different members of a family who are all meeting for one weekend at an annual family reunion. It will be shot in a faux-documentary style. In other words, the different episodes will be created in such a way that viewers could take them to be an actual record of real people. Each episode will include documentary-style interviews, shaky-hand-held camerawork, and an improvisational script. All successful webisodes share a few common characteristics. They are mostly all comedic, with a quirky, off-color sense of humor. They have archetypical characters such as the normal guy, the stupid person, the annoying one, and, surprisingly enough, the slutty girl. They are all under five minutes in length, and they are jam-packed with jokes. And they all have a main dramatic thread, one single story arc that drives the entire season. As such, I tried to create a story that would include all these elements while elaborating upon them. The main character in “The Reunion,” is Ben, the normal guy who hates his job because he seems to be the only one who notices how stupid all of his coworkers are. There is lots of rather raunchy, off-color humor, and a stupid character as well as the token annoying guy from work, Dave. The main dramatic thread of the entire series will be Ben’s attempted love affair with a girl named Jen, who he sees for the first time in 10 years at the family reunion. As we watch Ben try to win back the girl of his dreams, we will be entertained by various other family members and their individual story arcs.
b) The whole point of this project is to synthesize pre-existing characteristics shared by successful webisode series, and combine them to create a popular story. Webisodes are so interesting because, as wikipedia puts it, they are a “form of new media that characteristically features a dramatic, serial storyline, and where the primary method of viewership is streaming online over the Internet.” Anyone, anywhere, at anytime can watch and get enjoyment from them.
c) Research Methodology:
1)VMIX and the IFC Launch Webisode Series
May 14, 2007 — 06:45 PM PDT — by Kristen Nicole — Share This
VMIX, an interactive social networking company for video content, announces today their new Independent Film Channel (IFC) channel, which will feature the first-ever IFC web series “Getting Away With Murder.”
The IFC channel began airing the webisodes yesterday as part of the network’s “Dot Com Month.” There will be 13 episodes in the series, which is about the double life of Seth Silver who words as an assistant vet technician by day, and moonlights as a killer-for-hire. Those that watch the series online will be able to download music and deleted scenes, as well as sneak peeks into Seth’s diary. VMIX has been raking up its partnerships lately, extending content offerings and broadening distribution networks for premium videos. These deals include the VMIX partnership with Union-Tribune Publishing and DirecTV.
The IFC and VMIX are taking a page from the Prom Queen book, finding the best strategy for moving studio-produced content onto the Internet. They’ve also done one better, presenting perks for viewers, such as the show’s music available for download. This is something I’m surprised to see so little of, considering the career success of such artists that are played in episodes of The O.C. and Grey’s Anatomy. One show that is fully taking advantage of their cult-like following online is Heroes, which has incorporated several interactive features and exclusive on their website.
Another popular webisode series is Afterworld, which is looking to monetize through video-sharing sites such as YouTube and Revver.
2) From tvseriesfinale.com:
Campus Ladies: Oxygen Drops Sitcom
Joan Beamin and Barri Martin, the main characters of Campus Ladies, may have a good time going back to school but their series won't be returning to the Oxygen channel. The sitcom has been cancelled after two seasons.
Campus Ladies followed the exploits of two 40-something women who enrolled in college and tried to fit in with their younger classmates. Much of the show's dialogue was improvised which isn't surprising considering most of the cast are veterans of the respected Groundlings improv group. Guest actors on the series included Jane Kaczmarek , Jason Alexander, Paul Reubens, Fred Willard, Sean Hayes and Maya Randolph.
Ladies was co-produced by Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines and starred Christen Sussin and Carrie Aizley who also co-created the series. The sitcom has run for two seasons and a total of 20 episodes on Oxygen. Its understood that the series was cancelled because season two's ratings were lower than the freshman year's -- likely due in large part to a drastic timeslot switch to 11pm on Tuesdays.
On his website, series co-star Amir Talai is philosophical about the cancellation and says, "We had a surprising number of fans given that Oxygen almost willfully sabotaged the show. But that too is in the past, and we will move on from that as well. Here too, I have made some friendships and connections that will last for a long time. And for fans of the show, you might be happy to know that Derek [Carter] (Mr. Drew) and I are actually very good friends in real life as well, and the cancellation of the show hasn't changed that. And BTW, Campus Ladies is definitely coming out on DVD, but I don't know when." Stay tuned http://technorati.com/tag/Jane
3) From efilmcritic.com:
Red vs. Blue
By Eric Childress
I’ve just finished my second viewing of Red vs. Blue and I can tell that this will be one of those joy-fulfilling excursions that I will share with friends as well as something I can just keep on in the background even when I’m not watching it. Simple to the point that your buddies could have sat down to create it and yet so audacious in its execution that you sense mad geniuses were at work. There’s a simplistic way to describe what it is, but one with so many levels that each proceeding explanation curves your smile a little more. It’s a mighty successful video game film based on a series of webshorts based on a video game. More importantly, Red vs. Blue is animated anarchy on par with one’s enjoyment of shows like South Park and Ren & Stimpy.
