Meeting Minutes / November 1999

11-25-99

Dear All,

Here are minutes that try at least to cream off the top of our last meeting, which I thought was very rich and productive.

1. The layering of the images offers chances for foregrounding and even isolating an image, but Lynn noted that this has to be used with care to achieve artistic effects, also noted that certain isolations could get us into copyright problems.

2. We speculated that layered or modular music could work well with images.

3. In any case, the layered or modular nature of images and music creates lots of combinations and permutations for artistic inventiveness.

4. Lynn spoke of the possible use of color motifs for each of the three worlds. This could also apply to music and to text and voice.

5. Animation received some attention. Ben noted that it could be particularly useful for transition effects. But it could also be used to good effect within frames if used with constraint.

6. The matter of counterpoint was raised. Should image, music, text, voice be tightly consonant or should there be deliberate dissonances?

7. We agreed that there is virtue in working up from archetypal images etc. to surface narrative. The question is how actually to make this operative in the creative process. See immediately below.

8. The old process of Gene outlining, Lynn doing images, Gene writing text was OK, but a preferable method might be: Gene does an outline, then Lynn and Gene produce a pool of images and texts which then the group working together synthesizes in Flash. Presumably, then, the archetypes of 7 above appear, at least broadly, in the initial outline.

9. The basic navigation was confirmed, and Cort's basal out-flowing image seemed promising. Gene noted that his texts within a node of seven might sometimes have been too linear, given the fact that the possible orders in which the user might visit the seven frames is huge (seven factorial). On the other hand, it was said, so what if there is a definite progression within the four narrative frames (and even the psychological)? Let the reader recuperate that order, if she likes, AFTER her own order of visitation. Well, the proof will be in the eating. We and other users can test any node and see if it's working.

10. It becomes clearer and clearer that voice (vs. barren text) and ambient sound/music add tremendously to the effect of any frame. Therefore, as we work without actors and maybe without musician, it will still be useful for Gene (why am I speaking of myself in the third person?) in providing text to sketch in voice and sound/music, no matter how rough and approximate.

11. We often spoke of a disciplined work in which users are not encouraged to truncate frames without experiencing the synthesis that we have worked out. Sometimes images and sound may well up out of black silent screens. Lapse time is important. This is not a work for impatient gamesters.

12. Gene note that his text are too much of the same pace and register. He looks forward to considerable modulations, especially in the psychological and mythical levels.

13. We meet again the weekend of the 18th of December. I'm not sure that we finally agreed on exactly what we would be doing. Here's a suggestion, totally open to revision. We try to integrate Vienna 1 and 2. Lynn provides a pool of images. I provide text, voice and ambient sound. Cort and Ben begin integration, animation, transition, navigation. I don't think that in this instance, because this is familiar territory that the archetype up to narrative scheme needs to be specifically in place. We can use it in later episodes.

14. Haven't heard from Jose. Lynn, his number is 718-858-0745. You could give him a call if you're of a mind, to tell him what great fun we had this past weekend, what great strides, how much we like his music, whatever.