Machinima

After watching several machinima videos, there were many that stood out, but the ones that stood out the most to me was the video series Secret Lives and the drama My Second Life. I was surprised to find how intricate the machinima videos were in terms of camera angles, sound effects, and character portrayals. Most of the videos were emotionally deeper than I would've expected; the video game design style was misleading because of the deeper themes most of the videos portrayed.

One of the most noticeable aspects of machinima videos is their use of camera angles. Most of the camera angles were on the same level and served the same purpose as those seen in movies and film. The camera angles used on the settings, props, and characters made the video more believeable. Zooming in in scenes and characters, circling around, or dropping in from a bird's eye view are all helpful in making the video more realistic. The music and sound of the example machinima videos also must be well incorporated with the video and the characters. The music and sound effects are what the videos more interesting and exciting. The intricate body gestures and movements also added to making the video more interesting and believable.

The screenplays were surprisingly written out in an incredible amount of detail. The descriptions of not only the characters, but of the setting and props as well help depict the whole scene. Some of the vivid descriptions include attire for characters and descriptions for the motion of the cameras. The screenplay for Singin' in the Rain included full descriptions for the setting and props. The dialogue in the screenplays and videos are another important aspect in creating successful machinima videos. For screenplays, the dialogue must be clear and concise to accurately portray realistic conversations. The diction must be used effectively to also accurately present the character and their personality to the reader without any use of visuals.

My potential machinima ideas for Little Brother include character background stories for characters like Ange, Van, or Darryl. I think it would be interesting to create a background story on Ange prior to her encounter with Marcus. Another interesting video could be a background story on Van as well and her side of the love triangle between Van, Marcus, Ange and Darryl. This video could also have more on previous adventures of the team during games for Harajuku Fun Madness. Lastly, another interesting video would be about Darryl and his time locked up with the DHS. I could show his point of view on everything that happened and his suffering in the jail cells with his fellow friend Zeb.

Combination Machinima and My Script Idea

            After looking through several videos on machinima.com and finding nothing that interested me, I searched through the “most viewed” and saw a few that were very intriguing.  I watched “Counter-Strike for Kids” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB6fq9Aadwk&feature=channel_video_title which took an incredibly popular violent computer game and remixed it into a game appropriate for children.  The originality was brilliant, substituting gun wars for pillow fights and grenades for puppies.  Taking something so familiar like Counter-Strike and twisting it into a completely different concept really caught my attention.  I like how a distinct critique on an issue can be shown when you take something institutionalized and introduce your own spin on it.  Whether people agree with your perspective or completely oppose your viewpoint, audiences will form and attention will be gathered.  In terms of “Counter-Strike for Kids”, the creator is commenting on how absurd it is for young children to be participating in such violent video games.  While some people may counter that argument by pointing out child violence has decreased in the last ten years, others completely agree that such violent behavior is not conducive to society.  The amount of views the video has gathered (over 15 million) goes to show how prevalent the issue is in today’s world.

            Another extremely popular video that caught my attention was “Grand Theft Mario” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MWXLlHGK14.  While not particularly well done, the video combines two very prominent video games, Grand Theft Auto and Super Mario Bros.  The fact that these two distinct games come from completely different eras in terms of gaming history is to me what makes it so compelling.  With creativity, any combination of sorts could make for an entertaining plot.  Thinking about it now, combining elements could take place in settings other than just gaming, television or movie genres.  For example, think of the game of football played on ice, incorporating hockey to the most popular game in America.  Such possibilities are limitless.  It is no wonder machinima is increasingly growing in popularity.

            As for my screenplay, the last thing I want to do is follow the plot of Little Brother.  I feel that this assignment warrants more creativity in terms of creating a new story.  I feel that Darryl could be a worthy main character for a screenplay, seeing how his experiences were unknown the entire time Marcus plotted against the DHS.  A remix of Darryl’s confinement in the form of an escape would be an exciting action plot.  Incorporating the idea of combination that interested me in “Grand Theft Mario”, I want to involve Jack Bauer from the fiction television show, 24 as his partner in escape.  Such a mixing of institutions gives me many creative possibilities in terms of how to carry out the script.  While I have been less than dedicated so far this quarter, I feel this script could be a way for me to fully apply myself.

Inspiration and Screenplay Ideas

The machinima film “A Thin Line” did not really inspire me too much. To me it seemed like it was just the Little Brother story retold with slightly different events. To me it was somewhat boring and it did not interest me a whole lot. The film “Tilting Windmills” started off looking like I was going to like the idea and enjoy the screenplay. However, it quickly turned into just a summary of parts of the book. This film somewhat inspired me of exactly what I don’t want my screenplay to be, just a summary of the book. I really enjoyed the screenplay “The Great Escape.” It was a spinoff of Little Brother in which Masha and Zeb are both running from the DHS. They are being followed by an agent and they are trying to escape. This is more along the lines of what I want my film to be about. The film “Santa Clara Ablaze” was also appealing to me. Rather than just summarize parts of the book, it took an idea from the book and incorporated it into the screenplay. I thought it was a very successful type of screenplay and I enjoyed watching it. The machinima entitled “Justice” was very successful I thought. Just like the other films I liked, this film did not just summarize a portion of the book or anything like that. I took the character, Severe Haircut Lady, and looked at life from her point of view. The film explores Severe Haircut Lady, her life, and why she is the way she is. I thought the idea was very creative and the screenplay was quite successful and interesting. The machinima “SCU Chip Day” started out looking like it was going to be really interesting, but ended up disappointing me. However, I did enjoy the fact that it was branching out from Little Brother and creating a new story from it. I was disappointed by the fact that the movie was just cut short abruptly. This made me think that I should plan my screenplay to not be too action packed and rather make a solid screenplay that is just a little shorter. At first I thought that “ENG 138 Screenplay” was just going to summarize the book again. However, I was delightfully surprised at how the story spun off of a part of Little Brother and extended the story in a way.

