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I. What is New Media?

Describe the hallmark characteristics of New Media.  How do you think this changes who has the power to “define reality” via the media?  Give an example of where this might be the case. (2-3 paragraphs)

II. New Media Strategies

After reading the article, answer the following questions (you should cut/paste the questions from exercise 1 into your post, then your answer of solution B or B copying the full answer, then  your explanation for why this is the correct answer; for exercise 2, just post the single problem you are choosing and follow with your brainstorm/solutions)

Exercise 1: Which is the new media solution?

For each of the following past capstone ideas, identify which solution embodies the “many-to-many” principle and which one doesn’t and explain why in 1-2 paragraphs.

Problem: A disappearing language

Ian Larson wanted to help preserve the Passamaquoddy language from extinction.

• Solution A  Create a taskforce from a select group of Native American language experts, and ask them to write down a dictionary of words and their definitions. Enter these definitions into a database and build a Web site that allows anyone to search for terms and hear their pronunciation. Hire a high-profile Web designer and marketing firm to ensure that as many people as possible learn about this resource.
• Solution B  Distribute laptops with video cameras to schoolkids in the Passamaquoddy community, and ask them to record their grandparents telling stories in Passamaquoddy. Upload these to a Web site along with the grandparents’ definitions of particular words used in the story, and make these words searchable via a tag cloud.

Problem: Neglected ruins

Evan Habeeb wanted to make people aware of the beauty of abandoned buildings.

• Solution A  Assemble a film crew and visit abandoned homes, factories, and other buildings. Bring lights to illuminate these spaces dramatically, and record ambient sounds like dripping water. Edit the footage onto a DVD to create a compelling account that documents these relics for posterity, and distribute copies to historical societies across the state for their collections.
• Solution B  Build a Web site that allows adventurers to print stickers they can leave behind in abandoned buildings they explore. Create the stickers so they can be scanned by a mobile phone to reveal a Web site built to feature photographs taken by those explorers.

Problem: Misunderstanding computer animation

Ryan Schaller and Jason Walker wanted to help people understand the many layers required to create a computer-animated film, including wireframe, textures, and light effects. As a case study, they created an animation depicting a cartoon archeologist digging for ancient artifacts.

• Solution A Design and build a touch-screen interface that allows viewers to “rub” away layers of the film with their hands to reveal previous stages of the animation as it plays.
• Solution B  Create an iPad application that documents each stage of the animation process, using stills from the archeologist film as illustrations. Explain techniques such as ray tracing, motion capture, and morphing. Include links to companies that create animation software such as Autodesk.

Problem: A broken fountain

Danielle Gagner wanted to renovate the waterfall fountain under the skylight in the middle of the University Union, which had fallen into disrepair.

• Solution A  Repurpose the existing plumbing to irrigate a garden planted in the former fountain. Research the types of plants that would grow well together at different levels of the fountain, and meet with dining hall staff to find out what herbs or vegetables they might add to salads and other offerings. Then plant these in collaboration with the sustainable agriculture club on campus, and invite students to pick the resulting parsley, strawberries, and other fare from the garden for their lunch.
• Solution B  Use Google Image Search to download photographs of natural bodies of water such as streams, rivers, and the ocean. Combine these with nature footage from sources like National Geographic and the Discovery Channel to create a multichannel video installation that projects images of flowing water and rippling waves onto the fountain, which has been covered with theatrical screening. Supplement the moving images with the sound of a babbling brook emanating from surround-sound speakers mounted on the ceiling.

Exercise 2: Invent your own many-to-many solutions

Pick one of the following problems and brainstorm a solution that embodies a many-to-many approach. Describe your solution in two or more paragraphs.

Newspapers are losing subscribers and ads

How can you help the Bangor Daily News attract more eyeballs?

Example: Pattie Barry and Adrianne Hess, MeCampus.

The oceans are dying

How can you stimulate students to learn more about the oceans?

Example: Alex Lessard and Greg Jones, ROV Labs.

Religions are divisive

How can you promote dialogue among Jews, Muslims, Christians, and other faiths?

Example: Joe Raymond, AddFaith

Visual art is too static

How can you create a mural that responds to individual viewers?

Example: Michelle Sabine, titleTK.

Student films are always set in dorms

How can you help filmmakers find better locations for their videos?

Example: Christopher Violette, Location Scout

Stock photographs cost too much

How can you help designers discover and download high-resolution images for their layouts?

Example: Corey Butler, Photorrent.

Educational books are boring

How can you help educational writers make use of appealing formats like comic books?

Example: Chloe Lapointe, Tales Studio Press

You never have a camera when you need it

How can you make photography more accessible for everyday moments like hiking or driving a car?

Example: Sam Lynch, iGlasses

The spatial dimensions of sound are underappreciated

How can you make an audio installation that makes listeners more aware of their 3D sonic environment?

Example: Ryan Page, Etude for 9 Kinetic Sound Objects

Centralized economies are unstable

How can you create an alternative currency that is less vulnerable to the viscissitudes of global markets?

Example: Max Terry, AUX

III. Theater of the Oppressed

How does media oppress people in this article, and how does Boal try to give that power back to people? How does he use humor to do this? (2-3 paragraphs)

How can New Media accomplish similar goal?  give a few examples. You can add projects we review in class, but you might want to start by trying to think of some yourself. (2 paragraphs)