old wonky notes from ha's house

research macchu picchu for structural knowledge.

deeyewhy universe - patchwork campground?

mount buildmore - bottom - peublos, cliffhouses, up to treehouses, failling water, igloos

transiency - see in the background wherever we are for a while, then finally stop and ask them, Whaaaat are you doing??? take away: snails

structure - choose either macchu picchu or cathedrals to visit

Notes from 2/6

 In hindsight this is pretty obvious, but it turns out we definitely need to storyboard these episodes and add more detail before Kirsten can start a script. We started doing that a little with the Literature episode, but it need much more work, and some thumbnails wouldn't hurt.

We also need to do more research about these authors/characters/artists before we can teach anyone about them - most of the subjects we're including are things we know enough about for the general outline, but we need to research more on each subject before we can write it out.

Literature: 

Don Quixote – [Background: The novel is a parody of the chivalric code of honor – Cervantes points out that it’s ridiculous in the real world to be so idealistic by applying that code to a 'real' person (based off of himself). At the same time he creates a new code of honor that’s more applicable in the real world. He bases the real world off of his own experiences. Another important separation from other concurrent works is that he wrote it in the common language.]

Walking through the woods to find don quixote – come across several knight who each acts typical, talks about questing, and maybe says something chivalrous to Lucy. They are Suspiciously Identical. Oscar keeps thinking that each new one is the great knight that Lucy’s talking about and leading them to, but then they walk out into the field and see Don Quixote, who says something similar to the other knights, but is obviously very different. We only talk to him for a second before he goes off into the background to do something (fighting windmills etc). We talk to Sancho Panza about him, and he mentions that he likes Don Quixote because he’s more real, down to earth, speaks normally. Oscar is not convinced that Don Quixote’s so great, and Lucy explains – segway to shadow puppet explanation of Cervantes' process. 

 ~~~

Explanation winds down, S.P. and D.Q. take us to the LitCity. 

{we are considering replacing Poe with Mark Twain because he is more pertinent to our problem - storytelling.}

Mark twain – tavern wigwam with other storytellers. OR crazy steamboat with passengers going up the river (sans litcity)

Walk into the room and someone finishes their story. Mark Twain clears his throat and everyone listens. We hear him tell one of his stories, then we talk to him about how he did it.

Story style– flat and simple like Lucy’s history lesson, but more colorful.

Episode: Photography

Problem: Our PC is a budding young photographer of his art class. His classmates, due to some sort of contagious delusion, think that photography isn't "real art." Our PC is so discouraged, he wants to give it up.

Episode: Figurative Sculpture

Problem: It's snowing, so our PC is having a jolly time on his day off school frolicking in the winter wonder land. He's making snowmen and creatures left and right. Exhausted from his creativity, he retires for the night. In the morning, he wakes up to find that his neighbor has built a magnificent snow sculpture, finely crafted by artisan hands. The PC is distraught. The masterpieces that he created yesterday are nothing compared to his neighbor's work, in his mind.

Episode: Architecture

Problem: The problem character (PC) is a child of a family facing economic hardships. They have recently decided to move into smaller, more affordable housing. Unfortunately, the PC's box of toys has been misplaced during the move, and the PC is forced to deal with this alongside his stressful new circumstances. His parents propose that he makes the best of things with the cardboard boxes left over from their move.

Notes from 1/28: Sculptcha, Litratcha, Architechtcha, and Photography

[My notes are pretttty slim, so plz bolster them with yours! Feel free to edit the post itself.]

Photography: Goal: determine that photography is a worthwhile medium. We'll talk to vermeer about the camera obscura, see the whizz-through of the evolution of photography, go through the Photoghetto (??) to visit the Porchtrait, from which we'll meet and follow Ansel Adams? or that other guy? out onto the Film Strip (boardwalk?)
[obviously I'm a little fuzzy on this one's people and order they go in - amend! edit!]

Architecture: [failed to take any notes here - probably not the best person to write about this one anyway - amend! edit!]

Literature: Most of this is good for now, we just touched on the mythology part - Athena/Pallas will show us around ancient Greece, pointing out all these different gods/myths in process. Also before we get to Poe's house we'll stop by Mrs. Dalloway's house to say hey and see if she knows whether Poe is home / watch her kill a moth.

Sculpture: ? We need to find more artists. The episode will deal with how different artists approach and represent the human form - what aspects they are trying to emphasize. (venus of willendorf et al - fertility, classical grecian statues - perfection of form, african tribal sculpture -???, etc?)

Color and Light: Bumped to be the last/finale episode because the problem is NOT with a kid, but with ImagiNation itself - the Color Fields are at war/arguing/seperating/in a tiff and the Imaginauts have to sort it out. The Printing episode is now the second to last episode.

Episode Line-Up

1.
Episode: Architecture
Problem: A kid in a family that has just divorced has had to move to a smaller house (apartment?). After they move in, (s)he is left with all these empty moving boxes. What a metaphor!
Worlds: Architecture, yurt --> igloo --> evolution of cathedral --> Bauhaus --> skyscraper

2.
Episode: Literature
Problem: A kid is having trouble writing a fictional story for his class.
Worlds/People: Don Quixote --> City of Lit --> Edgar Allan Poe --> Greek myths (and drama?)

3.
Episode: Photography