From my descriptions of the machinima above it is probably evident that I do not want to make a screenplay about a summary of Little Brother. I want my screenplay to be a spinoff of a character or occurrence in the book, extending the story to some other place or occurrence. My first idea is to write a screenplay about how Marcus really was a terrorist the whole time, hired by Al Qaeda to disrupt America’s defenses on the home front, making it easier for terrorists to move about through the country. Another idea I have for a screenplay is to make a story about Ange and how she was actually a DHS agent, and she was just setting up Marcus the whole time. Either of these, I feel, would be fun to write and produce.

machinima

Overall I have to say I was much more entertained by the machinima that I thought I would be. Most of the ones that I saw were surprisingly relateable especially if you play video games. I think that the machinima about the video games is very susccessful for a couple reasons. The first of these is that people can relate to the games they have played and recognize actions by the characters in it. It is funny to see the characters actions with different dialog than you are used to, making it easy to be clever using video games in your machinima. Secondly the video games machinima is successful when you still use related themes or characteristics of the game. A good amount of machinima about video games has to do with beat other people badly, or pwning noobs. The phrase pwning noobs started from an internet series called pure pwnage that came up with many popular gaming phrases that many of the machinima made references to. Which leads into my last point of what makes gaming machinima successful this being references to other games or gaming culture. There are several different asspects to gaming culture of course but all the machinima I watched cleverly and sometimes humorlessly made good references to gaming culture. My favorite machinima that I came across was one that used world of war craft as the platform and made several good WOW references and also moaked bear grills who has a show on discovery channel about survival. The machinima pretended that the main character was bear grills and he was surviving his way through a cold part of the world of azeroth . As an recovered WOW player myself( 6 years sober I am happy to say) I found the references to be funny and I also thought all the bear grills references were funny.

As for my own machinima I too will probably use world of warcraft to make it because I know the game and how to control it so it should make it easier. Also I feel I could make so decent references to WOW and to the novel. So far I was thinking of either making a remix of the part of the novel when Marcus is being detained by the DHS or perhaps make a side story of one of the characters. I was thinking about using the scene where marcs is being detained because it would be easy to incorporate that into the game. However I was also thinking about creating a whole new side story about Charles because it allows for more creativity and would be way easier to make outside references and make it funny. Before I looked into this I was dreading this project and even though I know it will be a lot of work I am feeling a little more optimistic about it now because I could see how this could be fun.

Machinima

After looking at some of the videos I found them very interesting yet limited. Depending on the platform the features and work around are very inadequate. The fact of the matter is it comes down to a couple things. Sure using video games allow for a lot of variety in settings and cost but not all scenes are possible at least not within on platform. I watched the Mine craft + GTA video which I thought was pretty funny as well as the black ops zombie one. This is inspiring cause I could see a way to put zombies in a remix of little brother. I think one of the benefits of this is that really you can blend things together which would be almost impossible on other platforms and if done right it can flow together very smoothly. Though I can not judge this because I have not tried second life I feel the platform is more restrictive than other platforms due to the fact that you do not have absolute control over the domain unlike other games like garry’s mod.
While when looking through the links I found a couple interesting screen plays I wanted to look at but it was either taken off or was broken. I didn’t like the fact I had to download it to view but in the end I looked at a couple screen plays. What really inspired me and I remember talking about in high school was the fact that most movie build up to a climax. Very rarely do movies start with a scene that is intense. Now of all the ones I’ve looked at it involved setting up the scene. Some had metaphors and foreshadowing symbols as camera pan out. There were also other scripts that tried to set up an emotional connection between the viewer and the characters. One of the ones I read was the wizard of Oz. At the beginning scene it shows the protagonist with Toto and the dilemma that ensues. I found it funny that at the end they never mention the fate of Toto and if you know the storyline you should know why Toto was important to the film. Well this is inspiring because I find it hilarious that there are plot holes that movies forget to deal with. These two factors have lead me to try to create a story that hopefully starts out with some action as well as leaves no stone unturned. I also hope to make the remix smooth and hopefully the plots will blend together and not contradict each other enough
Now after thinking about some possible remixes that I could do with little brother. I have come up with 2 possible themes/blends. One idea was to remix little brother with inception. The other idea was to add in zombies. Some other possibilities that might be interesting but is not very plausible with the platform we will be using are some kind of remixing little brother with portal or FEAR.

