Written Proposal

Maral Minassian
Parsons - MFADT - Thesis
Instructors: Christopher Kirwan, Ethan Silverman
Written Proposal | 10.28.08


Date of Experiment: Thursday October 30, 2008
Location: 10th floor lab
Time: 8:00-9:00 pm
Partner: Edwardo


Attendees:
1. Name: Ted Byfield
Review of experiential prototype and provide feedback.

2. Name: Subalekha Udayashankar
Review of experiential prototype and provide feedback.

3. Name: Claudio Midolo
Review of experiential prototype and provide feedback.

Experiment:
My experiment will consist of the last 3 major prototypes I had prepared. I will show these in the classroom by projecting on the screen. I will show the films in order, starting with the very first experiment: the one in which Erbol is narrating, followed by Zarina’s testimonial and finally my own narration of the story.

Besides my 2 peers, I am going to ask Ted Byfield to be one of the participants. That will require me to do one of the tests at another time than the one assigned because Ted is only in the lab at limited hours. In this case, I will show the films on my own screen because I will not have a room and hence a screen available.

I will document my colleagues’ input and reactions and take notes. However in Ted’s case things are going to be different since he refuses to be on film. I will only have an audio recording of his feedback on my project.


Ted Byfield - Comments:
















* Precise and define the setting - the environment cannot just be 'anywhere' = it looks like the parsons hallway.
* Parsons hallway looks like insane asylum, but it is clear it is not a Kyrgyzstani asylum, it is too clean = important for audience to relate.
* If this were the house of a heroine trafficker, the faucet should be gold...
* Script is too literal, it should be subtle.
* Erbol should not reveal what he does: few words more action.
* Shouldn't be multiple frames.
* Don't show someone going mad, it is cliché and hard to succeed at.
* Have dramatizing artifacts like a family picture with a hole at Erbol's face = we never get to see him at all.
* Or a very bad picture of Erbol.
* Don't be straightforward. Imagine a scene. Maybe story told from ONE person who is really afraid of Erbol.


Claudio Midolo - Comments:




















* Very expressive and powerful (the images are more powerful than the words).
* The camera rotation is very strong = it shows the disequilibrium of an insane person.
* Great to have multiple frames in the screen layout because it implies the layering of several points of view...
* The frames also create a kind of hierarchy (the more important events in bigger frames for instance etc)
















* The frames also give the audience time to think of the elements.
* It is good that there are no transitions, it makes the whole thing stronger.
* The screams are very effective.
* The use of Bach's music shows a sort of combination between 'divine and death' fighting together.
















* The mixed text connects to the disequilibrium and insanity of the mother.
* However some of the text at the beginning should be a bit clearer for the audience to understand some of the facts.



Subalekha Udayashankar - Comments:
















* Would not know how the 3 points of view are working together and would not have guessed had you not explained to me - careful at that.
* So basically the 3 narrations are not linked and are not connected.
* Very emotional, feel very touched - very strong.
* It is different from traditional narratives.

















* Good use of audio and visual expressions to communicate feelings.
* Great to come back to NY in the 3d film - shows the reality of Maral's location.
* Refine the shots.

Theses Proposal Projects

Maral Minassian | July 10, 2009
Parsons MFADT | Theses | Class of 2009
Professors: Christopher Kirwan, Mark Stafford


First and foremost I would like to send you greetings from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Today is the last day of my OSI fellowship and work for the NGO Mental Health and Society. I am looking forward to an excellent year of hard work and achievements and I hope to learn as much from your instructions, experiences and advice as possible.

During my stay in Bishkek, I had several thoughts about my theses project. I narrowed them down into two.

First Idea:
A film that shows 2 different scenarios of its star, Erbol.

The first scenario is Erbol, a young Kyrgyz 30-year-old man who works at The World Bank in Washington D.C. The second scenario is Erbol, a young Kyrgyz 30-year-old man, responsible for the trafficking of heroine between Kabul and Almaty.

Erbol’s present life will appear first in the movie, and gradually the past will be revealed. With the revelation of the past, we understand the reason for Erbol’s present profession.

The scenario with Erbol working at The World Bank reveals the past of his mother. Erbol’s mother was suffering from depression. She entered a psychiatric hospital in Bishkek where she met social worker, Aigul. Aigul helped the mother recover, work hard and provide a brilliant future for her son.

The scenario with Erbol as a drug trafficker reveals another past of his mother. Erbol’s mother was suffering from depression. She entered a psychiatric hospital in Bishkek where she was given a wrong diagnosis and therefore took wrong medication. She became completely mad and died in the hospital 1 year later. Erbol grew up in the streets and found the drug business very rewarding.

My interest:
My interest in this kind of story is the emphasis on the turning points in our lives – in how a very single decision or event can produce a drastic change to our existence – not only a change – but the very nature of our today is sometimes because x thing happened in y way, at some point in the past.


Medium:
The medium can be a mix between motion graphics and live footage – in an abstract manner following a specific style. There might be an interaction at some point where the user can choose to select which scenario of Erbol’s life they wish to see first.



Second Idea:
A machine similar to an ipod that works as an audio-visual translator. What happens is as follows:

Christopher goes to Dubai. He doesn’t know a word of Arabic. The plane lands, he takes his suitcase and grabs a cab. The cab driver cannot speak English, but Christopher has his translator machine.

The visual part:
Christopher chooses the “from English to Arabic” among the languages menu and types:
“Hello, I would like to go to hotel Al Shams please”

The machine translates the above into Arabic but using Latin letters that Christopher can read:
“Al salam alaykom, ourid an azhab il foundouk Al Shams”

Christopher reads the message out loud; the driver understands and takes him.

If the driver talks back to Christopher, the machine hears it and translates it to English so Christopher reads and understands what the driver has said.
Christopher answers back in the same manner and so on.

The audio part:
The machine has the capacity of hearing as we mentioned above. So Christopher can choose to talk to the machine instead of typing – so he tells the machine:

“Hello, I would like to go to hotel Al Shams please”

The machine replies with the following sound: “Al salam alaykom, ourid an azhab il foundouk Al Shams”

The driver hears the machine, understands and drives Christopher to his destination.


I have reached this point with both ideas and would really appreciate feedback from you in order to continue.

Thank you very much and hope to see you very soon in New York City.

Best,
Maral