Audio Narrative: Blog

My inspiration is from a “backrooms” spiral I went into at 4am the other day. credit to free images and midjourney.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vS3yD9QXsBRZmQ4idtn9hrZfB-cUfd5C0D6Sc-G1mv-Y2G3_qtnl8XCZZBbp89gPRL_Nzc9PHBqCJFR/pub?start=true&loop=false&delayms=3000

In the chapters of “Understanding Comics” by Scott McCloud, the author explores the concept of sequential art and how it creates meaning in comics. He defines sequential art as the arrangement of images over time to tell a story. McCloud also explains the role of gutters, the blank spaces between panels in a comic, in creating narrative time frames. He argues that the gutters act as a bridge between panels, allowing the reader to construct a story from the sequence of images. McCloud also explores the use of time frames in comics, such as the slow-motion effect and the overlapping of events in different panels, to create a sense of time and movement. Throughout the chapters, McCloud uses examples from different comics to illustrate his points, demonstrating the power of sequential art, gutters, and time frames in the medium of comics.

 how might you approach the next visual narrative assignment?

I plan to create a video for the next visual narrative assignment. Though McCloud gives great advice and information on the use of mediums used in comics , video seems to be a great way to guide a viewers attention to help “construct a story”. Especially if there are no words said and just visuals of actions or objects. It leaves room for the audience to explore and construct the story in another way.

What do McCloud’s ideas generate for you in your own digital storytelling? Try to think outside the box.

McCloud believes that the simplicity of comic book visuals gives the visuals more power, largely because they call upon the comic book reader to help create the meaning. For my own digital story telling, I’d like to explore that in different mediums such as music, drawing (or in his way, comics and illustration), photography, maybe in just sounds or audio that don’t involve words or phrases but simply organic sounds of everyday life.

“Great Rock n’ Roll Pauses” is a short story by Jennifer Egan that explores themes of aging, nostalgia, and musical obsession. The story revolves around a man in his 60s named Ray, who is a lifelong music lover and former rock critic. Ray becomes obsessed with the idea of “pauses” in rock songs and begins to collect them. He becomes increasingly isolated and disconnected from the world as he fixates on these musical moments. The story ultimately culminates with a final, cathartic pause that allows Ray to come to terms with his past and find a sense of peace. Through its portrayal of a man grappling with his own mortality and the fading of his passions, “Great Rock n’ Roll Pauses” reflects on the nature of time, creativity, and the human experience.

The conflict is primarily internal and revolves around the protagonist Ray’s struggle with aging and the fading of his musical passions. Ray becomes fixated on collecting pauses in rock songs, which leads him to become increasingly isolated and disconnected from the world around him. The climax of the story is the resolution of this conflict as Ray experiences a final, cathartic pause that allows him to come to terms with his past and find a sense of peace. Through this moment, the story suggests that the resolution of personal conflict can come from a deep connection to art and creativity.

The protagonist, Ray, experiences significant inward change throughout the course of “Great Rock n’ Roll Pauses.” At the beginning of the story, he is consumed by his obsession with collecting pauses in rock songs and is disconnected from the world around him. As the story progresses, his fixation deepens and he becomes increasingly isolated. However, at the climax of the story, Ray experiences a final, cathartic pause that allows him to come to terms with his past and find a sense of peace. This resolution of his conflict represents a significant shift in his inward state, from one of obsession and disconnection to one of acceptance and resolution.

The use of a diagrammatic form in the story helps to express these elements of plot and character by visually representing the progression of Ray’s inward journey. The shifting shapes and patterns of the pauses that Ray collects mirror the shifting patterns of his thoughts and emotions, while the increasing complexity of the diagrams reflects the growing intensity of his fixation. In this way, the form of the story serves as a visual representation of the central themes of aging, nostalgia, and musical obsession.

“Great Rock n’ Roll Pauses” by Jennifer Egan is a story that effectively utilizes diagrammatic form to express its central themes and to shape the reader’s experience. This use of form inspires me to consider how I can similarly use arrangement of type to create structure, sequence, emphasis, pacing, and rhythm in my own diagrammatic story.

