Thursday, August 7, 2008
THESIS BLOG HAS MOVED!!!
from now on, please refer to my cozy, new wordpress installed on my domain, or click here to get the feed. thanks!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Thesis Workshop Notes
Design, Test, and Analyze.
Design, technology, the human condition.
What do prototypes prototype? --Role, Look & Feel, Implementation.
Describe your thesis is 2 mins & under...
some things mentioned & not mentioned:
interesting motivation
precedents
*WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?* how do you find them?
implementation- organizations involved, form, audience
look & feel- branding, form,
role- precedents, need
*SCOPE*
meeting in smaller groups...
-look for blind spots.
-catch up on research.
Thesis, antithesis, and synthesis:
-(T)Truth Recruit is a counter-recruitment program for inner city high school kids who are targeted by military recruiters. It extrapolates onto an existing curriculum to bring performance, interaction, and better engagement with the students' dreams.
-(Anti)Truth Recruit is a satirical broadcast design campaign aimed at parents and minorities. It helps these groups to realize the potential of other jobs, the necessity to dream big and solve problems in a playful way.
-Synthesis: Truth Recruit is a counter-recruitment program and satirical broadcast design campaign that delivers another perspective on military opportunity and helps them develop their natural interests and dreams.
-work throughout the semester with the teachers.
-more using testing
-Full Battle Rattle-- about a game training ground in the US desert for iraq combat
Design, technology, the human condition.
What do prototypes prototype? --Role, Look & Feel, Implementation.
Describe your thesis is 2 mins & under...
some things mentioned & not mentioned:
interesting motivation
precedents
*WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?* how do you find them?
implementation- organizations involved, form, audience
look & feel- branding, form,
role- precedents, need
*SCOPE*
meeting in smaller groups...
-look for blind spots.
-catch up on research.
Thesis, antithesis, and synthesis:
-(T)Truth Recruit is a counter-recruitment program for inner city high school kids who are targeted by military recruiters. It extrapolates onto an existing curriculum to bring performance, interaction, and better engagement with the students' dreams.
-(Anti)Truth Recruit is a satirical broadcast design campaign aimed at parents and minorities. It helps these groups to realize the potential of other jobs, the necessity to dream big and solve problems in a playful way.
-Synthesis: Truth Recruit is a counter-recruitment program and satirical broadcast design campaign that delivers another perspective on military opportunity and helps them develop their natural interests and dreams.
-work throughout the semester with the teachers.
-more using testing
-Full Battle Rattle-- about a game training ground in the US desert for iraq combat
Monday, July 28, 2008
a couple ideas
i just met with my mentor and we talked over some bumps in the road...
i told him about my big doubts that i was not fit for this project, that i could not do this from a point of authority. he told me that i had to do things that would give me credibility. if someone says to me, "what do you know? you're just a young liberal girl," i can say, "well, i've been recruited 15 times, i've done 12 interviews with people who served in Iraq, and i'm working closely with students who express confusion about the opportunity that the military offers them." so, what i should do (obviously!) is go to times square and get recruited, ask a lot of questions, hang out with soldiers and get comfortable, maybe interview a couple. also, should get in touch with soldiers who served and some IVAW people and interview them. as for the kids, i'm working on that one. i'm in touch with the big counter-recruitment project coordinator for the nyc school system.
another thing we talked about is my fear about the production of the project. the part of this project that i'm most excited about is working with the kids, doing something that matters, learning something and writing about it (or at least from that place). but i feel as though that is a lot to take on, and that the whole job of recording everything, editing it, and presenting it is a whole other job. i feel like i need help with this project. i need a producer. but i'm afraid that makes me a writer and not an artist, and only artists get MFA degrees. so i need help and i don't know where to get it or even how/why to get the help. i have to try to do it myself first. but my biggest fear is that i will slack on the production and no one will know or care how much work i did, how much i learned, etc. and then it will be like nothing ever happened.
finally, we talked about that extreme moment of doubt, usually in the middle of a project, when you start to believe that everything is terrible and it was an awful idea. but then you just keep going, and in those moments, if you can overcome them, the way that you solve those problems, that is what makes it your art, that is what makes your work good, and that is how you learn how to be an artist. so i need to suck it up! make my own stuff! and go for it!