Machinima and Screenplays

Machinima cinematography is really phenomenal. It’s amazing to see what one can do with a few computer programs and enough time to produce a high-quality film. After watching clips of several Machinima videos, I found that several elements and techniques that really appealed to me to make a well-done film. With Machinima, one has the opportunity to use a variety of sets that can be fantastical or realistic. You can also change the lighting of the actual scene to depict dreams or past instances; one film was even in black and white. Camera angles are also an important element to add a dramatic effect. Different views included zooming in on scenes, circling around people, making close ups on people’s faces, and viewing a scene from a bird’s eye view. I think it is also important to have different shots on one scene; stationary scenes are boring and ineffective. Music and sound effects are also essential to a decent film, and they have to work correctly with the scene. One part of Machinima that really amazed me was how realistic you can make the avatars, especially with their movements and facial expressions. The characters even move very smoothly, which adds another realistic element. I also noticed that the films frequently have a main character that narrates, which seems to be a positive feature. As long as you have the time and a good program, you can do practically anything with Machinima.

After reviewing a few movie scripts, I found that they are much more elaborate and detailed than I originally thought. Besides dialogue, scripts also include set and character details to fully depict the whole scene. Some scripts, like The Apartment and Singin’ in the Rain, are particularly detailed. They include details like the view and motion of the camera (i.e. pan in and out) and full descriptions of the set and props (i.e. night of big movie premiere on Hollywood Blvd). In addition, they even include descriptions of the voice, behavior, and attire of the characters. With such vivid and specific details, one can truly picture the whole scene. Effective dialogue is very important in a script. As David Lemon points out, good word choice is essential and scripts seem to be most effective with spare dialogue; it should adequately represent a realistic conversation. Lemon also mentions how a script accurately presents and describes the characters immediately so that the reader can understand them from the beginning.

For potential Machinima ideas, I am considering writing a story from Marcus’s parents’ view. As older and more conservative individuals--especially his dad--I think it would be interesting to show part of the story from their point of view. Another potential idea is to present the story from Trudy Doo’s point of view. Even though she is older, she is still very liberal and radical, and it would be interesting to show her perspective.

Machinima

http://youtu.be/w3XD7KmeLBE
Looking through all of the Machinima in the resources they were all outstanding and it was very difficult to choose just one. The one I was most impressed with was the machinima trailer by Rob Wright called He Still Watches. As he starts the trailer what was particularly intriguing was the starting from black and slowly fading into the picture and out to see the whole environment of the scene. What I will try to do what Mr. Wright did so effectively is to use many close up as possible. When he used the close ups on the candle being lit or the character writing a letter if those shots were not in existence it would not capture the main points of the story. Also what he uses so effectively are the various "dolly shots" that are in various locations in the scene and as the paper flows out the window as it falls to the ground outside. Mr. Wright used really great voice over of the character and it was very clear to hear and I could follow along in the story plot. Along with the voice overs what was also was clear and very appropriate for the scene was the music which came in at the right time.

When I looked at 101 of the best screen plays I looked at Slumdog Millionaire which was one of the best movies of 2010 and I wanted to see how the script actually read out. After reading part of the script I now have some idea of how devastating it really lives to live in the Slums of India as a little boy and a young man. The script felt as if it had a very fast paced tempo in the beginning which immediately made me interested and wanting to read in more detail. As I read more in depth I could visualizes scenes from the actual movie which was very helpful picturing the actual characters physical features. When reading the script I found it very easy to read then from other scripts which is very helpful in giving a pitch to a classroom. When looking at all 101 of these screen plays there is a reason why all of these scripts are in this category and it is because you as the reader can easily follow the scenes and image how this script can be produced into a movie.

For the Michinima that I was interesting to pitch to the class was to rework the scene where Darryl is held captive by the DHS and what happens inside the prison that is not explained in the book. It seems that this would provide an interesting scene in the prison where we could explore the ideas that are being thought by Darryl. When making the avatars for this scene I would make many different Avatars of all races which would make the scene more interesting. As for the camera angles I would provide many close up shots on Darryl and dolly shots above Darryl looking down on him. Providing the right music will be very important because it will help transition into the next scene.

Machinima

Out of most of the machinima I really liked “Pokémals: Pilot” (http://www.youtube.com/machinima#p/c/6656FE6D5A4D6973/43/xQN_-Lsivvk) and “Call of Duty Black Ops Call of the Dead” (http://www.youtube.com/machinima#p/c/3/KZJBc_BE3Ws). The “Pokémals” machinima was interesting in that it took a game that I played as a kid and totally remixed the very beginning. Honestly, there were no camera angles seeing as the game was a 2D gameboy game, but the script was hilarious. It had clever, somewhat stupid lines that included pointing out how bad the graphics and how stupid some of the concepts of the game were. Although it may not have shown any type of cinematic skill in its production it gave me a lot of great ideas regarding the use of humor in my machinima. I think that most people will remember not necessarily a perfectly done, well-made cinematic feature, but one that causes them to laugh. Acknowledging the fact that you really are using cheap, somewhat crappy figures and sets in your machinima will always add a good sense of humor to whatever you write about.
The Black Ops machinima was something I admired for its cinematic skill. Since it was modeled to be a trailer named “Call of the Dead” (instead of Call of Duty), there wasn’t much use of a script. However what it didn’t make up for in its dialogue it did in its camera angles and music. The use of a film filter in the beginning, middle and end of the trailer added an old, reel feel that I think is closely associated with horror movies. The commentator’s voice was also a nice touch with his deep, action packed sounding sentences. Finally the close up still frames they took when announcing the “actors” included in their upcoming movie were an essential touch to the trailer. Overall, this machinima allowed me to recognize that all the small touches to a production can give it a professionally made feel. From music to film techniques, whatever genre or type of machinima I choose to make I need to take into account what that type of production requires.
The combination of the two machinima has given me the idea to put a spin on the new teacher Marcus gets after the DHS takes control of his school. I want to use a classroom and possibly a school for my sets and incorporate a character like Charles in my movie. I think that the setting is a great opportunity for the use of humor while still allowing for some great potential camera angles. Perhaps a scene where Marcus and his friends play a prank on Charles and/or the teacher could get some laughs out of an audience. I think that the biggest challenge is going to be creating a set that can accurately represent Marcus’ school and the characters I’m attempting to imitate. I also want to incorporate my knowledge of music production into the movie itself. Seeing as we’re not allowed to use any songs we choose because of copyright laws, I want to take this opportunity to maybe make a song that could be used in the movie.

