Show, Don't Tell

In Aarseth's work, Genre Trouble: Narrativism and the Art of Simulation, the author says, "You don't see dogs or cats tell each other stories, but they will play. And games are interspecies communication: you can't tell your your dog a story, but the two of you can play together." This one quote held a lot of power for me. Games seem to have untapped potential as tools. Anything, from human emotion to other intangible concepts could potentially be solidified if they were simulated. When a game requires interactivity, concepts are not contained as simply words on a page. They're conveyed by agency, motion, and visualization. A dog can't be told how to play a game of fetch, he has to be shown. He experiences the simple narrative in this game by action. He figures out the rules and concepts by interaction.

Since the discovery of mirror neurons, scientist are seeing how humans learn through mimicry. These neurons associate the action performed by the self to an identical action that the self witnesses. Research continues on this subject, but it may be an explanation for human empathy. It's also possible that this field of study could add more pieces to puzzles such as autism. Understanding these connections is a first step in any type of cure or prevention. If another person slips and falls on the floor, neurons fire and cause a temporary break in the barrier between the self and the other. The person who witnesses the fall recognizes on an intuitive level the distress and impact.

Studies in mirror neurons supports Aarseths notion that games and their subsequent simulations are powerful. Simulation follows the old adage of Show, don't tell. Many writers, film makers, and artists hold on to this as their guiding force. They do this because showing allows others to see concepts in action. It usually makes a bigger impact than telling. In other studies involving mirror neurons tests are also performed to discover why some people are incapable of empathy. Their theory involves human expression and states that some are incapable of empathy because they don't recognize how another person's facial expressions can convey happiness, contentment, distress, or fear. This study has been done with convicted serial killers in an attempt to explain how mirror neurons relate to emotions. Some convicted killers don't recognize an emotion translated into a facial expression or even body language.

This experiment was performed as a matching game. Participants had two decks of cards. The first deck contained pictures of human facial expressions. The second deck simply had one word printed on each card. Cards were imprinted with words like scared, angry, happy, and sad. Participants were asked to match the word with the correct simulated human expression. While this research is still in its early stages, this same game could be used as a learning tool. If there is ever a way to correct the misfiring or lack of these neurons,then there could also be a way to teach and demonstrate what empathy is. With simulation, people have the opportunity to observe. If the element of game is introduced, they will also experience agency and the impact that is involved. In some ways, life experience and chance have guided our understanding of emotion. Simulation could be an ample supplement to this. It could be the visual representation that people may learn from in the absence of life experience. It could be used in early stages of development as fail safe in the event that one has a poor life experience and very little interaction.

Chair Building

This particular assignment has taken multiples tries. One reason for this is due to log in problems. I read on Second Life's section entitled "known issues", that some residents are logging in only to find an "incorrect log in" error. Unfortunately, I was part of this issue. The other reason for multiple tries is my own experience level. My confusion produced good results though, because it prompted me to search the web for video tutorials, tips and tricks, and other blogs regarding building with prims.

I was pleased to find an array of resources on this subject. I also found some valuable resources for scripting, a topic that I know little about. Building.com is a website dedicated to not only creating and building, but scripting, communicating, and earning money as well. I also made use of Second Life's support center where there were even more guides to prims. Although a log in issue caused a delay, my chair is in process. After I studied building and prims, I felt less intimidated by the project.

The tutorial at the Ivory Tower helped, but I felt like I was walking through a museum. It was sensory overload, so I didn't retain the information very well. I was easily distracted by displays, not to mention other residents chatting with me, that I found it hard to approach in a step by step fashion. There are still some concepts that are not clear to me, but I think that practice along with persistence will clarify these issues.

While researching, I found many free texture downloads that looked like they would be fun to work with. The texture entitled "glass blocks" is my favorite so far. This experience also led me to several guides that used programs like Gimp and Photoshop to create objects. Once created, the objects could be imported and used in Second Life. Before this experience, I didn't realize that things like hair, skin, and poses could be created with prims and scripts. Since I'm also making some cosmetic changes to my avatar, I'm looking forward to incorporating the new information that I've learned.

Learning to Walk

My journey into Second Life, reminded me of The Girl Who Was Plugged In. Tiptree describes an adjustment period in which P. Burke must learn to control the new body she has been given in Delphi. P. Burke had to adjust to the new level of consciousness so that her movements and expressions would be genuine. This involved the dexterity it takes to grip a toothbrush, as well as balance, while in motion. Once I began Second Life, simple things like hand movements became foreign. Flying, although once complex, became simplified.