i told him about my big doubts that i was not fit for this project, that i could not do this from a point of authority. he told me that i had to do things that would give me credibility. if someone says to me, "what do you know? you're just a young liberal girl," i can say, "well, i've been recruited 15 times, i've done 12 interviews with people who served in Iraq, and i'm working closely with students who express confusion about the opportunity that the military offers them." so, what i should do (obviously!) is go to times square and get recruited, ask a lot of questions, hang out with soldiers and get comfortable, maybe interview a couple. also, should get in touch with soldiers who served and some IVAW people and interview them. as for the kids, i'm working on that one. i'm in touch with the big counter-recruitment project coordinator for the nyc school system.
another thing we talked about is my fear about the production of the project. the part of this project that i'm most excited about is working with the kids, doing something that matters, learning something and writing about it (or at least from that place). but i feel as though that is a lot to take on, and that the whole job of recording everything, editing it, and presenting it is a whole other job. i feel like i need help with this project. i need a producer. but i'm afraid that makes me a writer and not an artist, and only artists get MFA degrees. so i need help and i don't know where to get it or even how/why to get the help. i have to try to do it myself first. but my biggest fear is that i will slack on the production and no one will know or care how much work i did, how much i learned, etc. and then it will be like nothing ever happened.
finally, we talked about that extreme moment of doubt, usually in the middle of a project, when you start to believe that everything is terrible and it was an awful idea. but then you just keep going, and in those moments, if you can overcome them, the way that you solve those problems, that is what makes it your art, that is what makes your work good, and that is how you learn how to be an artist. so i need to suck it up! make my own stuff! and go for it!
Monday, July 21, 2008
HOW TO WIN
Helping to transcribe interviews about the efficacy of art/activism for a project called How to Win by Lambert & Duncombe, I've been thinking about the efficacy of Truth Recruit in terms of the types of efficacy that these seasoned artists describe. I feel that I am able to see where my perspective aligns and then deviates from these professionals in a fairly substantial way.
Some of the artists interviewed talk about how their public performance or site-specific works had been effective at generating meaningful conversations. and in this way, they differentiate their work from the tendency to create work that is self-satisfying or entertaining for the artist(s) involved, without actually being useful to the audience. Larry Bogad explains,
This is a very important first step in art activism-- making sure that there is an audience and the audience is getting the right message. These artists are experts at creating spectacle and using the art of spectacle to bring people together or provoke public response. aware of the potential to alienate, these artists want to coax people out of their comfort zone and into a equal playing field. they create examples of forward thinking with the hopes and beliefs that people who care, who notice, and who respond will start to do the same. i wonder if we can take that one step further.
i want to see what happens when we use that knack for spectacle in an even less exhibitionistic way. it seems to be where the conversation is going, with josh macphee arguing that his site-specific pieces are never intended for international audiences, let alone national press coverage. he built a 40-ft, inflatable, temporary church in the small town of Troy, NY to illuminate the history of a local abolitionist by and large, for the locals. the extravagance of the project had less to do with a desire for press coverage than it had to with how he conceived the town to bear this proverbial elephant in the room.
as josh describes, it was visited by over 200 townspeople, with many having ties to the actual church it emulated. and people talked about it, to themselves and to Josh and his friends. but then, Josh says, they ask him, "when are you going to come back and do it again?" and he wants to ask, "i don't know. When are you going to do it?" and in that little sliver, you see the disconnect, where many people still consider this sort of work fetishism.
this got me to thinking about how to bridge the gap. and i started to see where the opportunity to do so lies for counter-recruitment. truth recruit works in schools, with the main audience being the students, and the main goal being to affect the way they think about military service, and to affect the way they think about their futures. now, the performance of military personnel authority who shows tantalizing images, films, etc of the army in blindingly good favor is much like the performance of the billionaire who votes for bush to protect his money, or the performance of the average yes man who subscribes to corporate brainwashing to facilitate neglect, greed, and irresponsibility. the idea is that you SHOW people what these figures could represent without pressuring them into any one specific direct action-- yet. you provoke them to ask questions, to seek truth, to develop firm moral positions on matters they didn't know they cared about.
