Social Media Adaptation

The Official YouTubeChannel:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8VvK43f3jyvCI8EB4j_GUw?feature=CAQQwRs%3D

Artists Statement

Group: Aubrey Clark, Camlyn Giddins, Jason Richey, Justin Zarian

Our literary work was Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Within that work, we found the Creature’s experience most intriguing. His journey basically compiles the learning experience of a baby, child, adolescent and finally he develops into an adult, and a tormented one at that.

To recreate the Creature’s experience, we decided to create and gather images and audio. The story behind it all is Frankenstein creating this being from human remains as well as machinery. The images coming from one of the Creature’s eyes, which is a camera. The audio coming from Dr. Frankenstein’s recorder.  

The social media aspect went through many phases.  We first wanted to use Soundcloud and Instagram, but later realized that Youtube would be a good way to combine both audio and pictures in one.  Youtube also allowed us to incorporate the captain character from the book and create a context in which he found and shared these tapes. In the books, Captain Robert Walton was a narrator, telling these stories to his sister in letters. We found it appropriate that he help tell this story over a social media site and created a profile based on his character.

Artistically, we wanted to show the progression of the Creature’s character. The photos and audio also reflect this progression, as far as quality of the images and sound go. His speech and contemplation also improve.

One of the hardest things to do in this class is to curb creativity and focus it in order to not spend a ton of time doing things that are too big for a week long project. This was probably the worst one for that.  A few of us constantly found ourselves wanting to tell the WHOLE story of Frankenstein, but this daunting task led to frustration.  We had to set limits. Even within those limits though, there was plenty of room for spontaneity. We decided to end the entries with something open ended. We didn’t want to recreate the whole story. We thought it would allow for more thoughts and comments to end with themes like Frankenstein’s abandon, or what is a monster?, what is beauty?, why do we react the way we do to ugliness?, what’s in a name?    

We ended up separating the responsibilities, having the guys in charge of audio and the girls in charge of pictures.  While this seemed a good idea at first since we couldn’t find a time to work all together, it caused a bit of a problem as the we didn’t really communicate what each was doing.  Thus when we met up, the guys had recorded something different than what the girls had taken pictures of.  In the end it worked out, but I think if we had had the opportunity to work side by side more it would’ve been easier.  

We didn’t realize how interactive and Facebook-like Google+ is. There is so much room for the interaction, evolution, and instantaneous aspect we talked about in class. In creating our Youtube account for Robert Walton, we found several ways that his character could be more visible and involved. If we gave ourselves more time, we definitely could make it more expansive.

If we were to spend more time on this project, there is room (with all of the class adaptations really) to make a more abstract adaptation. We kept close to the book overall, but toyed around with the idea of straying. Perhaps we can create an account of a boy, in a foreign land, abandoned by his dad, etc. This is a lot like the TV show Once Upon a Time. As the show illustrates though, this can get complicated... but then again, it only gets as complicated as the ‘writers’ want it.