Red vs. Blue is not technically a “film” at all, but an edit of the season one internet shorts entitled The Blood Gulch Chronicles. Adapted, so to speak, from the enormously popular xBox game Halo, what this creative clan has done is lift segments of the game imagery and then dub their voices over in a technique they refer to as “machinima.” Unlike the addictively entertaining Most Extreme Elimination Challenge on Spike TV, their scripts are already written. They just need the footage. Chances are you may have called your friend a “team-killing fucktard” while playing Halo. Only you were playing to an audience of one. RvB is set on a distant planet where two armies (defined by their colors) are fighting for control of two bases. Why either of them should care about domination in the “middle of a boxed canyon” is amongst the several conversations they will have, bored out of their armor, as they await the other side to make a move, a la A Midnight Clear. All the aliens have been killed. What else have they got to do? The red boys pass the time debating the name of their new ATV (the Warthog) with a commander who shrugs off alternative suggestions as being mythical animals (like the unicorn or the...walrus.) They also wonder why it’s necessary for a spaceship to haul down a giant tank as a weapon. Why not just use the spaceship? The blue guys aren’t much better, picking on their own rookie much like the reds do and being completely inept when it comes time for battle conditions. This may sound like something more suited for short doses in five-minute downloads but when the 19 episodes are spliced together it works effortlessly. This may be considered nothing more than high-tech geek cinema since jokes directed towards objectives of the actual game (flag capture) and familiarities (weapons, vehicles) will fly right past the casual observer. Don’t despair because the humor isn’t streamlined only for game players. There’s enough pointed military satire and references (2001, Star Wars and even It’s a Wonderful Life) for anyone to laugh consistently throughout. Plus, anybody who can throw in a Voltron joke and make it stick gets my props. OK, I proudly vaunt my geek memoirs.
In fact, it takes precedence for me to give everyone listed on the credits their props. Writer/director Burnie Burns along with Geoff Fink, Gus Sorola, Randall Glass, Matt Hullum, who also provided voicework alongside Yomary Cruz, Dan Godwin, Joel Heyman, Jason Saldana and Kathleen Zuelch have all given us something to laugh out for years to come and they’re just getting started. Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles ends with a cliffhanger that is liable to send people rushing to www.redvsblue.com to check out the beginning of season two. RvB joins the emerging revolution of filmmakers to use the internet to share their ingenuity with millions and its time to take further notice. HomestarRunner.com is a weekly venture in my home. RvB will now certainly be as well. Although maybe I’ll wait until Season Two is complete since the first one was so much fun watching in its entirety.
d) Delivery Format: The webisodes will be posted and presented on a website designed to offer loads of supplemental material. In addition to a 5-minute episode, each new posting will come complete with deleted scenes, outtakes, a copy of the original script, production stills, director’s commentary, and a short video segment detailing the creative process behind each individual episode. I will additionally be keeping a blog to detail the process of creating “The Reunion.”
2. This project covers the creation of a webisode series from every angle of the creative process, providing an inside view of what it is like to create such content. It must be realized in multimedia simply because of the amount of supplemental material required to augment each episode. There have to be additional videos, written materials, and photographs, all of which must be incorporated within a website as a way of structuring and delineating them. The viewer should not only be entertained, but also come away with an understanding of the amount and type of work that goes into the creation of such a series. They should also have a rudimentary understanding of the archetypical devices that come together to create a successful webisode series. Additionally, what makes this project so academically valuable is it’s ability to instruct on not only the creative process, but also the degree of diversification that goes into successful marketing enterprises.
3. By detailing the creation of a webisode series from inception to completion, this project not only creates a forum for future research on the topic, but also promotes discussion concerning the double-edged sword that is the compromise between creativity and marketability. By examining and appropriating techniques used in successful webisode series, it will additionally help to annotate and criticize pre-existing works of art already circulating on the Internet. Because of its eventual placement on the web, it will be useful in not only teaching students at USC, but interested viewers anywhere around the globe.
