In searching for an example of Web 2.0 Storytelling to show those of you in our Writing for New Media Class I stumbled upon something called Dark Knight Adventures on an animation fan website called The World's Finest. For those of you who don't know The Dark Knight Adventures is online comic book created by a collaboration of Batman fans on the Internet that continues the story of the TV show Batman The Animated Series. When this show went off the air in favor of its creator Bruce Timm making a new show about a version of Batman in the future entitled Batman Beyond, I was extremely disappointed because there were a lot of questions that needed to be answered to fill in the gap between both series, which included the outcome of the love triangle between Batman, Nightwing and Batgirl. When I found the online comic Dark Knight Adventures I was extremely overjoyed because it was a device to fill in the blanks drawn in the same style as the animators on Batman The Animated Series making it feel like I was getting new episodes of the show I used to rush home and watch as a kid.
A comparison between the Dark Knight Adventures and the actual artwork created for Batman The Animated Series.
Due to the discovery of the Dark Knight Adventures I realized that the Web 2.0 Storytelling has a power unlike any other form of media. It has the ability to bring a movie that they stopped making sequels for or a television show that was canceled back from the dead. Then again these continuations created by Internet users like those of you in our Writing for New Media Class might feel like a letdown because it is not deemed official by the studio or that it is not backed by the show's creators but for many people it is enough to satisfy their craving to keep wanting more from their favorite stories. Besides, if you don't like the direction that a fan made continuation of a TV show or movie is going you can always create your own, that's the beauty part of the Internet.
Here's a fan created animated continuation of Batman The Animated Series using Lego figurines.
I mean ten or maybe fifteen years ago, when a TV show was canceled you could only tell what you thought might happen next to family members and friends but now thanks to the innovation Web 2.0 Storytelling you can share your predictions with everyone minus the threat of being sued by Production Companies. Based on this statement, if there is any of you in our New Media Class who want to see more of a TV show or a sequel to their favorite movies, I think you should go out there and use the tools of Web 2.0 like hyperlinks, embedding pictures and audio to create your own continuation stories. By the way if you have already created a continuation of a TV show or movie using Web 2.0 feel free to share it with me by commenting on this post.
Writing for New Media Classmates, have you heard of Serialized Radio Dramas? You know the form of audio storytelling which depends on dialogue, music and sound effects that your Grandparents might have listened to before the days of Television? For the people in our class who don't know this type of entertainment was extremely popular during the 1930's and 40's because it existed in the place of hit serialized television shows which are on the air today like 24. In fact many Radio Dramas became TV shows like Dragnet, Guiding Lightand The Adventures of Superman. However, unlike with TV shows there were some occasions where the audience believed these Radio Dramas were real. The most famous example was Orson Welles' broadcast of the War of the Worlds which actually covinced people that Aliens were invading Earth.
A radio that your Grandparents might have used to listen to Serialized Dramas
Today, after being phased out of existence by television Serialized Radio Dramas have reemerged as a form of Web 2.0 Storytelling. These Radio Dramas now fit within the realm Web 2.0 Storytelling through them not being broadcasted on the radio but being accessible to internet users which includes those of you in our New Media Class through the use of podcasts that can be downloaded through ITunes or websites. The most prominent source for podcast versions of Radio Dramas is Pendant Productions, a family based Internet company that uses dialogue, music, and sound effects to create modern versions of the programming that was popular in the 1930's and 40's.
The Podcast Serial I listen to on the site is entitled Batman Ace of Detectives but they also feature serials revolving around other popular franchises including Star Trek, James Bond, and Indiana Jones. Although what will cause you to be amazed with these podcasts is that the group of friends and family members that are behind Pendant Productions create these Serials in their own homes through simply using a computer along with ITunes and Audacity which are free downloadable softwares where back in the 30's and 40's these types of programs had to be recorded at large studios using extremely expensive equipment.
