Pedagogical Playlist

https://www.tes.com/lessons/CXMgctJoUfmYMw/space-exploration

For my Pedagogical Playlist, I chose the subject of space exploration, one that is technically considered a social issue but doesn't get a lot of attention or information shared because it isn't pressing. I'm aware that it may not be the most important issue at the time, but that is why I wanted to explore it - Space exploration typically takes a back burner and yet may become increasingly important in the future. For my playlist, I tried to create a logical progression of steps and resources. The first was to visit the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City and become familiar with space and space travel as a subject. Because so many people really don't know all that much about our history with space or the possibilities it holds, I felt that visiting a Planetarium and participating in at least three different modes of learning (IMAX Theater, Hansen Dome, Interactive Exhibits) would be enough to familiarize the participant with outer space. My second resource, The TED Talk "Why We Need to Go Back To Mars" by Joel Levine, builds on the knowledge of the first, as he lays out advantages and solutions for living on another planet. The participant is instructed to find the solutions that stand out to her and the possible setbacks. From there, the resources become more self-directed. The participant goes to ISideWith to explore the issue from his/her political perspective, and then attends a political meeting wherein he/she brings up the subject. The participant reads different explanations online from groups such as NASA or SpaceX as to why space travel is important and what scientific discoveries we've made because of it, and then he/she asks for an online poll of why friends and family think it's important. The participant identifies their top three livable planets from the Kepler discoveries, and picks one of seven online tools that allow him to contribute to Space Exploration. My hope is that by the time the participant is done with the playlist, he/she has learned about and tasted enough of this issue as to want to pursue it on their own. 
Creating this playlist sort of felt like an online, interactive "Magic School Bus." In the children's show, Mrs. Frizzle teaches students about various subjects by physically taking them there and showing them firsthand the subject matter. In the same vein, this sort of teaching in the digital age encourages the participant to be part of a conversation rather than lend a listening ear. Young adults can develop valuable political opinions and contributions through their own metaphorical "Magic School Bus"--the internet. Even creating the playlist helped me become more informed on the subject, and caused me to want to act rather than just understand. Teaching methods that require you to act are the first step toward activism. They allow you as the participant to have a voice, and one that you soon realize is able to be recognized. I really struggled with this assignment at first, as I was unsure of the direction I wanted to take it. But once I got going, my lesson plan sort of developed itself. It just felt natural for the subject to come full circle through physical trips, political interactions, and locating online tools. 

YouTube Sculpting

This assignment grew to be particularly meaningful for me, more so than I expected. For my YouTube Sculpture, I searched for terms relating to themes of Mormonism and Cinema and found some really interesting and unique stuff. My searches evolved from being related to film representations of Joseph Smith or Brigham Young to Mormons in Media to "Mormon Media"; there were all sorts of things out there. Far more than I expected. The assignment took a lot longer than I expected, and I found that while there were tons and tons of results, simply combing through them and finding the part of the clip I wanted that I could relate in my compilation of clips took time. After actually doing the project, I see some major advantages and disadvantages to this sort of appropriation art. An affordance is that it's really easy to find material. There is an abundance of it. It may be time consuming to shift through to find something you really like, but the content is all there at your fingertips. Unintended new meanings may be formed by combining related but different material. For example, the beginning clips of different versions of Joseph Smith happened to take on an "origin story" and even "militaristic" tone. This was unintentional, but when I noticed it in my clips, I rearranged them to give it that meaning. In fact, the same thing was true of my entire project. Although I had variation in my searches, I found that once I had all the clips I needed, I could rearrange them to give the piece more flow and meaning. 
A possible limitation to this sort of art is that, while surrounded by options, the artist is still limited to what's available. Perhaps this artistic approach is not as inherently limited as the artist's intent may be, depending on what the intent it. For example, if someone were to approach this assignment trying to envision or predetermine what they wanted their video to be like, they might run into some problems. You are dictated by what's available, and that may take a very different direction. Using someone else's art or content to create your own new artwork still puts you at the mercy of the original artist to some extent. Another limitation is the fact that one cannot do too much with the art or content of someone else. Sure, you can create it, you can copy it, you can even sample it, but once you start to use it in its copyrighted form, things get tricky. A great example of this is the famous "Hope" poster of President Obama from his first campaign. While the red and blue poster has become iconic, it is based off of a photograph of Obama that someone else took, and that person had major issues with their work being appropriated without permission being given. 



As I previously stated, this project was meaningful for me because it dealt with and dabbled in Mormon Cinema, some of the ways it's been explored, represented, self-represented, etc. That's a very important issue to me. But I also know that the project was dictated by my findings on YouTube, and may not be the best representation of a cinematic movement within a religion as much as it's a representation of what people upload to YouTube when they think "Mormon Movie". I also know that I can't do too much with this art other than keep it on YouTube since the subject I picked in particular deals with other people's copyrighted content. Overall, I really enjoyed the assignment, and especially enjoyed the reactions and insights when I tested my video on different people, such as my wife or cousin. 