The snapshot that I took, shows my conversation with a resident who was happy to converse with me. He seemed like he was simply out for a stroll and enjoying the scenery. He was interested in the college course that involved Second Life. The snapshot shows how I gazed at the palm trees and beach on the island. I arrived there by accident and couldn't grasp the eerie coincidence that this place in Second Life was identical to my former real life residence on Ft. Myers Beach in South Florida. My house was not very far from this area.

Once I recovered from this shock, I asked my new friend how he came to choose his avatar. His initial response was that he was trying to imitate his appearance in real life. He was dressed in jeans, and I realized that his attire led me to believe that he would be friendly. Since he was dressed casually, I instantly thought that he wouldn't mind my casual approach. As we talked, he explained that he adapted well to Second Life. It did not take him very long to learn the ropes. He asked me questions as well, and was concerned with how well I was adapting. We discussed my school and major to which he responded, "cool".

This interaction, overall, made me less apprehensive about speaking with other residents. I also realized that my avatar may come across as a little scary. My initial goal was simplicity. The black jumpsuit seemed like a streamlined answer to clothing. I liked the goth-locked-and-loaded look, as opposed to party girl appearances which usually came equipped with vile pig-tails. I am however, going to try some new things that may tweak my image. I'm interested in appearing approachable. Maybe I can stand on the bridge between friendly and walking target. Just like in my real life, I became concerned about appearances and did not want to give the impression that I was vulnerable. I may adopt my friend's philosophy and imitate my physical appearance in real life.

Creating Digital Stories

My favorite aspect of creating a digital story, was the amount of control that I had. I remained enthusiastic about the project, mostly because I received hands on experience from start to finish. In traditional films, It's rare to see one person get their hands dirty with audio, visual, and editing tasks. There are usually several people to fill those roles. I also liked that I had to shift my thinking from narrative to audio while constantly thinking about the visual aspect of the project. The challenge was getting all of these aspects to align.

In Convergence Culture, Jenkins states that "When people take media into their own hands, the results can be wonderfully creative; they can also be bad news for all involved." While my experience was good, Jenkins gives an example where high school kids create impromptu pornography with a cell phone. In only minutes, it was distributed to fellow classmates all throughout the campus. This is, of course, a nasty incident. Despite bad things like this, I think more good comes out of it than bad.

Youtube seems to high light some fundamental aspects that come out of convergence. I have a friend who wants to post his short film on Youtube. His film shows ATt&T, and Cingular merging together to become the network "with the most dropped calls." In one segment, he is standing outside of the Cingular store when his phone drops the call. He also goes into his unexplainable charges associated with his Iphone. He can effectively and creatively rant without censorship. Before Youtube, an average customer could not take advantage of low budget production tools like Imovie. Another network could definitely critique AT&T in a commercial, but they would probably be heavily censored in even the mentioning of the rival company's name. My friend can post an example of a company flaw in a matter of minutes. With Youtube, he can show. He doesn't have to rely on telling. Convergence seems to offer less censorship.

Control is also a major aspect. Traditional production on a film is usually expensive. Imovie allows users to edit features such as sound and effects, therefore allowing more creative input from the user. The publishing industry has also experienced a type of convergence. Authors can now choose to self-publish, and many times this is a last resort for authors who believe in the strength of their own work.

Will Clarke is the author of Lord Vishnu's Love Handles. His manuscript was repeatedly rejected by traditional publishing houses. He self-published his book and sold copies from the trunk of his car. As this progressed, a major publishing house couldn't help but notice that his book was definitely selling. They offered him a contract shortly after. Clarke wrote two other novels in which they published. Although Clarke's story is an exception to the rule, convergence made it possible to take publication into his own hands. Through nontraditional means, his novel caught the attention of traditional publishers.

Twisted Design

My favorite narrative is a book entitled, Kiss Me Judas. It was written by Will Christopher Baer in 2004. I was fortunate enough to have him as a teacher in the summer of 2006. Baer's prose is hypnotic, lulling the reader deeper and deeper into the surreal world of the protagonist, Phineas Poe. This book is not only skillfully written, readers deeply identify with this anti-hero.

