Disclaimer: I am attempting to make this as concise as possible, sincerest apologies if I fail at doing so.
To begin, I will say I am sad for this studio to be over (especially because it is my last) but feel very content with the journey it took me on and all that I have learnt.
Now to get into it. Our interactive screen media project responds to the possibilities offered by online spaces because it is not only interactive but allows for one of the highest levels of interaction: participation/content submission.
Our project as a whole is essentially entirely web specific. The three main reasons for this is the ability of interaction, user submission, and sharing that are all inherent characteristics of the project. Interactive is a quality that certainly isn’t unique to the internet, but in today’s world, it would be a strange choice to make an interactive program or project that doesn’t live or rely on the internet- as the internet is the most effective tool at getting the most people to interact with your project. Which brings me to sharing; if our project wasn’t based online, then we would have a program/project that wouldn’t see the light of day beyond our own computers and the classroom. A key element to the project is that (theoretically) it can constantly be shared and be constantly growing- which would be a very stilted process offline. Finally, user-submission would be almost impossible or at least a lot harder if it weren’t for the internet- this part entirely relies on the internet to function as well as it does. Overall, the project could exist offline but it would be entirely different.
I learnt a lot about making media for online screens through making this last project, and through everything that we have done in this studio. Considering this last project was made on the basis of the knowledge gained throughout the whole semester, I will address the whole semester in exploring what I have learnt. One of the main concepts I frequently return to is the unregulated and bottom-less nature of the web. Something I have learnt is that we can gain insight by focusing on these separate characteristics together- we are not limited at all in what we want to upload to the internet, but there is already an infinite amount of material and data online. Consequently, it is important that we actually think critically about what we put online if we want it to have any chance of staying at the top of the abyss where it can be easily accessible.
Basically, just because we can put anything we want on the internet, it doesn’t mean we should. Of course, not every piece of content needs to be interesting and appealing to every internet user, but if you want it to engage even just one person, it is necessary to consider how to engage them. My first test project for this studio (half an hour of me playing on my phone) relates to this- just because we could do it, doesn’t mean we should and definitely doesn’t mean anyone is going to care. However, the form of screen capturing is an innovative one that does thrive in the unregulated internet- as I mentioned at the end of that project, who’s to say a fictional narrative couldn’t be told through a phone screen? I think if we consider the internet as a place for unregulated content, we must also realise that this means innovation is unregulated, and hence something we should strive to find.
That’s why We Feel Fine is one of my favourite projects that I stumbled upon this semester. It’s just so cool! It is user-generated content gone into hyperdrive. I think it exemplifies the possibilities of the internet, and exemplifies characteristics of the net itself- reactive and constantly changing. Moreover, it is literally analysing the abyss of the internet and trying to make some sense of it.
In a way, that is what our project, Crash Course, is doing. It’s not analysing existing internet content, but it’s presenting new content in a way that is attempting to make some sense of it, as to help people understand or learn something, and not just to drop content into the void.
Regarding the questions we asked all those weeks ago about online content, here are some thoughts on potential responses…
Why is there such a big interest in online content?
There is such a big interest in online content because everything online is so accessible. I think accessible is one of the main characteristics of the internet- accessible for consuming and creating content. With the creation of Web 2.0, the internet gave the common folk power they had never known- the power to broadcast to anyone else with an internet connection. In times gone by, the structure of traditional media only let people with money and power broadcast. The insane accessibility shifted this power from the traditional media owners to the consumers. This is understandably a very exciting concept. With this power came fresh, new ideas from so many different people, creating a plethora of engaging and innovative content.
How do we cater media to a specific audience?
To cater media to a specific audience, we must think about what it is that audience wants to get out of consuming the media, and we must craft our media with the objective of giving the consumers what they want. Often this might be something they don’t know they want, but something they will ultimately enjoy. We have to think about how and where they consume their media and fit within this structure. For example, if you were wanting to make a web-series aimed at a university-aged audience, you would understand that they often want to engage with relatable content and that they find most of their media through social media. This already sets up a basic form and content for the web series both which cater to a specific audience.
How is the production of a smaller scale project different from traditional media?
The production of a smaller scale project is a lot more reactive and evolving than a large scale project. With a large scale project, there is a lot of time, often money, and energy at stake- as well as any potential reactions. With small-scale projects like our own, we have the flexibility to allow for change as we never had to sit down and plan every step of the project and honestly didn’t know what the finished product would be at the start. Overall, it is more of an organic production.
Finally… What are the limits of what we can do online?
There are no limits. Quote Olivia McDonald, March 8, 2018:
If you have the resources to write it, film it, craft it, code it, develop it, publish it, then you can.
However, I go on to say… “And the world will see it because the world can access it. It is unregulated and endlessly accessible.” Which is true, BUT, because something is endlessly accessible, it does not mean it will be endlessly accessed.
One of the main things I learnt this semester is that you cannot force people to engage with online content. They have to be getting something out of it, there has to be a point for them- interest, insight, enjoyment, there has to be something. If you can give appropriate context, and appropriately craft your form and content, just maybe then will your content be endlessly accessed. Until then, good luck getting heard in the void.
P.S. Only 511 words over the minimum… I tried! Goodbye Thinking In Fragments :'(