Promotional artwork for the Batman Ace of Detectives radio show
These Podcasts even addresses the social software aspect of Web 2.0 Storytelling by encouraging listeners to audition for roles in their various programs. The fact that Pendant Productions makes these Podcasts in their own home might make you think that they are reaaly bad quality or incredibly cheesy, but despite the fact that these programs occasionally use music from popular movies likeStar Wars they are extremely professional. In fact Pendant Publishing has even won awards for their work called Parsecs.
An example of a Parsec Award
These awards are dedicated to rewarding excellence in various aspects of Speculative Science Fiction Podcasting proving that there is a huge market for Serialized Dramas on the Internet. In closing I would totally suggest for those of you in our Writing for New Media class to check out these Podcast Serials especially if you have an interest in the era of the 1930's and 40's or if you have an interest voice acting. Then after you check these Podcasts out comment on this post to give me your thoughts on this modernized version of an old school form of entertainment.
Hey Writing for New Media Class, I'm back to talk more about Web 2.0 Storytelling. This time we are going to talk about what can Web 2.0 storytellers that conventional (old media) storytellers a.k.a. what I believe to be writers cannot. The main thing that Web 2.0 storytellers can do compared to traditional writers is that they can give visual representations of the things they discuss in their stories through the use of hyperlinks, images and videos instead of having to describe in words. In fact most Web 2.0 stories don't even use text, they are just a slideshow of pictures complimented by a voice-over and music.
A visual representation of a scene in a movie using text animation
However on the flip side of things the fact that Web 2.0 storytellers cannot or do not choose to describe things to the audience which includes all of you in our Class limits a writer's ability to let us draw our own conclusions about the world they are trying to convey. Honestly my favorite thing about literature is how it inspires me to come up with my own visualizations for the text on the page and without that I don't think I would enjoy reading as much.
For example when I was in 8th grade I read the the first four Harry Potter books which caused me to formulate my own vision of the world described by the writing of J.K. Rowling. Then I made the mistake of seeing the first movie and for the life of me I could not get back to my own personal Harry Potter universe I envisioned while reading the last three installments of the series, I just kept envisioning the movie. This was completely disappointing to myself as a reader because I could never see Harry Potter in my own unique way ever again, I would forever have to see him in the same way as everyone who saw the movie and I foresee this issue taking place with Web 2.0 storytelling.
The movie that ruined my own private imaginary world
I guess with like comparing a book to a movie there are many pros and cons as to why traditional storytelling is better than Web 2.0 storytelling or vice versa. However, I fear with Web 2.0 storytellers spoon feeding us visualizations instead of leaving it up to the interpretation of our imagination the creative quality behind future storytelling may begin to diminish.
If any of you in our Writing for New Media Class would like to give your own pros and cons comparing traditional storytellers to Web 2.0 storytellers feel free to post a comment.
Greetings Writing for New Media Class, today I want to talk with you about my opinions on Web2.0 Storytelling. For those of you in our Class who might not have checked out the links provided to us Web 2.0 Storytelling is the telling of stories through the use of text, hyperlinks, pictures and video. Through investigating this new realm of the Internet my notions of what constitutes storytelling changed because I thought that stories that were media based could only be told from the viewpoint of an author or a group of authors but now I know that thanks to Web 2.0 stories can be told from the viewpoint of anyone who has access to a Computer including those of you in our New Media Class. At first my change in notions caused by anyone with Internet access being able to tell a story that is accessible to the public made me excited because it would give writers the ability to work hand in hand with masters of visual media instead of being crushed underneath the heel of a director like in the film industry.
An example of different media forms coming together to create a Web 2.0 story
However as I thought more about it this idea of various writers, filmmakers, photographers and artists like those of you in our Class putting together their creative works in one big conglomerate to tell a Web 2.0 story, it kind of scares because I fear this new brand of storytelling will cause us to lose our individuality as creators. For example, names like DaVinci, Spielberg, Dickens and Warhol won't exist instead the next generation of creative innovators will be known as the Blog entitled Lustbites or be recognized by thescreen name of Lonelygirl 15.