IV. Timeline
11/1/07 – Have first webisode, “Ben,” edited and ready, including all supplementary materials (original script, director’s commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, production stills, and making-of video)
11/30/07 – Have web site venue selected and prepared
12/31/07 – Have second webisode created, along with all supplementary materials
2/28/08 – Have third webisode edited, polished, and ready to go, including all supplementary materials
3/1/08 – Post first webisode on YouTube, along with outtakes
3/15/098 – Advertise webisode series through connections on social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace
3/30/08 – Post second webisode on YouTube, including outtakes
4/20/08 – Create fourth webisode
5/30/08 – Launch website with first two videos and all corresponding supplementary materials included
6/30/08 – Have third video and all supplementary materials posted
7/30/08 – Shoot and edit fifth and sixth episodes
8/30/08 – Post fourth segment and all supplementary materials
9/15/08 – Post fifth episode and all supplementary materials
9/30/08 – Shoot seventh episode, and post sixth webisode, along with any supplementary items
10/15/08 – Post seventh episode and supplementary materials
10/30/08 – Shoot and post eighth episode
11/15/08 – Shoot and post ninth episode
12/1/08 – Shoot and post tenth and final(?) episode of the season
V. Budget: The first episode cost roughly $50 dollars to produce, so the total production budget should be somewhere around $500 dollars. Depending on the cost of website production and upkeep, the total budget could oscillate anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000 dollars. Even with grants however, I’m not prepared to pay upwards of $2,000.
VI. Confirmed advisors: Since we have not as of yet received the letter to provide to our advisors, I have none confirmed. However, a prospective IML advisor would be Steve Anderson. And prospective advisors from the film school include Robert Ballo, Kenny Hall, and David Maquiling.
VII. Presentation and Distribution Plans: As stated, I plan to initially release the series on YouTube while simultaneously promoting it on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. After this, I plan to post the whole series on a personal website with an accompanying blog that will be advertised on the site. After the conclusion of the first season of “The Reunion,” depending on budget concerns and viewer interest, I will make the entire series available on DVD. I’m also planning to compile the separate episodes into a feature-length film and send that off to different film festivals.
VIII. Production Resources and Required Hardware: I will require website writing software, word programs, Final Cut Pro, a DV camera, DV tapes, actors, producers, cameramen, props, and DVDs.
IX. Prior related work: I have over 20 short films under my belt, including two that won awards at the Montgomery County Media Festival back in high school. I also have an extensive writing background, having written hundreds of poems, dozens of short stories, 12 screenplays, and one (albeit short) novel.
X. Research Bibliography: http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=8857&reviewer=198
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_vs_blue/
http://rvb.roosterteeth.com/home.php
http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/05/campus_ladies_oxygen_sitcom_dropped.php
http://www.machinima.com/film/view&id=275
http://mashable.com/2007/05/14/vmix-ifc/
http://www.vmix.com/ifctv
http://www.tilzy.tv/GettingAwayWithMurder
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=42833
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33337
http://www.oxygen.com/campusladies/
http://www.tv.com/campus-ladies/show/35733/summary.html
Thursday, October 18, 2007
IML 346 Thesis Proposal
Adam Church
I. TITLE: “Anti-culturalism: In Lulz We Trust” (?)
II. ABSTRACT: What do you think of when you picture a cyber-criminal or a cyber-terrorist? The media has distorted the perception of this group, and more often than not this idea is inaccurate. Many are children, and more seem to have come by their infamy innocently enough, accidentally. A lot of illegal and otherwise questionable internet activity arises from websites like 4chan.org, an online forum for posting images where so-called delinquent hackers congregate. Thanks to their ingenuity, the people behind this website remain mostly anonymous, and any posted content is erased after a very short while. The majority of the activity could be described as childish indulgence or pranking, but there exists a very disturbing underbelly. With a daily user base over 7 million, the frequency of identity theft, piracy, and even child pornography, is concerning to say the least. Sometimes the overall behavior is pointless and absurd, but actions often allude to a vigilante mentality, with strong tendencies towards the sadistic, perverse, or macabre. What would happen if groups like this organized? I hope to outline the social and political significance of such internet phenomenon as these, and provide one possible answer to this question.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1.Genre – Interactive
Methodology – I will be presenting original research of my own as well as referring to previous works.
Delivery Format – A website ideally, mimicking the aesthetic and interface of donniedarkofilm.com. But given that I have no experience with web design, I may have to settle for some kind of interactive dvd.
2. Project Goals – I feel this project needs to be realized in multimedia because so much of the activity on these websites is content driven. It’s difficult to convey the significance of a picture or video clip, of which the production is never ending, when confined to a text filled essay. The viewer will hopefully take from this project a greater awareness of online activity, a knowledge of the subversive undercurrents of these forums, and a sense of their significance in both the day-to-day and in other realms such as politics. I feel this project is valuable in an academic context because no one is really looking at the intersection of convergence culture and online networking. The soul of humanity is laid bare through the myriad activities and content of forums like 4chan, and I believe this evidences a larger change in the collective consciousness and structure of society.
3. Project Significance – I aim to both create an awareness of and open up for discussion the social and political significance of lulz. I hope as well to shed light on this often overlooked section of society. My research has applications across a number of levels, from issues of privacy rights, to cyber crime, to the role of identity on the internet as individuality seems more and more to be assimilated into this anonymous culture.
