DTC 101 – Spring 2013

@ObergJustin

I found Donna Leishman’s work, “Redridinghood” very entertaining. Being able to take a familiar story and make it new and exciting is not easy. However, the ability to utilize a new medium to present the story gives you the opportunity to experiment with more facets of the story than you could with traditional print. In Marshall McLuhan’s book, “Medium is the Massage” he states that, “Media, by altering the environment, evoke in us unique ratio of sense perceptions. The extension of any one sense alters the way we think and act – the way we perceive the world” (41). Because Leishman was able to use electronic literature and the computer screen to present her story, she was able to evoke different kinds of senses in the reader. For instance, instead of letting us interpret the visuals of the scene, she provides us with how things look through animation. Being able to play with colors and movement is something you cannot do with print but is very important to “Redridinghood”. A lot of the feelings that I got from the story came from the colors and animation and not necessarily the words on the screen.  Also, instead of it being an entirely linear story, we are allowed to make choices that effect the direction of the story. There were also some optional “easter eggs” that I found you could click on that give you more information to the story, which made me feel more immersed and made me feel that I was personalized with the story.

@cougar_sean

“I am fascinated with the stories that are told through this confusing haze of mediation, experience, and screen” (Burnett 104). Thus is presented the story of Redridinghood by Donna Leishman. This is a story that cannot be told the way it was when printed in a physical form. Redridinghood evokes interaction/participation from the audience, which is invested in the story as we choose the path on which Red Riding Hood will live. Through this point-and-click adventure, Donna Leishman has altered the traditional folktale and encourages active participation by the audience to create their own version of the story. When this folktale is told in picture book form, there is only one path, one resolution and one ultimate understanding of the story. However, because of the electronic medium, the story is presented with vivid colors of red, and black and white representing not only the dark side of life, but also the relationship between the story and our emotions. The wolf was often times found in the shadows of the animation and always accompanied by bloodthirsty eyes. Accentuating another aspect of our senses was the introduction of music. This music seemed foreboding and dark, which complimented the story very well. This is something that we cannot experience outside of the electronic medium. Coupling point-and-click with animations also created a certain sense of consequence to our actions. Although initially in control of the story, the repercussions of those decisions were entirely out of our hands.

@kylemcgee77

It is safe to say that everyone has heard the story of Little Red Riding Hood. But have you ever experienced the story in a New Media type of way? By turning Little Red Riding hood into a piece of electronic literature the story is experienced in a whole new way. Dona Leishman’s work “Redridinghood” tells the story in new way by allowing the reading to interact with the text. By showing a lot of animations and using sounds, this electronic literature piece essentially makes the reader interpret the story in the way the author wants it. By reading the print version of the story, your mind can interpret what the setting and characters “might” look like. In Leishman’s version, the characters such as the wolf are animated for you. The music also adds to the overall vibe of the story. This supports McLuhan’s claim that “the extension of any one sense alters the way we think and act the way we perceive the world” (McLuhan pg. 41). I feel that electronic literature is becoming more and more accepted in today’s world. It is arguable that the new media can never replace classic stories such as Little Red Riding Hood. There are always going to be those die hard people that will only read print versions of classics. But this new media is not created to “replace.” It is created rather to “enhance” the story or to give it a different feel. Print books will one day be a thing of the past, but new media will keep their stories alive.

#dtcv