Twine Poetry

Artist's Statement:

Creating my twine poem game was an extremely new and challenging experience for me. I've never been the best at creating twine games in the first place, but adding the additional components of aesthetic elements and poetic themes made this assignment pretty pressing for a non-programmer. However, I feel like I was able to develop a game that accurately expresses the ideas behind the poem Do not go gentle into that goodnight and that it is an accurate reflection of the best of my abilities.
Because the poem is about resisting death and holding tight to life, the background is an electrocardiogram, indicating to the player that he/she is on the verge of death. The options the player is given throughout the game are evolving segments of the poem itself and poetic options that contradict fighting to stay alive. Any option that is not a part of the poem itself will lead the player to die, and the options are enticing, reminding the player of the pain it is to fight for survival and the peace that comes with death. Eventually, the player reaches the end of the first stanza of the poem, only to start over in an endless loop, again reminding the player that fighting against death is not an enjoyable or invigorating experience. Unlike, say, Super Mario Bros., where dying is frustrating, there is sort of a relief in death for this game.
There were several other components I wanted to include, such as sound, but after hours of research and trying to make it work, I ended up having to settle with what I was able to implement. I've come to the conclusion that while the idea was interesting, twine just isn't meant to be an immersive, aesthetic experience; it's not what the program is designed for. Trying to make those elements work with the programming felt like going against the grain. From this experience I realized that while new media is the blending of different elements to create new and innovative possibilities, it's also unproductive to try and force a square cog into a round hole. New media seems to have developed naturally, and David's point about VR being a gimmick has some real validity, especially if the technology doesn't end up being as entertaining or useful.
Ultimately, this was a great learning assignment for me, and I'm pleased with the game. I tested it on my wife, and found that she had a lot of thoughts based on the themes. In that way, I feel it was effective, and may be inspired to keep trying to develop more intricate games on twine.

GIF Cinema

Hill.

Artist's Statement:

As a writer and director who is used to the moving image, exploring this medium, specifically when the actors are completely still, was a new experience for me. In creating cinemagraphs, the actors needed to hold totally still while conveying an emotion, and those of us behind the camera needed to make sure whatever was moving was in a circular motion. This was new and interesting for both parties. With gifs, I am of the strong opinion that the motion within should not repeat itself unless it is an action that is designed to be circular, especially when it's within an a narrative. For example, someone running down the stairs over and over doesn't make sense within a narrative, but someone running in a circle using revolving doors might, especially if it plays into the story in a productive way. I tried to use those rules and limitations for my own cinemagraphs, and I think we were able to pull it off. 
Another insight I had while working within this medium was it's interpretive nature. There is a lot of room for looking at a narrative made from gifs and interpreting it in whatever way the audience cares to, be that emotionally or aesthetically or what have you. For example, someone can rush through the narrative or take their time. Someone could look at my story called "Hill" and pull any number of meanings from it. This flexibility was helpful in shooting the story when some of our elements weren't working. I decided to go a completely different direction, and because the photos we had taken thus far could be up for interpretation, they still fit with the new meaning I wanted to convey.
Overall, this approach to storytelling was very satisfying, and combined elements from multiple mediums. It's something I would be very interesting in exploring further, pulling in even more new media possibilities such as sound design or interactive options.

Fireside Chat - Trust

Recently, my wife and I have been experiencing some problems regarding dependability. They aren't big problems, or anything that has caused any sort of wedge in our relationship, but they were enough to remind me that I could possibly adjust my expectations. So as I pondered on what I wanted to share for the fireside chat, I felt it would be most important to explore our interactions in relationships, and primarily with each other as a whole.

Now reflecting on my fireside chat, I think I may have picked a somewhat inflammatory phrase by telling everyone I don't trust them and that they shouldn't trust people, and I hope the deeper meaning wasn't lost by doing so. I very deliberately used the word "trust" as a means to prompt reevaluation of the word and how we throw its meaning around, but perhaps my message might have been more effective if I had used "dependability" or "expectation." Regardless, the fireside chat was more for our expression than the audience's reaction, and the expression was sincere. The idea was that when your expectations are too high of someone else, you will eventually be let down and maybe even feel distrusting of them. However, if you never invest too much "trust" in someone's ability to perfectly meet your expectations to begin with, then you will not take it personally when you find he is a normal human being. I don't feel that it is wrong to have reasonable expectations of others, but it can be detrimental to hang your happiness on those expectations, thus the cause behind reserving complete "trust" in anything you cannot control, besides God. 

For my presentation, I wanted some symbolism to be evident in what I was discussing. By reflecting my own image on the big screen, I was able to have the audience clearly see me and understand what I was saying while still having my back turned. In this way, I was demonstrating that I am open and trusting in some sense, but closed in another. I was addressing them directly, yet seeing only myself, keeping something back from the audience. At one point, I removed my jacket and faced the group, attempting to demonstrate that vulnerability and being dependent aren't the same thing. I then chose to leave the room and let the audience look at itself on the big screen, hoping they would each feel a sense of self-awareness. I returned at the end to the computer, to remind everyone that though I see them, I only look to myself when I am going to tie happiness to expectations.