IV. TIMELINE: Ideally, I will have a model of some sort by the end of the semester, with the tentative time of completion being sometime in the summer of 2008.
V. BUDGET: So far, I’ve spent roughly $500 on travel and materials. I don’t anticipate putting much more into this, but I may travel to interview a few more people. The upper cap is $2000, though I intend to keep costs to a minimum because this is all out of my own pocket.
VI. CONFIRMED ADVISORS: Bill Whittington, Holly Willis
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: This is an area where I am lacking. I’m not sure how to premiere my project once it is completed, and frankly I have no idea. I’m sure much of this depends upon the final delivery format. People will need a computer to view it though, as the project will have a point and click interface.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: So far I have been working on a fairly basic level with a DV cam and a shotgun mic to record things. Future interviews may be either video or audio only. I know I will be using Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, After Effects/Motion. I might also need to learn some kind of web software, and possibly Flash.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I have never engaged this specific field of study previously in any way. Last semester I sort of created a machinema for the purposes of a Second Life critical analysis, but that is only very loosely connected.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY: So far, I’ve been reading Danah Boyd. I’ve ordered a bunch of books on convergence culture and connectivity and Internet psychology and the like, from writers like Catherine Hayles and Henry Jenkins. Other references include Bakunin’s anarchist theory, Debord’s situationsism, Georges Bataille, Foucault, Marcel Mauss, and maybe even Stuart Hall and Richard Dawkins. There may be more in the future.
I. TITLE: “Anti-culturalism: In Lulz We Trust” (?)
II. ABSTRACT: What do you think of when you picture a cyber-criminal or a cyber-terrorist? The media has distorted the perception of this group, and more often than not this idea is inaccurate. Many are children, and more seem to have come by their infamy innocently enough, accidentally. A lot of illegal and otherwise questionable internet activity arises from websites like 4chan.org, an online forum for posting images where so-called delinquent hackers congregate. Thanks to their ingenuity, the people behind this website remain mostly anonymous, and any posted content is erased after a very short while. The majority of the activity could be described as childish indulgence or pranking, but there exists a very disturbing underbelly. With a daily user base over 7 million, the frequency of identity theft, piracy, and even child pornography, is concerning to say the least. Sometimes the overall behavior is pointless and absurd, but actions often allude to a vigilante mentality, with strong tendencies towards the sadistic, perverse, or macabre. What would happen if groups like this organized? I hope to outline the social and political significance of such internet phenomenon as these, and provide one possible answer to this question.
III. DESCRIPTION:
1.Genre – Interactive
Methodology – I will be presenting original research of my own as well as referring to previous works.
Delivery Format – A website ideally, mimicking the aesthetic and interface of donniedarkofilm.com. But given that I have no experience with web design, I may have to settle for some kind of interactive dvd.
2. Project Goals – I feel this project needs to be realized in multimedia because so much of the activity on these websites is content driven. It’s difficult to convey the significance of a picture or video clip, of which the production is never ending, when confined to a text filled essay. The viewer will hopefully take from this project a greater awareness of online activity, a knowledge of the subversive undercurrents of these forums, and a sense of their significance in both the day-to-day and in other realms such as politics. I feel this project is valuable in an academic context because no one is really looking at the intersection of convergence culture and online networking. The soul of humanity is laid bare through the myriad activities and content of forums like 4chan, and I believe this evidences a larger change in the collective consciousness and structure of society.
3. Project Significance – I aim to both create an awareness of and open up for discussion the social and political significance of lulz. I hope as well to shed light on this often overlooked section of society. My research has applications across a number of levels, from issues of privacy rights, to cyber crime, to the role of identity on the internet as individuality seems more and more to be assimilated into this anonymous culture.
IV. TIMELINE: Ideally, I will have a model of some sort by the end of the semester, with the tentative time of completion being sometime in the summer of 2008.
V. BUDGET: So far, I’ve spent roughly $500 on travel and materials. I don’t anticipate putting much more into this, but I may travel to interview a few more people. The upper cap is $2000, though I intend to keep costs to a minimum because this is all out of my own pocket.
VI. CONFIRMED ADVISORS: Bill Whittington, Holly Willis
VII. PRESENTATION/DISTRIBUTION PLANS: This is an area where I am lacking. I’m not sure how to premiere my project once it is completed, and frankly I have no idea. I’m sure much of this depends upon the final delivery format. People will need a computer to view it though, as the project will have a point and click interface.
VIII. PRODUCTION RESOURCES: So far I have been working on a fairly basic level with a DV cam and a shotgun mic to record things. Future interviews may be either video or audio only. I know I will be using Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, After Effects/Motion. I might also need to learn some kind of web software, and possibly Flash.
