Group Project Proposal

Production Concept /Area of Investigation

It is clear that technological advancement in the twenty first century has brought with it several negative consequences. The video podcast composed by Voodoo Prunes will address the changing face of humanity in terms of technological impact on innate and learned social skills, in addition to the general formation of subjective social reality in a virtual world.

Working Hypothesis

The working hypothesis of the production will be centered on the distortion of reality currently taking place as a result of overwhelming amounts of information, convergence, and the rapid deterioration of social norms. Essentially, the production will deal with the information-driven technological and sensory bombardment of people in modern society, and the effect this is having on the human condition.

We expect to discover that people are finding themselves lost, alone, and unskilled – living an inept existence in a world that they cannot recognize, and are charged with redefining a world that is moving far too fast for them.

We will analyze this through the following analyses:

· The deterioration of language skills as a result of changing internet dialects.

· The deterioration of academic, social, and physical skills promoted by over-ease in technology. This topic will include an analysis of young people developing conflicting skill sets through gratuitous use of computer games.

· The paradoxical nature of social interaction online, in which friendship and family become the subject of popularity contests without real value or significance. This topic will include discussion of cyber personalities.

· The inability to venerate anything that is considered old or obsolete, creating and eventual loss of meaning in society, interaction, experience, education – essentially, the concept that if people and objects cannot keep up with the rapid changes happening online, they are left behind and forgotten. This will be an overarching theme of the production.




Research Approaches and Useful Links

The content and the above working hypotheses will be supported by survey, statistics, and interviews, in addition to relevant journal research. Most research will be primary sources obtained by Voodoo Prunes. Academic research, aside from statistics, will be used extremely sparingly. We are looking into conducting interviews with professionals in the field of psychology and sociology, as well as teachers in elementary schools, if possible. In addition, we shall conduct our own ethnographic observations within online communities.

So far, our sources include:

*
A specific study citing the ephemeral nature of internet friendships done by Sheffield Hallam University. [http://www.switched.com/2007/09/12/your-online-friends-arent-real-friends-says-study/]
*
A personal experience identifying the impacts technological development has on (human) writirng. [http://scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/pdflinks/08012601321811100.pdf]
*
A case study about the impacts a new technology system had on a working environment. [http://scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/pdflinks/08012601364511463.pdf]
*
A study about the impacts of information and telecommunication technology in view of its capacity toward information circulation. [http://scholarsportal.info.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/pdflinks/08012601411711756.pdf]

Media usage statistics as they apply to children in North America. [http://www.frankwbaker.com/mediause.htm]

· Articles and studies pertaining to social skills in computer gamers. [http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Computer_Games:_Social_Implications]

· Articles concerning the psychological impact of technological overload [http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/5/18/144041.shtml]
[http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSN2221996620080123]




Treatment and Production Details

Researched information will be analyzed, edited and presented using sound, pictures, videos, and overarching emotion to convey effect. The production will do everything possible to avoid narration and cast narcissism.

· Interviews will be videotaped. Recorded segments will be included directly in the podcast.

· Quotations from research in the form of glorified scene transitions, with music in the background and production-specific images in the foreground.

· Statistics will appear in small sections of the screen to accent points of discussion within interviews or commentaries. Surveys will be treated as statistics.

· Scholarly information if not in the form of quotations will be presented as voiceovers by a member of the cast, while relevant images and video material takes its place on screen.

· Commentary will not be talking head style. It will be filmed on location, and will be accented with facts and images. Cast members will be assigned a specific location, style, and approach.

The material will be tinted slightly, to match the images, colour themes, and mood set by the film – likely Indigo-based. The video will be presented in a cinematic style, with audio synchronization, smooth transitions, and dramatic flare. Music will be used to accent transitions, add dramatic effect to emotionally charged points, and will follow the style and mood set by the production. It is likely that sliced portions of only one or two songs will be used to promote continuity.

In essence, the mood will be entertainment and effect based, attempting to bridge a gap from academia to sensationalism. In addition to iMovie, we intend to use Final Cut Express, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Premier.

Cast time will be split as follows:

Craig Rattos: Commentator, Researcher

Jen Chiu: Interviewer, Researcher, Graphic Designer

Rebecca Rodrigues: Interviewer, Graphic Designer

Robert Hunter: Commentator, Producer