Today our productivity was actually pretty good today although there was not much work to do.
So far, our short film is going to be a documentary, but done in a style that is more casual and stylistic. Our main inspiration in terms of style comes from a series done by Wong Fu Productions about how technology like internet and email makes romantic scenarios nearly impossible. They're quite hilarious and very true. There's four videos in their Technology Ruins Romance series. My favourite one is the one at the airport:
(WongFuProductions, 2011)
(WongFuProductions, 2010)
(WongFuProductions, 2010)
(WongFuProductions, 2010)
In Technology Ruins Romance: The Airport (WongFuProductions, 2011) a girl leaves her entire life behind to take up a job in Paris and her boyfriend attempts to intercept her at the airport. Later he realises that he can save himself a lot of running and time by simply calling her, which angers the girl because it leads her to think that she's not important enough, causing him to be rejected by the angry girl (WongFuProductions, 2011). While I think that the guy is being very practical at trying to stop her from leaving and I don't agree with the girl's reasons for being mad, I do agree with the point that WongFuProductions is trying to make in each of their videos in this series. What they're trying to say is that technology makes things so effortless for us, in communication especially, that the "romance" of communicating is lost.
An easy way to understand that is by using these examples:
Receiving a letter posted to you from a friend is much more satisfying than getting an email from a friend. Here's why: To send a letter you have to physically write it, get up, go to the nearest post box and pop in your letter. Email requires you to stay in the same spot and simply hit send. Therefore a letter feels more personal.
An acquaintance who doesn't have FaceBook saying Happy Birthday to you is more surprising and pleasant than an acquaintance saying Happy Birthday to you on FaceBook. Here's why: They actually listened and remembered when you mentioned when your birthday is that one time. It's not difficult to remember birthdays with FaceBook reminders so it's really nothing special.
A more depressing example is that it's easier to get over someone breaking up with you in person compared to someone breaking up with you over a text or instant messaging. Here's why: You're still important enough for them to break you in person.
You get the idea. Non-digital ways of communication are seen as more personal and valuable because of the effort it takes not to do it the easy way.
Now back to the short film.
There will be some interviewing which we'll need to organise. We're still in the planning stage so things are likely to change. Should have it all pinned down by Monday though.
The short film is important for the first term as it finds out information we need for next term to design our alternative network to the internet. I think this way it ties in very well with what we're doing for next term while simultaneously serving our main purpose in the documentary about how we're relying too much on having internet access and email.
Overall, I'm quite confident that we're going in the right direction.
Today I've listened in on other groups as well. Most groups are in the same stage as we are, planning and sorting out details in this term's project. However, a lot of us agree that we need a bit more guidance and feedback. It's hard to know whether you're on the right track or whether your idea is good enough when there's actually nobody available to give feedback, especially when everybody's schedule's are quite tight.
I think I need to take this into consideration when planning for my group. We're certain with what we're doing now, but I'm sure at some point in the future of this semester we'll need some guidance from a lecturer just to make sure we're going in the right direction.
Another thing to consider is really motivating the group to increase productivity. Today was good, but that was because there wasn't much work to finish. Therefore it's still impossible to say how we would perform if it's a regular day's work. My main concern is distraction. I'd say our biggest distraction is games and drawing on a tablet. It would be beneficial to ban tablets and games in my group until the day's work is complete. I really don't want us to do everything at the last minute because we lack self-control and at the moment that is really worrying me while making me feel guilty at the same time.
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Reference List
WongFuProductions. (2010, February 9). Technology Ruins Romance: Destiny [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIiW0Trk3T0&feature=relmfu
WongFuProductions. (2010, February 9). Technology Ruins Romance: The Letters [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGr1lQAREB0&feature=relmfu
WongFuProductions. (2010, February 9). Technology Ruins Romance: War Torn [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6rc5zuX5TA&feature=relmfu
WongFuProductions. (2011, February 14). Technology Ruins Romance: The Airport [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26d9HLsURPM&feature=relmfu
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