Examples of creative innovators
I don't know about all of you in our class but I would much rather be known as Dan Schmidt for my creative work instead of my usual user name which is Rocketman2387. The reasoning behind this opinion comes from the fact that I get a real sense of pride when I slap my name on a script that my teachers here at Columbia and fellow screenwriting students enjoy, in fact that pride is something that I strive for and I don't want Web 2.0 Storytelling to take that goal away. You can call me presumptuous or greedy if you want but when I become a popular screenwriter I want my fans to put a name with a face and honestly it would much better for my writing to used in creating a motion picture rather than being apart of a Web 2.0 story based on something called money.
If I'm gonna write for living, I expect to get paid
At the same time I feel like user names like Rocketman2387 are what we discussed in class to be Avatars which means that these names can allow you be someone your not while surfing the web and I think that as writer I would much rather have my skills be attributed to me rather than the mask I hide behind while on the Internet. On the other hand some of you in our Class who are in different fields might not see providing their creative works to Web 2.0 Storytelling as a loss of individuality and I'm interested in knowing why so drop me a line if you get the chance.
Hello Writing for New Media Class, my post today is going to focus on reviewing the blog belonging to Tom, who is most well known in our class for his tour of the social networking site Fubar. If those of you in our New Media Class who have not checked out Tom's blog it is entitled The Beer Blog which means that it is dedicated to giving reviews on beer along with news about Chicago based bars and restaurants.
Here is my review of The Beer Blog formulated by the four parameters which you can review by looking at my previous post...
Layout
When those of you in our New Media Class visit The Beer Blog you'll find that Tom keeps the blog decently organized thanks to the help of a template provided by Blogger which centers Tom's post in the middle of the web page to draw your eyes directly towards them. The choice of the color scheme seemed to be well thought out on Tom's part because the dark blue and tan complimented his choice of text color and gave off the sense of night life that comes from drinking at a bar. The only issue with the layout is that there are giant spaces between the pictures and the text in each post because I could see it frustrating those of you in our class or other internet users that are impatient when it comes to finding information on a web page due to Tom's blog forcing you to constantly scroll down while reading.
The layout of Tom's blog.
Writing As those of you in our class actually get into reading Tom's posts on The Beer Blog you'll notice that there are very few or possibly not any spelling and punctuation errors. The writing also comes across as if Tom is a professionally artistic person through him describing the process of drinking a beer in a very poetic fashion. For example Tom describes to you that drinking a Hoppin' Frog Double Pumpkin is like being knocked out by a frog's delight.
Tom's use of poetic dialogue on his blog
Even though Tom's writing comes across showing his love for trying different types of beer it has a tendency to look very unprofessional based on the fact that he switches fonts right in the middle of his review instead of separating the different fonts between the sections where he gives an overview of a beer and the actual review. By being inconsistent with the fonts it feels as if Tom is rushing through his blog posts without taking the time to proof read his work to give all of you in our class and the rest of his audience the best experience while visiting his blog. In fact this issue may even cause people to go ahead and turn away.
Content As those of you in our class explore deeper into The Beer Blog you will find that the content that Tom put on his blog when it comes to reviews of individual beers are consistent based on the fact that he sticks to the four categories that he focuses on when tasting a beer. However the content in these beer reviews could be stronger if he would space out the sections contained within each review better and would solve the issue with text mentioned in the writing section.
The categories Tom uses when reviewing a beer.
The biggest issue with the content exists in the news or reviews about Chicagoland bars and restaurants that Tom claims to be on his site. Honestly there are so few of these posts on bars and restaurants that those of you in our class looking at The Beer Blog will feel like Tom is off topic when he is not reviewing an individual beer. Due to this issue I feel like Tom would be better off just having his blog focus on reviewing individual beers or he should try to make one of the two posts required for our New Media Class about a bar or restaurant and the other should focus on reviewing a brand of beer.
Media
This is the biggest problem that those of you in our New Media Class will find with The Beer Blog. I'll give Tom credit for his blog having pictures of the individual beers he reviews in various blog posts but when it comes to hyperlinks they are no where to be found. Hyperlinks missing from Tom's blog is a serious problem that he needs to address immediately because he has all these extremely knowledgeable quotes, facts, and statistics that he uses to support his reviews but without linking this information to its original source it is hard to see Tom's blog as legitimate because it feels like he is pulling everything out of the ether.