response to machinima and screenplays

All of the machinima films that I looked at were amazing. I still find it hard to believe that people were able to create short films, using computer programs. I was most impressed with the machinima “text 100 in second life”. From the very first few seconds of the film, I was already interested and impressed. The camera angle switched from an overhead shot, fading into a different view of the city. This film has great transitions from scene to scene because they fade into each other, instead of having a choppy flow between scenes. The panorama shots and various camera angles are very important because they set the tone for all of the scenes. I also really enjoyed the music video machinima films. On youtube, I stumbled upon a machinima film using Sims 2 that was a music video for “Barbie Girl” by Aqua. I was inspired by this video because it showed that it is possible to match avatar actions with whatever you want to do. This video gives me hope that I will be able to design and move my avators in ways that will match my screenplay.

http://youtu.be/xSiLGAVcmU0

One of the screenplays that I was inspired by was the screenplay for Schindler’s List. This is an amazing movie all around and seeing the screenplay makes me realize how much effort really goes into making the script part of the film. In all of the successful screenplays, I noticed that a lot of the text describes the scene and actions. At quick glance at the Schindler’s List screenplay, it would seem as though it is all descriptions of scenes and actions. I also noticed that there are different formats of screenplays. The Schindler’s List screenplay format is the style that I am used to seeing. However, the Sunset Boulevard screenplay format is a little different. There are two columns, with the left column describing the actions and the right column being the dialogue. I think that the screenplay format, used by Schindler’s List and many other films, are more effective because it is more pleasing to the eye. These screenplays were chosen for the 101 greatest screenplays because when you read them, it is easy to imagine what the film will look like. Successful screenplays absorb the reader by its imaginative descriptions and clear stage actions.

For my Little Brother inspired machinima, I was thinking about reworking the scene when the terrorists attack. This event will provide tons of material for the avatars to respond to. The screenplay would start off when Marcus and all of his friends meet up to complete the Harajuku scavenger hunt challenge. Another major event will be when the bridge explodes and the chaos begins. From here, the avatars will be captured by the DHS. This scene in which Marcus, Van and Darryl are captured will provide plenty of opportunities to work with camera angles and other technical aspects of machinima. This event is also significant because it is the terrorist attack that sets up the rest of the story in Little Brother.

Machinima

Throughout watching various machinima videos, several aspects of each film stand out to me. I think that just like a normal movie, the camera angles and music are incredibly effective. Scene cuts and video effects make the animation more like a real film and less of an awkward computer generated video. The effect of zooming in or out on a character or object creates interest as does a camera view coming in from the side or starting at the feet and moving up. All of these ways of viewing the scene make the video more interesting and will catch the attention of the viewer better. Music is probably difficult to add because of copyright laws, but when it is in videos it is extremely effective. Whether or not we realize it, there is usually some music playing at almost all times in movies that subconsciously sets the mood and changes emotions for the scene.

Furthermore, it is very clear when hand gestures and other body motions were chosen with thought and when they were just thrown into the video. The more successful videos have avatars that seem to move casually and naturally, as if the creators thought carefully about normal human motions, rather than just what they “should” be doing in a given circumstance.

Another aspect of well done machinima videos is the use of settings and props. There is a big difference between the videos that just use a stock setting and those that add more interesting people and objects in the background. All of these aspects show a lot of effort that was put into the video and will overall create a lot of interest that will pull the viewer in and make the video more enjoyable and realistic.

The screenplays that stand out are written in incredible detail. The characters and settings are described in ways that can be understood when read and create a particular vision or give off a certain feel, but cannot necessarily be portrayed literally. In the beginning of each scene in particular, the setting is vividly described and this helps the producers of films, whether with real or virtual settings, be able to set the scene as it was intended to be.

In addition to in depth descriptions of the settings, the dialogue must be written in a way that not only conveys the message that the author is trying to portray, but must also reveal something about the character. The style of writing/speaking is just as important as what the character actually says in developing their personality and position in the movie. The dialogue and “stage directions” must clearly portray what the viewer needs to learn from each scene and the script must therefore be written with great detail and thought. Little details that the author may include in descriptions will show in the film as how the characters act towards one another and the ways in which they interact. Overall, screenplays must be written in careful detail in order to correctly portray the message that the author wants to convey, including the way in which settings are described.