Glassner's discussion on the depth of immersion, that narrative requires, was fascinating. Many of his points, I already knew on an intuitive level, but I had never seen them methodically written out as he had them. Kiss Me Judas starts with a simple plot that evolves with complex phychological issues. Baer uses the urban myth, where a man's kidney is stolen, as his initial premise. The plot relies heavily on Glassner's principle of empathy, a strong sense of emotional bonding. It drives the narrative.Even as it twists, readers are compelled to understand Poe's motives based solely on empathy.

Glassner states, "Great characters lead two fascinating lives at the same time." Phineas Poe is forced to lead two lives as well. Fresh from a phychiatric ward, he is the disgraced cop mourning for his dead wife. He meets Jude at a hotel. She's mesmerizing and predatory, as Poe discovers, when he awakens in a bathtub minus a kidney. His second life begins then, as he becomes a hunter. He tracks Jude with this strange mixture of hatred and infatuation. In Poe's outer life, he is practically dieing on every page from impromptu surgery complications. His inner life resembles a carnival fun house. Grief distorts his reactions one way while hatred and love drive other motives.

This story employs many of Glassner's outlined techniques, but it mainly depends on plot twists. Readers are unprepared when Phineas Poe leaves the hospital in a bloody mess in favor of tracking down Jude. It seems counter productive, but grief and anger can produce irrational results. Many readers were surprised that this character lived at all. The story also makes use of fractured and shattered time. We get glimpses into Poe's life when he was a cop. We get snippets of what his wife was like before her death. The story then pitches forward to Poe's present state where he literally has nothing else to lose. He becomes obsessed with catching the woman who cut out his kidney.

Transmedia Storytelling

Jenkins introduced me to the concept of Transmedia storytelling as an evolving form of narrative. I agree that it is a very smart marketing move that many industries could benefit from, but I don't think it is simply a good marketing tactic. Classifying it as such makes it seem like the shallow trick of corporate minions. It's relevant to me on a different level because I'm starting to see how Transmedia storytelling could affect traditional ways of presenting fiction.

What if Charles Dickens' character of Estella was not someone you met when you first read Great Expectations, but someone you knew from a social networking website such as Myspace or Facebook? In the simplest of terms, readers would be closer to the character if they have been exposed to them before. The narrative could then evolve to the point where readers felt as if they were reading about someone they know. Traditionally, readers come to know and relate to characters as the narrative unfolds. In the digital age, we want information and we want it fast. This old process may loose some readers simply because they don't relate to a character soon enough. If the reader doesn't relate to a character, then they may not care what happens to that character and lose interest.

This also involves a form of narrative that I'm anxious to experiment with and that is presenting fiction as non-fiction. In Jenkins' chapter entitled Why Heather Can Write, Hogwarts is presented as a physical school. Heather Lawver's fiction took the form of non-fiction as The Daily Prophet emerged. Her web based school newspaper, for the fictional school, was innovative and promoted a deeper connection within the Harry Potter fan base. I'm sure it also encouraged new readers for fans who discovered the web site before the books. Since Heather was home schooled, I think it also calls attention to some flaws in traditional learning. Kids were getting an education outside of their traditional education.

Although I'm intrigued by the idea of presenting a fictional character as non-fiction, I'm bound to run into the same problems as Lawver did. Warner Brothers was concerned about "potential confusion" but I'm not so convinced that I have an obligation to explicitly discern or disclose a flesh and blood person from a fictional character? Whose the authority on that issue? A carefully constructed character could easily possess human qualities. The only thing they would lack would be physical elements, which may be unimportant in our time. After all, the internet dating industry depends on a deep level of connection way before physical acts of hand holding and hugging ever come into play.

Concepts like internet dating, social networks, and Lawver's school newspaper are examples where physical aspects are treated as mundane and therefore unworthy of attention. Younger generations may watch the Disney version of Pinocchio and wait with anticipation for the character's final reward, only to feel the sting of disappointment when he is granted the opportunity to be a real boy. These viewers may be thinking one word: overrated. The importance of that gift simply isn't there anymore as it was for previous generations. It's interesting to think that this generation could probably appreciate the Disney-free version of the story, which was never intended for children. It features an irate puppet who constantly tries to stomp on that annoying cricket. This, for some reason, is far more believable than Disney's overly tolerant wooden boy. Then again, Disney rarely advocates thinking for one's self and continues to treat old stories with sterilization, detachment, and anti-septic.