Facts and statistics that can be found on Tom's blog
The Bottom Line
In conclusion I think that those of you in our Writing for New Media Class will find that Tom's blog could be as passionate about beer as Trevor's blog is on special effects make-up and it can be as informative as Andrea's blog if he follows my advice that derived from reviewing his blog. Based on this analysis Tom has the knowledge to make his blog truly something spectacular for the members of our class and the rest of the internet. He just needs to get a better grasp on the rules of the blogsphere.
Hey Writing for New Media Class after a great Thanksgiving dinner I have returned to the realm of blogging and this week I am reviewing a blog belonging to one of our own, Trevor who is most famously known in our Class for his comical tour of Habbo Hotel. If any of you in our Class has not checked it out Trevor's blog is entitled Two Faced and it discusses trends, techniques, advancements, and the history of the special effects makeup industry. However before we dive into reviewing this blog I figured it would be best to give those of you in our Class who might have not seen my earlier post a recap on the four parameters that I follow when formulating a review.
Layout: This refers to the look of the webpage when those of you in our New Media Class are viewing it on your computer screen such as if it is easy to read, if it is cluttered with advertisements or where the blogs information is posted on the web page.
Writing: This parameter explores how well the blog you are viewing as a member of this Class is written. For example, when looking at a blog I might ask myself are there any typos, is it presenting factual information, or does the writing come off as humorous or entertaining?
Content: Focuses on how well the blog stays on topic. Does it stick to the topic of television or does it tend to wander around in different types of media leaving you as a reader confused? Also this parameter looks to see if the blog sticks to a particular pattern with its posts to keep us bloggers coming back or if the author is completely random.
Media: Refers to how well a blog author uses pictures, hyperlinks, and video to support his writing and the point he is trying to get across to his audience (which includes those of you in our New Media Class) in each post.
Here are these review parameters applied to Trevor our fellow classmate's blog...
Layout The first thing you'll notice when those of you in our class check out Two Faced is that Trevor does a great job of keeping his blog organized which comes in part to his use of the many templates provided by Blogger. Although with that being said it would be very easy for Trevor to make mistakes with the layout including placing pictures over text or using a font that is hard to read but instead he has thought things through by laying out the pictures and text in a way that compliments the background. It was also a smart decision for Trevor to make sure he chose a template that placed his blog posts in the center of the page because it will cause those of you in our New Media Class to be drawn right towards them.
The layout of Trevor's blog.
The only problem with Trevor's layout is that he chose a template that places the description of his blog at the very bottom of the page making it hard for those of you in our class to catch on to what the Two Faced blog is all about but we will get into that more in the content section.
The description of the Two Faced blog squished at the bottom of the page
Writing
When those of you in our New Media Class actually start reading Trevor's posts it is made clear that there are few misspellings or punctuation issues. Also most of the time Trevor's posts can be quite informative especially when he gets into the techniques he uses to apply special effectmake-up. I think this comes from the fact that even though I have had experience with making film I do not know much about costume make-up which means that I am going to take the writing that Trevor puts in his post as very professional because reading about his topic is like entering a new realm and I'm sure that feeling is even stronger for those of you in our class who do not have majors connected to film. A blog post where Trevor discusses the process of applying make-up
At the same time there are other posts on this blog like the ones that focus on make-up in movies that don't seem to be as engaging from an informative aspect. Honestly it feels as if Trevor is just posting to fulfill a requirement for our class and he could improve his writing in these posts by having them contain his passion for his artistry like when he discusses his techniques for applying make-up.
A blog post focusing on applying make-up in movies
Content While exploring Trevor's blog those of you in our Writing for New Media Class will find that most of the things found on Two Faced is all about letting you step in the shoes of a person who creates special effects make-up. While focusing on this content he makes his blog ripe for followers because special effects make-up is something that I think all of us in our New Media Class along with a big portion of the World Wide Web would like to have more information because we fans of an easily accessible media like TV and movies are always asking how some really impressive special effects scenes are pulled off. Some of these effects include how the bad guy at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark face melted or how medical operations are performed on TV shows like on Grey's Anatomy.
