Meeting Minutes / April 2001

April 6, 2001

Dear All,

Here are minutes of our meeting last weekend-a very good meeting, I think, so thanks to all for making it so. I’m not sure there’s terrific logic to the order here. It’s just the way things came up and I took them down.

1. In thinking about the flexibility of elements for any give screen, we discussed the usefulness of Lynn’s layering of images. She might, if design warrants, go back and uncompile some earlier unitary images. While none saw great difficulty in working with Jose’s fully compiled music, he suggested that he might, if effects warrant, send Cort some selected “layered” takes of instruments.

2. Jose and Gene will work with the actors for the next take, emphasizing the intimacy of the medium we are working in and cutting back on heavily dramatic voicings while striving for a kind of mixed poetic/dramatic reading. Gene will work with Jose and the actors to schedule a meeting when Gene has finished all texts for the demo. Gene will try to enlist Judy Johnson to read the myth pieces.

3. All agreed that a demo would be prepared for CD consisting of front matter, intro page (with appropriate images along the lines Cort has already experimented with and with appropriate music) and 35 screens: Vienna1,2,and 3; Amazon 1; and Tarrytown 1.

4. It was thought that for demo purposes we could produce a CD that works without having to install set-up files on the viewer’s PC. Later, Macromedia may require installation files.

5. Animation and video were discussed. The general feeling was that we should stick to animation and not get into video unless some compelling artistic reason causes us to change our minds.

6. All agreed that text on screen can be a problem if it just sits there like a chunk of reading. Thus appearance and disappearance and movement and placement of text will need to be used imaginatively so that text becomes to the greatest extent possible integral to the visual and musical design of screens.

7. We agreed that square-framed images with sharply cut borders often do not work well. Lynn and Cort will work on this.

8. We are uneasy about the length of time it takes for a screen with all of its elements to do its thing. Maybe a minute is a good maximum to think of, but we are not sure until we do our demo and get some viewers to give us feedback. This has maybe some implications for CD memory capacity, but as Ben pointed out, we may end up with a DVD.

9. We confirmed the “normal” working sequence for future screens beyond the demo: Gene write screen by screen synopsis; Jose, working off the synopsis, composes music for each screen; Lynn working off the synopsis and the music, creates images for each screen; Gene, working with music and images, writes the screen text and turns over to Cort and Ben the unintegrated material for integration.

10. Though we did not see any way to share a mutual authoring machine, Ben did say he could get screen elements and eventually integrated screens on his web site. The site would house a commentary section where all could offer suggestions for integration of screen elements and could comment on fully integrated screens.

11. We agreed we have all the Vienna music we need, unless Jose chooses to offer new pieces or revisions. The “body” musics of Amazon and Tarrytown were discussed.

12. The matter of hyperlinking and constraints came up again. We decided to stick for now (and maybe forever) to our basic structural scheme for the work with its narrative sequencing. Thought was given to allowing users to open up the work and navigate it as they please. Thought was also given to local internal linking, e.g., clicking on words or images and not having to go back to the Ur-map. These are things that can be tested on users of the demo.

13. Gene will do grant and market research when it is clear that the demo is nearing completion.

14. TASKS

This sets forth tasks for the completion of the demo. NOTE WELL. Because we have worked somewhat differently during these early stages, we cannot do the demo screens in strict accordance with 9 above. We will go back to the system in 9 for work beyond the demo. Here are the tasks that need to be completed, and who will do them.

A. Front matter texts (G)
B. Front matter screen design (L,C)
C. Intro page design (L,C)
D. Creation of missing screen texts, revision of others (G)
E. Suggesting music for all Vienna screens (C)
F. Final choice of Vienna screen music (J)
G. Creation of Amazon and Tarrytown music (J)
H. Voicings of all demo texts (J,G)
I. Tweaking of all demo images (L,C)
J. Integration of screens (L,B,C)
K. Set up web site for screen elements and integrations (B)

No doubt I’ve left something out or misremembered something. If so, let me know. If I don’t hear from you I’ll assume that this is good enough for working purposes.