Refined Proposal

Online Interactive Narrative: Retold traditional tales and the commercial values

A research essay proposal

By MunHui KOH

for

Interactive Media Design Pathway

Level 6 Enquiry / Report / Essay (6FTC1075)

Assignment 1 of 3

The School of Creative Arts

Faculty of Science, Technology and Creative Arts

University of Hertfordshire, UK in partnership with

The One Academy, Malaysia.

Submitted on 30^th July, 2014

( 570 Words)

Introduction:

The traditional mass mediums such as books or through the verbalization from a speaker, story has been told in straightforward structures. As technology developed, Internet has become a communication tools. Narrator has slowly implement storyline into these tools and fully utilized the advantage of new mass mediums to create narrative by using interactivity. Interactivity in website has involved trivial point and click actions on the part of the user. However, interactive narrative has more retainable and preserve commercial value in website.

Research question:

Comparisons of selected websites that have revive traditional Asian folklore. 

Examine how interactive narrative from selected case studies that have implement in the online medium as it preserves both traditional and commercial values.

Research topic:

This paper will analyze and compare selected traditional tales case studies. A proper theory that might use to analyze in this mythology is Monomyth by Joseph Campbell. In the case studies, traditional tales that has been told in various interactions, non-authoring and authoring. However this online medium has not only revive the traditional folklore but also preserve profitable purpose.

Research scope:

Author has selected two resemble case studies, which are Ramayana projects from Google Chrome Experimental in the recent year and Wayang Authoring a web-based application for children. Both case studies have the essence of traditional tales from Indonesia and presented through website platform. This paper will analyze on each case studies that carry on the meaning of traditional tales in various interactions. The Ramayana project has retelling the classic tales by making immersive interaction experience and featuring capabilities in Google browser. While Wayang Authoring, story determine by the user to create their own visual stories by using the traditional tales characters that have provided. Both case studies form the similarities and the contrast to preserve story and commercial values.

Relevance to personal practice:

This research paper is related to author’s final project which is an interactive narrative with fantasy theme delivered by website platform. The examination and analysis of research elements might supports author to develop more in-depth knowledge on the term interactive narrative itself. Besides, understanding using appropriate methods on building a narrative structure is essential for author to connect engagement for the users. Moreover, implications of interactivity by comparing between selected case studies, which are Ramayana and Wayang Authoring might enlighten authors final project.

Feasibility:

This research enquiry is moderate. Some of the research key points that have been introduced in various modules at level 4 and level 5. As one of the theory of Marchall McLuhan “the medium is the message” might apply in this paper. Author will explore more onto the Roland Barthes narrative theory and how Mark Stephen Meadows has discuss on four stages of interaction involve in narratives. Besides, author will exanimate on concept of Monomyth by Joseph Campbell, who has describes there are 17 stages in the hero’s journey. This theory indicates the similar pattern or structure that found in the universal narratives in different culture.

Timeline:

July	Week 9 Tutorial 3                  Week 10 Proposal Submission
August	Week 11 & 12 Tutorial 4, Blog & research Week 13 Proposal Feedback
September & October	Holidays Blog & Research
November	Week 2, 3 & 4 Tutorial 5 , Review & Refine blog
December	Week 5 Review & Refine blog Week 6, 7 & 8 Blog submission, Execute draft Week 9 1st Draft & Feedback
January	Week 10 & 11 2nd Draft & Final Draft & Feedback Week 12 Sharing Session Week 13 Submission
March	Feedback

  

Bibliography:

Felluga, D. (2002). "Modules on Barthes: On the Five Codes." Introductory Guide to Critical Theory [Online] Available at: http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/narratology/modules/barthescodes.html [Accessed 20 Jul. 2014].

This is an useful website has discussed in Roland Barthes narrative theory. Barthes has formulates five codes, which author will further exanimate each of the codes for different literary analysis in narrative.

F-i.com, (2013). Google Ramayana Case Study. [Online] Available at: http://www.f-i.com/google/ramayana/ [Accessed 20 Jul. 2014].

This is a case study website of the developing progress of Ramayana. 

McLuhan, M. (n.d.). Understanding Media The extensions of man. 1st ed. [ebook] London and New York. Available at: http://beforebefore.net/80f/s11/media/mcluhan.pdf [Accessed 20 Jul. 2014].

McLuhan theory “ The medium is the message” as a guiding on how narrative emerge in new mass medium.

Meadows, M. (2002). Pause & Effect: The Art of Interactive Narrative [Online] Available at: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=29598&seqNum=5 [Accessed 20 Jul. 2014].

Meadows has provides very good points of how interactivity in narrative by using some of the principles and steps that helps increase in reader’s participation.

Scriptboutique.co.uk, (n.d.). Story Structure Part 7: Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth. [Online] Available at: http://www.scriptboutique.co.uk/news/story-structure-part-7-joseph-campbell%E2%80%99s-monomyth [Accessed 1 Dec. 2014].

Monomyth theory that useful to analyze in Ramayana story.

Widjajanto, W., Lund, M. and Schelhowe, H. (2008). " Wayang Authoring ". Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Advances in Mobile Computing and Multimedia - MoMM '08. [Online] Available at: http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1497284 [Accessed 2 Dec. 2014].

A useful pdf that has noted the concept behind Wayang Authoring.