For potential topics for machinima, I am considering:

Developing a story with a false positive
Creating a background or more developed story for Ange

Before looking at some screenplays for a few of my favorite movies, I took a look at a number of the machinima videos posted on the class website. The four videos that I watched in their entirety were Addiction, Code Monkey, Dangerous Games, and Anti-Citizens. First of all, I found Addiction extremely effective with it's use of voice overs because the person doing the voice overs for the main character really demonstrated the personality and attitude of that particular character. Secondly, both Code Monkey and Dangerous Games included a bit (or in the case of Code Monkey, a lot) of humor in their concepts. Code Monkey was definitely the most enjoyable video out of all of the ones I viewed because of how different it was from the standard machinima video. The idea of making a machinima music video was extremely inventive and the concept worked out perfectly because of the catchiness of the lyrics and the easy-to-follow storyline of the video. Thirdly, Anti-Citizens had amazing graphics and sound effects for being a machinima video. All of the videos included extremely effective camera angles and panning and did well with the types of shots they used (i.e. close ups, etc.). What was really inspiring was that the first three videos (Addiction, Code Monkey, and Dangerous Games) all incorporated extremely unique and effective concepts that made the videos interesting to watch the entire way through.

When I moved on to the screenplays, I first read the first link posted on the machinima resources page which was a link to a website that explained step by step the formatting of a screenplay. I found this website extremely helpful and will definitely keep it in mind for when I have to write my own screenplay. I then moved on to looking for a few screenplays to read online since the two links that were posted on the class website were not working. I managed to come across a website that listed a numerous amount of modern day movies and their scripts. I read parts of the scripts for both of the movies Mega Mind and Up. I was completely blown away by each of these screenplays. It takes so much effort and thoroughness to describe every single character's actions and facial expressions, every single scene and what the people whether important are not are doing in them, and every single camera angle. It was a bit intimidating to come to the realization that I would have to eventually produce the same type of screenplay with the same amount of accuracy, but I know that if I follow the correct formatting and establish a clear cut understanding of the topic of my screenplay way beforehand, it should make the writing of the screenplay much easier.

A few ideas for possible screenplays about Little Brother include following the character Masha's story immediately after the bombing of the Bay Bridge. When she gets reintroduced towards the very end of the book, you almost forget that she was even in the book in the first place. It would be interesting to see how the DHS got her to play for their team and how she helped the DHS infiltrate the XNet and track Marcus down. A second possible idea for a screenplay could be twisting the original storyline around so that Ange turns Marcus in after getting close enough to him to know all of his dirty secrets. As Kelly had mentioned in class one day, she was expecting Ange to turn Marcus in and totally betray him and honestly, so was I. I was waiting and waiting for that to happen in the story and thought for sure it was bound to happen, but then it never did. Therefore, I think it would be interesting to explore what happens when she does betray him and how she was led to committing that betrayal.

500 wordddiiieeesss :)

There were many inspiring aspects to screenplays that I did not know about until doing this short assignment. Especially for someone like myself who has only seen a few of these movies, the screenplays offer one a deep and creative insight into what is really happening in the writer's story. The one aspect that sticks out the most, to me, is the way the writer is able to grab all of the senses through words. Like in THE GRAPES OF WRATH screenplay, the writer fuses dialogue with quick narrations of the surrounding scene to create a fully developed shot, like the man who asks the "heel" for a ride. The writer not only mentions the visuals, but he also mentions the music playing. Incorporating all of these elements will later contribute to the delivery of the soon-to-be movie. Another key aspect that I find to be extremely inspiring is the deliberative word choice on the writer's part. In my opinion, it seems like it takes a lot of thought and time to create effective dialogue that gets to the point instead of writing dialogue that goes overboard. Most of the screenplays I viewed had simplistic dialogue and having this added to the overall realistic effect that is created when reading it; it actually sounds like a conversation, not scholarship. The next inspiring piece to screenplay writing is the way that the writer includes camera shots to help add to the story. It's really interesting to see and read how the writer envisioned the scene to play out. I think that if the writer left this aspect of the writing out that the screenplay would be less clear, and instead, it would leave the reader using their imagination more. As the writer, I assume that you want only your vision and point to get across, so including the camera angles and cutting of scenes makes the screenplay that much better. The last aspect that is really cool about screenplays is the character descriptions. I think this is my favorite part because, like in Rocky, the writer gets to dress up the characters through their words. Instead of the reader usually doing the basic dress up themselves, we know exactly what they're wearing and how they are wearing.

After viewing these screenplays, I plan on implementing them into the screenplay that I create. One of the ideas that I have for my Remix screenplay is to do a story that involves the tracking of Marcus by the DHS after he was let go. I think that it would be fun to do a scene that wasn't talked about at all really, and I would be able to incorporate possibly new characters. The second option that I have for a screenplay is one of Daryll's time on the island by himself, after everyone had left him. I think this too would be interesting because it is unknown, and I can use brand new ideas to formulate a new story. Both concepts feed off of scenes left untouched, and I think they are two worth exploring. Hopefully, I can take the skills I mentioned above and implement them into my work, as well.

so far....