IX. PRIOR RELATED WORK: I have never engaged this specific field of study previously in any way. Last semester I sort of created a machinema for the purposes of a Second Life critical analysis, but that is only very loosely connected.
X. RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY: So far, I’ve been reading Danah Boyd. I’ve ordered a bunch of books on convergence culture and connectivity and Internet psychology and the like, from writers like Catherine Hayles and Henry Jenkins. Other references include Bakunin’s anarchist theory, Debord’s situationsism, Georges Bataille, Foucault, Marcel Mauss, and maybe even Stuart Hall and Richard Dawkins. There may be more in the future.
Seth Gullion's Midterm Proposal
Hopefully this will format correctly... in any case, I'll be printing it out as well. Here goes...
Mid-Term Thesis Project Proposal
I. Title: Working on it... (Perhaps something like 0_< ... ?)
II. Abstract: This project will examine the use of emoticons and other symbols in written language, primarily in online communities and communications such as instant messaging, forums, and chat rooms. Several questions concerning this phenomenon will be posed by characters in a narrative format, posing and attempting to answer some of these inquiries as their story unfolds. The story will be told in webcomic format, with animations, audio components, and other features. In the end, the story will allow the audience to look at how symbols and icons are used in language in a new way, and generate interest as to how written language, pictures, and storytelling are evolving.
III. Description:
1. Definition of the Project:
A. Genre: Narrative, with documentary and argumentative elements throughout.
B. Research Methodology: The story will analyze multiple perspectives concerning the topic, synthesize pre-existing ideas and hopefully expand upon them, and the presentation could in many respects be considered a visualization of data.
C. Deliver Format: Although it could probably exist on a DVD, I see it as being a website in the end. The site would include the narrative, and perhaps a section allowing the audience to discuss or interact in another manner.
2. Articulation of Project Goals: When discussing pictures, emoticons, and symbols, using pure text alone would rob the reader of a great deal of meaning. Telling the story in a sequential art form such as comics allows the reader’s imagination to fill in the gaps as the story is told. It will certainly be valuable in an academic context: using comics as a tool for education is a field that is in need of further exploration, and the works of people such as Scott McCloud are testament to its effectiveness. The audience should ideally finish the project with an appreciation for how efficient their minds are at anthropomorphizing nonsensical lines on paper or pixels, and realize that communication is not just limited to text on paper or the spoken word. Also, perhaps most importantly, the audience should be entertained by the story.
3. Project’s Significance within Contemporary Scholarship: I see this project primarily as being a tool for thinking differently about storytelling, language, and communication. It will also interprit and criticize pre-existing works in fiction, graphic fiction, and possibly television and cinema. Being a website, it could certainly reach audiences outside of the university.
IV. Timeline: At this point I cannot say anything definite, but by the end of this semester I can certainly have most of the characters conceptualized, most of the storyboard finished, and produce a few animatics of the animations I would like to include.
V. Budget: Outside of the labs, I already own Flash 8, so the only foreseeable things I would need to spend additional money on would be Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator if I wanted to work on them when I do not have access to the labs, and space for the website when the project is near completion. I may have to get additional lessons for various programs, if learning them myself would prove too time consuming. At the moment, I cannot place an estimate, but seeing as how money is certainly a precious resource for me, I would like to attempt to spend as little money as I can manage while still making a compelling project.
VI. Confirmed Advisors: None are officially confirmed yet, but professors Michael DuPlessis and Jervey Tervalon from the English department are assisting me. I’m yet to get an IML advisor, but I shall jump on that as soon as I’m able.
VII. Presentation Distribution Plans: Uncertain. If it is a website, I could feasibly provide links to interested people on some of the forums I regularly visit.
VIII. Prior Related Work: Unsure what this means… I’ve created fictional stories in the past, as well as comics and short animations.
IX. So far, I know for certain I’ll be using material from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics.
Mid-Term Thesis Project Proposal
I. Title: Working on it... (Perhaps something like 0_< ... ?)
II. Abstract: This project will examine the use of emoticons and other symbols in written language, primarily in online communities and communications such as instant messaging, forums, and chat rooms. Several questions concerning this phenomenon will be posed by characters in a narrative format, posing and attempting to answer some of these inquiries as their story unfolds. The story will be told in webcomic format, with animations, audio components, and other features. In the end, the story will allow the audience to look at how symbols and icons are used in language in a new way, and generate interest as to how written language, pictures, and storytelling are evolving.
III. Description:
1. Definition of the Project:
A. Genre: Narrative, with documentary and argumentative elements throughout.
B. Research Methodology: The story will analyze multiple perspectives concerning the topic, synthesize pre-existing ideas and hopefully expand upon them, and the presentation could in many respects be considered a visualization of data.