Problem: "camera -- D:"is what it says on the poster lawl. A kid who specializes in photography in his art class is shunned by other kids in the class who think his photography isn't real art.
Worlds/People: Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, Great Depression portraiture, The PORCHtrait, ??

4.
Episode: Sculpture
Problem: A kid is playing in the snow and is frustrated at his deranged mutant killer monster snow goons.
Worlds/People: Human form via sculpture, Women of Willendorf, Riace Bronzes (Greek sculpture), Ana Mandieta silueta, ImagiClub dance party

5.
Episode: TV/Video/Animation
Problem: A kid suffers underneath anti-TV parents and has unfortunately adopted the militant policy himself.
Worlds/People: Eadward Muybride and the first motion picture, Life of an American Fireman (showing more than one view), Nam Jun Pak, Charlie Chaplin black and white, 3D land

6.
Episode: Design
Problem: Kid needs to clean his room, thinks these chores are boring and pointless
Worlds/People: Bicycle pants, ??

7.
Episode: Music
Problem: A kid from a musical family is forced to have music lessons
Worlds/People: Baroque, The Doors, Jazz, Pop, Blues

8.
Episode: Printing
Problem: A kid is misrepresented in a newspaper (something he made?)
Worlds/People: Jost Amman and Standebuch, Johannes Gutenburg, Hokusai: Mount Fuji, Hogarth: Gin Lane

9. 
Episode: Color & Light
Problem: There's a problem within the art world! In the COLOR FIELDS, the citizenry of the ImagiNATION have run amok! The reds, blues, and yellows have formed separate camps and are refusing to commingle.
Worlds/People: The Color Fields, Red world, Blue world, Yellow world

Episode: Literature

Problem: The kid has to write a fictional story for his class, but he does not see the point of writing fiction because he does not think it serves a purpose in the real world. The Imaginauts need to show him that literature is great for learning!

Possible worlds/people to visit:

1. Dr. Seuss -- The world should look very Seuss-ical (but not so much that it's copying...). Dr. Seuss talks in really strange rhyme-y ways and explains why it's good to allow your mind to stray into the fictional world.

2. Edgar Allen Poe -- This part can be really dark and creepy (maybe even scary?), and it should show how real and inspiring literature can be.

3. Greek Gods and Goddesses on Mount Olympus -- (because we wanted to include mythology) They would obviously talk about Greek myths and explain how the lessons from these myths helped people in real life.

Episode: Music!

Problem:

The kid is being forced to take piano lessons/practice piano, even though he thinks it's lame. Also, his dad is a professional musician, so his entire family thinks music is really important, but this IDIOT of a kid disagrees.

Possible worlds/people to visit:

1. The Baroque period - the Imaginauts appear in a garden with a bunch of little kids playing. A woman comes out and yells for "Wolfgang" to come entertain. So all the kids run inside, and a 10 year old Mozart plays the harpsichord while people dance.

2. The Doors - there's a 60's, Yellow Submarine-inspired world; we meet the Doors playing in the middle of a desert with a bunch of hippies dancing around. The lesson the kid should learn from this world is that music is all about feeling and that it should only be taken but so seriously. He should have fun with it!

3. Jazz -- Louis Armstrong..?

4. Pop music -- Lady Gaga (we could show her crazy pop side as well as her softer, acoustic side)

5. SO MANY OTHER OPTIONS! I think the main thing we have to worry about here is showing a variety of different styles of music from all different cultures and time periods.

Episode Topics/Assignments

#) Topic - Assignee (possible world/subjects within)
 - potential problems

List after the jump

Notes from an early brainstorming session!

A while ago, Jonathan and I got together and talked about some stuff...

Here are the notes I took!

List of Episode Ideas:

- Filmmaking

- Exploring

- Music

- Cooking

- Dance

- Architecture

- Painting

- Journalism

- Animation

- Typography

- Printing/Engraving

- Color and Light

- Theater

First Episode:

- Imaginauts graduate from the Imaginaut Academy

- Head of the Academy (David--like the sculpture) calls them into his office and tells them that levels on the Imagimometer are dangerously low, and that he needs them to begin inspiring immediately

- There will be some sort of explanation of what the Imaginauts do, and then a normal episode will follow

I'm not sure if anything we came up with for that first episode still applies, but it was in my notes, so I included it. We'll figure it out next time we meet :)

Show Composition

Each Show

- Composed of 8 or 9 basic parts:

- Theme/Intro

- Introduction of client character and problem

- Off to help! World 1

- World 2

- Check-up on client character

- World 3

- Return and Inspire!/Resolution

- Closing theme/credits

- Optional: craft/quote of the day!

- Composed of 8 or 9 work elements:

- Choose and research a topic

- Choose specific artists/subject matter to deal with in the show

- Determine specific necessary works of art

- Cite those pieces

- Write the script

- Make the necessary new characters and set

- Shoot video/animate

- Record sounds and voiceovers

- Edit

- Publish/produce

- Burn to a dvd

- Eventually release on online accounts

1/17 Worldly

World:

-       the imaginauts interact with other imaginary characters in ImagiNation

-       The Imaginauts never interact directly with the subject/character they’re helping. “Secret Muses”

-       “Surprise technology” – things that just work, with no explanation or introduction. Ex: ‘Where are we?’ ‘Oh hold on I’ll check.’ Pulls out a seed, plants it, a compass rose springs up. ‘Aha! Thataway!’

-       Imagimometer – main and handheld.

-   Main: large complex towering device topped with a weathervane – keeps track of the world’s imaginative flow

-   Handheld: shows us a picture of the episode’s client character, with a dial going from bored/frustrated to inspired – icons for those states change with each show.

-       there is no anonymous 3^rd person narrator ever – we always know the person talking