For example, I could use the size, color, and placement of type to create emphasis on certain elements of the story, while using negative space to create pacing and rhythm. I could also use the arrangement of type to visually represent the progression of the protagonist’s inward journey, just as Egan does in “Great Rock n’ Roll Pauses.” By considering how form can contribute to the overall narrative experience, I can craft a diagrammatic story that effectively conveys its themes and characters.

“60 Characters” is a short story that explores the consequences of technology and social media on human relationships. The conflict in the story lies in the protagonist’s struggle to connect with her husband, who is consumed by his virtual life and the endless stream of characters he interacts with on social media. The protagonist finds herself feeling isolated and ignored in her own marriage as her husband becomes more and more engrossed in his virtual world.

The story evokes feelings of loneliness and disconnection, as well as the impact of technology on our relationships and daily lives. The narrative structure of “60 Characters” is straightforward, moving chronologically from the beginning to the end of the protagonist’s struggle with her husband’s obsession with social media. The use of short, fragmented sentences and the repetition of phrases such as “He was always on his phone” reinforce the protagonist’s feelings of disconnection and the overwhelming presence of technology in her life.

Overall, “60 Characters” serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of excessive technology use and the importance of maintaining real-life connections. The story highlights the need for balance between virtual and real-life relationships and the impact that technology can have on our relationships and daily lives.

In the movie Fargo, the plot is set by the actions of the main character, Jerry Lundegaard, who is a car salesman that hires two criminals to kidnap his wife in order to extort money from his wealthy father-in-law. This sets off a chain of events that leads to multiple murders and a criminal investigation headed by the pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson.

The actions of the main characters reveal their flaws and transformations, as well as the inner lives of the characters. Jerry’s desperation and greed drive him to commit a crime that spirals out of control, ultimately leading to his downfall. Marge’s persistence and compassion are contrasted with the ruthless and senseless violence of the criminals, highlighting her morality and humanity.

Fargo also displays characteristics of a tragedy according to Aristotle’s Poetics, including a reversal of fortune, a character flaw leading to their downfall, and the experience of fear and pity in the audience. The film’s dark humor and suspenseful plot, as well as its portrayal of the consequences of criminal behavior, serve to reinforce the tragic elements of the story. Overall, Fargo is a movie that blends crime, black comedy, and tragedy to create a unique and captivating viewing experience

Name’s Breanna but call me Bree

I’m majoring in DTC with a focus on videogame development and overall focus of digital art. My passion for creativity shines through hobbies, which include photography, videography, music making, digital art, hiking, and adventuring around new areas. If I’m not at school then I’m helping small local businesses in Portland with web design, promotional videos and club photography for local lgbtq events around Portland and Seattle. If I’m not doing this then I’m working on personal projects or spending the time being active outside with hiking, skating, snowboarding, swimming or social hang outs with friends. I enrolled in this class to broaden my knowledge in digital storytelling and further develop my skills in the areas I am already interested in.  I think this class will provide me with the structure I need to effectively tell stories and express my creative side in new and exciting ways.

Classic Aristotelian:

In a world where technology and body modification had fused together, a cat named Z prowled the dark alleyways of the city’s underbelly. Z was a highly skilled cyberpunk with a unique talent: offering illegal and highly demanded black market tattoos.

Act I: The Setup Z work was in high demand among the city’s criminal underworld, who valued his artistic skills and discretion. He was rumored to be able to create tattoos that could grant the wearer special abilities, making him the go-to artist for the city’s most dangerous gangs and underground organizations.

Act II: The Confrontation However, Z success had not gone unnoticed. The city’s authorities were determined to shut down his illegal operation and bring him to justice. They launched a full-scale investigation, using their advanced technology and resources to track down the elusive cat.

Act III: The Resolution Despite the odds against him, Z refused to back down. He continued to ply his trade, evading the authorities at every turn and becoming even more sought after in the black market. In the end, he emerged as a legend in the criminal underworld, his name synonymous with the art of cyberpunk tattooing.

As the city’s authorities continued to search for him, Z continued to operate in the shadows, offering his unique and highly sought after tattoos to those willing to pay the price. To this day, the rumors of his incredible skills and the incredible tattoos he creates persist, making Aristo one of the most elusive and enigmatic figures in the city’s criminal underworld.