but truth recruit is not like the yes men because the recruiter doesn't perform for the army. and it isn't like billionaires for bush because the recruiter doesn't perform for the counter-recruiting activists. truth recruit performs for the people who face serious decisions about entering the military in time frames and pressurized situations that are not likely conducive to thoroughly researched decision-making processes. realizing that this situation is delicate has caused me to often question the morality of the project, reevaluate my motivation, inspiration, spirit, and approach. i cannot afford to do a self-involved, self-aggrandizing project for kids that actually need help. instead, i have to move towards better and better communication and solutions.
for this reason, i've chosen to work more closely with organizations within the system, vowing to change this project however possible to maximize what the students will learn about counter-recruitment. the best case scenario, the ultimate goal, is to empower the students to participate in counter-recruitment in some meaningful way. i want to keep in mind that the original goal was not to make a curriculum or a documentary, but an action that could be reproduced, could grow beyond my initial project, to foster a community of students who want more than the military. so there is this window between my action and the goal of further action where I HOPE a lot will happen.
Some of the artists interviewed talk about how their public performance or site-specific works had been effective at generating meaningful conversations. and in this way, they differentiate their work from the tendency to create work that is self-satisfying or entertaining for the artist(s) involved, without actually being useful to the audience. Larry Bogad explains,
I think it is relevant to think about, 'was this effective?' I’ve done some where it was like, 'well, we will have a fun story to tell later, but nobody showed up except the police! I guess we entertained the police a little, but nobody else knows we even did that.'
This is a very important first step in art activism-- making sure that there is an audience and the audience is getting the right message. These artists are experts at creating spectacle and using the art of spectacle to bring people together or provoke public response. aware of the potential to alienate, these artists want to coax people out of their comfort zone and into a equal playing field. they create examples of forward thinking with the hopes and beliefs that people who care, who notice, and who respond will start to do the same. i wonder if we can take that one step further.
i want to see what happens when we use that knack for spectacle in an even less exhibitionistic way. it seems to be where the conversation is going, with josh macphee arguing that his site-specific pieces are never intended for international audiences, let alone national press coverage. he built a 40-ft, inflatable, temporary church in the small town of Troy, NY to illuminate the history of a local abolitionist by and large, for the locals. the extravagance of the project had less to do with a desire for press coverage than it had to with how he conceived the town to bear this proverbial elephant in the room.
as josh describes, it was visited by over 200 townspeople, with many having ties to the actual church it emulated. and people talked about it, to themselves and to Josh and his friends. but then, Josh says, they ask him, "when are you going to come back and do it again?" and he wants to ask, "i don't know. When are you going to do it?" and in that little sliver, you see the disconnect, where many people still consider this sort of work fetishism.
this got me to thinking about how to bridge the gap. and i started to see where the opportunity to do so lies for counter-recruitment. truth recruit works in schools, with the main audience being the students, and the main goal being to affect the way they think about military service, and to affect the way they think about their futures. now, the performance of military personnel authority who shows tantalizing images, films, etc of the army in blindingly good favor is much like the performance of the billionaire who votes for bush to protect his money, or the performance of the average yes man who subscribes to corporate brainwashing to facilitate neglect, greed, and irresponsibility. the idea is that you SHOW people what these figures could represent without pressuring them into any one specific direct action-- yet. you provoke them to ask questions, to seek truth, to develop firm moral positions on matters they didn't know they cared about.
but truth recruit is not like the yes men because the recruiter doesn't perform for the army. and it isn't like billionaires for bush because the recruiter doesn't perform for the counter-recruiting activists. truth recruit performs for the people who face serious decisions about entering the military in time frames and pressurized situations that are not likely conducive to thoroughly researched decision-making processes. realizing that this situation is delicate has caused me to often question the morality of the project, reevaluate my motivation, inspiration, spirit, and approach. i cannot afford to do a self-involved, self-aggrandizing project for kids that actually need help. instead, i have to move towards better and better communication and solutions.
for this reason, i've chosen to work more closely with organizations within the system, vowing to change this project however possible to maximize what the students will learn about counter-recruitment. the best case scenario, the ultimate goal, is to empower the students to participate in counter-recruitment in some meaningful way. i want to keep in mind that the original goal was not to make a curriculum or a documentary, but an action that could be reproduced, could grow beyond my initial project, to foster a community of students who want more than the military. so there is this window between my action and the goal of further action where I HOPE a lot will happen.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Today, I...