Splash Page

Social change is a long and slow process that does and cannot simply occur in one night. It takes patience , time, effort, and support. There are history books with numerous examples of the many past successful and unsuccessful social movements that all sorts of societies have seen. Yet with all of these examples and knowledge on how to carry out a social movement; there seems to be a stall. It takes someone brave and courageous to start things up. In Doctorow's novel, "Little Brother", the main character, Marcus, is an individual that had enough of his right of privacy being so easily taken away, causing him to take a stand. Whether it is simply an idea or an act, it has to start somewhere. In most cases social change is not an idea or thought of a single individual of a community, in most cases there are a large number of others that feel the same and want to state their belief but at hesitant. So then what is it that people are scared of and causes them to hesitate from standing up and sharing their ideas and beliefs with the rest of the community? In "Little Brother", Marcus is the only one that stood strong to his belief while he was left by his close friends because they were frightened of the consequences. What is this fear that has surpassed our courage to stand for what we believe?

Patience

Patience is a virtue that goes a long way in any aspect of life. It is something that is taught since were young children. In the situation on social change, patience is one of the few things that is a key ingredient that is almost always missing in the supporters. Rothschild explained that most demonstrators are too preoccupied with “quick and easy” results. When a demonstrator puts in effort and sees little to no instant result there is a change of mind set. These demonstrators become disappointed and develop a bitter view to the cause and accept defeat. Social movements do not thrive on instant or direct results. It takes time to develop and gain momentum. Activism gains its power from gradual steady growth. In no one action can an entire society change, it is the small actions that get a social movement into motion. This is where patience does its work on social change. If demonstrators constantly put in effort and gave up on a cause, there would never be any change, stood persistent to a cause and allowed it to form and build, only then can they see any results.

Scared

There are many things that prevent social movements from ever finding any foundation and becoming successful. It may be the fact that the cause was not seen to be the right thing through the eyes of the rest of the community. It may also be that the demonstrators were not patient accepted defeat before the movement even starting moving. One thing however that decelerates and inhibits social change is the fear to stand up and state your claims for what you feel is right. There are many changes that come from being a dedicated activist to a cause. Demonstrators may have to put in a lot of time and effort , that would otherwise be spent on other things, on this certain cause. In a study comparing the personal consequences of being an activist and a non-activist, there were many unfavorable short term trends. IN many cases activist became distant to their original lives. They became less involved with their religious communities, as well as became distant in their relationship with their parents. Another finding was that these activists were employed in lower income jobs, and were frequently in search for new jobs. There are many things that contribute to these findings. This means that it is these people that understand what is going wrong. This is why they are the ones to stand and protest.

Someone brave to start things up

It is not usual that everyone wants to be the first person to step up to the plate. No one wants to be put into a situation where some many things can come from.

splash page revised

Safety and Surveillance: What Students Experience in High-Security Schools

Over the past couple of decades, violence has become more common in schools, causing the American public to label educational institutions as unsafe. Because of this, school administrators are choosing to amp up security with various methods. While many of these methods aim to contribute to a safe learning environment, they may actually create the impression of a correctional facility, providing a means of surveillance for administrators to find misbehaving students. Although students may feel safer in these high-security schools, it may not provide a positive learning environment for them if they always feel like they are being watched by "Big Brother." These methods not only detract from the learning atmosphere, but also jeopardize some of the rights of students.

In his novel, Little Brother, Doctorow also perceives these security measures as a way for schools to survey and control their students, leading students like Marcus to resist authority and find ways to break the rules.

While it is important to impose safety in schools, it is also important for students to feel trusted and respected. When students feel respected, they in turn show consideration for the administrators and school rules. This mutual respect is a huge factor that contributes to the safety of the school, revealing that school security may not be the appropriate method to achieve a safe environment.


Violence in Schools
Methods of School Security
Surveying Students

Splash Revised

It is widely debated whether new media enhances democracy or increases threat to government. In many cases, the answer is neither of the above. For instance, the rebellion in Chiapas, Mexico is perceived by many to have increased democracy as the rebels made their opinions and stories public by posting them on the Internet and utilizing cellular phones. The current conflict in Egypt and the Middle East is similar in that young people are organizing through the use of technologies such as social networking sites, blogs, and cellular phone communication. While opinionated young adults bask in these possibilities, governments commonly view this same act as terrorism as the "outspoken" rebels spread fear and distrust of the government. As seen in recent instances, governments have shown their power as the Egyptian government shut the country’s Internet down. Similarly, in his novel, Little Brother, Doctorow addresses this issue by explaining this issue as a Constitutional right to freedom of speech. The teenage protagonist, Marcus, exemplifies this by bringing justice to the government by posting his opinions on the Internet and generating a following of more young adults through means of technology. I agree with Doctorow on this claim because I believe that having opinions and being able to freely discuss them are a human right that cannot be denied or suppressed by the government.



Chiapas: A Historical Analogy of a Current Issue

Governments Fearing their Downfall

Doctorow: Fiction with Truth

Revised Splash page

Social change is a long and slow process that does not simply occur in one night. It takes patience , time, effort,and support. Even with the knowledge of all of these aspects for a successful movement, it is very difficult to get a significant momentum on social change. It takes someone to start things up. In Doctorow's novel, "Little Brother", the main charecter Marcus is this leader that takes a stand and start a movement. Whether it simply be an idea or an act, it has to start somewhere. In most cases social change is not something that only one individual wants , it is a feeling that a large community of people may share and desire. So then what is it the frightens and hesitates people from standing up and share their ideas and beliefs with the rest of the community? In "Little Brother", Marcus is left by his close friends because they were frightened of the consequences. What is this fear that has surpassed our courage to stand for what we believe?