C. Deliver Format: Although it could probably exist on a DVD, I see it as being a website in the end. The site would include the narrative, and perhaps a section allowing the audience to discuss or interact in another manner.
2. Articulation of Project Goals: When discussing pictures, emoticons, and symbols, using pure text alone would rob the reader of a great deal of meaning. Telling the story in a sequential art form such as comics allows the reader’s imagination to fill in the gaps as the story is told. It will certainly be valuable in an academic context: using comics as a tool for education is a field that is in need of further exploration, and the works of people such as Scott McCloud are testament to its effectiveness. The audience should ideally finish the project with an appreciation for how efficient their minds are at anthropomorphizing nonsensical lines on paper or pixels, and realize that communication is not just limited to text on paper or the spoken word. Also, perhaps most importantly, the audience should be entertained by the story.
3. Project’s Significance within Contemporary Scholarship: I see this project primarily as being a tool for thinking differently about storytelling, language, and communication. It will also interprit and criticize pre-existing works in fiction, graphic fiction, and possibly television and cinema. Being a website, it could certainly reach audiences outside of the university.
IV. Timeline: At this point I cannot say anything definite, but by the end of this semester I can certainly have most of the characters conceptualized, most of the storyboard finished, and produce a few animatics of the animations I would like to include.
V. Budget: Outside of the labs, I already own Flash 8, so the only foreseeable things I would need to spend additional money on would be Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator if I wanted to work on them when I do not have access to the labs, and space for the website when the project is near completion. I may have to get additional lessons for various programs, if learning them myself would prove too time consuming. At the moment, I cannot place an estimate, but seeing as how money is certainly a precious resource for me, I would like to attempt to spend as little money as I can manage while still making a compelling project.
VI. Confirmed Advisors: None are officially confirmed yet, but professors Michael DuPlessis and Jervey Tervalon from the English department are assisting me. I’m yet to get an IML advisor, but I shall jump on that as soon as I’m able.
VII. Presentation Distribution Plans: Uncertain. If it is a website, I could feasibly provide links to interested people on some of the forums I regularly visit.
VIII. Prior Related Work: Unsure what this means… I’ve created fictional stories in the past, as well as comics and short animations.
IX. So far, I know for certain I’ll be using material from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Carolyn French Midterm Proposal
a) Title: Unknown.
b) Abstract
Achievement Gaps in Education
Education is one of the main determining factors of a person's future career and income. Most public schools in America are failing their students horribly. I attended public schools my entire life and experienced firsthand their shortcomings. Children who attend low quality public schools are at a disadvantage from children in the suburbs or other wealthy areas which provide additional funding to their schools and children whose parents can afford to send them to private school. These children are provided with higher quality teachers, resources, and curriculum. I would like to demonstrate the ways that lack of access to a good education results in a lifetime of problems such as incarceration and poverty. I also will examine the policies that have contributed to this inequality. For example, the way public schools are funded.
c) Methodology
Visiting schools in different areas and of different types: ex: inner-city public schools, inner-city private, charter schools, suburban schools. Interviewing students, teachers, parents, administrators.
Analyzing federal, state, and local policies pertaining to education. Both their intended effect and their actual effect.
d) Media Presentation & Justification
I plan on creating a short film (under ten minutes) about this topic. I feel that this will be an effective way to educate people about this topic, spark debate, and inspire people to action. I have not decided what form my film will take: documentary, animation, a combination, or something completely different.
Films like the ones presented in the Media that Matters Film Festival (Mediathatmattersfest.org) and Professor Rafael Angulo’s course offered for graduate students in the School of Social Work, “Media in Social Work: Documentary Filmmaking as a Praxis for Social Justice” are my inspiration and models for the type of video I would like to create.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Guest Speaker Juan Devis
Juan Devis from KCET Webstories, as well as the IML, will speak today.
KCET Webstories
http://www.kcet.org/explore-ca/web-stories/
Tropical America
http://www.tropicalamerica.com/
IML LA Project
http://iml.usc.edu/laproject/
Games generated from the neighborhood maps.
http://iml.usc.edu/laproject/pages/games.html
KCET Webstories
http://www.kcet.org/explore-ca/web-stories/
Tropical America
http://www.tropicalamerica.com/
IML LA Project
http://iml.usc.edu/laproject/
Games generated from the neighborhood maps.
http://iml.usc.edu/laproject/pages/games.html
Thesis Topic
I will be exploring marketing and promotional communications in virtual economy to find out effective applications of marketing and promotional strategies of both tangible and intangibles (such as products,services and ideas etc) in virtual world.
*Please leave me any comment if my thesis is insufficient or needs to be redirected. :)
*Please leave me any comment if my thesis is insufficient or needs to be redirected. :)
“Mad-Lib” Thesis Topic
I am exploring web-launched, serialized storylines—otherwise known as webisodes—in order to discover what technical and narrative characteristics they share, so that I can demonstrate the capacity of individuals to use formulaic patterns, manipulations, and conventions to create popular internet-based entertainment.