...bought a dreamhost account to build a website WITHOUT the dreaded A server. I also contacted New York Coalition of Radical Educators and American Friends Service Committee about getting involved with their respective counter-recruitment efforts. I also emailed Mary & Sally, the two educators who I worked with in the Bronx for the initial prototype. I want to check in with them about how their year ended and what is next for them.
I'm hoping that getting connected will help lead me in the right direction. I'm warming up to the idea of a film, but I don't know about a premise, yet...
Barbara sent me a link to this very interesting article about the military opening recruitment centers that are more like the apple store. They have been literally test driving this type of recruitment strategy with their 18-wheeler trucks-o-fun for years, so it will be interesting to see how it translates to a static location. they better have great security. at least the trucks were more guerrilla-style and allowed them some invisibility. I don't know how they expect to get away with being all mac-flashy...
I'm hoping that getting connected will help lead me in the right direction. I'm warming up to the idea of a film, but I don't know about a premise, yet...
Barbara sent me a link to this very interesting article about the military opening recruitment centers that are more like the apple store. They have been literally test driving this type of recruitment strategy with their 18-wheeler trucks-o-fun for years, so it will be interesting to see how it translates to a static location. they better have great security. at least the trucks were more guerrilla-style and allowed them some invisibility. I don't know how they expect to get away with being all mac-flashy...
Sunday, June 29, 2008
if you're stuck, here's a tip...
when i was working on "viral conversations," i discovered that watching oneself on camera is like watching oneself from outside the body and being able to see oneself critically. so when i get stuck and lost, i open up imovie and start talking to my webcam. then i watch it and analyze my thoughts. sounds super vain, right? or really anti-social, right? whatever it is, it works, and is a pretty good quick fix if you are alone in your apartment late at night. :)
Moving Forward
I have a tremendous amount of guilt about my project. I have never served in the military. I have no idea what it is like to go to an inner city high school and feel the pressure from a recruiter. the experience is foreign to me, but the intellectual journey of this project was so irresistible that I went forward. Now, the question that is most interesting to me, the question which I passionately am pursuing, is: how can i finish what i've started and feel comfortable with my piece?
IDEAS:
1) Create a narrative component from interviews with recruiters and students. make it their story, not mine. it always was theirs.
2) Go back to the teachers I worked with. Follow a student's progress. Follow the teachers progress. Talk to them about my project and slowly build a new project.
3) Ask teachers, "what would you really like to happen to impress upon your kids something you think is important?" "what do you think are the most important things to impress upon your kids?" create versions of their dreams. answer their prayers.
My passion, it seems, is not to tell my own story. it is to tell the story of others, and to advocate for them, to facilitate effective communication. i cannot do this effectively until i better understand the situation. fact of the matter is that i am in a perfect situation to better understand this situation. i think i should go back to mary and sally and talk to them about my feelings of guilt and wanting to do something more, something that is actually needed.
i need to discover what the gift of grad school is for me, so that my thesis is not the scary burden it looks like now. perhaps the gift that i give myself in the next year is the freedom to constantly question this process, and the time and space to fully design (make, test, analyze), knowing full well that the time and space to "complete" problem projects will not always be available.
IDEAS:
1) Create a narrative component from interviews with recruiters and students. make it their story, not mine. it always was theirs.
2) Go back to the teachers I worked with. Follow a student's progress. Follow the teachers progress. Talk to them about my project and slowly build a new project.
3) Ask teachers, "what would you really like to happen to impress upon your kids something you think is important?" "what do you think are the most important things to impress upon your kids?" create versions of their dreams. answer their prayers.
My passion, it seems, is not to tell my own story. it is to tell the story of others, and to advocate for them, to facilitate effective communication. i cannot do this effectively until i better understand the situation. fact of the matter is that i am in a perfect situation to better understand this situation. i think i should go back to mary and sally and talk to them about my feelings of guilt and wanting to do something more, something that is actually needed.
i need to discover what the gift of grad school is for me, so that my thesis is not the scary burden it looks like now. perhaps the gift that i give myself in the next year is the freedom to constantly question this process, and the time and space to fully design (make, test, analyze), knowing full well that the time and space to "complete" problem projects will not always be available.
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