Kishotenketsu:

Introduction: Tez, the notorious space cowboy, was known for his quick draw and sharpshooting skills. He took on any job that paid well, but his latest mission was different from anything he had faced before.

Development: Tez was hired to protect a remote mining colony from a group of vicious aliens. These aliens were massive and had tentacles for arms and glowing red eyes. Despite the odds against him, Tez was determined to protect the colonists.

Turn: The first attack was brutal, but Tez fought back with all his might. Just when it seemed like all was lost, he remembered a secret weapon he had acquired – an ancient artifact said to have the power to defeat any enemy. When he touched the artifact, a bright light surrounded him, and the aliens vanished.

Resolution: Tez knew that the aliens would return, but he was ready. Armed with the power of the artifact and his trusty gun, he set off into the stars to face whatever challenges lay ahead. He was a true hero of the stars, a space cowboy who would always be remembered for his bravery and skill.

Conclusion: Tez’s legend lived on as he continued to roam the galaxy, taking on any job that paid well and facing down any enemy that dared to stand in his way. He was a symbol of bravery and skill, a space cowboy who would always protect those in need, no matter the cost.

Surrealist/Fantasy:

Kyle was unlike any other alien on his planet, for he had a deep love for skateboarding. He would spend hours each day practicing and perfecting his moves. However, his planet was made of a dense, gooey substance that made it impossible for him to skate.

One day, as he gazed upon the stars, he saw a bright light in the sky. It was a spaceship from Earth, and inside it was a human skateboarder. Kyle was overjoyed and quickly made friends with the skateboarder, who showed him the boards they used on Earth. The human gave Kyle one of the boards and a magical spray that would allow him to skate on his own planet.

Kyle was ecstatic and quickly set off to try out his new board. To his delight, it worked perfectly and he was able to skate as he had always dreamed. The other aliens on his planet were amazed at what they saw and many of them asked Kyle to teach them how to skate. He happily obliged and soon the entire planet was filled with aliens skateboarding in harmony.

Kyle was now the happiest alien in the universe, able to fulfill his dream of skateboarding and sharing his love for it with others. He continued to visit Earth and learn new tricks from the human skateboarder, who became his best friend. And so, Kyle lived happily ever after, skateboarding through the galaxies and spreading joy wherever he went.

Personal Anecdote:

I was feeling stuck in a never-ending routine and yearned for a change of scenery. While sitting at work I Googled, “where should I move?”, which took me to a Buzzfeed website that had a mini quiz called “Where you should move to”. After taking quiz my options were either Denver, Colorado or Portland, Oregon. Being that I’ve never been to Oregon and currently had family in Denver, I couldn’t decide. That’s when I decided to leave the decision to fate and flipped a coin. Heads was Denver and tails was Portland.

Immediately after flipping the coin, I talked to my boss and put my two week notice in, sold my second car along with most my belongings, and broke my lease in the apartment I was at. Two weeks later I packed up my belongings and hit the road. I didn’t have a plan for my move beside making it a road trip and figuring it out once I’m there kind of mindset. I didn’t have friends or family in Oregon but wanted an opportunity to finally find myself and feel alive. After spending another two weeks driving through the coast of HWY 101 from San Diego to Portland finally made it and with 500 bucks to my name. Moving from New Mexico to being in a place full of giant tree’s like I’d never seen in real life, I decided to “camp” around Washington and Oregon for a couple months where I was constantly on the move, never staying in one place for too long.

Eventually, I found a job in a Portland and decided to put down roots. I started attending Washington State University, where I met like-minded individuals and became deeply involved in the local community. I was finally living the life I had always dreamed of, surrounded by nature and a supportive network of friends.

Looking back, I can’t imagine my life having played out any differently. I’m grateful for that fateful coin flip that brought me to this beautiful state, and for the opportunities that have arisen as a result. It’s a reminder to trust the journey and to let go of control sometimes, because sometimes the unexpected path is the one that leads to the greatest adventures and the most fulfilling experiences.