There it is, my one sentence. It’s extremely long, as I do tend to be extremely long-winded in general. But there you go. Any suggestions on how to cut-down/modify/simplify it would be greatly appreciated.
There it is, my one sentence. It’s extremely long, as I do tend to be extremely long-winded in general. But there you go. Any suggestions on how to cut-down/modify/simplify it would be greatly appreciated.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Snr Thesis Idea #2
um completely new content for my movie...
I am investigating American politics from an overseas perspective in order to discover how biased US media is because I want to show that America exists in an unhealthy media bubble.
I am investigating American politics from an overseas perspective in order to discover how biased US media is because I want to show that America exists in an unhealthy media bubble.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
A world-wide documentary
1. Name your Topic:
I am looking at how people from all over the world can contribute to a documentary type film by submitting clips over the web in order to compile a piece that represents the views of many individuals in hopes of creating something that really represents societies views on a given topic.
2. Ask a question:
Can the opinions/clips from many people be put together to create a film that better represents the views of society on a given topic than what the media portrays?
3. Motivation:
So many documentaries in the world today are incredibly biased. They represent the view of one individual and focus on only one side of the issue. In today’s internet world, people are communicating and networking with others from around the globe. It has never been more feasible to interact and get true opinions that really represent what people think about a given topic.
I’d like to create a collaborative documentary that takes into account what individuals really think, not what the media, or political figures, are telling us we think. I want to pose a question, open to anyone and everyone to answer. I will collect film clips, stills, and audio, from people of all backgrounds, submitted to me through the web and I’ll compile it all into a film in the hopes that using only the internet to get the word out about my project, I can draw submissions that represent a wide faction of people and hopefully get a more ‘real’ idea of what society thinks.
I want to show how technology has given us the chance to come together and network, but also to work together to create something. Everyone can have an opinion and their view can become a part of the film’s view as a whole.
I am looking at how people from all over the world can contribute to a documentary type film by submitting clips over the web in order to compile a piece that represents the views of many individuals in hopes of creating something that really represents societies views on a given topic.
2. Ask a question:
Can the opinions/clips from many people be put together to create a film that better represents the views of society on a given topic than what the media portrays?
3. Motivation:
So many documentaries in the world today are incredibly biased. They represent the view of one individual and focus on only one side of the issue. In today’s internet world, people are communicating and networking with others from around the globe. It has never been more feasible to interact and get true opinions that really represent what people think about a given topic.
I’d like to create a collaborative documentary that takes into account what individuals really think, not what the media, or political figures, are telling us we think. I want to pose a question, open to anyone and everyone to answer. I will collect film clips, stills, and audio, from people of all backgrounds, submitted to me through the web and I’ll compile it all into a film in the hopes that using only the internet to get the word out about my project, I can draw submissions that represent a wide faction of people and hopefully get a more ‘real’ idea of what society thinks.
I want to show how technology has given us the chance to come together and network, but also to work together to create something. Everyone can have an opinion and their view can become a part of the film’s view as a whole.
Ari Levinson topic statement
1. I am investigating the creative process of modern filmmaking with respect to the use of visual effects and post-production techniques as an increasingly important step in the execution of the filmmakers vision.
2. I want to find out how much of the creative process of filmmaking has become non-linear (i.e. has moved into post-production) and how often modern filmmakers are realizing their ideas long after production has finished.
3. I undertake this research in order to create a better understanding of the modern filmmaking process, and to clarify the existing guidelines regarding creative execution in film.
2. I want to find out how much of the creative process of filmmaking has become non-linear (i.e. has moved into post-production) and how often modern filmmakers are realizing their ideas long after production has finished.
3. I undertake this research in order to create a better understanding of the modern filmmaking process, and to clarify the existing guidelines regarding creative execution in film.
Webisodes, Amusing but Difficult
I've written a script for my very first webisode. So far, the series revolves around a dysfunctional family (is there any other kind) who meets annually for a reunion. The central action of the series revolves around what happens at the reunion. However, I thought it would be best to first introduce all the characters separately before they converge at the reunion. That way, we get a feeling of what their lives are like as individuals before we see them as a family.
My first webisode revolves around the main character, Ben Shaw (26). Ben hates his job as a greeting card writer, mostly because he has to work with a giant tool in the form of Dave. Dave likes to write vulgar limericks and leave them on Ben's desk. The webisode ends with Ben playing a practical joke on Dave right before leaving for the reunion.
I'm really happy with how Ben is developing as a character. He hates large aspects of his life, but he tries not to let it all weigh him down. I think he will be really fun when he gets together with the rest of the family. I'm also planning on introducing a love interest for Ben later on, and using this as the main dramatic arc of the webisode series. I'm really excited to continue writing and discovering more of these characters.
