Today we continued to work on our group projects, in this session specifically focusing on developing our ideas and presentation format. Jeremy, Cheyenne and myself had each selected a certain area of our very broad topic to research and develop ideas for – my designated area was ‘interactive media’, and I decided to look specifically into video games and social media. Here’s a short summary of some of the information I have collected so far, as well as some of my ideas for content for our website.
1. Video Games as Propaganda/Promotional Tools:
When deciding to look at video games and how they represent/discuss conflict, I immediately thought of 2 examples in particular that I had discovered last year. One is a first-person shooter title called ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ – made by an American neo-nazi group. The game supports neo-nazi ideologies, making players kill numerous stereotyped ethnic groups and historical leaders. The second example I thought of was ‘America’s Army’ – a video game published by the US government as a recruitment tool. The game simulates work in the army, allowing players to explore the career possibilities. Both titles can be seen as attempts to promote a certain idea, and while the ideas they put forward are extremely contrasting; some consistency can be seen in their strategies.
2. Interactive Media as an Educational/Activism Tool:
I think an interesting aspect of the interactive medium is its potential to be used as an informative and educational platform. In my research I discovered the genre of the ‘newsgame’, a format which utilises journalistic approaches and ideals within the video game format. Two examples of such games are called ‘Dafür is Dying’ and ‘Endgame: Syria’. Both titles aim to educate players in regards to conflict, however ‘Endgame: Syria’ has a different and/or more ambitious aim – to continuously cover and comment on the ongoing Syrian civil war.
PRESENTATION: Video Essays and Podcasts?
We have decided to create a website/blog as a means to host/present a variety of information and content relative to our topic. However, I feel that we are still unsure of what format we should use to present the majority of our information and ideas. I haven’t consulted with Jeremy or Cheyenne yet, but I think it would be interesting to create a series of short, informative podcasts (and perhaps video essays). Based on what other groups are creating, I think it would be beneficial for us to stick to 1 – 2 presentation forms and a series of podcasts would allow us to explore a range of ideas in separate episodes.
Here’s another video essay by Tony Zhou, someone who I’ve found myself watching more and more since beginning this course. He investigates Orson Welles’ essay film ‘F for Fake’ and relates the theories behind constructing a video presentation – whether it be a narrative or a informative essay. The ideas Zhou discusses will be useful when creating and editing the videos and podcasts we plan to publish for our project.