Sem, Samantha, Meita and I approached this project with an intent to learn new knowledge and explore the different aspects of filmmaking and storytelling that this studio implies. Our interactive screen project based on our theme, Isolation proposed exactly that.
The project demonstrates two of the qualities proposed at the beginning of the studio, modularity and variability. The modular aspect of the project is exhibited through the different media fragments that do not instruct the viewer/user to view it all together to form meaning. Instead, each and every media fragments or SNUs (in Korsakow) are an independent form that is distinct from one another. Therefore, carries values that can be perceived differently by different viewers/users.
On the other hand, the variable quality the project possesses comes from our diverse selection of media fragments. The characteristic of otherwise being singular through modularity, yet, captures content underlying on different interactivity and experience is the variability concept embraced in our project.
This relationship between modularity and variability concept behind our project plays a significant role in the ways in which, I have acquired my new knowledge from. One of the most important learnings is the shift in my perception towards filmmaking and storytelling. Being a media student, creating a film production online or not, that follows plot diagram of a story or narrative arc as a way of engagement with audiences is the ideal concept constructed in my mind. However, through this studio and project, I understood that not all narratives must be told in a linear fashion. Thus, following a traditional linearity of storytelling is not always necessary, especially online.
As through this process of designing this online interactive screen production through Korsakow, this project expanded my understanding of multi-linearity and significance of interactivity in telling a story. This is because the nature of a project like this one lies primarily in the different media fragments or ‘parts’ that exist within. A software like Korsakow allows multiple different experiences the viewers/users could go through. As a result, emphasises their interactivity to allow the project to function or the ‘story’ to be told. Thus, I realised that with the existence of a software like Korsakow, the developing magnitude the online space provides, allows more innovative ways of digital storytelling.
for Korsakow that is, utilising ‘parts‘ to remain ‘parts‘ and
gathering more meanings from experiencing more ‘parts’.
Another thing I learned from this project, my group and I designed, is intertextuality. In Korsakow, there are hidden keywords that describe what a fragment/SNU is and what previews or other fragments it may display or find. For our project, we utilised these keywords in a simple way in which only describes what type of media (video, time-lapse or stop/slow-motion) a fragment/SNU is and using them to find other types of media within another fragment/SNU (e.g. clicking on video will lead you to either time-lapse of stop/slow-motion but not another, video).
But, in some other more complex Korsakow projects, the relationship these texts/keywords have in describing each SNU and designing almost like a narrative flow through it has been mind-blowing to learn and not to mention, very difficult to understand. I had the pleasure of experimenting on a thorough intertextuality through Korsakow (from this project) and most definitely, the experience resulted in me becoming more appreciative of the final product because it has more value. Although I didn’t end up incorporating it into the final work, I tried to incorporate a little bit of this concept in my group’s project. However, I used real texts or phrases that exist in each interface, SNU or fragment.
In our project, the utilisation of the phrases if analysed closely interconnects with another. Yet, the media fragments are completely different. If the “user” engage with more of the fragments, the phrases in it can turn into a poetic conjunction of in-depth thoughts of what an isolated person feels or think.Thus, each phrases has its own meaning, at the same time, intensifies the meaning (of isolation) through other fragments and phrases involved in it. Simpler way of saying it is: layers of different meaning = isolation.
The different meanings of the phrases forms layers of meanings and values to the “user” as they go deeper into the project. But also, has a start and finish.
Start: “I feel as if I am made to understand but not to be, understood”
Finish: “Will you stop me now?”
The interconnectedness, thus, intertextuality of the phrases inquires the idea of an open-ended question to the viewer/user who will draw their own conclusion, sometimes answer or directly respond to the phrases.
However, not spending enough time and familiarity with Korsakow I ended up creating the project with the lack of enough clarity.
Which leads me to question for future projects similar to this and for this studio:
How might we put forward intertextuality in interactive
online storytelling that can be conspicuous enough to analyse?