My first webisode revolves around the main character, Ben Shaw (26). Ben hates his job as a greeting card writer, mostly because he has to work with a giant tool in the form of Dave. Dave likes to write vulgar limericks and leave them on Ben's desk. The webisode ends with Ben playing a practical joke on Dave right before leaving for the reunion.
I'm really happy with how Ben is developing as a character. He hates large aspects of his life, but he tries not to let it all weigh him down. I think he will be really fun when he gets together with the rest of the family. I'm also planning on introducing a love interest for Ben later on, and using this as the main dramatic arc of the webisode series. I'm really excited to continue writing and discovering more of these characters.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Senior Thesis Idea
1: Name your topic
Buddy Movie for all Genders (i hate this title, but it'll have to do for now)
Step 2: Add a question
-Will women and men ever truly be equal if the idea of "equality" is constantly being raised and questioned?
-Why is it still an issue after all the advances in the US throughout the past few decades?
-Can men and women, under the most stressful of circumstances, ever be just friends? (an inherent reality to true equality, I believe)
Step 3: Motivate your question
As a film major, as a film enthusiast, I've seen numerous male-male buddy movies (Saving Private Ryan, the Lethal Weapon series, etc.) and a few female-female buddy movies (Thelma & Louise, Charlies Angels, etc.). But I've never seen a good female-male buddy movie. Obviously, it's very unlikely for men and women to have truly platonic relationships in any day and age. But I've seen a growing trend of opposing sex friendships that are just that...friendships. No secret agendas, no hidden desires.
There are many out there who would disagree with me, saying that no male-female relationship is ever truly devoid of sexual feelings. I respond that some would argue that no same sex relationship is devoid of sexual feelings. It's all a matter of perspective. I believe that it is possible for a male-female, male-male or female-female relationship to exist without sexual tension. It's called friendship and it's overlooked in our sex-obsessed and homosexual-hypersensitive culture and society.
So here is the project idea:
-A short film (10-20 minutes), about a male-female friendship.
-To emphasize the point that this is possible under any circumstances, and to juxtapose it with a society that does not allow this kind of relationship, I want to place to story in the Middle East or any other gender oppressive third world nation. There are plenty around the world for me to pick from.
-The main two characters would be United States Marines / Soldiers (the specifics to be worked out later on after some research). OR they might be soldiers of a different nation to show that it is possible, but the culture&society in the US does not support it / believe in it.
-It would follow them through relaxation, combat, then back to relaxation.
-the most important aspect of the film is that THEY WOULD NEVER BRING UP THE QUESTION OF EQUALITY. They would never address it in any way.
The point of this film, the message, is that true equality exists when you don't have to talk about it anymore. It just is.
Buddy Movie for all Genders (i hate this title, but it'll have to do for now)
Step 2: Add a question
-Will women and men ever truly be equal if the idea of "equality" is constantly being raised and questioned?
-Why is it still an issue after all the advances in the US throughout the past few decades?
-Can men and women, under the most stressful of circumstances, ever be just friends? (an inherent reality to true equality, I believe)
Step 3: Motivate your question
As a film major, as a film enthusiast, I've seen numerous male-male buddy movies (Saving Private Ryan, the Lethal Weapon series, etc.) and a few female-female buddy movies (Thelma & Louise, Charlies Angels, etc.). But I've never seen a good female-male buddy movie. Obviously, it's very unlikely for men and women to have truly platonic relationships in any day and age. But I've seen a growing trend of opposing sex friendships that are just that...friendships. No secret agendas, no hidden desires.
There are many out there who would disagree with me, saying that no male-female relationship is ever truly devoid of sexual feelings. I respond that some would argue that no same sex relationship is devoid of sexual feelings. It's all a matter of perspective. I believe that it is possible for a male-female, male-male or female-female relationship to exist without sexual tension. It's called friendship and it's overlooked in our sex-obsessed and homosexual-hypersensitive culture and society.
So here is the project idea:
-A short film (10-20 minutes), about a male-female friendship.
-To emphasize the point that this is possible under any circumstances, and to juxtapose it with a society that does not allow this kind of relationship, I want to place to story in the Middle East or any other gender oppressive third world nation. There are plenty around the world for me to pick from.
-The main two characters would be United States Marines / Soldiers (the specifics to be worked out later on after some research). OR they might be soldiers of a different nation to show that it is possible, but the culture&society in the US does not support it / believe in it.
-It would follow them through relaxation, combat, then back to relaxation.
-the most important aspect of the film is that THEY WOULD NEVER BRING UP THE QUESTION OF EQUALITY. They would never address it in any way.
The point of this film, the message, is that true equality exists when you don't have to talk about it anymore. It just is.
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