This particular assignment was difficult for me. It was challenging to be vulnerable about a subject that I felt wasn't coming across well and articulate what I really meant. Although I had previously rehearsed, actually presenting was a lot different than I expected it would be, and I felt disoriented by seeing myself on the screen. However, I'm glad I did this assignment and grateful I stuck with the subject I did. It was an extremely valuable learning experience for me, especially for giving other presentations in this program, and caused me to reevaluate my own beliefs in the moment of saying them. I also thoroughly enjoyed everyone else's presentations, and felt like I was able to connect with each person on a delightfully deeper level.

Concerned Citizen - Sergio

“Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.” -Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948

We live in a time and place where we claim to have freedom and believe that this is our right as human beings, notwithstanding the color of our skin, the language we speak, or our religion. In the United States, the ideal that we hold to is one of welcoming community and diversity, as manifest by our own great symbol, the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, however, people are generally afraid of what those don't understand, particularly cultures or traditions who are different. Often this fear develops into racism and hatred. There are those in every community that understand the importance of change, the necessity to defend the basic human rights and be a source of help and inspiration to others. Carlos Fuentes describes the process we are living as a re-elaboration of our civilization, and one we ought to be open to: “different songs, different laws, different rhythms, long-deferred hopes, different shapes of beauty, ethnicity and diversity, a different sense of time…”

With the Concerned Citizen project, we wanted to explore a community that exists within a greater community, but may go unnoticed or misunderstood. There are many communities that could fit the bill, but because we both speak Spanish, the choice was a natural one. The Hispanic community has an enormous presence in the state of Utah, and while very well-known in U.S, is usually victim of stereotyping ignorance toward its presences and contribution. Sergio is only one of those citizens that are concerned about his community, and serves as a sort of bridge between the two worlds he interacts with. He is an example of a regular man that wants to make a difference in the people around him, often through helping other generations such as children or the elderly.

Although Sergio is bilingual, and may even speak English more often, we chose to film the entire documentary in Spanish as a representation of the community he speaks for. As a U.S. Citizen who has grown up here, but one who’s inherited a strong sense of his Mexican cultural roots, we felt he was qualified to discuss the issues of the hidden Mexican-American community. His thoughts on how coaching children brings people together and on how the technology today is connecting people fall in line with his experience at the Anti-Trump rally and the unification he desires for cultures. Especially in the process of editing the film, we had difficulty narrowing the clips down to only 3:00, as there were many that we wanted to use. We ultimately went with felt like a valuable contribution for representing Sergio as a concerned citizen. Alternate Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB1DT_7C5Kk&feature=youtu.be

Susan - Game for Change

Susan

Initially, I had a very difficult time deciding on a concept I felt strongly about for my "Game for Change." As an extremely privileged white Mormon young man, there are fewer social issues I have felt radically affected by, at least personally enough to explore in this assignment. However, I realized there is one universal issue that I have watched play out multiple times, and one that could really affect any one of us. When I was in high school, I had multiple encounters with suicide. Though I never personally considered taking my own life, a close high school friend, my aunt Susan, and a family friend's son all took their own lives within a few years of each other. Just last week, a film friend of mine watched a girl jump off of a 7 story parking lot. 

As the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, and second leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds, suicide is not an uncommon tragedy (SAVE, AFSP). And yet, while not majorly misperceived, is a subject that is sometimes sort of laughed off by current pop-culture. For example, popular comedy films such as The Other Guys depict jumping off buildings for comedic effect. A new super-villian movie set to release is called Suicide Squad. It is even fairly common to make a gun-to-head motion when someone is frustrated. All of this is ignorance to the tragic problem that has always existed in society. 

One of the ways in which my game explores this issue is not only through ignorance to the issue, but even the accidental initiation of it. Although a sensitive subject, I felt it was important to tackle an issue extremely relevant to suicide within LDS culture. While creating the game, I did some research on the recent policy change regarding homosexual behavior and apostasy. Sadly, at least 32 young Mormons have committed suicide as a direct result (Deseret News). In my game "Susan", I set the event in Salt Lake City tried to convey her feelings of alienation, self-loathing, and confusion that so many experience when their religious views are at odds with their sexual orientation. Regardless of the intent of the policy change, it is important to discuss what kind of rhetoric we should avoid in religious conversation as not to prompt any sort of suicidal actions.

As far as conversation is concerned, that was another important element of the game. Your character has many options for what to say, and some work better than others to allow Susan to express where she is at, which is often what someone needs who is so deep in depression. Hopefully, the player feels they might be able to save her if they are careful. But ultimately, no approach in saving Susan, which is meant to stress the seriousness of the issue. The aesthetics are annoyingly simple and dark, as to suggest the state of mind many people are in when they commit suicide, coming to the resolution that it is the simple way out. My hope is that the unbeatable element of this game brings some ideas to the viewer as to how to better prevent anyone from getting to the point of suicide. 

SAVE: http://www.save.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=705D5DF4-055B-F1EC-3F66462866FCB4E6
AFSP: http://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/
Deseret News: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865646414/LDS-Church-leaders-mourn-reported-deaths-in-Mormon-LGBT-community.html