Racist School Policies (LB Splash Page Revised)

With the concept of authoritarian schooling beginning to make its way into the education system, more and more schools have begun to adopt zero tolerance policies. The idea of zero tolerance discipline policies basically entails "increasingly harsh punishment, even for petty infractions such as school uniform violations, and subjective violations, including disrespect and insubordination" (Chappell). Although school officials implement such policies with the intention to prevent various forms of criminal activity on campus, they actually manage to encourage the stereotype that students of color should be feared (Giroux). According to various statistics provided by Kevin Chappell, the number of expulsions and suspensions of African American students across the country has increased while the same numbers have decreased for Caucasian students. Whether it is done consciously or unconsciously, schools that adopt zero tolerance discipline policies advertise to the public that racism is okay.

In his novel Little Brother, Corey Doctorow touches slightly upon the topic of racism when portraying the character of Jolu as a young Mexican male who undergoes the sting of racism every day. Doctorow uses Jolu as an example of the hardships that citizens of color face when stereotypical views are implied of them such as the idea that one needs to be more cautious about their valuables when seeing a person of color. However, Doctorow seems to have missed the mark with his attempt at drawing sympathy from his readers. It is true that citizens of color face stereotypes that wrongly personify them as "criminals"; however Doctorow chose to present this idea with a character who actually was a criminal. What about those minorities who are wrongly accused of "crimes" they haven't even committed? This hypertext will explore the wrongly accused as a result of harsh policies implemented in the school environment.

Splash Page #2

Who started the fire?

Leadership today has infinite definitions. We are constantly asking what characteristics create revolutionary leaders. Something special distinguishes them from the people they lead, but we haven't figured out what that is yet. These leaders identify a problem and figure out what they can do to change it. Marcus in Little Brother can be defined as a leader who is going against the status quo. His ability to personally challenge the actions of the government and the response of society causes him to try and change whatever he can in order to achieve his goal.

Revised Splash Page

Since my previous splash page was not focused enough, I have a more developed focus that I will need to research more. I will be addressing the issue of how socialability can't be reduced to communication, but more particularly what aspect of socialability is being left behind or lost as people continue to substitute the electronic web as a means for communication.

Social Media & The New Defenition of Privacy

Splash Page: Second Draft
In Doctorow's book "Little Brother" Doctorow focuses the rage of the DHS on his main protagonist Marcus. Who at every turn is trying to protect his privacy. Privacy which his alias M13ky has shown to be all about anonymity and secrecy. Doctorow tries to incorporate the old definition of privacy into the 21st century. Privacy that is much harder to protect and much easier to be leaked. The old privacy of keeping ones secret to one self is no longer viable. Individuals have suggested a shift in the way generations fell about even understand privacy. A new definition based off of the control and regulation of who knows information. This schism has created ill conserved notions and security that is substitutable to abuse. Many have called for a new understanding of the shift in the definition of privacy. A new privacy that's definition which is much more in tuned with the online world. Privacy is a changing social construct which is built off the norms of the majority. This unique trait makes understanding and changing the definition much harder. No longer can the old term of privacy be used in it's original context because the world is changing.cyberspace is connected to us all and it can be a unforgiving frontier.

Links:

Old Privacy
New Privacy
Online World/Cyberspace

Splash Page revision

Can our youth form beneficial relationships with the authoritative institution that is the police?

It is a constant struggle that has repeated itself throughout history: the battle between youth and authority.  Before addressing the two groups together, I will first acknowledge the ability of youth to socialize and cooperate collectively.  Once that difficult subject is highlighted, the ability of youth as a whole to form trusting relationships with authority is the next step in answering my question.  In the most specific form, I will focus on the opportunity for young people to rid negative stereotypes of the police and move in the direction of forming lasting partnerships with police forces everywhere.  While it is a difficult concept to imagine, the cooperation of youth and authority can enhance our society in many ways.  An improved police-youth relationship would produce a society with more trust and less fear of our police forces.  It is without question that the youth in our society have much to gain when they work side by side with law enforcement.

Splash Page

Commercialism in schools has seen a recent influx within the education system of America. With the reduction of available school funds, more and more schools have been turning towards corporate sponsorships as a means to make financial ends meet. Advertisements plastered along hallways, names of corporations slapped on covers of text books and even giant logos painted on roofs are appearing all over schools across the U.S.. Corporate sponsorships provide substantial financial aid for most educational institutions but some argue that these sponsorships may come at a price to the integrity of curriculum taught. Cory Doctrow's novel Little Brother presents the idea that the use of propaganda in schools results in an influence these corporations have on students. Yet with the average child seeing up to 20,000 advertisements per year, does the influence of these corporations truly increase when seen in an educational environment?

Technology In the Modern Era

The role of technology in today's modern era has become more and more influential on people's lives. With an increasing number of social networking and media being created, the notion of personal privacyis addressed. The lives of modern day people has gradually become more elctronic and has migrated toward the Internet. However, with the lives of people available via the Internet, there have been many threats toward people's personal privacy. In the novel Little Brother, Cory Doctorow addresses this issue of privacy pertaining to technology but clearly states that that these threats toward personal privacy are at fault with the government. Yet, scholars, and myself as well, believe that the harm towards our own personal privacy lays at fault with the users. My three pages' headlines will be Internet, personal privacy, and role of technology.

