Video Mash-up Project Proposal

COM00447 – The Rebirth of Frankenstein: Media and New Technologies Studies
Assignment 1 – Part A Template


"Name: "
"Vaidhi Kohout "
"Title: "
"2014: Metropolis "
"Brief (25 word) project description; this is a concise statement about "
"the project: "
" "
"A pastiche of the 'heart must mediate the brain and hands message', "
"2014: Metropolis addresses how science fiction envisions possible "
"futures, utopian and/or dystopian "
" "
"Technology – a brief statement about the online technology the project "
"will employ, including URL if applicable: "
" "
"2014: Metropolis is facilitated by the new media technology of You "
"Tube, an online media site that boasts the world's largest 'Video on "
"Demand' (VoD), and ' User Generated Content' (UGC), allowing video "
"publishing and sourcing (Cha, M, Kwak, H Rodriguez, P, Ahn, YY & Moon, "
"S, n.p., n.d.). "
"You Tube "
" "
"Theme: what is the key unit theme(s) the project addresses? "
" "
"The key theme is Science fiction as a vehicle for envisioning possible "
"futures, utopian and/or dystopian. Utopian is a perfect and ideal "
"reality or imaginary world better than our own (Milner, A 2012, n.p.). "
"Dystopian is 'deliberately conceived' dire and grim, worse than our own"
"world (Milner, A 2012, n.p.). My project Metropolis: 2014 combines "
"existing texts into a video mash up as homage to 1927's Metropolis, "
"Fritz Lang's dystopian science fiction film (Metropolis, Synopis & "
"Credits). "
"Rationale: what are the aims of the project? How will you achieve these"
"aims? How does your chosen online technology help you to achieve these "
"aims? Make clear how your project speaks to the chosen theme. "
" "
"Appropriating existing media I tell my cultural story of science "
"fiction dystopias, a pastiche of Metropolis's 'heart must be the "
"mediator between the brain and the hands.' Within the two or three "
"minute duration I strive to include visual examples of "
"utopian/dystopian- 'the paradise or hell', ' the externally altered "
"world, 'the willed transformation' and 'the technological "
"transformation' (Williams, R 1978, n.p.). Williams defines the paradise"
"or hell in science fiction as reached by space or time travel achieved "
"by scientific discovery (1978, n.p.). My appropriated externally "
"altered world will build from themes of scientific understanding of "
"natural law emphasis throughout history for dystopian purpose "
"(Williams, R 1978, n.p.). Willed transformation will share abuse and "
"oppression of others with science with technological transformation "
"demonstrating the new life or lifestyles created through technology "
"(Williams, R 1978, n.p.). "
" "
" "
"Mashups adopt 'new media' qualities of allowing users to participate in"
"films they view and innovate them, adapting for distribution and "
"creating what Bruns describes as the 'prod-user' who interchanges "
"between consuming and producing (2005, p. 23 in Flew, T 2008, p. 36). "
"They are montage where 'already existing videos are recontextualised "
"and provided with new meaning' (Mosebo Simonsen, T 2013 p. 47). My "
"process follows the steps of: "
"Sourcing content clips from Elysium, the Matrix and Star Wars series, "
"Brazil, Children of Men, Minority report, Mad Max, Aeon Flux, The "
"Island, the Star Wars, Star Trek and X-Files. "
"Previewing, collecting decrypting or digitizing the chosen text, audio "
"and images "
"Editing in Adobe CS6 "
"Adding music and titles "
"Posting onto You Tube "
"(Pennsylvania University, n.d, n.p). "
"Applied with William's examples of science fiction dystopia will be "
"examples of the 'narrative arc' using exposition for rising action then"
"resolving the action (Sandhills Community College). Exposition "
"describes the characters and protagonist, the character who faces "
"conflict and sets the story mood (Sandhills Community College). Rising "
"action occurs with conflict, man vs man, man vs nature and man vs "
"technology (Sandhills Community College). There is a positive "
"resolution, as the protagonist vs technology triumph over science "
"through love (Sandhills Community College). My project bases on Syd "
"Field's explanation of a dramatic arc by beginning with a setup of "
"character and environments, a first plot point taking the viewer into "
"the middle, and a confrontation (1994, p.9). The second plot point "
"later creates a need for a resolution, which ends the film (Field, S, "
"1994 p. 9). "
"Online streaming is alternative to mass audiences of television "
"providing through appropriation of existing contents, a semiotic "
"extension of media citizenship (Hartley, J 1999, p. 158). My views of "
"video mashup appropriation concur with the belief of Hartley that "
"rights to self-expression and 'hard won civic rights' are enhanced by "
"the technology and online media streaming, not threatened by it "
"(Hartley, J 1999 p. 158). I feel film and television have promoted "
"cultural citizenship and methods of teaching identity and to remain "
"abreast of new technologies now encourage DIY citizenship and semiotic "
"self-determination (Hartley, J 1999 p. 159). A non-profit mash up of "
"science fiction film and television shares vision of scientific "
"potential through usage of influential media. Online technologies "
"allow access to media content, known as narrowcasting or chosen media, "
"offering opportunity to challenge previous professional codes of "
"talent, newsworthiness and representative status (Hartley, J 2004, p. "
"2, 3). "
"Significance: what is the significance of the project? How is it "
"innovative? What context(s) does it sit within? How does it relate to "
"existing projects, artworks, or texts? "
" "
"Science fiction represents possible consequences of science and "
"technology, occupying the role of 'conscience of society and science' "
