Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Adventure

Denise Garner (Academic Researcher)
Kelly Rauh (Writer), Ben Oliver (Designer)
Alex Lasota (Writer), Adam Roll (Designer)
Dr. Jason Farman
Electronic Literature Team Project
www.adamroll.com/DTC375.html
Word Count: 1088
April 26, 2009

ELECTRONIC LITERATURE ADVENTURE


Cultivating Growth: Since forming our electronic literature team, we have advanced immensely. Starting as a small idea, this has blossomed into an amazing accomplishment. We began slowly, but as time went by, the pace perked up quite a bit. We had great success keeping informed with meeting minutes, and encouraging words from others, both through emails and verbal contacts. These techniques, along with the diverse skills of each member, have matured our project from a seed to a flower in a matter of weeks.

Brainstorming and Project Description: Our assignments to review existing electronic literature created a number of possible directions. After deciding on positions for our group, we brainstormed what role our task should take. Several plans were shared about two people corresponding, or a campus treasure hunt. This evolved into a story about climbing up a mountain trail, including one member’s vacation pictures. To provide a varied sense of linearity, we incorporated a unique effect. Instead of reading from top to bottom, ours would start from the bottom and be read upward. In place of moving left to right, ours would do the opposite.

We were inspired to utilize the bricolage technique of putting things together in a new way they were not necessarily intended. As authors, we controlled what the reader sees, by making the picture invisible, until after its corresponding section of text is read. At first we planned to have the image open to the side (in the same window) by clicking on a hyperlinked word, but that proved too difficult. We kept the meaning vague so our virtual hiker has increased mental agency until the photo appears to reveal our idea of the storyline. In those few seconds, the reader has a role in the narrative, as they imagine what that text might represent. This provides them with the illusion of control, although we maintain the hierarchy of publishing power. The reader must fill in the blanks, and is limited to the amount of text they read at a time. Once launched, there is no opportunity to go back, as in a book. We have hot media and keep the reader on a short leash. Our project offers minimal embodied agency. The audience has physical interactivity when initializing the software. We give them choices to view group members’ names, access contact information, or launch the program.

We decided to add the sound of a beating heart. The throbbing channels the reader’s imagination and brings energy to the journey. This pulsating, coupled with other sound effects, involves the reader’s senses in ways a traditional book cannot. These electronic attributes immerse the audience, transporting them to another dimension, engaging their thoughts more interactively in the setting.

As the authors, we hold power over the pace and flow. If the readers are distracted, they miss a segment of action or portion of scenery, forcing them to rerun the entire program. They have no influence over the speed at which they will read. This locks the audience in, keeping them from walking away, and placing the burden on them to complete the adventure in a single sitting.

Challenges Resolved: Initial group communication was hampered by an incorrect email address, infrequent checking of email, and complicated personal schedules for the five members. Tension occurred when crossing or misread emails resulted in expectations different from intermediate results. Apologies and clearer statements of desires and limitations achieved compromises and resolutions. Time became a major issue, and it was vital for all to accommodate each other’s different schedules. We decided to overlap separate duties, helping each other with all aspects.

Our designers thought it would be possible to incorporate a background with sound and pictures. Although it initially looked promising, the second designer felt he wasted effort using PowerPoint. They discussed advantages and disadvantages between Adobe’s DreamWeaver and Flash programs. They went with Flash’s greater flexibility of control over graphics movement. The first designer worked on initial motion of text frames in the portal, while the second designer learned to use Flash, experimenting with text display fading in and out. Inserting pictures and reformatting fonts has been a difficult process. Designers consulted Dr. Farman for assistance in creating picture boxes, and methods to join two programs together for a smoother transition.

We experienced media challenges when discs would not open on a laptop, emailed Flash files would not run, and thumb drives were too full to accept more information during class. We learned an html file must be included to view content if anyone does not have Flash. All teammates eventually installed Flash on their home computers. We were able to successfully appreciate each other’s progress.

Successful Techniques: Group discussions were taken seriously, with each member's opinion respected. Further detail, editing, and changes were handled in a timely manner. We reviewed the five assignment guidelines to make sure we were still on track. These techniques formed a great basis for our success, resulting in commitment, honesty, and open communication. Designer work sessions at WSU’s Mac lab, full team conferences in the classroom, and a writer’s home meeting have all been highly productive. Members’ work in various formats was exchanged on discs and jump drives to make efficient use of time. Peer reviews encouraged refinements, and were well accepted.

One writer submitted text for the story line, while the second writer was excited to help with the design efforts. The writing was short, but electronic elements required extra effort and collaboration to master unfamiliar features of the platforms. So, the third designer built on the foundation previously laid by the second designer, bringing to life what the group originally envisioned.

Our academic researcher took meticulous notes at each meeting, wrote them up, and distributed them within 48 hours. Her chronology of events became the foundation for this report. In that capacity, she functioned as writer and historian, keeping the project intact and on schedule. Both writers and the academic researcher did the final editing and report submission on time. This document was generated using electronic technology by dictating into Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition software.

Wrapping Up: Electronic literature began by simply displaying text on a screen, and then added interactivity with hyperlinks. Although we have not pushed the boundaries into the anticipated future of total disembodiment or complete immediacy, we have enjoyed creating an adventure that provides a satisfying interactive experience somewhere in between these extremes. With this “new media” literature, classmates will be able to enjoy the fruits of our labors in a simultaneous feast within hours of our completion.

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