An example of special effects make-up used in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Based on this statement Trevor should take this opportunity to use his expertise to answer these questions for the members of our New Media Class and the rest of the internet but he is holding himself back because of two major issues. Those issues are the blog's title and it's description. The blog's title is an issue because the word Two Faced at least in my opinion makes it unclear that it is about special effects make-up. This comes based on the fact that those of you in our class who might have seen the title of Trevor's blog on this week's assignment sheet might think that it is about the character, Two Face featured in The Dark Knight or if you know Trevor you may think it is about the make-up effects to create the popular Batman villain.
Is Trevor's blog about this man? It sure seems that way.
However Trevor's blog encompasses much more than just make-up effects in The Dark Knight. Based on this perception, I think he could get more visitors to his blog by keeping the title Two Faced because it is highly creative but adding the subtitle a blog about special make-up effects to help the members of our class and the rest of his audience get a better grasp on his blog's content. Trevor can also resolve this problem of his blog's title being unclear by moving the description of his blog to the top of the web page for the purpose of helping everyone know the content featured on his blog.
Media This parameter works hand in hand with the content featured on this page because it helps those of you in our New Media Class visualize what life is like as a special effects make-up designer as well as reading about it in text. Trevor does this by providing a series of pictures in each post that shows the process of applying make-up step by step. Although with that being said, Trevor can improve the media experience for those of us in our class that is visiting his blog by not featuring trailers in the posts that he makes about popular movies but instead featuring DVD behind the scenes featurettes focusing on make-up that can be easily found on YouTube.
An example of a DVD featurette that Trevor could post on his blog.
The Bottom Line
Overall Trevor's blog Two Faced is a great place for those of you in our New Media Class to visit if you have an interest on how movies and TV shows are made however he could make the fascinating experience of learning about special effects make-up even better by containing less of the posts used to just fill a requirement for our class and have more consistency on when he posts to the blog which seems to be getting better.
Hey Writing for New Media Class Members, I don’t know how many of you read the article about the website Yelp but does this story really surprise you?This scam is like everything else in the world right now everyone is out for themselves and themselves alone.I bet all of you heard about mechanics that a person takes their car in for an oil change and the next thing you know the bill ends up being for new tires, shocks, muffler, excreta, or people looking at insurance statements after an operation and finding they have paid doctors they have never, ever heard of, why should the website world be different?
Yelp wants to earn an extra buck like all of us in this day and age.Does that make it right? Not really, but the use of the word Mafia might be a little extreme but then again maybe not. For example, a person has a company that needs to get more business, so they advertise on what they think is a reputable website.Then they find the advertising is negative instead of positive and unless they buy more advertising it won’t be changed.I guess that could almost be blackmail.
Based on this observation that Yelp could potentially be a device for blackmail there definitely needs to be some guidelines for the Internet that all its users such as yourselves need to follow.Unfortunately, it all comes down to one person like Geoff Donaker, Chief Operating Officer of Yelp to ruin it for everyone else.He is quoted as saying “We wouldn’t be a business very long if we started duping customers.”Well it is my understanding that nine local businesses and a former employee are challenging his denials.I would say it is only a matter of time that his duping customers will be well known.Many say the best advertisement is word of mouth.If that is the case, if each of those ten people plus our class tells everyone we know, Mr. Donaker will be right in saying he won’t have a business.
As for our credibility I guess like good mechanics or good insurance companies those of us in our New Media Class need to start relying on word of mouth.If all of us learn to write what we believe is the truth and have backing to prove our findings based on what we have learned in our class, it will only take time until we have supporters that will believe and follow us.Credibility takes many years of hard work or in our case hours of writing blog posts or creating media in our own individual fields to prove we are credible in what we know and what we are saying.Based on this statement the best advice I can give all of you in our class do not give up and most importantly don’t lower yourself to Mr. Donaker’s standards.Hard work and truth will win out in the end or we have to hope so anyway.