"by both exploring possibilities and introducing ideas (Weingart, P & "
"Pansergrau, P 2003 p. 2). Exposure to science is substantial in western"
"countries like America, but not through factual programming such as "
"documentaries and science news magazines but by fictional "
"representation in prime time drama (Gerber, 1987, p. 110 cited in "
"Weingart, P, Muhl, C & Pansegrau, P, 2003 p. 280). I will share "
"explorations of science fiction film and television combined into a "
"contemporary interpretation, representative of science portrayal "
"through popular culture. "
"No longer businesslike like web 1.0, web 2.0 is based around dialogue, "
"interactivity and user generated content, facilitating intercreativity "
"and allowing me to 'engage with culture' (Study Guide, COM00447). Now "
"common on the web, mashups were first named after hip-hop remixes of "
"two songs or more (Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine, 2005). John Hartley"
"discusses such recreations of cultural meaning as 'redaction' – 'the "
"production of new material by the process of editing existing content' "
"as overtaking a read only culture, for a read write one (2008 cited in "
"Burgess,J & Green , J 2009 p. 48). According to Mosebo Simonsen, "
"mashups follow bricolage concept by working from a large range of "
"sources (2013, p.62). Video mashups can be simply described as 'user "
"generated content', derivative works that generate new concepts "
"(Edwards, R L & Tryon, C 2009, n.p.). "
"Metropolis: 2014 adopts appropriated content for a traditional message "
"about science fiction (Jenkins, H 2006, n.p). Video collage, remixing "
"existing projects and media mashups often infringe copyright and moral "
"rights, even if for non-commercial, educational purpose (O'Brien, & "
"Fitzgerald, 2006, p. 4). However, legal reform is possible as few "
"viewers will forego originals in preference for a mashup preferring the"
"classical signs and connotations of productions (O'Brien, Fitzgerald, "
"2006, p. 4). Semiotic theory explains that 'a sign is anything that "
"stands for something else in the production of meaning' (Hartley, J "
"2004 p. 209) consisting of a signifier and signified. Video mashup's "
"allow taking sign's from other media to give a different connotation "
"and experience. Faithful to science fiction, I am looking for common "
"cultural themes in dystopian science fiction creating a world of ruin, "
"to be saved by a classical hero. "
"Documentation: how will you document the project? Will the project be "
"viewable online or will you need to provide evidence of it some other "
"way? "
" "
" "
"Initiated in 2005, You Tube allows me to upload, publish, view and "
"stream videos utilising simple technical skills and tools (Potts, J D, "
"Hartley, J Banks, J A Burgess, J E, Cobcroft, R S, Cunningham, S D & "
"Montgomery, L 2008 p. 12). You Tube's online media site exceeded 4 "
"billion views per day, with 60 hours of video uploaded each minute in "
"2012 ( Mosebo Simonsen, T 2013 p. 47). As the largest User Generated "
"Content (UGC) Video on Demand (VoD) site (Cha, M, Kwak, H Rodriguez, P,"
"Ahn, YY & Moon, S, n.p., n.d.) it can be seen as 'the patron of "
"individual and collective creativity, providing infrastructure…[for] "
"creative content' (Potts, J D, Hartley, J Banks, J A Burgess, J E, "
"Cobcroft, R S, Cunningham, S D & Montgomery, L 2008 p. 12). You Tube "
"embraces and encourages intercreativity, a concept crucial to original "
"web developer Tim Berners Lee, who felt that the internet interactivity"
"of the late nineties was too constrictive (Flew, T 2008 p. 29). "
"Intercreativity is beyond being merely interactive and embodies a "
"'process of making things or solving problems together' (Berners Lee, "
"2000, p. 183 in Flew, T, p. 29). "
"You Tube streams two types of videos, those created inside of "
"professional media practice and videos created by amateurs, outside of "
"media practice (Burgess, J & Green J 2009 p. 41). Between these two "
"categories sits the mashup or the appropriation of professional and "
"released films into a statement created by an amateur. From the "
"analysis of Burgess and Green the content of You Tube contains slightly"
"more user created videos, primarily vlogs, with nearly 42 percent being"
"from traditional media sources (2009 p. 43). This film will 'narrate "
"and communicate cultural experiences, including my experiences as a "
"'citizen consumer', which are bound with commercial and popular media,'"
"(Burgess, J & Green, J 2009, p. 48). Thomas De Zengotita questions "
"where we would find ourselves when stripped of mediated materials or "
"representations, constantly surrounding us inspiring my appropriating, "
"as I participate instead of merely consume (2005, p.9) "
"You Tube is a 'sociotechnical platform', a collaborative site with "
"strong participatory culture, facilitating production and distribution "
"of media combined with social networking features (Chau, C 2010, p. 65,"
"67). Participatory culture has 'low barriers to artistic expression', "
"'support for creating and sharing', 'informal mentorship' such as "
"how-to videos, a value for contributions and creates a creative 'sense "
"of social connection' (Chau, C 2010, pp.67, 71). "
" "


References:

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Burgess, J & Green J 2009, YouTube Popular Culture, in YouTube: online
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, n.p.

Chau, C 2010 You tube as a participatory culture, New directions for Youth
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COM00447 2014, Study Guide: The Rebirth of Frankenstein: Media and New
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Milner, A 2012 Science fiction and dystopia: what's the connection? The
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