Racist School Policies (LB Splash Page)

With the concept of authoritarian schooling beginning to make its way into the education system, more and more schools have begun to adopt zero tolerance policies. The idea of zero tolerance discipline policies basically entails "increasingly harsh punishment, even for petty infractions such as school uniform violations, and subjective violations, including disrespect and insubordination" (Chappell). Although school officials implement such policies with the intention to prevent various forms of criminal activity on campus, they actually manage to encourage the stereotype that students of color should be feared (Giroux). According to various statistics provided by Kevin Chappell, the number of expulsions and suspensions of African American students across the country has increased while the same numbers have decreased for Caucasian students. Whether it is done consciously or unconsciously, schools that adopt zero tolerance discipline policies advertise to the public that racism is okay.

Harsh Policies & Harsher Punishments (zero tolerance policies)

Justice for All (criminal activity on campus)

Singled Out (racism)

Splash Page Proposal "Free Speech Zones"

Splash Page After the attacks of 9/11, our nation set out on a conqusest to eradicate and catch every terrorist. Many actions were taken to protect the public and catch potential threats. However, through these actions and acts that were carried out and passed, our government has started to infringe on our personal rights such as freedom of speech. These recent developments have conjured up the question whether or not our nation is or is on the way to becoming a police state in respect towards censorship. During these times, people have turned towards Free Speech Zones as a way to voice their opinions towards the government and on any subject matter. These FSZs have created quite the controversy lately and have been, on several occasions, censored by the government from the media reporting on them. Doctrow's opinion towards freedom of speech states that it should be held above all and that people should be able to voice their opinions no matter what.

splash page revised

Safety and Surveillance: What Students Experience in High-Security Schools

Over the past couple of decades, violence has become more common in schools, causing the American public to label educational institutions as unsafe. Because of this, school administrators are choosing to amp up security with various methods. While many of these methods aim to contribute to a safe learning environment, they may actually create the impression of a correctional facility, providing a means of surveillance for administrators to find misbehaving students. Although students may feel safer in these high-security schools, it may not provide a positive learning environment for them if they always feel like they are being watched by "Big Brother." These methods not only detract from the learning atmosphere, but also jeopardize some of the rights of students.

In his novel, Little Brother, Doctorow also perceives these security measures as a way for schools to survey and control their students, leading students like Marcus to resist authority and find ways to break the rules.

While it is important to impose safety in schools, it is also important for students to feel trusted and respected. When students feel respected, they in turn show consideration for the administrators and school rules. This mutual respect is a huge factor that contributes to the safety of the school, revealing that school security may not be the appropriate method to achieve a safe environment.


Violence in Schools
Methods of School Security
Surveying Students

Splash page nad 3 links

Splash page.
Social change is a long and slow process that does not simply occur in one night. It takes patience , time, effort,and support. Even with the knowledge of all of these aspects for a successful movement, it is very difficult to get a significant momentum on social change. It takes someone to start things up. Whether it simply be an idea or an act, it has to start somewhere. In most cases social change is not something that only one individual wants , it is a feeling that a large community of people may share and desire. So then what is it the frightens and hesitates people from standing up and share their ideas and beliefs with the rest of the community.
Links
fear
patience
activism

Splash Page

Who started the fire?

Leadership today has infinite definitions. We are constantly asking what characteristics create leaders. Something special distinguishes them from the people they lead, but we haven't figured out what that is yet. These leaders identify a problem and figure out what they can do to change it. Marcus in Little Brother can be defined as a leader who is going against the status quo. His ability to personally challenge the actions of the government and the response of society causes him to try and change whatever he can in order to achieve his goal.

Splash and 3 links titles revised

SPLASH PAGE: Profiling people is a normal sociological function are brains perform every day in our lives It happens in society all around us in every location possible. Since 9/11 the Arabic Americans living in the United States have lived under much racial profiling from the general public because they are . When does racially profiling go to far. Police and other law enforcement use this technique in the field to spot people that are threatening society but when does it go to far. Is there any hope for these people to live normal lives and create new laws in favor of the Arabic American people. I would like to explore these people that are in this situation and create an alternative solution that would benefit law enforcement and the Arabic Americans. Doctrows answer to this problem would be that during a state of high security alert racial profiling would be at an all time high and would be very unlikely to come down to its normal state for quite some time after the incident. Personal connections to this topic will help me further understand this topic and a deeper insight into the mindset of my personal friend Arash. Links A long struggle uphill, Society reacts to these people, new measures for these people

Splash Page and Headlines #2

Surveillance Procedures in the Patriot Act The Patriot Act, which was signed into law by George W Bush on October 24, 2001, gives the government several new provisions to enable them to fight terrorism. Within the bill are ten clauses giving the government new rights. The second provision of the Patriot Act, entitled Surveillance Procedures, is the most controversial of all the clauses. It has faced much scrutiny from poltiticians, researchers, and citizens alike. Many feel that the rights given to the government are in violation of citizens Fourth Amendment Rights. This hypertext will examine and discuss the second clause of the Patriot Act, it's constitutuionality, and the opinions of Cory Doctorow revealed in his novel Little Brother. Surveillance Procedures The rights given to the government by this second clause are highly controversial. It gives the government the right to carry out new types of surveillance and searches without need for a warrant. Fourth Amendment Rights The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution protects citizens against unfair search and seizure. Cory Doctorow The viewpoints expressed by Cory Doctorow in his novel are complex and somewhat confused at times.